Petrol in a Diesel Ford Galaxy? Leave It Switched Off
When you have got petrol in a diesel Ford Galaxy but your motor hasn't been started, leave it switched off, even to shift it away from the pump. The petrol cannot get out of your tank as long as your motor is off, so your Galaxy can generally be set right with a fuel drain.
There's no need to shift your Ford Galaxy off the forecourt, or from any other place where it stopped, since this drain is carried out by Petrol in Diesel where the vehicle sits. Ring us before you attempt anything on your own and we will take you through it.
Petrol in a diesel Galaxy: what to do right away
- Leave your engine off. Any diesel Galaxy will usually fire up and run with petrol in the tank, and it can seem normal for a few miles, and that is why drivers frequently drive off without realising something is amiss.
- Your ignition needs to stay off as well, because turning it on starts the fuel pump priming on a lot of diesels, and your pump then draws fuel from the tank.
- Topping up with diesel to thin it is a bad idea, even with super unleaded, which counts as petrol too. The fuel tank on your Galaxy takes up to 75 litres, and every litre of diesel added is more contaminated fuel for us to empty.
- Ask the forecourt attendants when the vehicle is in the way of a pump. They generally help roll the car clear after it is in neutral.
- Ring 0333 366 0103 with the place your Galaxy is and which one it is, the approximate quantity of petrol that was put in, and whether it has run. When you can read the precise version on the badge, for example the Galaxy 1.8 TDCi, that helps as well.
What starting the engine does with wrong fuel in your Ford Galaxy
While it stays in the tank, wrong fuel in your Ford Galaxy doesn't reach the engine. That only begins when it's drawn out, which is what occurs when the engine is started. Inside a diesel motor, the fuel oils your injectors and the injection pump on its way through. Petrol thins the diesel and washes that protection away, and that is why it is driving any distance on the blend that can cause damage.
Pull over somewhere safe then switch off if your Galaxy has already been on the road. It can still be sorted out, with the tank drained and the lines and fuel filter flushed until every trace of the contaminated fuel has gone. Provided it's flushed out thoroughly after being caught soon, it very seldom leaves long-term harm.
That applies to the Galaxy 1.9 TDI CLX as much as every other variant of the Galaxy.
The fuel tank capacity of the Ford Galaxy
The capacity of the tank counts because the danger hinges on how much of the fuel in there is petrol, so the same few litres are more of a problem if the tank was almost empty when you filled up.
Tank sizes across the Ford Galaxy run from 70 to 75 litres according to which version it is.
According to our figures the Galaxy TDI has the largest tank and the Galaxy 2.0 TDCi the smallest.
| Version | Fuel tank |
|---|---|
| Ford Galaxy 1.6 TDCi | 70 litres |
| Ford Galaxy 1.8 TDCi | 70 litres |
| Ford Galaxy 1.9 TDI | 70 litres |
| Ford Galaxy 1.9 TDI CLX | 75 litres |
| Ford Galaxy 2.0 TDCi | 70 litres |
| Ford Galaxy 2.2 TDCi | 70 litres |
| Ford Galaxy TDI | 75 litres |
What diesel variant of the Galaxy is yours?
Check the badging on the boot lid, which usually gives the variant, and tell us what it says when you phone.
Look for TDCi and TDI on the badge of a diesel Galaxy.
On our records the commonest badge is TDCi, and the Galaxy 1.9 TDI is badged TDI instead.
At 1.6 litres, the Galaxy 1.6 TDCi has the smallest motor, while the Galaxy 2.2 TDCi goes up to 2.2 litres.
If there is AdBlue in a diesel Ford Galaxy
Water and urea go into AdBlue, which certain diesel cars rely on to clean up their exhaust. It is held in a tank of its own, with its own filler. Even to shift the car, don't turn your key if you have AdBlue in a diesel Ford Galaxy after it went in the wrong filler.
AdBlue drops to the bottom of your tank, where the pump takes its fuel from, because it won't blend with diesel. Being mostly water, it can't ignite and gives the fuel pump no lubrication, and your diesel in a tank holding up to 75 litres doesn't weaken it as it would petrol.
Even a little of it is plenty to end up in the fuel lines. Deposits of urea build up in the filter, the injectors and the rest of the system as the water dries off, and they eat into the metalwork they rest against.
On plenty of motors the AdBlue filler is alongside your diesel filler under the same flap, and if the Galaxy has one, it may well be there too. You can usually tell the AdBlue cap by its blue shade and the far slimmer nozzle it fits.
Our fuel drain on your Ford Galaxy, in order
We do a fuel drain on your Ford Galaxy where the car sits, and it doesn't need to go to a garage. Before we start your motor, the fuel system is primed and the tank refilled with clean diesel. First comes finding out what went in and whether it has run, draining a tank that takes up to 75 litres on the Galaxy, and rinsing the pipes and fuel filter.
When the job is done, your Galaxy runs on clean diesel and you are free to drive the car away.
AdBlue removal from a diesel Ford Galaxy
We use the same steps for AdBlue removal from a diesel Ford Galaxy as we do for clearing petrol. Because AdBlue doesn't mix in but settles at the bottom of your tank, running the Galaxy on it can form deposits inside the lines. Those get rinsed through too, and your fuel filter is changed where needed.
On this page, AdBlue removal means taking AdBlue back out of a diesel tank it was put into through the incorrect filler. Switching off or removing the AdBlue system on a car is not what it means.
The cost of a fuel drain on the Ford Galaxy
Since each task is different, we have no fixed price to publish, and these are the chief things that shape it:
- most of all, whether the Galaxy has been driven or even started
- the amount put in, measured against the capacity of your tank
- whether it was AdBlue rather than petrol
- the location of the Galaxy and how easily we can get to it with our van
Call with those details and we will be able to say what's likely to be involved.
Questions about petrol in a diesel Ford Galaxy
What is the fuel tank capacity of the Ford Galaxy?
Somewhere from 70 to 75 litres, depending on which variant it is. Each one is listed above.
Does topping up with diesel help with a little petrol in my Galaxy?
We would not advise it. Putting in diesel lowers the proportion of petrol without removing any of it, so the petrol is still in your system when you drive. A drain gets all of that out, and with a small amount that is normally all the Galaxy requires.
Will my Galaxy need to be taken to the Ford dealer?
No, we travel to it. The Galaxy is emptied and cleaned where it has stopped, by an independent business with no link to Ford or any dealer.
Does the version of my Galaxy matter?
Knowing your version helps when you phone, as there are 7 diesel variants of the Galaxy in our data.
Am I insured for wrong fuel in my Ford Galaxy?
Some policies include misfuelling cover and some do not, so it's worth checking yours. Whichever it is, we come out to empty the car for you.
Diesel in the AdBlue tank of my Galaxy: what now?
Here, too, the right thing is to leave the ignition alone. Limp mode and an alert are what the majority of vehicles give you when they are driven like that, and their AdBlue system will need draining. Please say which tank took the fuel when you phone.
I drove my Galaxy before I noticed. What should I do?
Pull over where it is safe and turn your motor off, then keep it off till we reach you. Where you have stopped, the fuel system is drained and cleaned there, and caught early like this, it very rarely leaves lasting harm.