Petrol in a Diesel Ford Orion, and You've Driven It
If you have travelled with petrol in a diesel Ford Orion, pull in once it is safe, turn the engine off and keep it off. We can still put it right where you've pulled up, and when it is caught soon, lasting damage is very rare.
Wherever your Ford Orion has stopped, Petrol in Diesel travels out to drain the tank there and clear the petrol from your fuel system. We go once it's running again on fresh diesel.
Symptoms of petrol in a diesel Orion
It's often a few miles before the signs show up, as with petrol inside your tank a diesel Orion tends to drive as usual to begin with. With petrol or AdBlue inside the fuel tank, the following are the ones people usually spot:
- the engine loses power, particularly when you ask it to accelerate
- it idles erratically, or it runs rough
- the exhaust puts out more smoke than usual
- a warning lamp appears
- the motor stalls and might not restart
Any of these starting after you fuelled up is reason enough to look at the receipt and see what went in.
Wrong fuel in your Ford Orion: what travelling on it does
The fuel tank keeps wrong fuel in your Ford Orion where it is till it's pulled out by the engine. After you drive, it is drawn through the fuel injectors, your filter and the high-pressure fuel pump. Diesel protects your pump and your injectors as it passes through them and petrol thins it, and so the farther the Orion is driven, the more of the fuel system that mix reaches.
Stopping the moment you can is wiser than completing the journey because of that. Travelling a long way on contaminated fuel is what can do damage, and when a vehicle is stopped early, a drain and a clean are normally all it requires.
Staying where you've stopped
Taking the Orion anywhere isn't necessary. No tow has to be arranged and there's no need to start it, as we come to it at the roadside or outside your home.
If you're beside a busy road, put your hazard lights on and wait somewhere out of harm's way, away from the traffic.
When you ring 0333 366 0103, tell us where you are, which Orion it is and about how far you went. It helps too when the badge shows the version, like the Orion 1.8 D.
Once it has been driven: fuel drain on your Ford Orion
After it has been driven, a fuel drain on your Ford Orion involves a step more than a drain on the forecourt. We empty your fuel tank first, then open the lines and rinse them through with the filter, so no petrol is remaining between the tank and the motor. With clean diesel in and the fuel system primed, our technicians fire up the motor and make sure it runs properly.
AdBlue in a diesel Ford Orion once driven
If you have AdBlue in a diesel Ford Orion and have driven on it, the signs are normally rough running, smoke and warning lamps, and your car might cut out. As AdBlue sinks to the base of your tank, where your pump draws its fuel, it is in your fuel line fast, and it neither burns nor lubricates. Urea crystals form in the fuel lines and your filter once its water dries.
AdBlue removal from a diesel Ford Orion after driving
AdBlue removal from a diesel Ford Orion that has been run means emptying the tank and then flushing the crystals out of the lines and your filter, and we'll replace the filter if it needs it.
Just the diesel tank is dealt with here. If your Orion has an AdBlue tank of its own, it is left as it is, and nothing here involves removing or turning off the AdBlue system.
Tanks and engines: Ford Orion fuel tank capacity
The Ford Orion has the same diesel tank, 55 litres, on every version in our records.
On each version listed, the engine is 1.8 litres.
The price of a fuel drain on the Ford Orion after driving
Whether it was petrol or AdBlue changes what a fuel drain on the Ford Orion costs after driving on it, though it hinges mainly on how far it went and where it has ended up. Those details are what we need when you phone, and with them we can explain what the job will involve.
Questions after driving with petrol in a diesel Ford Orion
Has the petrol ruined my Orion?
It's very unlikely to be. If the vehicle is stopped soon, emptying and flushing the fuel system is what we do wherever you've pulled up, and harm that lasts is rare after that.
Can I make the drive home first?
Our guidance is not to. Tainted fuel reaches further into the fuel system with each mile, so leave the Orion where it is whilst we empty it there, with no reason to shift the car.
Stalled, and it won't restart: what should I do next?
Please leave the vehicle rather than trying again, as every try draws more of that mixture through. After we have emptied and rinsed it and then put clean diesel in, we prime your fuel system and get it started for you.
Does my insurance cover wrong fuel in my Ford Orion?
Some policies include misfuelling cover, so it's worth checking yours once the car is dealt with. We still come out either way.