Petrol in a Diesel Mercedes A-Class: Already Driven It?
If you have driven with petrol in a diesel Mercedes A-Class, stop as soon as it is safe, turn the motor off and keep it off. Spotted early, it only very rarely causes lasting damage, and sorting it out wherever you've stopped is still something we can do.
Your Mercedes A-Class can remain wherever it has ended up, as Petrol in Diesel travels out to it, drains its fuel tank on the spot and cleans its fuel system of petrol. By the time we leave, it's running again on clean diesel.
Warning signs of petrol in a diesel A-Class
A diesel A-Class carrying petrol in your tank commonly feels normal at first, so the symptoms tend to show up a few miles further on. The following are the signs most often noticed if the tank has AdBlue or petrol in it:
- a loss of power, especially when the motor is asked to pull
- it ticks over erratically, or it runs rough
- the exhaust puts out more smoke than normal
- the dash shows warning lamps
- the engine cuts out then may not start again
The receipt shows what went in, so look at it if any of these started after you fuelled up.
How far wrong fuel in your Mercedes A-Class goes when you drive
Wrong fuel in your Mercedes A-Class remains in the fuel tank until the motor pulls it out, and driving is what takes it through the filter, the high-pressure pump and the fuel injectors. The mix gets into more of your system the further the A-Class is driven, because petrol dilutes the diesel fuel that lubricates your pump and your fuel injectors on its way through them.
Stopping the moment you can is better than completing the journey for that reason. Travelling a long way on contaminated fuel is what can cause harm, and when a motor is stopped early, draining and cleaning are normally all it needs.
Another version of the A-Class is no different from the A 160 CDI Classic in this, so which one is yours makes no difference.
Where you have stopped
Moving the A-Class anywhere is not necessary. No tow needs to be arranged and there is no need to restart it, as we come to it at the side of the road or outside your house.
On a main road, switch on the hazard lights, then find somewhere safe to wait away from the traffic.
Ring 0333 366 0103 then say where you are, what A-Class it is and about how far it has been driven. It helps too when the badge gives the version, such as the A 160 CDI Blueefficiency.
Fuel drain on your Mercedes A-Class after it was driven
There is one step more to a fuel drain on your Mercedes A-Class after it has been driven than to a drain on the forecourt. After the fuel tank is drained, the lines are opened up and flushed through along with your fuel filter, which leaves no petrol anywhere from your tank to the motor. The fuel system is primed after fresh diesel has gone in, then the engine is started to confirm it runs correctly.
First comes draining your tank, which holds 54 litres on the A 160 Turbodiesel.
AdBlue in a diesel Mercedes A-Class that has been driven
Driving with AdBlue in a diesel Mercedes A-Class normally brings warning lamps, smoke and uneven running, and the car may go on to stall. Because AdBlue settles to the bottom of the fuel tank, where your pump draws its fuel, it is in your fuel line quickly, and it neither burns nor lubricates. Urea crystals form in your fuel lines and the fuel filter once its water dries out.
AdBlue removal from a diesel Mercedes A-Class: what it involves
The fuel lines and your fuel filter have to be freed of the crystals once the tank is drained, which is what AdBlue removal from a diesel Mercedes A-Class that has been run involves. If your fuel filter needs it, we change it.
Only the diesel tank is dealt with here. If your A-Class has an AdBlue tank of its own, it is left alone, and nothing here involves removing or disabling the AdBlue system.
The Mercedes A-Class fuel tank capacity and the engines
Diesel fuel tanks on the Mercedes A-Class go from 50 to 54 litres over its versions, with the A 160 CDI at the top end and the A 220 CDI at the bottom.
A tank of 54 litres is used on the A 180 CDI, for instance.
The badges on diesel A-Class versions read CDI.
| Version | Fuel tank |
|---|---|
| Mercedes A 160 CDI | 54 litres |
| Mercedes A 160 CDI Blueefficiency | 54 litres |
| Mercedes A 160 CDI Classic | 54 litres |
| Mercedes A 160 Turbodiesel | 54 litres |
| Mercedes A 170 CDI | 54 litres |
| Mercedes A 170 CDI L | 54 litres |
| Mercedes A 170 Turbodiesel | 54 litres |
| Mercedes A 180 CDI | 54 litres |
| Mercedes A 200 CDI | 54 litres |
| Mercedes A 220 CDI | 50 litres |
Fuel drain on the Mercedes A-Class after driving: the cost
The distance driven and where it is now count the most for the cost of a fuel drain on the Mercedes A-Class after driving, as does whether it was AdBlue or petrol. Tell us those details in a call and we can tell you what's involved in the work.
Driven with petrol in a diesel Mercedes A-Class: your questions
Has the petrol ruined my A-Class?
It's very unlikely. Lasting harm is rare when your car is stopped early and the system is emptied and cleaned, and that's what we do wherever you have pulled up.
Is it OK to drive it home first?
We'd rather you didn't. We can empty the A-Class right where it sits, so it doesn't need shifting, and every mile driven on contaminated fuel would push it further through the system.
Stalled, and it won't restart: what should I do next?
Another go pulls more of the mixture through with every attempt. Please leave the vehicle as it is. We start it for you after emptying and rinsing it, putting clean diesel in and priming your system.
Which A-Class I drive: does it matter?
There are 10 diesel versions of the A-Class, and the badge on the tailgate shows which one you have. Knowing that helps us when you call.
Insurance and wrong fuel in my Mercedes A-Class: am I covered?
Misfuelling cover is included in some policies, so do look at yours once your car has been dealt with. Either way, we still come out.