Have You Put Petrol in a Diesel Lancia Zeta?
Anyone who has put petrol in a diesel Lancia Zeta without starting the motor ought to leave it turned off, and not run it even to move it away from the pump. With your motor left off, that petrol stays put in your tank, and in most cases a fuel drain is all your Zeta needs.
We go to misfuelled vehicles instead of the other way round, so with Petrol in Diesel the Lancia Zeta stays at the forecourt or wherever it has stopped. Ring us first and let us walk you through it, instead of attempting anything on your own.
Your first steps after petrol in a diesel Zeta
- Don't turn on the motor, even though a diesel Zeta will normally run with petrol inside the tank. It may seem normal for a while, and that's how people frequently drive away without noticing something is wrong.
- The ignition needs to stay off as well, because turning it on sets the fuel pump priming on plenty of diesels, and your pump then pulls fuel out of the tank.
- Thinning that petrol by filling up with diesel doesn't help. It just adds to the tainted fuel to be drained from a tank that takes up to 80 litres in the Zeta, and super unleaded is petrol here as well.
- A car blocking a pump can be put in neutral and pushed clear, and the forecourt attendants are normally glad to lend a hand.
- Phone 0333 366 0103 then let us know which Zeta you have and where it is parked, roughly how much petrol was put in, and whether your motor has run. If the exact version is on the badge, say the Zeta 2.1 TD, give us that too.
What running your engine does with wrong fuel in your Lancia Zeta
The engine isn't touched by wrong fuel in your Lancia Zeta till it's drawn from the tank, and starting the engine is what pulls it out. A diesel motor depends on its fuel to lubricate your high-pressure pump and your injectors while it runs through them. With petrol diluting your diesel, that lubrication goes, and driving for any distance on it is then what can do harm.
Once you've driven your Zeta on it, the right thing to do is pull over somewhere safe then switch the engine off. It can still be dealt with, with the tank drained and the pipes and filter cleaned until every trace of the tainted fuel has gone. Very few vehicles that are caught soon and cleaned out properly end up with lasting harm.
Lancia Zeta fuel tank capacity
What matters is what proportion of the fuel inside the tank is petrol. The same few litres count for more if you fuelled up with the tank close to empty, which is why its size makes a difference.
The tank takes 80 litres on each diesel Lancia Zeta we have figures for, so that sum is the same whichever version you drive.
| Version | Fuel tank |
|---|---|
| Lancia Zeta 2.0 jtd LS | 80 litres |
| Lancia Zeta 2.1 TD | 80 litres |
Which diesel Zeta do you drive?
It is useful for us to have the version when you phone, and it's usually on a badge at the back of your vehicle.
On the diesel Zeta, the badging used is JTD and TD.
Motor sizes range from 2.0 litres on the Zeta 2.0 jtd LS up to 2.1 litres on the Zeta 2.1 TD.
AdBlue in a diesel Lancia Zeta
AdBlue is a mix of water and urea that some diesel cars use to clean up their exhaust, and it has its own tank and filler. Even to move your car, don't touch the key if you've got AdBlue in a diesel Lancia Zeta after it went into the wrong filler.
AdBlue drops to the bottom of your tank, where your pump draws its fuel from, as it will not mix with diesel. Being largely water, it can't burn and gives the fuel pump no lubrication, and your diesel in a tank of up to 80 litres doesn't thin it as it would petrol.
A small quantity is still sucked into the system. Once the water dries off, the urea crystallises within your fuel system, including the fuel filter and injectors, and it corrodes the metalwork it rests against.
The same flap often hides both fillers, and where the Zeta has an AdBlue filler, it may well be alongside the diesel one. You can generally spot the AdBlue lid by its blue shade and the much smaller nozzle it accepts.
What we do for a fuel drain on your Lancia Zeta
A fuel drain on your Lancia Zeta is done beside the car, so it never needs to go to a garage. To begin with we find out what was put in and whether your motor has run. Your tank, which holds up to 80 litres on the Zeta, is then drained, the pipes and filter are rinsed, and your car is refilled with fresh diesel and primed before we start the vehicle.
By the time we leave, the Zeta is running on clean diesel once more and all set for you to drive away.
How we handle AdBlue removal from a diesel Lancia Zeta
Just like draining petrol, AdBlue removal from a diesel Lancia Zeta goes through the same stages. Since AdBlue does not blend in but settles at the base of your tank, running the Zeta on it can leave crystals in the lines. Those get flushed through too, and the fuel filter is replaced if it needs it.
Here, AdBlue removal means getting AdBlue back out of a diesel tank it was put into through the wrong filler. Disabling or removing the AdBlue system on a car isn't what it means.
A fuel drain on the Lancia Zeta: what it costs
As each job is different, we have no fixed quote to publish, and these are the biggest factors that shape it:
- whether anyone has started or driven the Zeta, the thing that counts most
- the volume put in, weighed against the capacity of your tank
- what went in, petrol or AdBlue
- where you are with the Zeta, and whether it's safe to bring our van there
We can tell you what the work will probably need once you call with those details.
Petrol in a diesel Lancia Zeta: your questions
Do you know the fuel tank capacity of the Lancia Zeta?
It holds 80 litres, and our figures show the same tank on every version.
I only put a little petrol in my Zeta. Should I fill up with diesel?
It is not something we'd recommend, since adding diesel does nothing to take out that petrol. It only lowers its share, and the petrol is still in the fuel system after you drive off. All of that is removed with a fuel drain, which for a modest amount is usually everything your Zeta requires.
Is a trip to the Lancia dealer needed for my Zeta?
No. We're independent and have no tie with Lancia or its dealers, and we empty and clean the Zeta wherever it is parked, so there's no need to move it anywhere.
Does it help to know which Zeta I have?
Knowing your variant helps when you ring, as there are 2 diesel versions of the Zeta in our figures.
Is wrong fuel in my Lancia Zeta covered by my policy?
We will still come out to empty it for you, either way. Check your policy anyway, as not every policy includes misfuelling cover.
The diesel went into the AdBlue filler on my Zeta. What now?
Leave the key out of your ignition in that case as well. The AdBlue system will need emptying, and if the car is driven like that, it'll most likely display a warning and enter limp mode. Which tank your fuel went into is worth telling us when you ring.
I've already driven my Zeta. What do I do?
Switch your engine off once you have pulled over somewhere safe, and leave it off till we get to you. We drain and clean the fuel system where you have stopped, and when it's caught early like this, lasting damage is very unusual.