Petrol in a Diesel Mini One, and You've Driven It
The motor wants switching off and leaving off once you can pull in safely, if you have travelled on petrol in a diesel Mini One. We can still deal with it where you have stopped, and when it is caught soon, lasting damage is very rare.
When Petrol in Diesel travels out to wherever your Mini One has ended up, the petrol is cleared out of the fuel system and your tank emptied. When we leave, it's running on clean diesel.
Warning signs of petrol in a diesel One
It is usually a couple of miles before the signs appear, as with petrol in your fuel tank a diesel One will often run as usual at first. Whether your fuel tank has petrol or AdBlue in it, people normally notice the following:
- power falls away, especially when you ask the motor to accelerate
- the idle turns uneven, or it runs roughly
- smoke from the tailpipe, more than normal
- a warning light appears
- after it stalls, it might not restart
The receipt shows what was put in, so check it if one of these began after you filled up.
Wrong fuel in your Mini One and the result of driving on it
Until the engine pulls it out, wrong fuel in your Mini One remains in the tank, but driving draws it on to the fuel filter, then into your high-pressure pump and the fuel injectors. The mix reaches more of the system the further the One is driven, because petrol thins the diesel that protects the fuel pump and the fuel injectors on its way through them.
That is why it is wiser to stop as soon as you can than to complete the trip. Damage, where it occurs, comes from a long journey on contaminated fuel, and a drain and a clean are normally all a motor requires when it's stopped early.
Waiting where you have stopped
You don't have to take the One anywhere. The roadside and outside your home are both spots we come to, and so it does not need restarting or a tow.
On a busy road, turn on your hazards, then find somewhere safe to wait away from the traffic.
Phone 0333 366 0103 then say where you are, what One it is and about how far you have driven. Knowing the version from the badge, like the One D, helps as well.
Once it's been driven: fuel drain on your Mini One
Compared with a drain on the forecourt, a fuel drain on your Mini One goes a step further after driving. No petrol is remaining between the fuel tank and the engine afterwards, so your tank is drained first and the lines are then opened and rinsed through with your filter. The system is primed after fresh diesel is in, and the engine is started to check it runs correctly.
AdBlue in a diesel Mini One after it has run
If you have AdBlue in a diesel Mini One and you have driven on it, the symptoms are usually uneven running, smoke and warning lamps, and the vehicle may cut out. Settling to the base of the tank, where the pump picks up fuel, AdBlue gets into your fuel line quickly, and it does not burn or lubricate. As its water evaporates, the urea forms crystals in your fuel lines and your filter.
How AdBlue removal from a diesel Mini One works
We change the filter if it needs it as part of AdBlue removal from a diesel Mini One after it's run, when your tank is drained and the crystals are flushed out of your filter and your lines.
A separate AdBlue tank, if your One has one, is left as it is. The work is about fluid in your diesel tank, and doesn't involve removing or turning off an AdBlue system.
Tanks and engines: Mini One fuel tank capacity
Each version of the Mini One in our data has a diesel tank of 50 litres.
What a fuel drain on the Mini One will cost after driving
How far it went and where it has stopped are what largely decide the price of a fuel drain on the Mini One after driving, and petrol or AdBlue makes a difference as well. Ring with those details and then we can explain what the job will involve.
Driven on petrol in a diesel Mini One: your queries
Will my One be ruined?
It's very unlikely. Lasting harm is uncommon when the car is stopped soon and your fuel system is drained and cleaned, and that is what we do wherever you have pulled up.
Can I drive the vehicle home first?
It's better not to. Contaminated fuel gets further into the system with every mile, so leave the One where it is while we empty it there, with no need to move the vehicle.
What do I do when it has stalled and won't restart?
Leaving it alone is better than having another go, since each attempt draws that mixture further through. Once we've emptied and rinsed it and put clean diesel in, we prime your fuel system and start it for you.
Wrong fuel in my Mini One: will insurance cover it?
When your car is sorted out, it is worth looking at your policy, because some offer misfuelling cover. We come out whether it does or not.