Kept Driving With Petrol in a Diesel Kia Optima?
The motor needs turning off and leaving off as soon as you can pull over somewhere safe, if you have travelled on petrol in a diesel Kia Optima. It is very uncommon for lasting harm to result if it's caught soon, while it can still be put right wherever you've stopped.
Petrol in Diesel comes out to wherever your Kia Optima has stopped, empties the tank and cleans the petrol from the system. By the time we go, your vehicle is back on fresh diesel.
Symptoms of petrol in a diesel Optima
To begin with, petrol inside your fuel tank often changes very little to how a diesel Optima feels, so the signs show up a couple of miles further on. The following are the ones most often spotted when your fuel tank has AdBlue or petrol in it:
- a loss of power, especially whenever the engine is asked to pull
- it runs roughly, or your idle becomes uneven
- smoke from the tailpipe, more than usual
- a warning lamp comes on
- once it stalls, it might not restart
If any of these started after you fuelled up, check your receipt to see what went in.
Wrong fuel in your Kia Optima and the result of travelling on it
The fuel tank keeps wrong fuel in your Kia Optima where it is till it's drawn out by the engine. After you drive, it goes through the injectors, the filter and your injection pump. The mix gets into more of the fuel system the longer the Optima is driven, because petrol dilutes the diesel fuel that lubricates the pump and your fuel injectors as it passes through them.
Stopping the moment you can is better than finishing the trip because of that. Harm, where it happens, comes from a long journey on tainted fuel, and draining and cleaning are usually all a motor needs if it is stopped soon.
Where you have stopped
You do not have to get the Optima anywhere. The side of the road and outside your home are both places we come to, so it doesn't need restarting or towing.
If you are next to a busy road, turn the hazard lights on and wait somewhere safe, clear of the traffic.
Call 0333 366 0103 then tell us where you are, what Optima it is and roughly how far you have driven. If the badge shows the version, like the Optima 1.7 CRDi, that helps too.
A fuel drain on your Kia Optima after a drive
Once it has been driven, a fuel drain on your Kia Optima takes a step more than one at the forecourt. No petrol is remaining between the fuel tank and the engine afterwards, which is why your fuel tank is drained first and the fuel lines are then opened up and rinsed through with your fuel filter. The system is primed after fresh diesel is in, and the engine is started to make sure it runs properly.
When the motor has run with AdBlue in a diesel Kia Optima
If you have AdBlue in a diesel Kia Optima and you have driven on it, the signs are usually uneven running, smoke and warning lights, and the vehicle might stall. AdBlue doesn't burn or lubricate, and it settles to the base of your tank where your pump draws fuel, so it gets to the fuel line quickly. As its water dries, the urea forms crystals in your fuel lines and the filter.
How AdBlue removal from a diesel Kia Optima is done
AdBlue removal from a diesel Kia Optima that has been run means draining the fuel tank and then flushing the crystals from your lines and your fuel filter, and we replace the fuel filter if it needs it.
Nothing here means turning off or taking out the AdBlue system. It deals with liquid in your diesel tank, and any separate AdBlue tank your Optima has is left as it is.
Kia Optima fuel tank capacity and engine sizes
Our records show the diesel fuel tank takes 70 litres on each version of the Kia Optima.
The badges on diesel Optima versions are CRDi.
On each version in our list, the motor is 1.7 litres.
Costing a fuel drain on the Kia Optima after driving
How far it went and where it has stopped are what mostly decide the cost of a fuel drain on the Kia Optima after driving, and petrol or AdBlue makes a difference as well. Those details are what we need when you call, and with them we can tell you what the work will need.
Petrol in a diesel Kia Optima: common questions after a drive
Will my Optima be ruined?
Almost certainly not. With your car stopped soon and your fuel system emptied and cleaned wherever you've stopped, which is what we do, permanent damage is rare.
Is it OK to drive it home first?
We would sooner you didn't. Contaminated fuel reaches further into your fuel system with each mile, which means you can keep the Optima where it stands while we empty it there, with no reason to shift it.
Stalled, and it won't restart: what should I do next?
Please don't try once more. Leave it as it is, because each try draws more of that blend through. We prime the fuel system and start it for you once it's been drained and flushed and clean diesel is in.
Insurance and wrong fuel in my Kia Optima: am I covered?
Once the car is sorted, it's worth looking at your policy, because some include misfuelling cover. We come out whether it does or not.