Put Petrol in a Diesel Mazda CX-7?
When you have got petrol in a diesel Mazda CX-7 and your motor hasn't been started, keep it turned off, even to shift it away from the petrol pump. As long as the engine stays off the petrol stays inside the tank, so a fuel drain is normally all it takes to set your CX-7 right.
We come to misfuelled cars rather than the other way round, so with Petrol in Diesel the Mazda CX-7 stays at the forecourt or wherever it ended up. We'll go through it with you over the phone, so ring us before trying anything on your own.
Your first moves with petrol in a diesel CX-7
- With petrol in your tank, a diesel CX-7 will usually still start and run, and feel perfectly ordinary for some miles. That is how drivers often drive off without noticing a fault, and why your motor needs to be left off.
- Fuel can be drawn towards the injectors even before the engine has fired, as on a lot of diesel motors your ignition on its own primes the fuel pump. Leave your ignition off too.
- Do not fill the rest of the tank with diesel to weaken it. Your CX-7 takes up to 69 litres, and filling it up only means more tainted fuel to empty out. Super unleaded counts as petrol here too.
- Ask the forecourt staff when your vehicle is blocking a pump. They usually help roll the vehicle out of the way once it's in neutral.
- Ring 0333 366 0103 and tell us which CX-7 you have and where it is parked, about how much petrol went in, and whether your engine has run. Where the exact version is on the badge, for example the CX-7 2.2 MZR-CD, give us that as well.
Wrong fuel in your Mazda CX-7 once the motor has run
Whilst it sits in your tank, wrong fuel in your Mazda CX-7 doesn't reach your engine. That only begins when it's pulled out, which is what happens when the engine is started. In a diesel motor, the fuel lubricates your injectors and the injection pump on its way past. Driving for any distance on that mixture is what can do harm, as petrol dilutes the diesel and takes that protection away.
Pull over somewhere safe then switch off when the CX-7 has already been on the road. We can still sort it out, by draining the tank and cleaning the pipes and the fuel filter until all the tainted fuel is out. Provided it's flushed out thoroughly after being caught early, it very seldom leaves lasting damage.
The Mazda CX-7 fuel tank capacity, version by version
If you fuelled up while the tank was nearly empty, the same few litres make up more of your fuel in there, and the risk hinges on that share, which means the size of the tank counts.
The tank holds 69 litres on every diesel Mazda CX-7 we have data for, so that calculation is the same whatever version you own.
Telling which diesel CX-7 you drive
It is useful for us to have the version when you ring, and it's normally on a badge at the back of your vehicle.
The engine is 2.2 litres in every variant in our records.
AdBlue in a diesel Mazda CX-7
Water and urea make up AdBlue, which certain diesel vehicles rely on to clean up their exhaust. It is kept in a tank of its own, with its own filler. The key should remain out of the ignition if you've got AdBlue in a diesel Mazda CX-7 through the wrong filler, and that covers moving your car.
AdBlue settles to the base of your tank, where your pump pulls its fuel from, as it won't blend with diesel. Being mostly water, it cannot burn and gives the fuel pump no protection, and your diesel in a tank holding up to 69 litres doesn't weaken it as it would petrol.
A modest quantity is still sucked into your fuel system. Within the system the water dries off and leaves the urea to crystallise, in your filter and injectors among other places, where it attacks the metalwork it rests against.
The same filler flap frequently covers both fillers, and where your CX-7 has an AdBlue filler, it might well be alongside the diesel one. A blue cap and a nozzle far smaller than diesel generally pick out the AdBlue filler.
How a fuel drain on your Mazda CX-7 is done
We do a fuel drain on your Mazda CX-7 where your car is, and it doesn't need to be taken to a garage. We begin by confirming what went in and whether your engine has run, then drain the tank, which on the CX-7 holds up to 69 litres. After that we rinse your fuel lines and the filter and fill up with fresh diesel, and the fuel system is primed before we start the car.
By the time we leave, your CX-7 is running on clean diesel again and ready for you to take away.
AdBlue removal from a diesel Mazda CX-7
Just like draining petrol, AdBlue removal from a diesel Mazda CX-7 runs through the same steps. If the CX-7 has been started, AdBlue can leave crystals inside the pipes, since it settles under your diesel rather than mixing in. We flush those out too, and replace your fuel filter if it needs it.
AdBlue removal on this page means taking AdBlue out of the diesel tank once it has gone in the wrong filler. It does not mean removing or switching off the AdBlue system on your car.
What decides the price of a fuel drain on the Mazda CX-7
A set price isn't something we publish, since no two jobs involve the same work. It mainly comes down to the following:
- most of all, whether the CX-7 has been driven or even started
- how much went in compared to the size of your tank
- what was put in, petrol or AdBlue
- the location of the CX-7 and how easily we can reach it with our van
We can let you know what the work will probably involve once you ring and give us those answers.
Petrol in a diesel Mazda CX-7: your questions
Can you tell me the fuel tank capacity of the Mazda CX-7?
It holds 69 litres, and our figures show the same tank on each variant.
I only put a little petrol in my CX-7. Should I top up with diesel?
It isn't something we'd recommend, since putting in diesel does nothing to remove the petrol. It just reduces its proportion, and that petrol is still in the system after you drive off. With only a little petrol, a drain to take all of that out is generally all your CX-7 requires.
Is a trip to the Mazda dealer needed for my CX-7?
You do not need to. We have no tie with Mazda or any of its dealers, being independent, and your CX-7 is emptied and cleaned where you have stopped.
Is wrong fuel in my Mazda CX-7 covered by my insurance?
We will still come out and empty it for you, covered or not. Look at your policy anyway, as not every policy has misfuelling cover.
Diesel in the AdBlue tank of my CX-7: what happens?
In that case, too, keep the key out of the ignition. Most vehicles display a warning and go into limp mode if they're driven in that state, and the AdBlue system will need draining. Do say which tank took the diesel when you ring.
Already driven my CX-7: what now?
Look for a safe spot to pull over, then turn your motor off and leave the vehicle that way until we arrive. We drain and clean your fuel system where you are, and if it is caught soon like this, permanent damage is very rare.