Petrol in a Diesel Mazda 3? Leave It Switched Off
We'd ask you to leave the motor off when you have put petrol in a diesel Mazda 3 and not run it yet, and that goes for moving it off the forecourt too. With your engine kept off, the petrol stays where it is in your tank, and in the majority of cases a fuel drain is all your 3 needs.
Petrol in Diesel drains misfuelled vehicles on the spot, and your Mazda 3 can remain on the forecourt or wherever it has come to a stop. We'll go through it with you on the phone, so ring us before trying anything on your own.
Petrol in a diesel 3: what to do first
- Don't start the motor, even though a diesel 3 will normally run with petrol inside the tank. It can seem fine for a time, and that's how drivers commonly pull away without noticing something is amiss.
- The ignition needs to stay off as well, as switching it on starts the fuel pump priming on many diesels, and the pump then draws fuel from your tank.
- Do not fill the rest of the tank with diesel to dilute it. Your 3 holds up to 55 litres, and topping it up simply leaves more tainted fuel to empty out. Super unleaded is petrol here too.
- If the vehicle is blocking a pump, put it in neutral then push the car out of the way. Forecourt staff are usually willing to help with that.
- Ring 0333 366 0103 then let us know which 3 you drive and where it is parked, approximately how much petrol went in, and whether the motor has run. Where the precise variant is on the badging, say the 3 MZ-CD 2.0 Sport, tell us that too.
Started your vehicle with wrong fuel in your Mazda 3?
Turning on your engine is what pulls the wrong fuel in your Mazda 3 from the tank, and only then does it begin to reach the engine. In a diesel motor, your fuel oils your injectors and the injection pump on its way through. That lubrication is washed away when petrol dilutes the diesel, so the harm, where there's any, comes from driving on that blend.
Find a safe place to pull in and switch off, if the 3 has already been on the road. We drain your tank, then rinse the lines and fuel filter through until no contaminated fuel is left, so it can still be dealt with. If it is caught early and cleaned out properly, long-term damage is very uncommon.
It's the same whatever variant of the 3 you drive, including the 3 MZ-CD 1.6 Sport.
Checking the Mazda 3 fuel tank capacity
The capacity of the tank counts because the risk hinges on what share of the fuel in there is petrol, so the same couple of litres are a bigger problem if the tank was close to empty when you fuelled up.
According to the variant, the Mazda 3 has a tank of 51 to 55 litres.
The smallest fuel tank in our data is on the 3 D 150, and the biggest is on the 3 1.6 MZ-CD.
| Version | Fuel tank |
|---|---|
| Mazda 3 1.6 MZ-CD | 55 litres |
| Mazda 3 2.2 MZR-CD | 55 litres |
| Mazda 3 D 150 | 51 litres |
| Mazda 3 MZ-CD 1.6 | 55 litres |
| Mazda 3 MZ-CD 1.6 Sport | 55 litres |
| Mazda 3 MZ-CD 2.0 Sport | 55 litres |
Working out which diesel 3 you drive
Check the badge on your boot lid, which usually shows the version, and tell us what it says when you ring.
The 3 2.2 MZR-CD has the largest engine, at 2.2 litres, and the 3 MZ-CD 1.6 the smallest, at 1.6 litres.
Put AdBlue in a diesel Mazda 3?
Water and urea make up AdBlue, which certain diesel vehicles use to clean up their exhaust. It is held in a tank of its own, with its own filler. Pouring AdBlue in the incorrect filler leaves you with AdBlue in a diesel Mazda 3, so do not touch the key, not even to shift the vehicle.
As it's mostly water, AdBlue does not burn and offers the fuel pump no lubrication whatsoever. It does not mix with diesel either, so it sinks to the base of the tank where your pump picks up its fuel, and a tank holding up to 55 litres won't dilute it as it would dilute petrol.
A small quantity is still sucked into the system. When the water has dried off, what is left is urea, which crystallises inside the fuel system, filter and injectors among them, and eats into any metalwork it rests against.
Check under your fuel flap if your 3 has an AdBlue filler, since on plenty of vehicles it is right beside your diesel filler. You can usually spot the AdBlue cap by its blue shade and the far narrower nozzle it accepts.
Fuel drain on your Mazda 3: what we do
There's no garage needed, as we carry out a fuel drain on your Mazda 3 at the car itself. First we check what went in and whether your motor has run. The tank, which takes up to 55 litres on the 3, is then emptied, the pipes and filter are flushed, and the vehicle is filled up with fresh diesel and primed before we start it.
You can take the 3 away when we have finished, now running on clean diesel.
AdBlue removal from a diesel Mazda 3, explained
We take the same stages for AdBlue removal from a diesel Mazda 3 as we do for draining petrol. If the 3 has been started, AdBlue may leave deposits in the pipes, since it collects under your diesel rather than blending in. We clear those out as well, and swap the fuel filter if it needs it.
AdBlue removal on this page means taking AdBlue out of the diesel tank after it has gone into the incorrect filler. It does not mean removing or switching off the AdBlue system on the car.
What does a fuel drain on the Mazda 3 cost?
We don't publish a fixed price, because this work differs from one job to the next. These are the biggest factors that affect it:
- whether the 3 has been started or driven, which makes the greatest difference
- a tank's capacity next to the quantity that went in
- which of the two it was, petrol or AdBlue
- where the 3 has stopped, and whether we can bring our van to it safely
If you ring with those answers we can explain what the job is likely to involve.
Your queries on petrol in a diesel Mazda 3
The Mazda 3 fuel tank capacity: how many litres?
It varies with the version, from 51 to 55 litres, and every one is shown in the table above.
I just put a little petrol in my 3. Should I fill up with diesel?
Filling up only reduces the proportion of petrol. None of it is removed, so it is all still there when you drive, which is why we wouldn't advise it. With just a little petrol, a fuel drain to get all of that out is usually all your 3 needs.
Will my 3 need to be taken to the Mazda dealer?
There's no reason to move it anywhere. We drain and clean your 3 where it is, and we're independent, with no connection to Mazda or its dealers.
Does it matter which 3 I have?
Knowing your variant helps when you ring, as there are 6 diesel variants of the 3 in our figures.
Does my insurance policy cover wrong fuel in my Mazda 3?
We will still come out to drain it for you, covered or not. Look at your insurance all the same, as not every policy has misfuelling cover.
What should I do if my 3 got diesel in its AdBlue tank?
In that case, as well, keep the key out of your ignition. Limp mode and an alert are what most motors give you if they're driven that way, and their AdBlue system will need emptying. When you phone, let us know which tank your diesel went into.
What should I do if I have already driven my 3?
Turn your engine off after you've pulled over somewhere safe, and leave it off until we reach you. Catching it this soon means permanent harm is very rare, and we drain and clean the fuel system wherever you happen to be.