Have You Put Petrol in a Diesel Mini Clubman?
Anybody who has put petrol in a diesel Mini Clubman without starting the engine ought to leave it switched off, and not start it even to roll it off the pump. With the motor kept off, the petrol remains where it is inside the tank, and in most cases a drain is all the Clubman needs.
We come to wrongly fuelled vehicles instead of the other way round, so with Petrol in Diesel the Mini Clubman remains at the forecourt or wherever it has stopped. Wait before attempting anything on your own until you have rung us, and we'll tell you what to do.
Petrol in a diesel Clubman: what to do first
- People commonly drive off without noticing something is amiss, since a diesel Clubman will usually fire up and run on petrol and may seem fine for the first few miles. So leave the engine off.
- Turning your ignition on is enough, on plenty of diesels, to set the fuel pump priming and draw fuel from your tank towards the injectors, so keep that off as well.
- Thinning that petrol by topping up with diesel does not help. It only adds to the contaminated fuel to be drained from a tank that holds up to 40 litres in your Clubman, and super unleaded counts as petrol here as well.
- Forecourt staff will normally help roll the car clear in neutral if it's blocking a pump.
- Call 0333 366 0103 then let us know which Clubman you drive and where it has stopped, approximately how much petrol went in, and whether the motor has run. Where the precise variant is on the badge, for example the Cooper SD Clubman, give us that as well.
Running on wrong fuel in your Mini Clubman
The engine isn't touched by wrong fuel in your Mini Clubman until it is drawn out of the tank, and starting your motor is what draws it out. Your high-pressure pump and the injectors on a diesel engine are lubricated by the fuel passing through them. Petrol thins your diesel and takes that lubrication away, which is why it is driving any distance on the mixture that can do harm.
Pull over somewhere safe then switch off when the Clubman has already been driven. We drain the tank, then flush the lines and filter through until no tainted fuel is left, so it can still be dealt with. Lasting harm is very unusual when it is caught early and given a thorough clean.
The Cooper D Clubman is no different in this from any other version of the Clubman.
The fuel tank capacity of the Mini Clubman
If you fuelled up when the tank was close to empty, the same few litres make up more of your fuel in there, and the risk hinges on that share, so the capacity of the tank matters.
In our figures, all the diesel versions of the Mini Clubman use one tank of 40 litres, so the sum works out the same for every one.
| Version | Fuel tank |
|---|---|
| Mini Cooper D Clubman | 40 litres |
| Mini Cooper SD Clubman | 40 litres |
| Mini One D Clubman | 40 litres |
Which diesel Clubman do you have?
The variant is usually on a badge on your boot lid, and knowing it helps us when you ring.
AdBlue in a diesel Mini Clubman by accident
AdBlue is a mixture of water and urea that certain diesel cars rely on to treat their exhaust, and it has a separate tank and filler. The key needs to stay out of your ignition if you have AdBlue in a diesel Mini Clubman through the incorrect filler, and that includes moving the car.
As it's mostly water, AdBlue does not ignite and gives the fuel pump no lubrication whatsoever. It doesn't mix with diesel either, so it sinks to the base of your tank where your pump picks up its fuel, and a tank holding up to 40 litres does nothing to dilute it as it would dilute petrol.
A small amount is still drawn into the fuel system. Inside the system the water dries off and leaves the urea to crystallise, in the filter and injectors and elsewhere, where it corrodes the metalwork it rests against.
The same flap frequently covers both fillers, and where your Clubman has an AdBlue filler, it could well be beside the diesel one. A blue lid and a nozzle much smaller than diesel usually mark the AdBlue filler.
What we do for a fuel drain on your Mini Clubman
A fuel drain on your Mini Clubman is carried out beside the car, and it never has to go to a garage. To begin with we find out what was put in and whether your motor has run. Your tank, which holds up to 40 litres on the Clubman, is then drained, the lines and filter are cleaned, and the vehicle is filled up with fresh diesel and primed before we start your engine.
By the end, the Clubman is running on fresh diesel once more and all set for you to take away.
Handling AdBlue removal from a diesel Mini Clubman
Like emptying petrol, AdBlue removal from a diesel Mini Clubman runs through the same stages. When the Clubman has been run, AdBlue may form crystals in the pipes, as it collects under the diesel instead of blending in. We rinse those out too, and replace your fuel filter where needed.
AdBlue removal, as we use the term here, is about AdBlue that was put in the incorrect filler and has to come out of the diesel tank. It doesn't cover taking out or disabling the AdBlue system on your car.
A fuel drain on the Mini Clubman: the cost
The work varies from one job to the next, so we don't publish a set price. The main things that affect it are these:
- whether anyone has started or driven the Clubman, the thing that matters most
- the capacity of your tank, set against how much went in
- whether it was petrol or AdBlue
- the position of the Clubman and how easily we can reach it with our van
With those answers over the phone, we can let you know what the job is going to involve.
Questions about petrol in a diesel Mini Clubman
Do you know the fuel tank capacity of the Mini Clubman?
It holds 40 litres, and our figures show the same tank on each variant.
Can I top up with diesel if I only put a little petrol in my Clubman?
We would not advise it. Putting in diesel cuts the proportion of petrol without taking out any of that, so that petrol is still in the system when you drive off. A fuel drain takes all of it out, and with a small quantity that is normally all the Clubman requires.
Do I need to take my Clubman to the Mini dealer?
There is no reason to move it elsewhere. We drain and clean the Clubman where it is, and we're independent, with no connection to Mini or any of its dealers.
Does it matter which Clubman I drive?
We hold figures for 3 diesel variants of the Clubman, and knowing which one you have assists us when you phone.
Am I insured for wrong fuel in my Mini Clubman?
Some policies include misfuelling cover and some do not, so it is worth looking at yours. Either way, we come out and drain the car for you.
What should I do if my Clubman got diesel in its AdBlue tank?
Here, too, the right thing is to leave your ignition alone. Limp mode and an alert are what most cars give you if they're driven like that, and their AdBlue system will need draining. Do say which tank took your fuel when you phone.
I drove my Clubman before I realised. What should I do?
Turn the engine off after you've pulled over somewhere safe, and leave it off till we get to you. Long-term damage is very rare when it is caught early like this, plus we empty your fuel system and clean it where you've pulled over.