Put Petrol in a Diesel Porsche Panamera?
When you have put petrol in a diesel Porsche Panamera and the motor has not been started, keep it switched off, including to shift it clear of the petrol pump. With your motor kept off, the petrol stays where it is inside your tank, and in most cases a drain is all your Panamera needs.
We come to wrongly fuelled cars instead of the other way round, so with Petrol in Diesel the Porsche Panamera remains at the forecourt or wherever it ended up. Ring us before anything else and let us talk you through it, rather than trying anything on your own.
What to do first for petrol in a diesel Panamera
- Drivers commonly drive away without realising anything is amiss, as a diesel Panamera will normally start and run on petrol and can feel normal for the first few miles. So keep the motor off.
- Keep the ignition off as well. On a lot of diesels turning it on will set the fuel pump priming, which draws fuel out of the tank towards your injectors.
- The Panamera holds up to 80 litres, so filling the remainder of the tank with diesel to weaken the petrol simply means more contaminated fuel to drain. The same applies to super unleaded, which is petrol too.
- If the car is in the way of a pump, pop it in neutral then roll the vehicle clear. Forecourt staff are usually glad to lend a hand.
- Once you ring 0333 366 0103, we need to know which Panamera you drive, where it is parked, how much petrol you think was put in and whether the engine has been run. The exact version helps too if it's on the badging, for instance the Panamera Diesel.
Running on wrong fuel in your Porsche Panamera
Wrong fuel in your Porsche Panamera only begins to reach your motor when it is pulled out of your tank, which is what starting your motor does. A diesel motor depends on the fuel to oil the high-pressure pump and the fuel injectors whilst it runs through them. That lubrication is washed away when petrol thins your diesel, so the harm, where there is any, comes from driving on the mixture.
Look for a safe place to stop then turn off, when the Panamera has already been on the road. It can still be put right, with the tank drained and the lines and filter cleaned till every trace of the tainted fuel has been removed. As long as it is flushed out thoroughly after being caught early, it very rarely leaves long-term harm.
Knowing the Porsche Panamera fuel tank capacity
What counts is how much of your fuel in your tank is petrol. The same few litres count for more when you fuelled up with the tank nearly empty, which is why its size makes a difference.
The fuel tank holds 80 litres on each diesel Porsche Panamera we hold figures for, so that sum is the same whatever version you own.
Which diesel Panamera do you have?
It is useful for us to know the version when you phone, and it's normally on a badge at the rear of your car.
When there's AdBlue in a diesel Porsche Panamera
Water and urea go into AdBlue, which some diesel cars use to clean up the exhaust. It is stored in a tank of its own, with a separate filler. Pouring AdBlue in the wrong filler leaves you with AdBlue in a diesel Porsche Panamera, so don't turn your key, not even to shift it.
AdBlue drops to the base of your tank, where your pump draws its fuel from, as it will not mix with diesel. Being mainly water, it cannot ignite and gives the fuel pump no lubrication, and your diesel in a tank of up to 80 litres does not weaken it the way it would petrol.
A small amount is still drawn into the system. Deposits of urea build up in the filter, the fuel injectors and the rest of the fuel system once the water dries off, and they eat into the metal they rest against.
Check under the fuel flap where the Panamera has an AdBlue filler, as on a lot of vehicles it is right beside the diesel filler. You can typically spot the AdBlue cap by its blue shade and the far smaller nozzle it accepts.
How a fuel drain on your Porsche Panamera is done
There's no garage involved, because we do a fuel drain on your Porsche Panamera at the car itself. We begin by finding out what was put in and whether the engine has been run, then drain your tank, which on the Panamera takes up to 80 litres. After that we rinse your fuel lines and the fuel filter and fill up with fresh diesel, and the fuel system is primed before we fire it up.
When the job is done, the Panamera runs on fresh diesel and you are free to drive off in it.
How we handle AdBlue removal from a diesel Porsche Panamera
Just like clearing petrol, AdBlue removal from a diesel Porsche Panamera runs through the same stages. We clear crystals out of the pipes as well if the Panamera has been run, and swap the filter where needed, since AdBlue settles in the base of your tank instead of blending in and may leave them there.
AdBlue removal, as we use the term on this page, covers AdBlue that went in the incorrect filler and has to come out of your diesel tank. It does not cover taking out or disabling the AdBlue system on the car.
A fuel drain on the Porsche Panamera: what it costs
The work changes from one job to the next, so we don't publish a fixed quote. The chief factors that shape it are these:
- whether the Panamera has been started or driven, which makes the largest difference
- the size of your tank, set against how much went in
- which of the two it was, petrol or AdBlue
- whether our van can safely reach the Panamera where it stands
Ring with those details and we'll be able to say what's likely to be involved.
Questions on petrol in a diesel Porsche Panamera, with answers
How many litres is the Porsche Panamera fuel tank capacity?
It holds 80 litres, and our data show the same tank on each variant.
Does filling up with diesel help with a little petrol in my Panamera?
We would advise against it. The petrol remains in the system when you drive, because putting in diesel just reduces its share and takes out none of that. Your Panamera generally requires no more than a fuel drain if only a small amount went in, and that takes the petrol out completely.
Do I need to take my Panamera to the Porsche dealer?
No. We are an independent business and have no link with Porsche or its dealers, and we drain and clean the Panamera wherever it is parked, so there's no need to take it anywhere.
Is wrong fuel in my Porsche Panamera covered by my insurance?
We will still come out to drain it for you, covered or not. Look at your policy all the same, as not every policy has misfuelling cover.
The diesel went into the AdBlue filler on my Panamera. What now?
Don't put the key in your ignition then either. The AdBlue system will need draining, and if the vehicle is driven that way, it will most likely display an alert and drop into limp mode. Let us know which tank your diesel went into when you ring.
I drove my Panamera before I realised. What do I do?
Find a safe place to pull over, then turn the engine off and leave it that way till we get there. Permanent harm is very rare if it's caught soon like this, and we empty the system and clean it where you have pulled over.