Kept Driving With Petrol in a Diesel Mercedes V-Class?
Once it is safe, pull in then switch the engine off, then leave it off. Running on with petrol in a diesel Mercedes V-Class just takes the petrol further in. We can still sort it out where you have pulled up, and when it is spotted early, lasting harm is very rare.
Your Mercedes V-Class can remain wherever it has stopped, because Petrol in Diesel comes out to it, drains its tank on the spot then cleans its fuel system of petrol. By the time we head off, the car is back on clean diesel.
Spotting petrol in a diesel V-Class
To begin with, petrol inside your tank often changes very little to how a diesel V-Class drives, and the symptoms appear a few miles later on. People usually spot the following when there is petrol or AdBlue inside your fuel tank:
- the engine lacks power, especially whenever you ask it to pull
- the idle turns erratic, or it runs rough
- more smoke than normal comes from the exhaust
- the dash displays warning lamps
- it cuts out, and then might fail to restart
Any of these starting after you filled up is a reason to check the receipt to see what was put in.
Wrong fuel in your Mercedes V-Class: what travelling on it does
Till the motor draws it out, wrong fuel in your Mercedes V-Class stays in the tank, but driving pulls it on to the fuel filter, and then into the injection pump and your fuel injectors. Diesel protects your pump and your fuel injectors as it passes through them and petrol weakens it, so the farther the V-Class is driven, the more of your fuel system the blend reaches.
Stopping as soon as you can is better than completing the journey because of that. Driving a long way on contaminated fuel is what can cause damage, and when a car is stopped early, draining and cleaning are normally all it needs.
Any other version of the V-Class is no different from the V 220 CDI Trend here, so which one is yours makes no difference.
Waiting where you've stopped
There's no need to move the V-Class anywhere. You can keep it at the roadside or at home while we come to it, with no need to restart it and no recovery truck to book.
A safe place, clear of the traffic, is the place to wait when you're beside a busy road, with your hazards on.
About how far you travelled, which V-Class it is and where you have pulled up are the things to tell us when you ring 0333 366 0103. It also helps when the badge shows the version, such as the V 200 CDI Trend.
Fuel drain on your Mercedes V-Class when you've driven it
A fuel drain on your Mercedes V-Class after it was driven goes a step further than a drain at the forecourt. We empty the fuel tank first, then open your fuel lines and then rinse them through with the fuel filter, so no petrol is left between your fuel tank and the motor. With clean diesel in and your fuel system primed, our technicians start the engine then make sure it runs properly.
AdBlue in a diesel Mercedes V-Class after it has run
Travelling with AdBlue in a diesel Mercedes V-Class usually shows up as warning lamps, smoke and rough running, and the car might stall. The fuel pump picks up fuel from the bottom of your tank, which is where AdBlue sinks, and so it reaches your fuel line quickly. It also does not burn or lubricate. As its water evaporates, the urea forms crystals in the fuel lines and your fuel filter.
AdBlue removal from a diesel Mercedes V-Class after driving
We change the fuel filter if it needs it as part of AdBlue removal from a diesel Mercedes V-Class after it's run, when your fuel tank is drained and the crystals are flushed from the fuel filter and your lines.
A dedicated AdBlue tank, if your V-Class has one, is not touched. The job is about liquid in the diesel tank, and doesn't involve removing or turning off an AdBlue system.
Tanks and engines: Mercedes V-Class fuel tank capacity
Every version of the Mercedes V-Class in our figures comes with a diesel tank of 78 litres.
Diesel V-Class versions have CDI and TD badges.
Rather than CDI, the V 230 TD has TD on its badge.
| Version | Fuel tank |
|---|---|
| Mercedes V 200 CDI Trend | 78 litres |
| Mercedes V 220 CDI Trend | 78 litres |
| Mercedes V 230 TD | 78 litres |
Costing a fuel drain on the Mercedes V-Class after a drive
The mileage travelled and where it is now matter the most for the cost of a fuel drain on the Mercedes V-Class after driving, and so does whether it was AdBlue or petrol. We can tell you what the job will need once you phone with those details.
Petrol in a diesel Mercedes V-Class: common questions after driving
Will my V-Class be ruined?
It's very unlikely to be. If the car is stopped early, draining and cleaning the system is what we do where you've stopped, and harm that lasts is uncommon after that.
Is it all right to drive it home first?
We'd rather you did not. Moving it is not needed, since we can drain the V-Class where it is. Driving it on only carries contaminated fuel further through the system.
It has stalled and will not restart. What should I do?
Please do not try a second time. Leave it as it is, because every try draws more of that mixture through. We prime your fuel system and start it for you once it has been emptied and flushed and fresh diesel is in.
Does the version of my V-Class matter?
It helps when you call if we know which of the 3 diesel versions of the V-Class you have, and the boot badge shows it.
Insurance and wrong fuel in my Mercedes V-Class: am I covered?
Misfuelling cover is offered in some policies, so do check yours after your car has been dealt with. Either way, we come out.