Petrol in a Diesel Renault Modus? Leave It Switched Off
Anyone who has put petrol in a diesel Renault Modus without starting the motor should leave it switched off, and not run it even to move it off the petrol pump. As long as the motor stays off that petrol remains in your tank, and a drain is normally all it needs to set the Modus right.
There is no reason to shift your Renault Modus off the forecourt, or from any other spot where it stopped, because this drain is carried out by Petrol in Diesel where your car sits. Call us before you try anything on your own and we'll walk you through it.
Put petrol in a diesel Modus? The first steps
- People commonly drive away without noticing something is wrong, since a diesel Modus will generally start and run on petrol and can feel fine for the first couple of miles. So leave the engine off.
- Leave the ignition off as well. On many diesels switching it on will start the fuel pump priming, which pulls fuel out of your tank to the fuel injectors.
- The Modus takes up to 49 litres, so filling the rest of your tank with diesel to thin that petrol only means more tainted fuel to empty out. The same applies to super unleaded, which is petrol as well.
- A car in the way of a pump can be popped in neutral and pushed clear, and the forecourt attendants are generally willing to help.
- If the badge gives the precise variant, for instance the Modus 1.5 dCi 90, give it once you ring 0333 366 0103. Tell us too which Modus you have and where it is, roughly how much petrol was put in and whether your motor has been run.
What starting your motor does with wrong fuel in your Renault Modus
Wrong fuel in your Renault Modus only starts to reach your motor when it is pulled out of your tank, which is exactly what starting your motor does. The high-pressure fuel pump and the injectors on a diesel motor are lubricated by your fuel flowing through them. Petrol dilutes your diesel and strips that protection away, and that is why it is driving for any distance on the blend that can cause damage.
Find somewhere safe to pull in then switch off, when the Modus has already been driven. It can still be put right, with the tank drained and the lines and fuel filter flushed till every trace of the tainted fuel has gone. Very few vehicles that are caught soon and flushed out properly end up with permanent harm.
Each variant of the Modus is the same in this, the Modus 1.5 dCi among them.
Renault Modus fuel tank capacity
The size of the tank matters because the risk depends on what share of your fuel in it is petrol, so the same few litres are more of a problem if the tank was almost empty when you filled up.
In our figures, all of the diesel variants of the Renault Modus use one tank of 49 litres, so the calculation comes out the same for each.
| Version | Fuel tank |
|---|---|
| Renault Modus 1.5 dCi | 49 litres |
| Renault Modus 1.5 dCi 75 | 49 litres |
| Renault Modus 1.5 dCi 90 | 49 litres |
| Renault Modus 1.5 dCi FAP | 49 litres |
Working out which diesel Modus you drive
Look for the badging on the boot lid, which normally shows the variant, then tell us what it says when you call.
Look for dCi on the badging of a diesel Modus.
All of the versions in our records come with 1.5-litre engines.
AdBlue in a diesel Renault Modus
To clean up their exhaust, some diesel cars use AdBlue, a mixture of water and urea that is put in its own tank through its own filler. If you have AdBlue in a diesel Renault Modus since it went into the incorrect filler, do not turn the key, even to move your vehicle.
Even a tank holding up to 49 litres does nothing to dilute AdBlue as it would dilute petrol. AdBlue does not mix with diesel, so it settles to the bottom, right where your pump picks up its fuel, and being mostly water it neither ignites nor offers the fuel pump any protection.
Even a little gets drawn into the fuel line. Once the water has dried off, what's left is urea, which forms crystals inside the fuel system, filter and injectors among them, and corrodes any metal it sits against.
Look under the fuel flap if your Modus has an AdBlue filler, since on plenty of cars it is right beside the diesel filler. You can normally spot the AdBlue lid by its blue shade and the far smaller nozzle it accepts.
How a fuel drain on your Renault Modus works
A fuel drain on your Renault Modus is carried out beside your car, and it doesn't need to be taken to a garage. On the Modus the tank takes up to 49 litres, and we drain all of that after we have checked what went in and whether the motor has run. The fuel pipes and the fuel filter are rinsed next, then we refill with clean diesel and prime the fuel system before firing up your motor.
Fresh diesel is what your Modus is running on by the time we have finished, and you can drive off in it.
How we handle AdBlue removal from a diesel Renault Modus
AdBlue removal from a diesel Renault Modus uses the same steps as draining petrol. AdBlue collects at the base of the tank instead of mixing in, and if the Modus has been run it can form deposits in the lines, so we clear those through too and swap the fuel filter where needed.
What we call AdBlue removal is draining AdBlue from the diesel tank after a slip at the filler, not removing or switching off the AdBlue system on a vehicle.
What sets the price of a fuel drain on the Renault Modus
The work changes from one job to the next, so we don't publish a fixed quote. The main factors that shape it are these:
- starting or driving the Modus, which makes more difference than anything else
- the size of your tank, set against how much was put in
- what went in, petrol or AdBlue
- whether our van can safely reach the Modus where it sits
If you ring with those answers we can tell you what the work is likely to involve.
Questions on petrol in a diesel Renault Modus, answered
What is the fuel tank capacity of the Renault Modus?
It holds 49 litres, and our data show the same tank on every variant.
Can I fill up with diesel if I just put a little petrol in my Modus?
We would not recommend it. Adding diesel lowers the proportion of petrol without removing any of it, so that petrol is still in the fuel system when you drive off. The Modus usually needs no more than a drain if just a small amount was put in, and that takes the petrol out completely.
Should my Modus go to the Renault dealer?
There is no need to move it anywhere. We drain and clean your Modus where it is parked, and we are independent, with no connection to Renault or any of its dealers.
Does it help to know which Modus I have?
Yes, it helps. Our data cover 4 diesel variants of the Modus, so tell us which one you drive when you ring.
Will my policy pay for wrong fuel in my Renault Modus?
It's worth checking your policy, as misfuelling cover is part of some but not all. Whatever it says, we come out to drain your vehicle.
What should I do if my Modus got diesel in its AdBlue tank?
Leave the key out of the ignition in that case too. The majority of vehicles display a warning and drop into limp mode if they're driven like that, and the AdBlue system will need emptying. When you phone, let us know which tank your fuel went into.
I drove my Modus before I noticed. What do I do?
Look for a safe place to pull over, then switch the motor off and keep the vehicle that way until we arrive. Where you have pulled over, your fuel system is drained and cleaned there, and caught soon like this, it very rarely leaves lasting harm.