Already Driven With Petrol in a Diesel Mercedes R-Class?
Keeping the motor off is what counts after you've travelled on petrol in a diesel Mercedes R-Class, so pull in as soon as it's safe and then turn the motor off. Caught early, it very rarely leaves lasting damage, and putting it right where you have stopped is still something we can do.
Where your Mercedes R-Class has ended up, Petrol in Diesel travels out to drain the fuel tank there and clean the petrol from the system. It is on fresh diesel and running when we leave.
Petrol in a diesel R-Class: the signs to watch for
It's usually a few miles until the symptoms appear, because with petrol in the tank a diesel R-Class will often run as usual to begin with. If the tank has petrol or AdBlue in it, motorists normally spot the following:
- the engine is short of power, particularly when it has to accelerate
- the idle becomes erratic, or it runs rough
- more smoke than normal comes from the tailpipe
- the dash shows warning lights
- it cuts out and might not start again
If any of these began after you filled up, look at the receipt to find out what was put in.
How far wrong fuel in your Mercedes R-Class goes when you drive
The tank keeps wrong fuel in your Mercedes R-Class where it is till it is drawn out by the engine. After the car is driven, it goes through the injectors, the filter and your high-pressure pump. Petrol dilutes the diesel that protects your fuel pump and your injectors as it runs through them, and running the R-Class further brings the mix into more of your system.
Stopping the moment you can is wiser than finishing the trip because of that. Harm, where it happens, comes from a long drive on tainted fuel, and draining and cleaning are normally all a car needs when it is stopped soon.
Another version of the R-Class is no different from the R 350 CDI 4-MATIC in this, and so which one is yours makes no difference.
Right where you stopped
The R-Class does not need getting anywhere. No tow has to be booked and there's no need to start it, as we come to it at the roadside or outside your home.
If you are next to a main road, switch the hazards on and wait somewhere out of harm's way, away from the traffic.
About how far you travelled, which R-Class it is and where you've pulled up are what to mention when you ring 0333 366 0103. It also helps if the badge gives the version, like the R 280 CDI lang.
Fuel drain on your Mercedes R-Class once you've driven it
Compared with a drain at the forecourt, a fuel drain on your Mercedes R-Class goes one step further after driving. We drain your fuel tank first, then open your fuel lines and flush them through with the fuel filter, so no petrol is left between your fuel tank and the motor. Fresh diesel goes in, your system is primed, and our technicians start the motor to check it runs smoothly.
If the engine has run with AdBlue in a diesel Mercedes R-Class
Watch for smoke, rough running and warning lights when AdBlue in a diesel Mercedes R-Class has been driven on, because your car may then cut out. Sinking to the bottom of the tank, where your pump draws fuel, AdBlue reaches your fuel line fast, and it doesn't burn or lubricate. Its water drying lets the urea crystallise in the lines and the fuel filter.
How AdBlue removal from a diesel Mercedes R-Class works
Draining the tank comes first in AdBlue removal from a diesel Mercedes R-Class that has been run, and then the crystals are cleared from the lines and your fuel filter, with the fuel filter replaced if it needs it.
A separate AdBlue tank, if your R-Class has one, is not touched. The job is about liquid in the diesel tank, and does not involve removing or switching off an AdBlue system.
The Mercedes R-Class fuel tank capacity and the engines
Each version of the Mercedes R-Class in our figures has a diesel tank of 80 litres.
On this diesel R-Class, the versions carry CDI and BlueTEC badging.
Badged BlueTEC instead of CDI, the R 350 Bluetec lang 4-MATIC is one of them.
| Version | Fuel tank |
|---|---|
| Mercedes R 280 CDI | 80 litres |
| Mercedes R 280 CDI 4-MATIC | 80 litres |
| Mercedes R 280 CDI lang | 80 litres |
| Mercedes R 300 CDI | 80 litres |
| Mercedes R 300 CDI 4-MATIC | 80 litres |
| Mercedes R 300 CDI blueefficiency | 80 litres |
| Mercedes R 300 CDI blueefficiency lang | 80 litres |
| Mercedes R 320 CDI 4-MATIC | 80 litres |
| Mercedes R 320 CDI lang 4-MATIC | 80 litres |
| Mercedes R 350 Bluetec lang 4-MATIC | 80 litres |
| Mercedes R 350 CDI 4-MATIC | 80 litres |
| Mercedes R 350 CDI lang 4-MATIC | 80 litres |
The cost of a fuel drain on the Mercedes R-Class after a drive
How far it travelled and where it has stopped are what largely settle the price of a fuel drain on the Mercedes R-Class after driving, and petrol or AdBlue makes a difference too. We can tell you what the job will involve once you phone with those details.
Questions after driving with petrol in a diesel Mercedes R-Class
Will my R-Class be ruined?
It is very unlikely to be. If the vehicle is stopped soon, emptying and cleaning your fuel system is what we do where you have stopped, and harm that lasts is uncommon after that.
Should I drive it home first?
We would prefer you not to. Shifting it isn't needed, since we can empty the R-Class where it is. Driving it on only pushes contaminated fuel further through the system.
It has stalled and won't restart. What should I do?
Please leave the car instead of trying again, because every attempt draws more of that blend through. With it emptied and flushed and clean diesel in, we prime the fuel system and get it started for you.
Does it matter which R-Class I have?
Knowing which of the 12 diesel versions of the R-Class you have helps us when you call, and it is on the badge on the tailgate.
Is wrong fuel in my Mercedes R-Class covered by insurance?
When the car is dealt with, it is worth checking your policy, because some offer misfuelling cover. We come out whether it covers you or not.