Already Driven With Petrol in a Diesel Ford C-Max?
Leaving the motor off is what counts once you've driven on petrol in a diesel Ford C-Max, which means you should stop as soon as it is safe and switch the motor off. Caught soon, it only very rarely leaves permanent harm, and putting it right wherever you've pulled up is still possible.
Your Ford C-Max can stay wherever it has stopped, as Petrol in Diesel comes out to it, empties its fuel tank there then clears its fuel system of petrol. When we leave, it's running on fresh diesel.
Noticing petrol in a diesel C-Max
It's usually a couple of miles before the signs show up, as with petrol inside your tank a diesel C-Max will often run normally at first. People normally spot the following if there's petrol or AdBlue in the tank:
- the engine is short of power, particularly whenever it has to accelerate
- it runs rough, or your idle turns uneven
- the exhaust puts out more smoke than normal
- warning lamps appear
- it stalls and might not restart
Check the receipt if any of these started after you filled up, as it will show which fuel went in.
What driving does with wrong fuel in your Ford C-Max
Till the engine draws it out, wrong fuel in your Ford C-Max remains in your fuel tank, and driving pulls it on to the fuel filter, then to your injection pump and your fuel injectors. The mixture reaches more of your fuel system the further the C-Max is taken, because petrol weakens the diesel that protects the fuel pump and the fuel injectors on its way through them.
Stopping as soon as you can is better than completing the journey for that reason. Harm, where it happens, comes from a long drive on contaminated fuel, and a drain and a clean are normally all a vehicle requires when it is stopped early.
Where you have pulled up
Getting the C-Max anywhere is not necessary. No recovery truck has to be organised and there is no need to start it, as we come to it at the side of the road or outside your home.
On a busy road, turn on the hazard lights, then find somewhere safe to wait away from the traffic.
Call 0333 366 0103 and tell us where you are, what C-Max it is and roughly how far you have driven. Giving us the version on the badge, like the C-Max 1.6 TDCi, helps as well.
The fuel drain on your Ford C-Max after driving
There is one step more to a fuel drain on your Ford C-Max after it has been driven than to one on the forecourt. Once the tank is drained, your lines are opened up and flushed through along with the filter, which leaves no petrol anywhere from your tank to the motor. With clean diesel in and the system primed, we fire up the engine and make sure it runs properly.
AdBlue in a diesel Ford C-Max that has been driven
Driving with AdBlue in a diesel Ford C-Max usually shows up as warning lights, smoke and uneven running, and the vehicle may stall. Settling to the bottom of the fuel tank, where the fuel pump draws fuel, AdBlue reaches the fuel line fast, and it doesn't burn or lubricate. As its water dries out, the urea forms crystals in your fuel lines and the fuel filter.
AdBlue removal from a diesel Ford C-Max: what it involves
Draining the tank comes first in AdBlue removal from a diesel Ford C-Max that has been run, and then the crystals are cleared out of your fuel lines and your filter, with the filter changed if it needs it.
Nothing here involves switching off or taking out the AdBlue system. It deals with fluid in the diesel tank, and any dedicated AdBlue tank your C-Max may have is left as it is.
Ford C-Max fuel tank capacity and engines
The Ford C-Max has the same diesel fuel tank, 53 litres, on every version in our figures.
On this diesel C-Max, the versions carry TDCi badging.
Engine sizes run from 1.6 litres on the C-Max 1.6 TDCi up to 2.0 litres in the C-Max 2.0 TDCi.
| Version | Fuel tank |
|---|---|
| Ford C-Max 1.6 TDCi | 53 litres |
| Ford C-Max 2.0 TDCi | 53 litres |
The cost of a fuel drain on the Ford C-Max after a drive
The price of a fuel drain on the Ford C-Max after it has been driven hinges mostly on how far it went and where it has stopped, and whether it was petrol or AdBlue makes a difference as well. Ring with those details and we can explain what the work will involve.
Common questions about petrol in a diesel Ford C-Max after driving
Has the petrol ruined my C-Max?
The chance of that is very low. We drain and flush your fuel system where you have pulled up, and if the car has been stopped soon, lasting harm is uncommon.
Should I drive it home first?
It's better not to. We can empty the C-Max just where it sits, so it does not need moving, and each mile driven on tainted fuel would take it further through your fuel system.
It has stalled and will not restart. What should I do?
Trying again pulls more of the blend through with every try. Please leave the car as it is. We prime your system and get it started for you after it has been emptied and flushed and fresh diesel is in.
Does it matter which C-Max I own?
There are 2 diesel versions of the C-Max, and the badge on the tailgate says which one you have. Knowing that helps us when you call.
Does my insurance cover wrong fuel in my Ford C-Max?
Misfuelling cover is included in some policies, so check yours once the vehicle has been sorted. Either way, we come out.