Put Petrol in a Diesel Mini?
We'd urge you to leave the motor off if you've put petrol in a diesel Mini and not started it yet, and that applies to shifting the car away from the pump too. Till the engine is started, the petrol remains inside your tank, and that means a drain is normally enough.
Your diesel Mini can stay at the forecourt, or wherever it ended up, since Petrol in Diesel empties cars where they stand. Before you attempt anything yourself, you can phone us. Every model also has its own page, listed below.
Your first moves if there is petrol in a diesel Mini
- Fuel can be drawn out of your tank to your injectors before your engine has started, as on a lot of diesels your ignition on its own sets the fuel pump priming. So keep both your ignition and your motor off.
- Don't fill the rest of the tank with diesel to dilute it. Diesel Mini models take up to 50 litres, and topping up simply leaves more contaminated fuel to drain.
- Ask the forecourt staff if the vehicle is blocking a pump. They will normally help you push it out of the way in neutral.
- Once you phone 0333 366 0103, we need to know which model it is, where you are, how much you think was put in and whether the motor has been started. To start with, the model name is enough, for example the Clubman.
Wrong fuel in your Mini: why the motor counts most
The trouble starts once wrong fuel in your Mini is drawn out of the tank, and it's starting the motor that pulls it out. Driving for any distance on that mixture is what can do damage, since diesel lubricates the high-pressure pump and the injectors on its way through, and petrol dilutes it.
Turn off once you are able to stop in a safe place, when your vehicle has already been driven. Very few vehicles caught early end up with lasting damage. We come out to where you've stopped to put it right.
That holds whether you drive the Countryman or any other Mini.
The diesel Mini range and its tanks
What counts is how much of the fuel inside the tank is petrol, which is why its size matters. A couple of litres matter more when your tank was almost empty.
Throughout the diesel Mini range, tanks vary from 40 to 50 litres.
On the Cooper the tank is the smallest, and on the One it's the largest.
On the Paceman, the tank takes up to 47 litres.
There's a page for every one of the 5 diesel Mini models we hold data for, with the tank capacity for every version.
When there is AdBlue in a diesel Mini
If you've got AdBlue in a diesel Mini because it went in the wrong filler, the first instruction doesn't change. Do not turn your key, even to shift your car.
The fuel pump gets no protection from AdBlue, which is largely water carrying dissolved urea and won't ignite. It will not mix with diesel either, so it sinks under the diesel in the tank, where your pump draws from. The metal around the lines and the fuel filter gets corroded by urea, which crystallises there as the water dries out.
Certain diesel cars have a separate AdBlue tank with its own filler, often alongside your diesel filler under the same fuel flap. A blue cap and a narrower nozzle normally pick out the AdBlue filler, if yours has one.
What we do in a fuel drain on your Mini
We carry out a fuel drain on your Mini where your car stands, whether that's at the forecourt or on your drive, so there's no need to shift it. We confirm what was put in and whether your motor has been run, empty your tank, and flush the fuel pipes and the fuel filter. Then we fill up with fresh diesel and prime the fuel system before starting the car.
Our job ends with the car running on fresh diesel.
AdBlue removal from a diesel Mini, explained
Like a petrol drain, AdBlue removal from a diesel Mini goes through the same stages, but we take more care at the bottom of the tank, where AdBlue collects. If your car has run on it, the pipes and the fuel filter are rinsed through, and the fuel filter is replaced if it needs it.
The AdBlue system isn't removed or switched off here. The term means getting AdBlue out of the diesel tank.
The cost of a fuel drain on a diesel Mini
Since jobs vary, you won't find a set quote on this page. The chief thing that changes it is whether the motor has been started or driven. The position of the car matters as well, as does the fuel, petrol or AdBlue, and the quantity put in compared with the size of your tank. We can explain what will be involved once you call with those details.
Questions about petrol in a diesel Mini
Which diesel Mini models do you drain?
Each diesel Mini model we hold data for is linked on this page. Diesel cars outside that list are emptied as well.
Diesel Mini models on the list: how many?
Between them, the 5 diesel Mini models we list cover 19 versions.
Do I have to take my Mini to the dealer?
You do not need to. As an independent business, we have no tie with Mini or any of its dealers. We empty your car wherever it has stopped.
Wrong fuel in my Mini: will insurance cover it?
It's worth checking your insurance, as misfuelling cover is included in some but not all. We come out whatever it says.