Put Petrol in a Diesel Peugeot 208?
If you've put petrol in a diesel Peugeot 208 but your motor has not been run, leave it switched off, including to shift it clear of the petrol pump. A fuel drain is normally enough to put the 208 right, as long as the petrol remains inside the tank, which it will whilst your engine is off.
Your Peugeot 208 can stay put wherever it has stopped, forecourt included, as Petrol in Diesel drains wrongly fuelled cars on the spot. Phone us before you try anything on your own and we'll talk you through it.
Your first steps with petrol in a diesel 208
- Do not turn on your engine, even though a diesel 208 will usually run with petrol in the tank. It can seem normal for a time, and that's how drivers frequently pull away without realising anything is wrong.
- Keep your ignition off too. On plenty of diesels turning it on is enough to start the fuel pump priming, which pulls fuel from the tank on to the injectors.
- Thinning the petrol by topping up with diesel does not help. It only adds to the contaminated fuel we drain from a tank that holds up to 50 litres in the 208, and super unleaded is petrol here too.
- If the car is in the way of a pump, put it in neutral and push it clear. Forecourt attendants are normally willing to lend a hand.
- When you ring 0333 366 0103, we want to know which 208 you drive, where it is parked, how much petrol you think was put in and whether the motor has been run. The exact variant helps too when it is on the badging, for example the 208 e-HDi 92.
What running your engine does with wrong fuel in your Peugeot 208
Wrong fuel in your Peugeot 208 only starts to affect the engine when it's pulled from your tank, which is exactly what starting the motor does. A diesel motor relies on its fuel to oil the high-pressure pump and the fuel injectors as it flows through them. Petrol dilutes your diesel and washes that lubrication away, and that is why it is driving for any distance on that mix that can cause damage.
Where you've already been driving the 208, pull over in a safe place then switch off. We can still put it right, by draining your tank and rinsing the pipes and the filter till all the tainted fuel is cleared. Very few cars that are caught early and cleaned out thoroughly end up with permanent harm.
It is the same whichever version of the 208 you have, and that includes the 208 HDi 68.
Knowing the Peugeot 208 fuel tank capacity
What matters is what share of your fuel in your tank is petrol. The same few litres matter more when you filled up with your tank close to empty, which is why its capacity makes a difference.
The tank takes 50 litres on every diesel Peugeot 208 we hold figures for, so that sum is the same whatever version you have.
| Version | Fuel tank |
|---|---|
| Peugeot 208 e-HDi 115 | 50 litres |
| Peugeot 208 e-HDi 92 | 50 litres |
| Peugeot 208 HDi 68 | 50 litres |
Telling which diesel 208 you drive
Look for the badging on the boot lid, which usually shows the variant, then let us know what it says when you call.
On the diesel 208, the badging used is HDi.
AdBlue in a diesel Peugeot 208
Water and urea go into AdBlue, which some diesel vehicles rely on to treat their exhaust. It is held in a tank of its own, with a separate filler. The key needs to stay out of the ignition when you've got AdBlue in a diesel Peugeot 208 through the incorrect filler, and that covers shifting your vehicle.
Because it's largely water, AdBlue does not burn and gives the fuel pump no lubrication whatsoever. It doesn't blend with diesel either, so it drops to the base of the tank where your pump picks up its fuel, and a tank holding up to 50 litres does nothing to dilute it as it would dilute petrol.
A modest amount is still sucked into the fuel system. When the water has evaporated, what's left is urea, which forms crystals inside the fuel system, filter and injectors included, and attacks any metalwork it sits against.
The same flap often covers both fillers, and if your 208 has an AdBlue filler, it could well be alongside the diesel one. AdBlue caps are typically blue and fit a much smaller nozzle than diesel.
How a fuel drain on your Peugeot 208 is done
Taking the vehicle to a garage isn't needed, as a fuel drain on your Peugeot 208 is done right at your car. On the 208 the tank holds up to 50 litres, and we drain all of it once we have found out what went in and whether the motor has run. Your fuel lines and the fuel filter are cleaned next, then we refill with fresh diesel and prime your system before firing up your engine.
When the job is done, the 208 runs on clean diesel and you can drive off in it.
AdBlue removal from a diesel Peugeot 208
AdBlue removal from a diesel Peugeot 208 uses the same steps as a petrol drain. AdBlue collects at the bottom of the tank rather than blending in, and if the 208 has been run it may form deposits in the pipes, so we flush those through as well and change the filter where needed.
On this page, 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 car is not what it means.
Pricing a fuel drain on the Peugeot 208
A set quote isn't something we publish, since no two jobs need the same work. It mostly comes down to the following:
- whether anyone has started or driven the 208, the thing that matters most
- how much was put in relative to the size of your tank
- whether it was petrol or AdBlue
- the position of the 208 and how safely we can get to it with our van
If you call with those details we can explain what the job is likely to involve.
Your queries on petrol in a diesel Peugeot 208
Can you tell me the fuel tank capacity of the Peugeot 208?
50 litres. The tank is the same capacity whichever variant you drive.
Does filling up with diesel help with a little petrol in my 208?
We'd recommend against it. That petrol stays in the fuel system when you drive off, as putting in diesel just lowers its share and removes none of that. All of that is removed with a fuel drain, which for a modest amount is usually everything your 208 needs.
Should my 208 go to the Peugeot dealer?
There's no need to take it elsewhere. We empty and clean your 208 where it has stopped, and we are independent, with no link to Peugeot or any of its dealers.
Does it matter which 208 I own?
We hold figures for 3 diesel versions of the 208, and knowing which one you have helps us when you ring.
Will my insurance policy pay for wrong fuel in my Peugeot 208?
We will still come out to drain it for you, either way. Look at your policy all the same, because not every policy has misfuelling cover.
What should I do if my 208 got diesel in its AdBlue tank?
In this case, too, the sensible thing is to leave the ignition alone. Limp mode and a warning are what most vehicles give you when they're driven that way, and their AdBlue system will need draining. Tell us which tank your fuel went into when you ring.
What should I do if I've already driven my 208?
Till we get to you, your engine should stay off, so pull over where it is safe and switch it off. We drain and clean the fuel system where you have pulled over, and if it is caught early like this, long-term damage is very uncommon.