Have You Put Petrol in a Diesel Ford Focus?
The motor is safest left off when it has not been run since you put petrol in a diesel Ford Focus, and that includes moving it away from the petrol pump. Whilst the engine remains off the petrol remains inside the tank, and a drain is usually all it takes to put the Focus right.
Petrol in Diesel empties misfuelled cars where they stand, and your Ford Focus can remain at the forecourt or wherever it has stopped. Ring us before you try anything on your own and we will walk you through it.
The first moves after petrol in a diesel Focus
- With petrol inside your tank, a diesel Focus will normally still fire up and run, and feel perfectly ordinary for several miles. That is how people often drive off without noticing a problem, and why your engine needs to be left off.
- Fuel can be pulled to the injectors even before the engine has started, as on many diesel engines the ignition on its own starts priming the fuel pump. Leave your ignition off too.
- Diluting the petrol by filling up with diesel does not help. It only adds to the tainted fuel we drain from a tank that holds up to 55 litres in the Focus, and super unleaded is petrol here as well.
- A vehicle blocking a pump can be put in neutral and pushed clear, and the forecourt attendants are generally willing to help.
- Phone 0333 366 0103 and tell us which Focus you have and where it has stopped, approximately how much petrol was put in, and whether the motor has been run. If the exact variant is on the badge, for instance the Focus 1.6 TDCi, give us that as well.
Wrong fuel in your Ford Focus after the motor has run
While it sits inside the tank, wrong fuel in your Ford Focus does not reach the engine. That only begins once it's pulled out, which is what happens when your engine is started. A diesel motor depends on the fuel to lubricate the high-pressure fuel pump and your injectors while it flows through them. Petrol thins your diesel and strips that protection away, and that is why it's driving any distance on that blend that can cause damage.
If you've already driven your Focus, stop in a safe place then switch off. Even so, we can take all of the contaminated fuel out, by draining the tank and then flushing the fuel pipes and the fuel filter. Very few cars that are caught soon and cleaned out properly end up with permanent damage.
It's the same whichever variant of the Focus you have, and that includes the Focus 1.8 TDCi.
Ford Focus fuel tank capacity
What matters is what share of your fuel inside the tank is petrol. The same few litres matter more when you fuelled up with the tank nearly empty, which is why its capacity makes a difference.
According to the variant, the Ford Focus has a tank of 53 to 55 litres.
The Focus 1.8 TDDi Ambiente is the variant with the smallest tank in our figures, and the Focus C-MAX 2.0 TDCi is the one with the biggest.
The Focus Turnier 1.8 TDCi holds 53 litres.
| Version | Fuel tank |
|---|---|
| Ford Focus 1.6 TDCi | 53 litres |
| Ford Focus 1.6 TDCi ECOnetic | 53 litres |
| Ford Focus 1.8 TDCi | 53 litres |
| Ford Focus 1.8 TDDi | 53 litres |
| Ford Focus 1.8 TDDi Ambiente | 53 litres |
| Ford Focus 2.0 TDCi | 53 litres |
| Ford Focus C-MAX 1.6 TDCi | 55 litres |
| Ford Focus C-MAX 1.8 TDCi | 55 litres |
| Ford Focus C-MAX 2.0 TDCi | 55 litres |
| Ford Focus Coupe-Cabriolet 2.0 TDCi | 53 litres |
| Ford Focus Turnier 1.6 TDCi | 53 litres |
| Ford Focus Turnier 1.8 TDCi | 53 litres |
| Ford Focus Turnier 1.8 TDDi | 53 litres |
| Ford Focus Turnier 2.0 TDCi | 53 litres |
What diesel Focus do you own?
The version is normally on a badge on your boot lid, and it helps us to know it when you phone.
On your diesel Focus, the badging found is TDCi and TDDi.
The TDCi badge is the most common in our list, though the Focus Turnier 1.8 TDDi is badged TDDi.
The smallest motor, 1.6 litres, is in the Focus 1.6 TDCi ECOnetic, and the largest, 2.0 litres, is in the Focus Turnier 2.0 TDCi.
