Have You Put Petrol in a Diesel Nissan Patrol?
The engine is safest left off if it has not been started since you put petrol in a diesel Nissan Patrol, and that includes moving it clear of the pump. The petrol can't leave your tank while your engine is off, so the Patrol can usually be put right with a fuel drain.
Petrol in Diesel drains misfuelled cars where they stand, so your Nissan Patrol can remain on the forecourt or wherever it has come to a stop. Hold off trying anything yourself till you have rung us, and we will tell you what to do.
What to do first with petrol in a diesel Patrol
- Don't start the motor, even though a diesel Patrol will normally run with petrol in the tank. It can seem normal for a time, and that is how motorists often pull away without realising something is amiss.
- Leave the ignition off as well. On plenty of diesels turning it on will start the fuel pump priming, which pulls fuel out of your tank towards the fuel injectors.
- Filling up with diesel to dilute it is a bad idea, even with super unleaded, which counts as petrol too. The fuel tank in the Patrol takes up to 95 litres, and each litre of diesel added is more tainted fuel for us to drain.
- If the car is blocking a pump, pop it in neutral then push the car clear. Forecourt staff are usually happy to lend a hand.
- Call 0333 366 0103 with the place your Patrol has stopped and which one it is, the approximate amount of petrol that was put in, and whether it has been run. If you can read the exact variant on the badging, for instance the Patrol GR 3.0 dCI, that helps too.
What running your engine does with wrong fuel in your Nissan Patrol
Wrong fuel in your Nissan Patrol only begins to affect your motor once it's drawn from the tank, which is what starting your motor does. A diesel engine relies on the fuel to lubricate your high-pressure pump and the fuel injectors as it passes through them. With petrol thinning the diesel, that protection goes, and driving any distance on it is then what can cause damage.
Where you've already driven your Patrol, pull over somewhere safe and turn off. We can still put it right, by emptying your tank and cleaning the lines and the filter till all of the contaminated fuel is gone. Very few vehicles that are caught early and flushed out thoroughly end up with permanent damage.
Every variant of the Patrol is the same in this, the Patrol GR 3.0 DI included.
Nissan Patrol fuel tank capacity
The size of the tank counts since the danger depends on what proportion of your fuel in there is petrol, so the same few litres are a bigger problem if the tank was close to empty when you filled up.
Every diesel Nissan Patrol we hold figures for has the same tank, which takes 95 litres, so the variant you drive makes no difference to that calculation.
| Version | Fuel tank |
|---|---|
| Nissan Patrol GR 3.0 dCI | 95 litres |
| Nissan Patrol GR 3.0 DI | 95 litres |
| Nissan Patrol GR Basis | 95 litres |
Working out which diesel Patrol you have
Most of the time the version is shown on the boot lid, and it is useful to us to know when you phone.
On a diesel Patrol you can find dCi on the badge.
There is a single engine size throughout our records, 3.0 litres.
AdBlue in a diesel Nissan Patrol
AdBlue is a blend of water and urea that some diesel cars rely on to clean up their exhaust, and it has its own tank and filler. Even to shift the vehicle, don't touch your key when you've got AdBlue in a diesel Nissan Patrol after it went in the wrong filler.
AdBlue sinks to the base of the tank, where the pump draws its fuel from, as it will not blend with diesel. Being mostly water, it cannot burn and gives the fuel pump no protection, and the diesel in a tank of up to 95 litres doesn't weaken it as it would petrol.
However small the amount, some of it is drawn into the line. Within your fuel system the water dries off and leaves the urea to crystallise, in your filter and injectors among other places, where it corrodes the metalwork it sits against.
Where the Patrol has an AdBlue filler, it may well sit beside your diesel filler under the same cover, as it does on a lot of cars. AdBlue caps are typically blue and accept a far smaller nozzle than diesel.
What we do in a fuel drain on your Nissan Patrol
A fuel drain on your Nissan Patrol is done at your car, and it never needs to go to a garage. On the Patrol the tank holds up to 95 litres, so we empty all of it once we have checked what went in and whether the motor has run. Your fuel lines and the fuel filter are cleaned next, then we refill with clean diesel and prime the fuel system before firing up the motor.
By the time we leave, the Patrol is running on fresh diesel once more and all set for you to take away.
What AdBlue removal from a diesel Nissan Patrol involves
The stages are the same as draining petrol for AdBlue removal from a diesel Nissan Patrol. AdBlue settles at the base of your tank instead of mixing in, and if the Patrol has been run it can leave crystals inside the lines, so we clear those out too and swap your fuel filter if it needs doing.
Here, AdBlue removal means getting AdBlue back out of a diesel tank it was put into through the incorrect filler. Disabling or removing the AdBlue system on a vehicle isn't what it means.
What decides the price of a fuel drain on the Nissan Patrol
A fixed quote isn't something we publish, because no two jobs need the same work. It mostly comes down to the following:
- starting or driving the Patrol, which makes more difference than anything else
- the quantity put in, measured against the capacity of your tank
- whether it was AdBlue rather than petrol
- whether our van can easily and safely reach the Patrol where it is
With those details over the phone, we can let you know what the work is going to involve.
Your questions on petrol in a diesel Nissan Patrol
What is the fuel tank capacity of the Nissan Patrol?
95 litres on each variant in our figures.
Is it all right to add diesel after just a little petrol in my Patrol?
Topping up just reduces the proportion of petrol. None of it is taken out, so it's all still there when you drive, which is why we would not advise it. Draining gets all of that out, and with a modest amount that is normally all your Patrol requires.
Is a trip to the Nissan dealer necessary for my Patrol?
You don't have to. We have no link with Nissan or any of its dealers, being independent, and the Patrol is drained and cleaned wherever you have stopped.
Does the version of my Patrol matter?
It is useful for us to know which one you drive when you call, because we have data for 3 diesel variants of the Patrol.
Does my insurance policy cover wrong fuel in my Nissan Patrol?
Some policies carry misfuelling cover and some don't, so it's worth checking yours. Either way, we come out and drain your car for you.
Diesel in the AdBlue tank of my Patrol: what now?
Do not put the key in the ignition in that case either. If it is driven like that, a vehicle will usually show a warning and go into limp mode. The AdBlue system needs draining as well. Let us know which tank the diesel went into when you call.
What should I do if I have already driven my Patrol?
Switch the engine off once you have pulled over somewhere safe, and leave it off until we reach you. We empty and clean the fuel system where you have stopped, and when it's caught early like this, lasting harm is very uncommon.