Have You Put Petrol in a Diesel Nissan Navara?
We'd urge you to keep the engine off when you've put petrol in a diesel Nissan Navara and not run it yet, and that goes for moving it off the forecourt too. With the motor kept off, the petrol stays put in the tank, and in most cases a drain is all your Navara needs.
There's no need to move your Nissan Navara off the forecourt, or from any other spot where it stopped, because the drain is carried out by Petrol in Diesel wherever the vehicle sits. Ring us before anything else and let us take you through it, instead of attempting anything on your own.
Petrol in a diesel Navara: what to do straight away
- Motorists commonly drive away without noticing something is amiss, since a diesel Navara will normally start and run on petrol and can feel normal for the first few miles. So leave your engine off.
- Turning the ignition on is all it takes, on plenty of diesels, to start the fuel pump priming and pull fuel from the tank towards your injectors, so leave that off as well.
- Diluting that petrol by filling up with diesel doesn't help. It only adds to the contaminated fuel to be drained from a tank that holds up to 80 litres in the Navara, and super unleaded counts as petrol here as well.
- Speak to the forecourt attendants if your car is in the way of a pump. They usually help push it clear after it's in neutral.
- Phone 0333 366 0103 with where your Navara has stopped and which one it is, the approximate amount of petrol that went in, and whether it has been run. When you can read the precise variant on the badging, for instance the Navara Double Cab 2.5 dCi, that is useful as well.
Wrong fuel in your Nissan Navara after the motor has run
Whilst it sits inside the tank, wrong fuel in your Nissan Navara does not reach the motor. That only begins when it is pulled out, which is what occurs when your engine is started. The high-pressure pump and the fuel injectors in a diesel engine are lubricated by your fuel flowing through them. Petrol thins the diesel and strips that lubrication away, which is why it is driving for any distance on the blend that can do damage.
Find a safe place to pull in and turn off, if the Navara has already been on the road. We can still deal with it, by emptying your tank and cleaning the pipes and the fuel filter till all of the tainted fuel is out. Permanent damage is very rare if it is caught soon and given a thorough clean.
The fuel tank capacity of the Nissan Navara
If you fuelled up while the tank was nearly empty, the same few litres make up more of the fuel in it, and the risk rests on that proportion, which means the size of the tank matters.
Every diesel Nissan Navara we hold data for has the same tank, which takes 80 litres, so the variant you have doesn't alter that sum.
| Version | Fuel tank |
|---|---|
| Nissan Navara Double Cab 2.5 dCi | 80 litres |
| Nissan Navara Double Cab 3.0 dCi | 80 litres |
| Nissan Navara King Cab 2.5 dCi | 80 litres |
Checking your diesel Navara variant
Most of the time the variant is badged on the boot lid, and it's useful for us to know when you phone.
The diesel versions of the Navara have been labelled dCi.
The Navara Double Cab 3.0 dCi has the biggest engine, at 3.0 litres, and the Navara King Cab 2.5 dCi the smallest, at 2.5 litres.
Our list takes in Double Cab versions as well.
AdBlue in a diesel Nissan Navara by accident
To clean up their exhaust, some diesel vehicles rely on AdBlue, a blend of water and urea that is put in its own tank through its own filler. Even to shift the vehicle, do not turn your key if you've got AdBlue in a diesel Nissan Navara after it went in the incorrect filler.
AdBlue sinks to the base of the tank, where the pump pulls its fuel from, as it will not mix with diesel. Being mainly water, it cannot burn and leaves the fuel pump without protection, and your diesel in a tank holding up to 80 litres doesn't weaken it as it would petrol.
Even a little of it is plenty to end up in your fuel lines. When the water dries off, the urea forms crystals within the fuel system, including the fuel filter and injectors, and it attacks the metal it sits against.
On plenty of motors the AdBlue filler sits next to the diesel filler under the same flap, and where the Navara has one, it may well be there too. The nozzle for AdBlue is far narrower than the diesel one, and the filler cap is typically blue.
Fuel drain on your Nissan Navara: what we do
Moving the vehicle to a garage isn't necessary, as a fuel drain on your Nissan Navara is done right at your vehicle. Before we fire up your motor, the system is primed and the tank refilled with fresh diesel. First comes checking what was put in and whether it's run, emptying a tank that takes up to 80 litres on the Navara, and rinsing the pipes and filter.
By the time we leave, the Navara is running on fresh diesel once more and all set for you to take away.
What AdBlue removal from a diesel Nissan Navara means
The steps are the same as draining petrol for AdBlue removal from a diesel Nissan Navara. We clear deposits out of the lines as well if the Navara has been started, and swap the fuel filter if needed, as AdBlue settles in the base of the tank rather than blending in and may leave them there.
What we call AdBlue removal is emptying AdBlue from your diesel tank after a slip at your filler, not removing or switching off the AdBlue system on a vehicle.
The cost of a fuel drain on the Nissan Navara
The work changes from one job to the next, so we do not publish a set quote. The biggest things that affect it are these:
- whether the Navara has been started or driven, which makes the biggest difference
- how much went in compared with the capacity of your tank
- what was put in, petrol or AdBlue
- where you are with the Navara, and whether it is safe to bring our van there
Ring with those answers and we'll be able to explain what's likely to be involved.
Queries on petrol in a diesel Nissan Navara, with answers
How many litres is the Nissan Navara fuel tank capacity?
80 litres on every version in our figures.
Can I fill up with diesel if I only put a little petrol in my Navara?
Filling up just cuts the share of petrol. None of it is taken out, so it's all still there when you drive off, which is why we would not advise it. Your Navara generally requires no more than a fuel drain when just a small quantity was put in, and that gets the petrol out entirely.
Is a trip to the Nissan dealer necessary for my Navara?
You do not have to. We have no tie with Nissan or any of its dealers, being independent, and the Navara is emptied and cleaned wherever you have stopped.
Does it matter which Navara I have?
We hold figures for 3 diesel versions of the Navara, and knowing which one you have assists us when you phone.
Will my policy pay for wrong fuel in my Nissan Navara?
Some policies have misfuelling cover and some do not, so it is worth looking at yours. Either way, we come out to drain the car for you.
Diesel in the AdBlue tank of my Navara: what now?
Do not put the key in the ignition in that case either. Limp mode and an alert are what the majority of cars give you if they're driven like that, and their AdBlue system will need emptying. When you phone, let us know which tank your diesel was put in.
I've already driven my Navara. What now?
Until we arrive, your motor needs to stay off, so stop where it is safe and switch it off. Long-term harm is very rare when it's caught soon like this, and we empty the fuel system and clean it where you've pulled over.