Kept Driving With Petrol in a Diesel Rover 25?
Leaving the motor off is what matters after you've travelled on petrol in a diesel Rover 25, which means you should stop as soon as it is safe and then switch the engine off. Spotted early, it only very rarely causes lasting damage, and sorting it out where you've pulled up is still possible.
Once Petrol in Diesel travels out to wherever your Rover 25 has ended up, the petrol is cleaned out of the fuel system and your tank drained. We leave when it is running on clean diesel.
Petrol in a diesel 25: the signs to look for
To begin with, petrol in the tank frequently makes little difference to how a diesel 25 feels, and the signs appear a couple of miles further on. These are the signs usually spotted if the fuel tank has AdBlue or petrol in it:
- power drops away, particularly when you ask the engine to pull
- the idle gets erratic, or it runs roughly
- the tailpipe puts out more smoke than normal
- warning lights on the dashboard come on
- it stalls, then may fail to restart
Look at your receipt if one of these started after filling up, as it will show which fuel was put in.
Wrong fuel in your Rover 25 and the result of driving on it
The fuel tank keeps wrong fuel in your Rover 25 where it is until it's drawn out by the engine. After the car is driven, it is drawn through your injectors, the fuel filter and your high-pressure fuel pump. Diesel protects the fuel pump and your fuel injectors as it passes through them while petrol thins it, so the further the 25 is driven, the more of the fuel system the blend reaches.
So finishing the trip is a poorer option than stopping as soon as you can. A motor that is stopped soon normally needs no more than a drain and a clean. What can cause damage is covering a long way on tainted fuel.
Just where you stopped
The 25 doesn't need moving anywhere. We come to it at the side of the road or outside your house, so there's no reason to start it or organise a tow.
If you are beside a main road, switch the hazard lights on and wait somewhere safe, away from the traffic.
Phone 0333 366 0103 then say where you are, what 25 it is and about how far you have driven. The version on the badge, such as the 25 2.0 TD, is useful as well.
After it has been driven: fuel drain on your Rover 25
There is one step more to a fuel drain on your Rover 25 after it has been driven than to one on the forecourt. After your tank has been emptied, the lines are opened up and rinsed through along with the filter, which leaves no petrol anywhere from the tank to the engine. With fresh diesel in and the system primed, we start the engine and make sure it runs correctly.
AdBlue in a diesel Rover 25 after it has been run
Rough running, smoke and warning lights are the usual symptoms once you've driven on AdBlue in a diesel Rover 25, and the car may stall. Because AdBlue sinks to the base of the fuel tank, where your fuel pump draws its fuel, it is in your fuel line quickly, and it neither burns nor lubricates. Crystals form in the fuel lines and your fuel filter as its water dries out.
How AdBlue removal from a diesel Rover 25 works
Draining the tank comes first in AdBlue removal from a diesel Rover 25 that has been run, then the crystals are cleared out of the fuel lines and your filter, with the fuel filter replaced if it needs it.
A dedicated AdBlue tank, if your 25 has one, is left as it is. The job is about fluid in your diesel tank, and doesn't mean taking out or turning off an AdBlue system.
Tank sizes and engines: Rover 25 fuel tank capacity
The Rover 25 has the same diesel fuel tank, 50 litres, on each version in our figures.
The badges on diesel 25 versions read TD.
Engine size is 2.0 litres throughout the versions in our list.
Fuel drain on the Rover 25 after driving: what it costs
Whether it was petrol or AdBlue changes what a fuel drain on the Rover 25 costs after driving on it, though it hinges mainly on how far it went and where it has ended up. We can explain what the work will need once you phone with those details.
Common queries about petrol in a diesel Rover 25 after driving
Has the petrol ruined my 25?
It's very unlikely to be. When your car is stopped early, emptying and flushing your fuel system is what we do wherever you've stopped, and damage that lasts is rare after that.
Can I drive the vehicle home first?
We'd ask you not to. Every mile on contaminated fuel pushes it further through your fuel system, and we're able to drain the 25 where it sits, so there's no need to move the vehicle.
It has stalled and will not restart. What should I do?
Trying again draws more of that blend through with every try. Please leave the vehicle as it is. With it drained and rinsed and fresh diesel in, we prime your fuel system and get it started for you.
Is wrong fuel in my Rover 25 covered by insurance?
We come out whatever your policy says, and some do include misfuelling cover, so looking at yours once your car is dealt with is worth doing.