Have You Put Petrol in a Diesel Ford Explorer?
Anyone who has put petrol in a diesel Ford Explorer without starting the motor ought to keep it switched off, and not run it even to roll it off the pump. With the engine left off, that petrol stays where it is inside the tank, and in most cases a fuel drain is all your Explorer requires.
We go to wrongly fuelled vehicles instead of the other way round, so with Petrol in Diesel your Ford Explorer stays at the forecourt or wherever it has stopped. Call us before you attempt anything yourself and we will take you through it.
The first moves with petrol in a diesel Explorer
- Leave your engine off. Any diesel Explorer will generally start and run with petrol in the tank, and it may feel fine for a couple of miles, and that is why drivers frequently drive away without noticing something is wrong.
- Switching your ignition on is enough, on a lot of diesels, to set the fuel pump priming and draw fuel from your tank towards the fuel injectors, so leave that off too.
- Filling up with diesel to thin it is a mistake, even with super unleaded, which is petrol as well. The fuel tank in your Explorer takes up to 72 litres, and each litre of diesel put in is more contaminated fuel for us to empty.
- When your vehicle is in the way of a pump, pop it in neutral and roll the vehicle clear. Forecourt staff are normally happy to help with that.
- If the badge shows the precise version, for instance the Explorer, mention it when you call 0333 366 0103. Let us know too which Explorer you have and where it is, roughly how much petrol was put in and whether your motor has run.
Driven your vehicle with wrong fuel in your Ford Explorer?
The engine is not affected by wrong fuel in your Ford Explorer until it's pulled out of your tank, and starting the motor is what pulls it out. In a diesel engine, the fuel oils the injectors and the injection pump on its way past. Petrol thins the diesel and takes that lubrication away, and that is why it's driving for any distance on the blend that can do harm.
Where you have already been driving your Explorer, pull over somewhere safe then turn off. We can still put it right, by draining your tank and cleaning the pipes and the filter until all of the tainted fuel is cleared. If it's caught early and cleaned out properly, permanent damage is very rare.
Your Ford Explorer fuel tank capacity, version by version
If you filled up when your tank was close to empty, the same few litres make up more of your fuel in it, and the danger rests on that share, so the capacity of the tank matters.
The tank takes 72 litres on every diesel Ford Explorer we have data for, so that calculation is the same whichever version you have.
What diesel version of the Explorer is yours?
It is useful for us to know the variant when you call, and it is usually on a badge at the rear of your car.
AdBlue in a diesel Ford Explorer by accident
Water and urea go into AdBlue, which some diesel vehicles use to treat their exhaust. It's kept in a tank of its own, with its own filler. Even to move your car, do not turn your key if you have AdBlue in a diesel Ford Explorer after it went into the wrong filler.
The fuel pump has no protection at all from AdBlue, which is mainly water and will not ignite. It won't mix with diesel either, and sinks to the bottom of the tank, the very spot the pump draws from, so a tank of up to 72 litres does nothing to dilute it.
Even a little of it is enough to end up in the fuel lines. Inside your fuel system the water evaporates and lets the urea crystallise, in your filter and injectors among other places, where it attacks the metal it touches.
Look under the fuel flap if your Explorer has an AdBlue filler, since on many cars it is right beside the diesel filler. AdBlue caps are generally blue and accept a far smaller nozzle than diesel.
What we do for a fuel drain on your Ford Explorer
Taking the car to a garage isn't necessary, as a fuel drain on your Ford Explorer is done right at the car. First we check what was put in and whether your motor has run. The tank, which takes up to 72 litres on the Explorer, is then drained, the lines and filter are cleaned, and your vehicle is filled up with fresh diesel and primed before we start it.
By the end, the Explorer is running on fresh diesel once more and ready for you to take away.
Handling AdBlue removal from a diesel Ford Explorer
We follow the same steps for AdBlue removal from a diesel Ford Explorer as we do for emptying petrol. Because AdBlue doesn't mix in but settles at the bottom of your tank, running the Explorer on it can leave deposits in the lines. Those get cleared through too, and your fuel filter is swapped where needed.
What we call AdBlue removal is draining AdBlue from the diesel tank after a mistake at the filler, not removing or disabling the AdBlue system on a vehicle.
Pricing a fuel drain on the Ford Explorer
A fixed price isn't something we publish, because no two jobs need the same work. It mainly comes down to the following:
- whether the Explorer has been started or driven, which makes the greatest difference
- how much was put in compared with the size of the tank
- whether it was petrol or AdBlue
- where the Explorer is, and whether we can bring our van to it in safety
Phone with those answers and we'll be able to explain what's likely to be involved.
Your queries on petrol in a diesel Ford Explorer
Can you tell me the fuel tank capacity of the Ford Explorer?
It holds 72 litres, and our figures show the same tank on every variant.
Can I top up with diesel if I only put a little petrol in my Explorer?
It isn't something we'd advise, as putting in diesel does nothing to remove that petrol. It just lowers its share, and the petrol is still in the fuel system after you drive off. A drain gets all of that out, and with a modest quantity that's generally all your Explorer needs.
Will my Explorer need to go to the Ford dealer?
There's no reason to take it elsewhere. We empty and clean your Explorer where it has stopped, and we are independent, with no link to Ford or any of its dealers.
Does my policy cover wrong fuel in my Ford Explorer?
Misfuelling cover is part of some policies and not others, so look at yours. We'll come out to drain it for you whether it does or not.
What should I do if my Explorer got diesel in its AdBlue tank?
Keep the key out of the ignition in that case as well. Most cars display a warning and go into limp mode if they're driven like that, and the AdBlue system will need emptying. Let us know which tank the fuel was put in when you phone.
Already driven my Explorer: what now?
Look for a safe spot to pull over, then turn the motor off and keep the car that way till we get there. Wherever you have pulled over, the system is emptied and cleaned there, and caught soon like this, it very seldom leaves lasting harm.