Put Petrol in a Diesel Lancia Lybra by Mistake?
Anyone who has put petrol in a diesel Lancia Lybra without running the motor ought to leave it turned off, and not run it even to move it away from the pump. Whilst your motor remains off the petrol stays in your tank, and a drain is generally all it takes to set the Lybra right.
Your Lancia Lybra can be left wherever it has stopped, forecourt included, since Petrol in Diesel drains wrongly fuelled vehicles on the spot. Phone us first then let us walk you through it, instead of attempting anything on your own.
Petrol in a diesel Lybra: what to do first
- Drivers frequently drive away without noticing anything is amiss, since a diesel Lybra will usually start and run on petrol and can feel fine for the first couple of miles. So leave your motor off.
- Leave your ignition off as well. On plenty of diesels switching it on will start the fuel pump priming, which draws fuel out of the tank towards your injectors.
- The Lybra holds up to 60 litres, so topping up the remainder of your tank with diesel to thin that petrol simply leaves more tainted fuel to empty out. The same applies to super unleaded, which is petrol as well.
- Speak to the forecourt staff when your vehicle is in the way of a pump. They usually help roll the car clear once it's in neutral.
- If the badging shows the exact version, for example the Lybra Station Wagon 2.4 JTD, mention it once you phone 0333 366 0103. Tell us as well which Lybra you have and where it is, roughly how much petrol was put in and whether your motor has been run.
Wrong fuel in your Lancia Lybra after your engine has run
The motor is not affected by wrong fuel in your Lancia Lybra till it's drawn from your tank, and starting the engine is what pulls it out. The high-pressure pump and the injectors in a diesel motor are lubricated by the fuel passing through them. Petrol thins the diesel and takes that protection away, and that is why it's driving for any distance on the mix that can cause harm.
Stop somewhere safe then turn off when your Lybra has already been on the road. It can still be sorted out, with your tank drained and the pipes and fuel filter flushed until every trace of the contaminated fuel has been removed. Very few vehicles that are caught soon and cleaned out properly end up with lasting harm.
That applies to the Lybra 1.9 JTD as much as any other variant of the Lybra.
Your Lancia Lybra fuel tank capacity, version by version
If you fuelled up while the tank was almost empty, the same couple of litres make up more of your fuel in it, and the risk rests on that share, so the size of your tank matters.
In our figures, all of the diesel variants of the Lancia Lybra share one tank of 60 litres, so the sum works out the same for each.
| Version | Fuel tank |
|---|---|
| Lancia Lybra 1.9 JTD | 60 litres |
| Lancia Lybra 2.4 JTD | 60 litres |
| Lancia Lybra Station Wagon 1.9 JTD | 60 litres |
| Lancia Lybra Station Wagon 2.4 JTD | 60 litres |
Which diesel Lybra do you have?
More often than not the version is badged on the boot lid, and it is useful for us to know when you ring.
On the diesel Lybra, the badging found is JTD.
At 1.9 litres, the Lybra Station Wagon 1.9 JTD has the smallest motor, while the Lybra 2.4 JTD runs up to 2.4 litres.
AdBlue in a diesel Lancia Lybra
Some diesel vehicles carry a mixture of water and urea, known as AdBlue, in a tank of its own with a separate filler, and use it to clean up their exhaust. If there's AdBlue in a diesel Lancia Lybra because it went in the incorrect filler, do not turn your key, even to move your vehicle.
Even a tank holding up to 60 litres does nothing to dilute AdBlue the way it would dilute petrol. AdBlue doesn't mix with diesel, so it settles to the base, right where your pump draws its fuel, and being mainly water it neither burns nor gives the fuel pump any protection.
Even a little of it is enough to end up in the fuel line. Crystals of urea build up in your filter, your injectors and the rest of the fuel system once the water dries off, and they eat into the metal they sit against.
If your Lybra has an AdBlue filler, it could well lie beside your diesel filler under the same fuel flap, as it does on many motors. AdBlue caps are usually blue and accept a much smaller nozzle than diesel.
What we do in a fuel drain on your Lancia Lybra
Taking your car to a garage isn't needed, as a fuel drain on your Lancia Lybra is carried out right at your vehicle. We begin by checking what went in and whether your engine has run, then drain the tank, which on the Lybra takes up to 60 litres. After that we clean the fuel lines and the fuel filter and refill with clean diesel, and your system is primed before we start the engine.
Fresh diesel is what your Lybra is running on by the time we have finished, and you are free to drive off in it.
AdBlue removal from a diesel Lancia Lybra
AdBlue removal from a diesel Lancia Lybra follows the same stages as a petrol drain. Since AdBlue does not blend in but gathers at the bottom of the tank, running the Lybra on it can leave deposits inside the pipes. Those get cleared through as well, and the fuel filter is replaced where needed.
On this page, AdBlue removal means getting AdBlue back out of a diesel tank it was put into through the incorrect filler. Disabling or removing the AdBlue system on a vehicle is not what it means.
What sets the cost of a fuel drain on the Lancia Lybra
We don't publish a fixed quote, because the work changes from one task to the next. These are the biggest things that shape it:
- whether the Lybra has been started or driven, which makes the greatest difference
- the size of your tank, set against how much went in
- whether it was AdBlue rather than petrol
- the location of the Lybra and how safely we can reach it with the van
Once you ring with those answers we can explain what the work is likely to involve.
Queries on petrol in a diesel Lancia Lybra, answered
What is the fuel tank capacity of the Lancia Lybra?
60 litres. Your tank is the same capacity whichever version you drive.
Does filling up with diesel help with a little petrol in my Lybra?
It is not something we would recommend, because putting in diesel does nothing to take out the petrol. It just lowers its proportion, and the petrol is still in the fuel system after you drive off. A drain takes all of it out, and with a modest quantity that is usually all your Lybra needs.
Do I need to take my Lybra to the Lancia dealer?
You do not have to. We have no tie with Lancia or any of its dealers, being independent, and your Lybra is drained and cleaned wherever you have stopped.
Does it matter which Lybra I own?
Yes, it does. Our figures include 4 diesel variants of the Lybra, so let us know which one you drive when you ring.
Am I insured for wrong fuel in my Lancia Lybra?
It is worth looking at your insurance, as misfuelling cover is part of some and not others. Whichever way it reads, we come out to drain the vehicle.
Diesel in the AdBlue tank of my Lybra: what happens?
In that case, too, keep your key out of your ignition. The AdBlue system will need emptying, and if the vehicle is driven like that, it'll most likely display a warning and go into limp mode. Which tank the fuel was put in is worth mentioning when you phone.
Already driven my Lybra: what do I do?
Turn the engine off once you have pulled over somewhere safe, and keep it off until we arrive. Permanent damage is very unusual when it is caught soon like this, and we drain your fuel system and clean it where you have pulled over.