Put Petrol in a Diesel Renault Latitude by Mistake?
We'd ask you to leave your engine off if you have put petrol in a diesel Renault Latitude and not run it yet, and that counts for moving it off the forecourt as well. As long as the engine remains off the petrol stays inside the tank, so a drain is usually all it needs to set your Latitude right.
We come to wrongly fuelled vehicles instead of the other way round, so with Petrol in Diesel the Renault Latitude stays on the forecourt or wherever it has stopped. Phone us before you try anything yourself and we will talk you through it.
Put petrol in a diesel Latitude? The first steps
- Don't start your engine, even though a diesel Latitude will normally run with petrol in the tank. It can feel normal for a while, and that is how people often pull away without noticing something is wrong.
- The ignition has to remain off as well, since switching it on sets the fuel pump priming on many diesels, and the pump then pulls fuel out of your tank.
- The Latitude takes up to 70 litres, so topping up the remainder of the tank with diesel to dilute the petrol just leaves more tainted fuel to drain. The same applies to super unleaded, which counts as petrol as well.
- Speak to the forecourt staff when the vehicle is in the way of a pump. They usually help roll the vehicle clear after it is in neutral.
- Ring 0333 366 0103 with where your Latitude has stopped and which one it is, the approximate quantity of petrol that was put in, and whether it has been run. When you can read the precise variant on the badging, for instance the Latitude dCi 175 FAP, that is useful too.
Started your vehicle with wrong fuel in your Renault Latitude?
As long as it sits in the tank, wrong fuel in your Renault Latitude does not reach the motor. That only begins once it's drawn out, which is what happens when your engine is started. Inside a diesel motor, your fuel oils the fuel injectors and the injection pump on its way past. With petrol thinning the diesel, that lubrication is lost, and driving for any distance on it is then what can cause damage.
Once you've driven your Latitude on it, the thing to do is pull over in a safe place and switch the engine off. We can still sort it out, by emptying your tank and cleaning the pipes and your filter till all the contaminated fuel is cleared. Provided it's flushed out thoroughly after being caught early, it very seldom leaves long-term harm.
Every variant of the Latitude is the same in this, the Latituge 2.0 dCi among them.
The Renault Latitude fuel tank capacity, by version
If you fuelled up while your tank was close to empty, the same couple of litres make up more of your fuel in it, and the risk depends on that proportion, so the size of your tank counts.
In our figures, all the diesel versions of the Renault Latitude use one tank of 70 litres, so the sum works out the same for every one.
| Version | Fuel tank |
|---|---|
| Renault Latitude dCi 175 FAP | 70 litres |
| Renault Latitude V6 dCi 240 FAP | 70 litres |
| Renault Latituge 2.0 dCi | 70 litres |
Which diesel Latitude do you own?
It helps us to have the variant when you call, and it is generally on a badge at the back of the vehicle.
On a diesel Latitude you will see dCi on the badge.
The motor is 2.0 litres in every variant on our list.
AdBlue in a diesel Renault Latitude
AdBlue is a mix of water and urea that certain diesel cars rely on to treat their exhaust, and it has a separate tank and filler. Pouring AdBlue in the incorrect filler gives you AdBlue in a diesel Renault Latitude, so do not turn your key, not even to move it.
The fuel pump gets no lubrication whatsoever from AdBlue, which is largely water and will not ignite. It will not mix with diesel either, and drops to the base of the tank, the same location the pump draws from, so a tank holding up to 70 litres does nothing to dilute it.
A modest amount is still pulled into the fuel system. Once the water evaporates, the urea forms crystals in the fuel system, including the filter and injectors, and it attacks the metalwork it sits against.
The same fuel flap often hides both fillers, and where the Latitude has an AdBlue filler, it might well be alongside the diesel one. A blue lid and a nozzle far narrower than diesel normally mark the AdBlue filler.
Our fuel drain on your Renault Latitude, step by step
There is no garage involved, as we carry out a fuel drain on your Renault Latitude at the vehicle itself. On the Latitude the tank takes up to 70 litres, and we drain all of that after we have found out what went in and whether the engine has been run. The fuel pipes and your filter are flushed after that, then we fill up with fresh diesel and prime the fuel system before starting your motor.
When we've finished, your Latitude runs on fresh diesel and you are free to carry on.
What AdBlue removal from a diesel Renault Latitude means
The steps are the same as a petrol drain in AdBlue removal from a diesel Renault Latitude. AdBlue collects at the base of your tank rather than blending in, and if the Latitude has been run it can form deposits in the pipes, so we flush those through too and swap your fuel filter where needed.
AdBlue removal on this page means getting AdBlue out of your diesel tank after it has gone into the incorrect filler. It doesn't mean removing or disabling the AdBlue system on your car.
A fuel drain on the Renault Latitude: what it costs
We do not publish a fixed quote, since this work changes from one task to the next. These are the chief factors that change it:
- whether the Latitude has been started or driven, which makes the largest difference
- the capacity of the tank, set against how much went in
- whether it was petrol or AdBlue
- where you are with the Latitude, and whether it's safe to get our van there
We can tell you what this work will probably involve when you call and give us those answers.
Questions about petrol in a diesel Renault Latitude
What is the fuel tank capacity of the Renault Latitude?
70 litres. Your tank is the same size whatever version you have.
Does filling up with diesel help with a little petrol in my Latitude?
We'd advise against it. The petrol remains in the fuel system when you drive, because adding diesel just reduces its share and takes out none of that. The Latitude usually needs no more than a fuel drain when just a modest amount went in, and that takes that petrol out completely.
Must my Latitude go to the Renault dealer?
You do not have to. We have no connection with Renault or any of its dealers, being independent, and your Latitude is emptied and cleaned where you are.
Which Latitude I drive: does it matter?
Knowing your variant helps when you call, because there are 3 diesel versions of the Latitude in our data.
Am I insured for wrong fuel in my Renault Latitude?
Misfuelling cover comes with some policies and not others, so look at yours. We'll come out to drain it for you whether it does or not.
What should I do if my Latitude got diesel in its AdBlue tank?
Do not put the key in the ignition then either. The majority of vehicles give a warning and drop into limp mode if they're driven that way, and the AdBlue system will need emptying. Please say which tank took the diesel when you call.
I have already driven my Latitude. What now?
Switch your motor off once you have pulled over somewhere safe, and keep it off until we reach you. We empty and clean the system wherever you have stopped, and if it's caught soon like this, lasting damage is very rare.