Already Driven With Petrol in a Diesel Fiat Strada?
If you have travelled with petrol in a diesel Fiat Strada, pull over as soon as it's safe, turn the engine off and keep it off. Where you have pulled up, we can still put it right, and damage that lasts is very rare once it's caught soon.
Petrol in Diesel comes out to wherever your Fiat Strada has ended up, empties the tank and flushes the petrol from the fuel system. By the time we go, the car is back on fresh diesel.
How petrol in a diesel Strada shows itself
At first, petrol in your fuel tank frequently makes little difference to how a diesel Strada drives, and the symptoms show up a few miles further on. If the tank has petrol or AdBlue in it, motorists usually notice the following:
- the motor is short of power, particularly when it has to accelerate
- the idle becomes erratic, or it runs rough
- more smoke than usual comes from the tailpipe
- a warning lamp appears
- the motor cuts out and might not start again
One of these starting after you fuelled up is reason enough to look at the receipt and see what went in.
Wrong fuel in your Fiat Strada: what driving on it does
The fuel tank keeps wrong fuel in your Fiat Strada where it is till it's pulled out by the engine. Once you drive, it goes through the injectors, your filter and the high-pressure pump. As diesel runs through the injectors and the fuel pump it lubricates them, yet petrol weakens it, and that is why the Strada takes that mixture further into the system the more it is used.
That is why it's better to stop as soon as you can than to complete the journey. Damage, where it happens, comes from a long journey on contaminated fuel, and a drain and a clean are usually all a motor requires when it's stopped early.
Right where you stopped
The Strada doesn't need getting anywhere. We come to it at the roadside or outside your home, and so there is no reason to start it or organise a recovery truck.
With the hazards on, stand away from the traffic in a safe spot if the road beside you is fast.
Before you phone 0333 366 0103, have your location to hand, along with the distance you travelled and which Strada it is. If the badge shows the version, such as the Strada TD 70, that is useful as well.
Once it has been driven: fuel drain on your Fiat Strada
A fuel drain on your Fiat Strada after it has been driven goes one step further than one at the forecourt. Once the tank has been drained, your lines are opened up and rinsed through along with your fuel filter, which leaves no petrol anywhere from the tank to the motor. The system is primed once clean diesel has gone in, and the motor is started to confirm it runs smoothly.
AdBlue in a diesel Fiat Strada once driven
Look out for smoke, rough running and warning lights if AdBlue in a diesel Fiat Strada has been driven on, because your car may then stall. As AdBlue settles to the bottom of your fuel tank, where your fuel pump draws its fuel, it's in your fuel line quickly, and it does not burn or lubricate. As its water dries out, the urea forms crystals in your lines and the fuel filter.
AdBlue removal from a diesel Fiat Strada: what it involves
Emptying your tank comes first in AdBlue removal from a diesel Fiat Strada that has been run, and then the crystals are cleared out of your lines and the fuel filter, with the filter changed if it needs it.
A separate AdBlue tank, if your Strada has one, is left as it is. The job is about fluid in the diesel tank, and doesn't involve removing or turning off an AdBlue system.
Tank sizes and engines: Fiat Strada fuel tank capacity
Our figures show the diesel tank holds 51 litres on each version of the Fiat Strada.
The badges on diesel Strada versions read TD.
Fuel drain on the Fiat Strada after a drive: what it costs
Whether it was petrol or AdBlue affects what a fuel drain on the Fiat Strada costs after driving on it, though it hinges mainly on how far it went and where it has stopped. Ring with those details and then we can tell you what the work will need.
Petrol in a diesel Fiat Strada: common questions after a drive
Is my Strada ruined?
It's very unlikely. Permanent harm is uncommon when the car is stopped early and the system is emptied and cleaned, and that is what we do where you have pulled up.
Is it OK to drive it home first?
Our guidance is not to. Every mile on contaminated fuel pushes it further through your system, and we can empty the Strada where it is, which means there is no reason to shift the car.
Stalled, and it won't restart: what should I do next?
Leaving it alone is wiser than having another go, since each try pulls the blend further through. We prime your system and start it for you once it has been emptied and flushed and clean diesel is in.
Is wrong fuel in my Fiat Strada covered by my insurance?
We come out whatever your policy says, and some do include misfuelling cover, which means looking at yours once the vehicle is sorted is worth doing.