What the Tank Holds: Petrol in a Diesel Lexus IS
Once you have put petrol in a diesel Lexus IS, the size of its fuel tank is among the earliest things to know, since it determines how much of the fuel in there is currently petrol. Every version of the Lexus IS we hold data for is listed on this page with its fuel tank capacity, and the same goes for the motors it was sold with.
Regardless of how big the number is, there's a single thing to do after the mistake. As soon as you switch the engine off then ring Petrol in Diesel, we'll come and drain the car where it sits.
Lexus IS fuel tank capacity, version by version
The Lexus IS has the same diesel tank across every version we hold data for, and it takes 65 litres.
Wrong fuel in your Lexus IS: what a few litres amounts to
Whatever diesel is still in the tank blends with the wrong fuel in your Lexus IS, and how full it was when you filled up determines how much of that mixture is petrol. When a couple of litres of unleaded go into a tank running close to empty, they form a much bigger part of what the engine would draw. Added to an almost full tank of up to 65 litres, the same amount is just a minor share of the whole.
Drivers often want to know how much petrol counts as too much. It is more helpful to find out whether the engine has run, as a running engine is what carries that mixture out of your tank and through the pump and the injectors.
Whatever the proportion, the right thing is to have it emptied, and with a small amount a fuel drain is usually all your IS needs.
The engines in your diesel IS
Before you phone, it's worth checking the version name on the badge, since it tells us which motor your IS has.
When you call, we can figure out which version it is between us, even if you're not certain of it yourself.
What goes on with AdBlue in a diesel Lexus IS
Tank size plays out differently with AdBlue. The fuel pump takes its fuel from the base of the tank, and that's where AdBlue sinks, so even a small amount reaches your fuel line. If you have AdBlue in a diesel Lexus IS, your diesel surrounding it doesn't dilute it, as AdBlue is largely water and doesn't blend with it.
AdBlue doesn't burn and gives your pump no protection, and as its water dries out, the urea left over crystallises in the lines and the fuel filter and attacks the metal next to it.
A separate tank with a dedicated filler holds the AdBlue on some diesel cars, often next to the filler for diesel under the same flap. Where your IS has one, the AdBlue cap is normally blue and fits a smaller pump nozzle than the diesel one.
Fuel drain on your Lexus IS
The whole tank is emptied in a fuel drain on your Lexus IS, however large it is in your version, without the vehicle being moved from where it sits. Fresh diesel is put in once the tainted fuel gets pumped out and your fuel lines and the filter are flushed, and then the system is primed and the engine started.
It doesn't matter whether your IS is still at the station forecourt or left on your drive. Once we finish the drain, the car is running on fresh diesel and ready to drive away.
AdBlue removal from a diesel Lexus IS
AdBlue removal from a diesel Lexus IS begins with clearing the tank fully, because AdBlue collects at the bottom instead of blending in. Where your engine has run, the lines and the filter are rinsed through as well, and your fuel filter is replaced if needed.
Removing or disabling the AdBlue system on the car is not what this is about. It is about AdBlue that has gone into the diesel tank.
The price of a fuel drain on the Lexus IS
There is no fixed price listed on this page, because jobs on one model can differ quite a lot. What affects it most is whether the IS has been started or driven, and after that how much was put in compared with the capacity of the tank, whether it was petrol or AdBlue, and where the vehicle is now.
Ring with those details and we can explain what this job will take.
Your tank questions on petrol in a diesel Lexus IS
What does the Lexus IS fuel tank capacity come to?
Each version we hold figures for uses one tank, and it takes 65 litres.
With a bigger tank, is petrol less of a worry?
In a larger tank, petrol makes up a smaller part of the whole, yet it hasn't gone anywhere, and it reaches the pump once the motor runs. A fuel drain removes all of that while your IS stays turned off.
Is it wrong fuel in my Lexus IS if it is not diesel?
Just diesel belongs in the diesel tank. Petrol of every grade, super unleaded too, is wrong fuel, and so is AdBlue, which goes in a tank of its own.
Can you drain the Lexus IS wherever it is?
There's no reason to shift or start the car. Whether it is parked at home or still at the station forecourt, we travel to it.