Our list covers Cabriolet versions too.
AdBlue in a diesel Ford Focus by mistake
Certain diesel cars hold a blend of water and urea, known as AdBlue, in a tank of its own with a dedicated filler, and rely on it to clean up their exhaust. Pouring AdBlue in the wrong filler gives you AdBlue in a diesel Ford Focus, so do not turn your key, not even to shift the vehicle.
AdBlue sinks to the bottom of your tank, where your pump pulls its fuel from, as it won't blend with diesel. Being mostly water, it cannot burn and leaves the fuel pump without lubrication, and your diesel in a tank holding up to 55 litres does not weaken it the way it would petrol.
Even a little of that is plenty to end up in your fuel lines. Crystals of urea build up in your filter, the fuel injectors and the rest of the fuel system once the water evaporates, and they corrode the metal they sit against.
On a lot of motors the AdBlue filler sits next to your diesel filler under the same cover, and if the Focus has one, it could well be there as well. A blue cap and a nozzle far narrower than diesel normally pick out the AdBlue filler.
How a fuel drain on your Ford Focus is done
There is no garage needed, as we carry out a fuel drain on your Ford Focus at your vehicle itself. First we find out what went in and whether the motor has run. The tank, which holds up to 55 litres on the Focus, is then emptied, the pipes and fuel filter are rinsed, and your vehicle is refilled with fresh diesel and primed before we start the engine.
The tank on the Focus C-MAX 1.8 TDCi takes 55 litres.
By the end, the Focus is running on clean diesel once more and all set for you to take away.
AdBlue removal from a diesel Ford Focus, explained
AdBlue removal from a diesel Ford Focus takes the same stages as draining petrol. Since AdBlue does not mix in but settles at the bottom of your tank, running the Focus on it can leave crystals inside the lines. Those get flushed through as well, and the fuel filter is replaced if it needs it.
AdBlue removal on this page means getting AdBlue out of the diesel tank once it has gone in the wrong filler. It doesn't mean taking out or switching off the AdBlue system on the vehicle.
What sets the cost of a fuel drain on the Ford Focus
A fixed price isn't something we publish, because no two jobs involve the same work. It mostly comes down to the following:
- most of all, whether the Focus has been driven or even started
- the amount put in, weighed against the size of the tank
- whether it was AdBlue instead of petrol
- where the Focus has stopped, and whether we can get our van to it in safety
For comparison, a full tank in the Focus Coupe-Cabriolet 2.0 TDCi comes to 53 litres.
Call with those answers and we will be able to explain what's likely to be involved.
Petrol in a diesel Ford Focus: questions
How many litres is the Ford Focus fuel tank capacity?
Between 53 and 55 litres according to the variant, and the table above gives every one.
I just put a little petrol in my Focus. Should I top up with diesel?
It is not something we'd advise, as adding diesel does nothing to remove the petrol. It only lowers its share, and the petrol is still in the system after you drive off. All of it is removed with a fuel drain, which for a modest amount is generally everything the Focus requires.
Do I need to take my Focus to the Ford dealer?
No, we travel to it. Your Focus is emptied and cleaned wherever it is parked, by an independent firm with no link to Ford or any dealer.
Does it matter which Focus I own?
Yes, it does. Our figures include 14 diesel versions of the Focus, so tell us which one you have when you call.
Is wrong fuel in my Ford Focus covered by my policy?
Some policies include misfuelling cover and some do not, so it's worth looking at yours. Either way, we come out and drain your car for you.
What if I pour diesel in the AdBlue tank of my Focus?
Keep your key out of the ignition in that case as well. The AdBlue system will need draining, and when your vehicle is driven that way, it'll most likely show an alert and go into limp mode. When you phone, tell us which tank the diesel went into.
What should I do if I have already driven my Focus?
Pull over where it is safe and turn your motor off, then leave it off until we get to you. Spotting it this soon means permanent harm is very uncommon, and we empty and clean the system wherever you happen to be.