Have You Put Petrol in a Diesel Lexus?
We'd urge you to keep the motor off if you have put petrol in a diesel Lexus and not run it yet, and that applies to shifting your car clear of the pump as well. In this position, your car normally needs nothing more than a fuel drain, as the petrol hasn't yet moved out of the tank.
Petrol in Diesel empties diesel Lexus vehicles where they are, at the forecourt or wherever they ended up. Each model has its own page, listed below, and you can ring us before you attempt anything yourself.
The first steps with petrol in a diesel Lexus
- Keep your engine off, and the ignition too. On many diesels, turning the ignition on is all it takes to set the fuel pump priming, which pulls fuel from the tank on to your injectors.
- Don't fill the rest of the tank with diesel to water it down. Diesel Lexus models hold up to 65 litres, and topping up only leaves more contaminated fuel to drain.
- Speak to the forecourt attendants when the car is in the way of a pump. They will usually help you push the vehicle out of the way in neutral.
- Let us know which model you have when you ring 0333 366 0103, even if it's only the name, for example the IS. We also want to know where you are, whether the motor has run and roughly how much went in.
Leaving the motor off with wrong fuel in your Lexus
Wrong fuel in your Lexus only begins to cause problems when it is pulled from the tank, and starting your engine is what draws it. Diesel lubricates the high-pressure fuel pump and the fuel injectors while it flows through them, and petrol dilutes it, which is why driving any distance on that mix is what can do harm.
When you have already been driving, stop somewhere safe and switch off. Catching it soon makes lasting harm very rare, and sorting it out wherever you have stopped is still something we can do.
Fuel tank sizes across the diesel Lexus range
The capacity of your tank matters as what counts is how much of what is in there is petrol, so a couple of litres count for more in a tank that was close to empty.
Our figures give the same tank size, 65 litres, on each diesel Lexus.
Got AdBlue in a diesel Lexus?
If you've got AdBlue in a diesel Lexus because it went into the incorrect filler, the first step does not change. The key should stay where it is, even if your vehicle needs to be moved.
Consisting mainly of water with urea dissolved in it, AdBlue does not ignite and doesn't blend with diesel. It sinks to the bottom of your tank instead, right where the pump takes its fuel, and gives the pump no protection. As the water dries, the urea forms crystals in the pipes and the fuel filter and corrodes the metalwork around it.
On diesel vehicles with AdBlue in a tank of its own, the AdBlue filler often lies next to your diesel filler, both under one flap. The AdBlue cap on yours, if it has one, is usually blue, and it takes a narrower nozzle.
Fuel drain on your Lexus: how we do it
There's no reason to move your car, because we carry out a fuel drain on your Lexus where it stands, on the forecourt or on your drive. Draining your tank comes once we have checked whether your motor has been run and what was put in. After that, we rinse your fuel pipes and the filter, put fresh diesel back in and prime the fuel system before starting your engine.
By the time we leave, the car is running on clean diesel.
AdBlue removal from a diesel Lexus
AdBlue collects in the bottom of your tank, so AdBlue removal from a diesel Lexus takes more care there, though it uses the same steps as draining petrol. A car that has been run gets its pipes and filter flushed through, and a new fuel filter if it needs one.
The AdBlue system isn't removed or disabled by this. This means getting AdBlue out of the diesel tank.
What decides the cost of a fuel drain on a diesel Lexus
There is no set price on this page, because jobs differ. Whether your motor has been started or driven changes it more than anything. It also matters whether it took petrol or AdBlue, where your vehicle is, and what share of your tank it filled. We can tell you what will be involved once you phone with those details.
Petrol in a diesel Lexus: questions
Can you drain any diesel Lexus?
Each diesel Lexus model we hold data for is linked from this page. Diesel cars beyond that list are drained as well.
Will my Lexus have to go to a dealer?
There's no need to. The drain is done wherever the vehicle has stopped, and we are independent, with no link to Lexus or its dealers.
Wrong fuel in my Lexus: does insurance cover it?
Some policies include misfuelling cover and some do not, so it is worth checking yours. We come out regardless.