Petrol in a Diesel Renault Grand Modus? Leave It Switched Off
The engine is best left off if it has not been run since you put petrol in a diesel Renault Grand Modus, and that includes moving it away from the pump. Draining the tank is usually enough to put the Grand Modus right, as long as that petrol remains in your tank, which it will while the engine is off.
There's no need to shift your Renault Grand Modus off the forecourt, or from any other place where it came to a stop, as this drain is carried out by Petrol in Diesel wherever your car stands. We will go through it with you on the phone, so ring us before trying anything yourself.
What to do first for petrol in a diesel Grand Modus
- Leave the engine off. A diesel Grand Modus will generally fire up and run with petrol in the tank, and it may feel normal for a few miles, which is why motorists commonly drive away without realising anything is wrong.
- The ignition needs to remain off as well, because switching it on starts the fuel pump priming on plenty of diesels, and your pump then draws fuel from your tank.
- The Grand Modus takes up to 51 litres, so filling the remainder of your tank with diesel to dilute that petrol only means more contaminated fuel to drain. The same applies to super unleaded, which counts as petrol as well.
- When the car is blocking a pump, pop it in neutral then push it out of the way. Forecourt attendants are usually glad to help with that.
- Call 0333 366 0103 with where the Grand Modus is and which one it is, the rough amount of petrol that went in, and whether it has been run. If you can see the exact version on the badging, for instance the Grand Modus 1.5 dCi 90, that is useful too.
Wrong fuel in your Renault Grand Modus once the engine has been run
Wrong fuel in your Renault Grand Modus only starts to reach the engine after it is pulled out of your tank, which is exactly what starting the engine does. The high-pressure pump and the injectors on a diesel motor are lubricated by your fuel running through them. That protection is washed away once petrol dilutes the diesel, so the harm, where there is any, comes from driving on that mixture.
Once you've driven your Grand Modus on it, the right thing to do is pull over somewhere safe then turn the motor off. All the same, we can take all the contaminated fuel out, by emptying your tank and then rinsing the fuel pipes and the fuel filter. Lasting harm is very uncommon when it's caught soon and given a thorough clean.
The Grand Modus 1.5 dCi FAP is no different here from any other variant of the Grand Modus.
The Renault Grand Modus fuel tank capacity, version by version
The size of the tank counts because the danger rests on what share of the fuel in there is petrol, so the same couple of litres are more of a problem if your tank was nearly empty when you filled up.
It doesn't make a difference which version you have, because each diesel Renault Grand Modus in our data has the same tank, holding 51 litres.
| Version | Fuel tank |
|---|---|
| Renault Grand Modus 1.5 dCi | 51 litres |
| Renault Grand Modus 1.5 dCi 90 | 51 litres |
| Renault Grand Modus 1.5 dCi FAP | 51 litres |
What diesel version of the Grand Modus is yours?
The version is usually on the badging on the boot lid, and it helps us to know it when you phone.
On your diesel Grand Modus, the badging used is dCi.
There is one engine size throughout our records, 1.5 litres.
AdBlue in a diesel Renault Grand Modus
To treat their exhaust, some diesel vehicles use AdBlue, a mix of water and urea that goes in its own tank through its own filler. The key should stay out of your ignition if you've got AdBlue in a diesel Renault Grand Modus through the wrong filler, and that covers shifting your car.
Even a tank of up to 51 litres won't dilute AdBlue the way it would dilute petrol. AdBlue does not mix with diesel, so it drops to the base, right where your pump takes its fuel, and being mainly water it neither burns nor gives the fuel pump any protection.
No matter how modest the quantity, some of it gets sucked into the line. When the water has evaporated, what's left is urea, which forms crystals inside the system, filter and injectors among them, and eats into any metal it touches.
On plenty of cars the AdBlue filler sits next to your diesel filler under the same cover, and if your Grand Modus has one, it may well be there too. A blue lid and a nozzle much smaller than diesel generally pick out the AdBlue filler.
Our fuel drain on your Renault Grand Modus, in order
Taking the vehicle to a garage isn't necessary, as a fuel drain on your Renault Grand Modus is carried out right at the car. Before we fire up your motor, your system is primed and your tank refilled with fresh diesel. First comes checking what went in and whether it's run, emptying a tank that takes up to 51 litres on the Grand Modus, and flushing the lines and fuel filter.
By the end, your Grand Modus is running on clean diesel again and ready for you to drive away.
AdBlue removal from a diesel Renault Grand Modus, explained
AdBlue removal from a diesel Renault Grand Modus takes the same stages as a petrol drain. AdBlue gathers at the base of the tank rather than mixing in, and if the Grand Modus has been started it may leave deposits in the lines, so we flush those through too and replace the fuel filter if it needs it.
AdBlue removal, as we use it here, is about AdBlue that was put in the wrong filler and has to come out of your diesel tank. It does not cover removing or switching off the AdBlue system on the car.
A fuel drain on the Renault Grand Modus: what it costs
A fixed price isn't something we publish, since no two jobs need the same work. It largely comes down to the following:
- whether anybody has started or driven the Grand Modus, the thing that counts most
- the capacity of your tank, set against how much went in
- what went in, petrol or AdBlue
- the location of the Grand Modus and how easily we can get to it with our van
With those answers over the phone, we can tell you what the work is likely to involve.
Petrol in a diesel Renault Grand Modus: your questions
Do you know the fuel tank capacity of the Renault Grand Modus?
51 litres on each variant in our data.
Is it OK to add diesel after only a little petrol in my Grand Modus?
Filling up only cuts the proportion of petrol. None of that is taken out, so it's all still there when you drive off, which is why we wouldn't recommend it. All of it comes out with a drain, which for a modest quantity is normally everything the Grand Modus requires.
Do I have to take my Grand Modus to the Renault dealer?
No. We are an independent business with no link with Renault or its dealers, plus we drain and clean the Grand Modus wherever it is, so there's no need to move it anywhere.
Do you need to know which Grand Modus I have?
It helps us to know which one you drive when you ring, since we hold figures for 3 diesel variants of the Grand Modus.
Is wrong fuel in my Renault Grand Modus covered by my insurance policy?
We'll still come out and drain it for you, either way. Look at your policy anyway, since not every policy includes misfuelling cover.
What should I do if my Grand Modus got diesel in its AdBlue tank?
Keep the key out of your ignition in that case as well. When it is driven that way, a vehicle will usually give a warning and enter limp mode. The AdBlue system needs draining too. When you ring, let us know which tank your diesel went into.
I drove my Grand Modus before I realised. What should I do?
Look for a safe place to pull over, then turn the engine off and keep the vehicle that way till we get there. We empty and clean the system wherever you have stopped, and if it is caught early like this, long-term harm is very uncommon.