Kept Driving With Petrol in a Diesel Hyundai i20?
If you have travelled with petrol in a diesel Hyundai i20, pull over once it is safe, turn the engine off then leave it off. It's very rare for lasting harm to follow when it is spotted soon, while it can still be dealt with where you have pulled up.
Petrol in Diesel travels out to wherever your Hyundai i20 has stopped, drains your tank then clears the petrol out of your fuel system. Once we head off, the vehicle is back on clean diesel.
Noticing petrol in a diesel i20
A diesel i20 with petrol in the tank commonly feels normal at first, so the symptoms usually show up a few miles further on. These are the ones most often noticed when the tank has AdBlue or petrol in it:
- less power, especially when the motor is asked to accelerate
- it runs roughly, or your idle becomes uneven
- smoke from the exhaust, more than normal
- a warning light comes on
- it cuts out, and then might refuse to restart
Any of these beginning after you fuelled up is a reason to look at your receipt and see what went in.
What travelling does with wrong fuel in your Hyundai i20
Driving is what draws wrong fuel in your Hyundai i20 from the fuel tank then on through the fuel filter, the high-pressure pump and your fuel injectors. Until the motor draws it out, it stays there. As diesel passes through your injectors and your fuel pump it protects them, but petrol thins it, which is why the i20 takes that blend further into the system the further it is used.
So finishing the trip is a worse option than stopping as soon as you can. Normally, a drain and a clean are all a motor requires if it is stopped early, because what can cause damage is travelling far on fuel that's tainted.
We come to where you have stopped
The i20 does not need taking anywhere. We come to it at the side of the road or outside your house, and so there's no reason to restart it or arrange a recovery truck.
Somewhere safe, away from the traffic, is the place to wait when you're next to a main road, with your hazards on.
When you ring 0333 366 0103, let us know where you are, which i20 it is and roughly how far you went. The version shown on the badge, like the i20 1.4 CRDi, helps too.
Fuel drain on your Hyundai i20 after it was driven
Compared with a drain at the forecourt, a fuel drain on your Hyundai i20 goes a step further after driving. We drain the tank first, then open the fuel lines and then rinse them through with the fuel filter, so no petrol is left between the tank and the engine. Before we leave, the engine is started to check it is running properly on clean diesel, after the fuel system has been primed.
When the engine has run with AdBlue in a diesel Hyundai i20
If you have AdBlue in a diesel Hyundai i20 and have driven on it, the symptoms are typically uneven running, smoke and warning lamps, and the car may cut out. Because AdBlue settles to the bottom of the tank, where the fuel pump takes its fuel, it's in your fuel line quickly, and it neither burns nor lubricates. Crystals form in the lines and the filter once its water dries.
AdBlue removal from a diesel Hyundai i20: what it involves
AdBlue removal from a diesel Hyundai i20 that has been run means emptying your fuel tank and then flushing the crystals from the lines and your filter, and we replace the filter if it needs it.
If your i20 has a dedicated AdBlue tank, that's left alone. This is about liquid in your diesel tank, not removing or turning off the AdBlue system.
Tank sizes and engines: Hyundai i20 fuel tank capacity
45 litres is the size of the diesel fuel tank on each version of the Hyundai i20 in our figures.
Diesel i20 versions carry CRDi badging.
The smallest engine is 1.1 litres, on the i20 1.1 blue CRDi, and the biggest is 1.6 litres, on the i20 1.6 CRDi.
| Version | Fuel tank |
|---|---|
| Hyundai i20 1.1 blue CRDi | 45 litres |
| Hyundai i20 1.4 CRDi | 45 litres |
| Hyundai i20 1.6 CRDi | 45 litres |
Fuel drain on the Hyundai i20 after driving: the cost
Whether it was petrol or AdBlue affects what a fuel drain on the Hyundai i20 costs after driving on it, though it depends mostly on how far it went and where it has stopped. Phone with those details and then we can tell you what the work will involve.
Common questions about petrol in a diesel Hyundai i20 after driving
Has the petrol ruined my i20?
The likelihood of that is very small. We empty and flush the fuel system wherever you have pulled up, and if the car has been stopped soon, lasting harm is uncommon.
Can I drive the car home first?
We'd sooner you didn't. Tainted fuel gets further into your system with each mile, which means you can leave the i20 where it stands whilst we drain it there, with no reason to shift it.
What do I do if it has stalled and will not restart?
Another go pulls more of the blend through with each attempt. Please leave the vehicle as it is. Once we've drained and flushed it and put clean diesel in, we prime your system and start the car for you.
Which i20 I drive: does it matter?
It helps when you ring if we know which of the 3 diesel versions of the i20 you have, and the tailgate badge says.
Will my insurance cover wrong fuel in my Hyundai i20?
Some insurance policies include misfuelling cover, so it's worth looking at yours after the vehicle is sorted out. We still come out either way.