Put Petrol in a Diesel Ford Fiesta by Mistake?
We'd ask you to keep your engine off when you've put petrol in a diesel Ford Fiesta and not run it yet, and that goes for shifting it off the forecourt too. Whilst the engine stays off that petrol remains inside the tank, so draining it is usually all that it needs to put the Fiesta right.
Your Ford Fiesta can stay put wherever it has stopped, forecourt included, as Petrol in Diesel drains wrongly fuelled cars on the spot. We will go through it with you on the phone, so ring us before attempting anything on your own.
The first steps for petrol in a diesel Fiesta
- Motorists often drive off without noticing anything is amiss, because a diesel Fiesta will normally start and run on petrol and may seem fine for the first couple of miles. So keep your engine off.
- Turning the ignition on is all it takes, on many diesels, to start the fuel pump priming and draw fuel from your tank towards the injectors, so leave that off as well.
- The Fiesta holds up to 45 litres, so filling the rest of your tank with diesel to thin the petrol only leaves more tainted fuel to empty out. The same applies to super unleaded, which is petrol as well.
- A car blocking a pump can be put in neutral and rolled out of the way, and the forecourt attendants are usually happy to help.
- Phone 0333 366 0103 then tell us which Fiesta you have and where it is, approximately how much petrol went in, and whether your motor has run. Where the precise version is shown on the badge, for example the Fiesta 1.6 TDCi ECOnetic, tell us that as well.
Driven your vehicle with wrong fuel in your Ford Fiesta?
The motor isn't touched by wrong fuel in your Ford Fiesta till it's drawn out of the tank, and starting the motor is what pulls it out. In a diesel motor, the fuel lubricates the injectors and the injection pump on its way through. With petrol thinning the diesel, that lubrication goes, and driving for any distance on it is then what can cause damage.
If you've driven your Fiesta on it, the thing to do is stop somewhere safe then switch your engine off. All the same, we can take all of the tainted fuel out, by emptying your tank and then cleaning your fuel lines and the fuel filter. Provided it's cleaned out properly after being caught early, it very seldom leaves long-term harm.
It is the same whatever variant of the Fiesta you have, including the Fiesta 1.8 DI.
Ford Fiesta fuel tank capacity
If you fuelled up while your tank was nearly empty, the same few litres make up more of your fuel in it, and the danger rests on that share, which means the capacity of the tank counts.
The version decides the tank capacity on the Ford Fiesta, which runs from 40 to 45 litres.
Our data place the largest tank in the Fiesta 1.6 TDCi and the smallest in the Fiesta 1.5 TDCi.
| Version | Fuel tank |
|---|---|
| Ford Fiesta 1.4 TDCi | 45 litres |
| Ford Fiesta 1.5 TDCi | 40 litres |
| Ford Fiesta 1.6 TDCi | 45 litres |
| Ford Fiesta 1.6 TDCi ECOnetic | 40 litres |
| Ford Fiesta 1.8 D Focus | 42 litres |
| Ford Fiesta 1.8 DI | 40 litres |
Checking your diesel Fiesta version
It is useful for us to have the version when you phone, and it's usually on a badge at the back of your car.
On a diesel Fiesta you will see TDCi on the badging.
Engine sizes run from 1.4 litres on the Fiesta 1.4 TDCi up to 1.8 litres in the Fiesta 1.8 D Focus.
If there is AdBlue in a diesel Ford Fiesta
To treat their exhaust, some diesel cars rely on AdBlue, a mixture of water and urea that is put in its own tank through its own filler. Pouring AdBlue in the incorrect filler gives you AdBlue in a diesel Ford Fiesta, so do not turn your key, not even to move the vehicle.
Because it is largely water, AdBlue does not ignite and offers the fuel pump no protection whatsoever. It does not mix with diesel either, so it settles to the base of your tank where the pump picks up its fuel, and a tank of up to 45 litres does nothing to dilute it as it would dilute petrol.
Even a little of it is plenty to end up in the fuel line. When the water has dried off, what's left is urea, which forms crystals inside the fuel system, filter and injectors among them, and eats into any metalwork it touches.
On a lot of motors the AdBlue filler is next to the diesel filler under the same flap, and if the Fiesta has one, it may well be there too. The nozzle for AdBlue is much smaller than the diesel one, and the cap is typically blue.
Fuel drain on your Ford Fiesta: how we do it
Moving the car to a garage isn't needed, as a fuel drain on your Ford Fiesta is done right at the vehicle. On the Fiesta your tank holds up to 45 litres, so we empty all of it once we have checked what was put in and whether your motor has run. Your fuel pipes and the fuel filter are cleaned after that, then we refill with clean diesel and prime your system before starting your motor.
Once we've finished, your Fiesta runs on fresh diesel and you are free to drive off in it.
What AdBlue removal from a diesel Ford Fiesta involves
Like draining petrol, AdBlue removal from a diesel Ford Fiesta runs through the same steps. We clear crystals out of the pipes too when the Fiesta has been started, and change the filter where needed, as AdBlue gathers in the bottom of the tank rather than mixing in and may leave them there.
What we call AdBlue removal is draining AdBlue from the diesel tank after a mistake at the filler, not taking out or switching off the AdBlue system on a vehicle.
What does a fuel drain on the Ford Fiesta cost?
The work differs from one task to the next, so we don't publish a set quote. The main things that shape it are these:
- starting or driving the Fiesta, which makes more difference than anything else
- the amount put in, measured against the size of your tank
- which of the two it was, petrol or AdBlue
- the location of the Fiesta and how easily we can reach it with our van
Call with those answers and we'll be able to explain what's likely to be involved.
Questions on petrol in a diesel Ford Fiesta, answered
Your Ford Fiesta fuel tank capacity: how many litres?
The table further up lists each version, with tanks between 40 and 45 litres.
Can I top up with diesel if I just put a little petrol in my Fiesta?
We would not advise it. Putting in diesel reduces the proportion of petrol without removing any of that, so the petrol is still in your system when you drive. With just a little petrol, a drain to get all of it out is usually all the Fiesta requires.
Will my Fiesta have to go to the Ford dealer?
You don't need to. We have no connection with Ford or any of its dealers, being independent, and your Fiesta is emptied and cleaned wherever you are.
Does the version of my Fiesta matter?
It helps us to know which one you have when you phone, since we hold data for 6 diesel variants of the Fiesta.
Will my insurance policy pay for wrong fuel in my Ford Fiesta?
It is worth checking your insurance, as misfuelling cover is included in some but not all. Whatever it says, we come out and empty your car.
Diesel in the AdBlue tank of my Fiesta: what now?
Keep your key out of your ignition in that case too. The AdBlue system will need emptying, and if the vehicle is driven that way, it'll most likely display an alert and enter limp mode. Tell us which tank the diesel was put in when you ring.
Already driven my Fiesta: what do I do?
Stop where it is safe and turn your engine off, then keep it off till we get to you. Catching it this early means long-term harm is very rare, and we drain and clean your fuel system wherever you are.