Have You Put Petrol in a Diesel Ford?
If you've put petrol in a diesel Ford and the motor hasn't been run, leave it switched off, including to move it away from the petrol pump. In this position, the vehicle normally needs no more than a fuel drain, as the petrol has not yet left the tank.
With Petrol in Diesel, the drain is done where your diesel Ford is, on the forecourt or wherever it has stopped. Each model has its own page, listed below, and you can call us before you try anything on your own.
Your first moves when there's petrol in a diesel Ford
- Your ignition has to stay off along with your motor, because on a lot of diesels switching it on starts the fuel pump priming, and that pulls fuel from your tank towards the fuel injectors.
- Each litre of diesel put in on top is more contaminated fuel for us to drain, and diesel Ford models take up to 80 litres, so do not fill up to dilute it.
- Forecourt attendants will normally help roll your car clear in neutral if it is blocking a pump.
- Call 0333 366 0103 and tell us which model it is, where you are, approximately how much was put in and whether the engine has run. The model name is enough to begin with, for instance the Fiesta.
Running your motor with wrong fuel in your Ford
Wrong fuel in your Ford only starts to cause trouble when it is drawn from the tank, and starting your engine is what pulls it. Petrol dilutes the fuel that lubricates the high-pressure pump and your injectors as it flows through them, and that is why any distance driven on the blend can do harm.
When you've already been driving, stop somewhere safe and switch off. Wherever you have stopped, it can still be put right, and lasting damage very rarely follows if it is caught early.
That applies whether you drive the B-Max or any other Ford.
Fuel tank sizes across the diesel Ford range
The size of your tank counts because what matters is how much of what is in it is petrol, so a few litres matter more in a tank that was close to empty.
From 35 litres up to 80, the tank changes across the diesel Ford range.
On the Ka the tank is the smallest, and on the Ranger it's the largest.
For the Tourneo Connect, the tank size is up to 60 litres.
Our data cover 18 diesel Ford models. Each has a page of its own, showing the tank for each variant.
AdBlue in a diesel Ford by mistake
The first step is the same if you've got AdBlue in a diesel Ford after it went in the incorrect filler. Shifting your vehicle isn't a reason to touch the key.
The fuel pump has no lubrication from AdBlue, which is mostly water carrying dissolved urea and won't burn. It will not mix with diesel either, so it sinks under the diesel in the tank, where the pump pulls from. Crystals of urea form in the fuel filter and the lines as the water dries, and they attack the metal around them.
A separate AdBlue tank, if a diesel car has one, has its own filler, often beside the diesel filler under the same flap. With a car that has one, you can normally tell the AdBlue cap by its blue colour and the narrower nozzle it takes.
The fuel drain on your Ford, stage by stage
We carry out a fuel drain on your Ford where the car stands, whether that's on the forecourt or on your drive, so there's no reason to move it. Draining the tank comes after we have found out whether your engine has run and what was put in. Next, we clean your fuel lines and the filter, put clean diesel back in and prime the fuel system before starting it.
A tank of up to 72 litres is what we drain on the Explorer.
Clean diesel is what your vehicle is running on once we leave.
AdBlue removal from a diesel Ford, explained
AdBlue removal from a diesel Ford takes the same steps as draining petrol, with more care at the bottom of the tank, where AdBlue settles. We rinse the fuel filter and the lines through when the car has been run, and replace the fuel filter if it needs it.
The AdBlue system isn't removed or disabled here. This means taking AdBlue out of the diesel tank.
Fuel drain on a diesel Ford: what decides the price
Jobs vary, so this page shows no set quote. The chief thing that changes it is whether the motor has been started or driven. It matters too whether it took petrol or AdBlue, where the car is, and how much of the tank it took up. Phone with those answers and we can let you know what the job will involve.
Petrol in a diesel Ford: your questions
Will you drain any diesel Ford?
This page links to each diesel Ford model we have figures for, and the drain itself is for any diesel vehicle.
How many diesel Ford models do you cover?
Between them, the 18 diesel Ford models we list take in 89 variants.
Will my Ford need to go to a dealer?
There is no reason to. The drain is done wherever your car has stopped, and we are independent, with no link to Ford or its dealers.
Could I claim on insurance for wrong fuel in my Ford?
Misfuelling cover is part of some policies and not others, so check yours. Either way, we will come out.