Already Driven With Petrol in a Diesel Seat Alhambra?
The engine needs switching off then leaving off once you can pull in somewhere safe, if you have travelled with petrol in a diesel Seat Alhambra. Wherever you have pulled up, we can still put it right, and harm that lasts is very uncommon when it is caught soon.
Your Seat Alhambra can remain wherever it has stopped, because Petrol in Diesel travels out to it, drains its tank there and cleans its fuel system of petrol. By the time we leave, it's running on clean diesel.
Petrol in a diesel Alhambra: the signs to watch for
You may drive a few miles without spotting anything wrong, because petrol inside your fuel tank often leaves a diesel Alhambra running normally at first. If your fuel tank has petrol or AdBlue in it, motorists usually notice the following:
- the motor loses power, especially whenever you ask it to accelerate
- it idles erratically, or it runs rough
- the exhaust puts out more smoke than usual
- warning lamps show
- the motor stalls then might not restart
One of these starting after you filled up is a reason to look at the receipt and see what was put in.
How far wrong fuel in your Seat Alhambra goes when you drive
Till the engine draws it out, wrong fuel in your Seat Alhambra remains in your fuel tank, and driving draws it on to the fuel filter, then into the high-pressure fuel pump and the fuel injectors. Diesel lubricates the pump and the injectors as it passes through them while petrol thins it, and so the further the Alhambra is taken, the more of your system that blend reaches.
So completing the trip is a worse choice than stopping as soon as you can. A vehicle that's stopped early usually needs no more than a drain and a clean. What can do harm is covering a long distance on contaminated fuel.
Yours being the Alhambra 1.9 TDi Basis rather than any other version of the Alhambra makes no difference.
We come to wherever you've pulled up
You don't have to get the Alhambra anywhere. The roadside and outside your house are both spots we come to, and so it doesn't need restarting or a tow.
A safe place, away from the traffic, is the place to wait when you are beside a main road, with your hazard lights on.
Before you ring 0333 366 0103, have your whereabouts to hand, along with the distance you drove and which Alhambra it is. It helps too when the badge gives the version, like the Alhambra 2.0 TDI.
Once it has been driven: fuel drain on your Seat Alhambra
After it was driven, a fuel drain on your Seat Alhambra involves a step more than a drain at the forecourt. No petrol should be left between your tank and the engine by the end, which is why the tank is emptied first and the lines are then opened and rinsed through with your filter. Fresh diesel goes in, the system is primed, and we start the motor to confirm it runs properly.
AdBlue in a diesel Seat Alhambra that has been driven
Travelling with AdBlue in a diesel Seat Alhambra usually shows up as warning lights, smoke and rough running, and the car might go on to stall. The fuel pump draws fuel from the bottom of the fuel tank, which is where AdBlue settles, so it reaches the fuel line fast. It also doesn't burn or lubricate. Urea crystals build up in the fuel lines and your fuel filter as its water dries.
AdBlue removal from a diesel Seat Alhambra after driving
Emptying your tank comes first in AdBlue removal from a diesel Seat Alhambra that has been run, and then the crystals are cleared from your lines and your filter, with the fuel filter changed if it needs it.
Just your diesel tank is worked on here. If your Alhambra has an AdBlue tank of its own, it is left as it is, and nothing here involves removing or turning off the AdBlue system.
Engine sizes and Seat Alhambra fuel tank capacity
70 litres is the size of the diesel fuel tank on every version of the Seat Alhambra in our figures.
You'll find TDI badging on diesel Alhambra versions.
The smallest engine is 1.9 litres, on the Alhambra 1.9 TDI, and the biggest is 2.0 litres, on the Alhambra 2.0 TDI Allrad.
Amongst them are 4MOTION versions.
| Version | Fuel tank |
|---|---|
| Seat Alhambra 1.9 TDI | 70 litres |
| Seat Alhambra 1.9 TDI 4motion | 70 litres |
| Seat Alhambra 1.9 TDi Basis | 70 litres |
| Seat Alhambra 2.0 TDI | 70 litres |
| Seat Alhambra 2.0 TDI Allrad | 70 litres |
| Seat Alhambra SE1.9 TDi | 70 litres |
Costing a fuel drain on the Seat Alhambra after a drive
How far it travelled and where it has ended up are what mostly settle the cost of a fuel drain on the Seat Alhambra after driving, and petrol or AdBlue makes a difference too. Call with those details and we can tell you what the work will need.
Usual queries about petrol in a diesel Seat Alhambra after a drive
Is the Alhambra done for now?
It is very unlikely to be. When your car is stopped soon, draining and cleaning your fuel system is what we do where you have stopped, and damage that lasts is uncommon after that.
Should I drive it home first?
Our guidance would be not to. Contaminated fuel reaches further into the system with every mile, so leave the Alhambra where it is whilst we empty it there, with no need to move it.
It has stalled and won't restart. What should I do?
Leaving it alone is better than having another go, since each attempt pulls that mixture further through. We prime the system and get it started for you once it's been drained and rinsed and clean diesel is in.
Does it matter which Alhambra I have?
Knowing which of the 6 diesel versions of the Alhambra you have assists us when you ring, and it is on the badge on the tailgate.
Is wrong fuel in my Seat Alhambra covered by my insurance?
We come out whichever way your policy goes, and some do offer misfuelling cover, so looking at yours after the car is dealt with is worthwhile.