Put Petrol in a Diesel Hyundai Sonata?
When you've got petrol in a diesel Hyundai Sonata and your motor hasn't been started, keep it switched off, including to move it clear of the petrol pump. Whilst your motor remains off the petrol sits in the tank, and draining it is normally all that it takes to set the Sonata right.
There is no need to shift your Hyundai Sonata off the forecourt, or from any other spot where it came to a stop, as this drain is carried out by Petrol in Diesel wherever your car is. Ring us before anything else and let us talk you through it, rather than attempting anything on your own.
The first steps with petrol in a diesel Sonata
- People frequently drive off without noticing anything is amiss, since a diesel Sonata will normally fire up and run on petrol and may feel fine for the first few miles. So keep the motor off.
- The ignition has to remain off too, because turning it on starts the fuel pump priming on a lot of diesels, and your pump then pulls fuel out of the tank.
- Your Sonata takes up to 70 litres, so topping up the remainder of the tank with diesel to weaken the petrol just means more tainted fuel to drain. The same goes for super unleaded, which counts as petrol too.
- A vehicle in the way of a pump can be popped in neutral and rolled out of the way, and the forecourt staff are normally happy to help.
- If the badge shows the precise variant, for example the Sonata 2.0 CRDi, mention it when you ring 0333 366 0103. Let us know too which Sonata you drive and where it is parked, about how much petrol was put in and whether the engine has been run.
What running the motor does with wrong fuel in your Hyundai Sonata
Turning on the motor is what draws the wrong fuel in your Hyundai Sonata out of the tank, and only then does it start to affect the engine. Whilst it passes through, diesel fuel keeps the high-pressure fuel pump and your injectors lubricated, and your motor depends on that. Driving any distance on that mix is what can do harm, since petrol dilutes your diesel and takes that protection away.
If you have driven your Sonata on it, the thing to do is stop in a safe place and switch the engine off. We can still put it right, by draining the tank and flushing the pipes and the filter till all of the tainted fuel is gone. Provided it's cleaned out thoroughly after being caught soon, it very rarely leaves long-term harm.
Knowing the Hyundai Sonata fuel tank capacity
If you fuelled up while the tank was close to empty, the same couple of litres make up more of the fuel in there, and the danger depends on that proportion, which means the capacity of your tank counts.
The tank takes 70 litres on every diesel Hyundai Sonata we have figures for, so that sum is the same whatever version you own.
Which diesel Sonata do you drive?
Most of the time the variant is shown on your boot lid, and it's useful for us to know when you phone.
Check for CRDi on the badging of a diesel Sonata.
Your engine is 2.0 litres in each variant in our list.
When there is AdBlue in a diesel Hyundai Sonata
AdBlue is a mix of water and urea that certain diesel cars use to treat their exhaust, and it has a separate tank and filler. The key should remain out of the ignition when you've got AdBlue in a diesel Hyundai Sonata through the wrong filler, and that covers shifting the vehicle.
Even a tank holding up to 70 litres won't dilute AdBlue as it would dilute petrol. AdBlue does not mix with diesel, so it sinks to the bottom, right where the pump takes its fuel, and being mostly water it neither ignites nor gives the fuel pump any lubrication.
However small the volume, some of that gets sucked into the line. When the water has dried off, what's left is urea, which crystallises inside the system, filter and injectors included, and corrodes any metalwork it rests against.
Where the Sonata has an AdBlue filler, it might well lie beside the diesel filler under the same fuel flap, as it does on plenty of motors. You can typically spot the AdBlue lid by its blue colour and the much smaller nozzle it fits.
The fuel drain on your Hyundai Sonata, step by step
Moving your vehicle to a garage isn't necessary, as a fuel drain on your Hyundai Sonata is done right at your vehicle. We begin by checking what went in and whether the motor has run, then drain the tank, which on the Sonata holds up to 70 litres. Next we rinse your fuel lines and the filter and fill up with fresh diesel, and the system is primed before we start it.
You are free to drive your Sonata away once the job is done, now running on clean diesel.
Handling AdBlue removal from a diesel Hyundai Sonata
Like emptying petrol, AdBlue removal from a diesel Hyundai Sonata runs through the same steps. As AdBlue doesn't mix in but collects at the base of the tank, running the Sonata on it can form crystals in the lines. Those get flushed through too, and your fuel filter is swapped where needed.
AdBlue removal, as we use the term here, is about AdBlue that was put in the incorrect filler and has to come out of your diesel tank. It doesn't cover taking out or switching off the AdBlue system on the car.
How much does a fuel drain on the Hyundai Sonata cost?
The work changes from one job to the next, so we do not publish a set quote. The biggest factors that shape it are these:
- whether the Sonata has been started or driven, which makes the greatest difference
- how much was put in against the capacity of the tank
- whether it was petrol or AdBlue
- where you are with the Sonata, and whether it is safe to get the van there
We can let you know what this work will probably involve when you phone and give us those answers.
Queries on petrol in a diesel Hyundai Sonata, with answers
Your Hyundai Sonata fuel tank capacity: how many litres?
70 litres on each variant in our data.
I only put a little petrol in my Sonata. Should I top up with diesel?
We'd advise against it. That petrol stays in the fuel system when you drive off, because putting in diesel just reduces its proportion and takes out none of it. With only a little petrol, a fuel drain to take all of that out is usually all your Sonata requires.
Do I need to take my Sonata to the Hyundai dealer?
There's no reason to take it elsewhere. We empty and clean the Sonata where it is, and we are independent, with no link to Hyundai or any of its dealers.
Will my insurance pay for wrong fuel in my Hyundai Sonata?
We will still come out to drain it for you, covered or not. Look at your insurance all the same, as not every policy has misfuelling cover.
Diesel in the AdBlue tank of my Sonata: what happens?
In that case, as well, leave the key out of the ignition. The majority of motors give a warning and go into limp mode if they're driven like that, and the AdBlue system will need emptying. Please say which tank took your fuel when you ring.
I have already driven my Sonata. What now?
Till we get to you, the motor should stay off, so pull over where it's safe then switch it off. Permanent damage is very uncommon if it is caught early like this, and we empty the fuel system and clean it where you've pulled over.