Have You Put Petrol in a Diesel Nissan Micra?
When you've got petrol in a diesel Nissan Micra but the motor has not been run, keep it turned off, including to move it away from the pump. A drain is usually enough to set the Micra right, as long as that petrol stays in your tank, which it does whilst your motor is off.
We come to wrongly fuelled vehicles instead of the other way round, so with Petrol in Diesel your Nissan Micra stays on the forecourt or wherever it has stopped. Wait before trying anything on your own until you have rung us, and we will explain what to do.
Your first moves after petrol in a diesel Micra
- With petrol inside your tank, a diesel Micra will normally still start and run, and seem perfectly normal for some miles. That's why people frequently drive off without spotting a problem, and why the engine needs to be left off.
- The ignition has to stay off too, since switching it on starts the fuel pump priming on a lot of diesels, and your pump then draws fuel out of your tank.
- Topping up with diesel to thin it is a mistake, even with super unleaded, which counts as petrol as well. The tank on the Micra holds up to 46 litres, and every litre of diesel added is more tainted fuel for us to drain.
- Forecourt staff will usually help roll the vehicle out of the way in neutral if it's in the way of a pump.
- Phone 0333 366 0103 and tell us which Micra you drive and where it is parked, roughly how much petrol went in, and whether your engine has been run. If the precise version is on the badging, for instance the Micra 1.5 dCi, tell us that too.
Driven your car with wrong fuel in your Nissan Micra?
The motor isn't affected by wrong fuel in your Nissan Micra until it's pulled from the tank, and starting the motor is what draws it out. A diesel engine relies on its fuel to oil the high-pressure fuel pump and the fuel injectors whilst it flows through them. Driving for any distance on that blend is what can do harm, as petrol thins your diesel and strips that protection away.
Where you have already been driving your Micra, stop where it is safe and turn off. All the same, we can take all the tainted fuel out, by emptying your tank and then flushing your fuel pipes and your filter. When it's caught soon and cleaned out thoroughly, lasting harm is very uncommon.
Nissan Micra fuel tank capacity
If you fuelled up while your tank was close to empty, the same couple of litres make up more of the fuel in there, and the danger hinges on that proportion, so the capacity of your tank counts.
Depending on the variant, the Nissan Micra has a tank of 42 to 46 litres.
Our figures place the largest tank in the Micra 1.5 dCi and the smallest in the Micra 1.5 D Basis.
| Version | Fuel tank |
|---|---|
| Nissan Micra 1.5 D Basis | 42 litres |
| Nissan Micra 1.5 dCi | 46 litres |
Checking your diesel Micra version
Check the badging on the boot lid, which generally gives the version, and let us know what it says when you call.
On the diesel Micra, the badging used is dCi.
All of the versions on our list use 1.5-litre motors.
AdBlue in a diesel Nissan Micra
Water and urea go into AdBlue, which some diesel vehicles rely on to clean up their exhaust. It's held in a tank of its own, with a separate filler. If you've got AdBlue in a diesel Nissan Micra as it went in the incorrect filler, do not turn the key, even to shift your vehicle.
AdBlue settles to the base of the tank, where your pump pulls its fuel from, as it will not blend with diesel. Being mainly water, it can't ignite and gives the fuel pump no protection, and your diesel in a tank holding up to 46 litres doesn't thin it the way it would petrol.
However modest the amount, some of that is drawn into the line. When the water has evaporated, what is left is urea, which crystallises inside the system, filter and injectors included, and corrodes any metal it rests against.
Where your Micra has an AdBlue filler, it could well lie beside your diesel filler under the same flap, as it does on many vehicles. A blue lid and a nozzle far smaller than diesel typically mark the AdBlue filler.
What we do for a fuel drain on your Nissan Micra
There's no garage needed, since we carry out a fuel drain on your Nissan Micra at your car itself. Before we fire up the engine, your system is primed and the tank filled up with clean diesel. First comes checking what went in and whether it's run, draining a tank that holds up to 46 litres on the Micra, and flushing the pipes and fuel filter.
By the end, your Micra is running on clean diesel once more and all set for you to take away.
AdBlue removal from a diesel Nissan Micra, explained
AdBlue removal from a diesel Nissan Micra follows the same stages as a petrol drain. We clear deposits out of the lines too if the Micra has been run, and swap the filter where needed, because AdBlue collects in the base of your tank rather than blending in and can leave them there.
Here, AdBlue removal means getting AdBlue back out of a diesel tank it was put into through the wrong filler. Disabling or taking out the AdBlue system on a car is not what it means.
A fuel drain on the Nissan Micra: what it costs
As every job is different, we have no set price to publish, and these are the biggest things that shape it:
- whether the Micra has been started or driven, which makes the greatest difference
- the volume put in, weighed against the size of your tank
- which of the two it was, petrol or AdBlue
- where you are with the Micra, and whether it is safe to get our van there
Once you phone with those answers we can explain what the work is likely to involve.
Petrol in a diesel Nissan Micra: questions
The Nissan Micra fuel tank capacity: how many litres?
Anywhere from 42 to 46 litres, according to which variant it is. Each one is listed above.
Is it all right to add diesel after just a little petrol in my Micra?
Filling up only lowers the share of petrol. None of that is taken out, so it is all still there when you drive, which is why we would not advise it. All of that is removed with a drain, which for a modest amount is normally everything your Micra needs.
Do I need to take my Micra to the Nissan dealer?
There is no need to take it anywhere. We empty and clean your Micra where it is parked, and we are independent, with no tie to Nissan or any of its dealers.
Do you need to know which Micra I have?
It helps us to know which one you have when you ring, since we hold figures for 2 diesel variants of the Micra.
Does my insurance policy cover wrong fuel in my Nissan Micra?
Some policies include misfuelling cover and some do not, so it is worth looking at yours. Whichever it is, we come out and empty your car for you.
What should I do if my Micra got diesel in its AdBlue tank?
Leave your key out of the ignition in that case too. If it is driven that way, a car will generally show an alert and drop into limp mode. The AdBlue system needs draining too. Tell us which tank the diesel was put in when you call.
I have already driven my Micra. What should I do?
Switch the motor off once you've pulled over somewhere safe, and keep it off until we reach you. We empty and clean your fuel system where you have pulled over, and when it's caught soon like this, permanent harm is very rare.