Put Petrol in a Diesel Land Rover Range Rover?
The motor is safest left off if it has not been started since you put petrol in a diesel Land Rover Range Rover, and that covers shifting it clear of the petrol pump. While your motor stays off that petrol remains in your tank, so a drain is generally all it needs to put your Range Rover right.
Petrol in Diesel empties misfuelled vehicles where they stand, so the Land Rover Range Rover can be left on the forecourt or wherever it has come to a stop. Call us before you attempt anything yourself and we'll talk you through it.
Got petrol in a diesel Range Rover? The first steps
- Drivers often drive off without noticing something is amiss, since a diesel Range Rover will normally fire up and run on petrol and may seem fine for the first couple of miles. So leave the motor off.
- Leave your ignition off too. On plenty of diesels switching it on will start the fuel pump priming, which draws fuel from your tank to the fuel injectors.
- Diluting that petrol by filling up with diesel does not help. It just adds to the contaminated fuel we drain from a tank that holds up to 105 litres in your Range Rover, and super unleaded is petrol here as well.
- Speak to the forecourt staff when your car is blocking a pump. They usually help push the vehicle out of the way once it is in neutral.
- When you ring 0333 366 0103, we need to know which Range Rover you drive, where it is, how much petrol you reckon went in and whether the engine has been run. The precise variant helps as well when it's on the badging, for example the Range Rover Td6.
What starting the motor does with wrong fuel in your Land Rover Range Rover
While it stays inside the tank, wrong fuel in your Land Rover Range Rover does not affect the motor. That only begins once it is drawn out, which is what occurs when the motor is started. As it passes through, diesel fuel leaves the high-pressure fuel pump and the fuel injectors lubricated, and the motor relies on that. Driving for any distance on that blend is what can cause damage, because petrol thins your diesel and washes that protection away.
Once you have driven the Range Rover on it, the thing to do is stop somewhere safe and switch your motor off. We can still put it right, by emptying your tank and flushing the lines and the filter until all of the contaminated fuel is gone. Provided it's flushed out properly after being caught early, it very rarely leaves long-term damage.
That applies to the Range Rover SDV8 just as much as every other variant of the Range Rover.
The fuel tank capacity of the Land Rover Range Rover
What matters is what proportion of your fuel inside the tank is petrol. The same few litres count for more when you filled up with the tank almost empty, which is why its capacity makes a difference.
Tank sizes for the Land Rover Range Rover go from 90 to 105 litres according to which version it is.
The smallest tank in our data is on the Range Rover 2.5 DT, and the largest is on the Range Rover TdV8.
| Version | Fuel tank |
|---|---|
| Land Rover Range Rover 2.5 DT | 90 litres |
| Land Rover Range Rover 4.4 TDV8 HSE | 105 litres |
| Land Rover Range Rover SDV8 | 105 litres |
| Land Rover Range Rover Td6 | 100 litres |
| Land Rover Range Rover TDV6 | 105 litres |
| Land Rover Range Rover TdV8 | 105 litres |
Which diesel Range Rover do you drive?
It helps us to have the variant when you call, and it's generally on a badge at the rear of the car.
Diesel versions of the Range Rover have been sold as TDV8 and TDV6.
The Range Rover TDV6 is badged TDV6, while the commonest badge on our records is TDV8.
AdBlue in a diesel Land Rover Range Rover by mistake
Water and urea make up AdBlue, which some diesel cars use to treat their exhaust. It's stored in a tank of its own, with its own filler. If there's AdBlue in a diesel Land Rover Range Rover because it went in the incorrect filler, do not turn your key, even to move the car.
AdBlue settles to the base of your tank, where your pump takes its fuel from, since it will not mix with diesel. Being largely water, it can't ignite and gives the fuel pump no protection, and the diesel in a tank of up to 105 litres does not weaken it as it would petrol.
Even a small amount gets sucked into the fuel line. Deposits of urea build up in the filter, the injectors and the remainder of the system as the water dries off, and they eat into the metalwork they touch.
On plenty of motors the AdBlue filler is next to the diesel filler under the same fuel flap, and if the Range Rover has one, it might well be there as well. You can generally tell the AdBlue lid by its blue colour and the much smaller nozzle it fits.
How a fuel drain on your Land Rover Range Rover works
Moving your vehicle to a garage is not needed, as a fuel drain on your Land Rover Range Rover is carried out right at your car. On the Range Rover the tank takes up to 105 litres, so we drain all of it once we have found out what went in and whether the engine has been run. The fuel lines and your filter are cleaned after that, then we fill up with fresh diesel and prime the system before starting your engine.
You are free to take the Range Rover away when we've finished, now running on clean diesel.
How we handle AdBlue removal from a diesel Land Rover Range Rover
AdBlue removal from a diesel Land Rover Range Rover uses the same steps as a petrol drain. If the Range Rover has been run, AdBlue may form deposits inside the lines, since it settles under the diesel rather than blending in. We rinse those through as well, and replace the fuel filter where needed.
AdBlue removal here means taking AdBlue out of the diesel tank after it has gone in the incorrect filler. It does not mean removing or switching off the AdBlue system on your car.
A fuel drain on the Land Rover Range Rover: the cost
The work differs from one job to the next, so we don't publish a fixed quote. The chief things that shape it are these:
- whether the Range Rover has been started or driven, which makes the largest difference
- the volume put in, measured against the size of the tank
- what went in, petrol or AdBlue
- the position of the Range Rover and how safely we can reach it with the van
Phone with those details and we will be able to say what's likely to be involved.
Your questions on petrol in a diesel Land Rover Range Rover
The Land Rover Range Rover fuel tank capacity: how many litres?
The table further up shows every variant, with tanks between 90 and 105 litres.
Does topping up with diesel help with a little petrol in my Range Rover?
We would recommend against it. That petrol remains in the fuel system when you drive, because adding diesel only cuts its share and removes none of that. All of that comes out with a drain, which for a modest amount is normally everything your Range Rover needs.
Must my Range Rover go to the Land Rover dealer?
No. We are independent with no connection with Land Rover or its dealers, plus we empty and clean your Range Rover wherever it is, so there is no need to move it anywhere.
Does it matter which Range Rover I own?
Yes, it helps. Our data cover 6 diesel variants of the Range Rover, so tell us which one you drive when you ring.
Will my policy pay for wrong fuel in my Land Rover Range Rover?
Misfuelling cover is part of some policies and not others, so check yours. We will come out to empty it for you whether it does or not.
The diesel went into the AdBlue filler on my Range Rover. What now?
In this case, too, the right thing is to leave your ignition alone. If it is driven that way, a car will generally display a warning and go into limp mode. The AdBlue system needs draining too. Please say which tank took the diesel when you ring.
I drove my Range Rover before I noticed. What should I do?
Look for a safe spot to pull over, then switch the motor off and keep the car that way until we get there. We drain and clean the fuel system where you have stopped, and when it's caught early like this, long-term harm is very unusual.