Put Petrol in a Diesel Seat Altea?
The engine is best left off if it hasn't been run since you put petrol in a diesel Seat Altea, and that includes moving it away from the pump. That petrol cannot get out of your tank as long as your motor is off, so the Altea can normally be put right with a fuel drain.
There is no need to move your Seat Altea off the forecourt, or from any other spot where it came to a stop, because the drain is done by Petrol in Diesel where your car is. Hold off attempting anything on your own till you have called us, and we'll explain what to do.
Put petrol in a diesel Altea? What to do first
- Keep your engine off. A diesel Altea will generally fire up and run with petrol in its tank, and it may seem fine for a few miles, which is why people frequently drive off without noticing anything is amiss.
- Fuel can be pulled to the injectors before the motor has started, since on plenty of diesel engines the ignition alone starts priming the fuel pump. Keep the ignition off too.
- Diluting that petrol by topping up with diesel doesn't help. It just adds to the tainted fuel we drain from a tank that holds up to 55 litres in the Altea, and super unleaded counts as petrol here as well.
- Forecourt staff will usually help push the vehicle out of the way in neutral when it's in the way of a pump.
- Call 0333 366 0103 with the place the Altea is and which one it is, the approximate volume of petrol that was put in, and whether it has been run. If you can see the exact variant on the badging, for example the Altea XL 2.0 TDI Allrad, that helps as well.
Driven the car with wrong fuel in your Seat Altea?
The motor isn't affected by wrong fuel in your Seat Altea till it is drawn out of your tank, and starting your motor is what pulls it out. A diesel motor relies on its fuel to lubricate the high-pressure pump and your injectors as it passes through them. Driving any distance on the mixture is what can do damage, as petrol thins your diesel and takes that lubrication away.
Pull over somewhere safe and turn off when the Altea has already been driven. We can still deal with it, by draining the tank and flushing the lines and the filter until all the contaminated fuel is cleared. Lasting damage is very rare if it's caught early and given a thorough clean.
Each version of the Altea is the same in this, the Altea XL 1.9 TDI among them.
The fuel tank capacity of the Seat Altea
The size of the tank matters as the danger rests on how much of the fuel in it is petrol, so the same couple of litres are more of a worry if the tank was almost empty when you filled up.
Each diesel Seat Altea we have data for uses the same tank, which takes 55 litres, so the variant you own doesn't alter that sum.
| Version | Fuel tank |
|---|---|
| Seat Altea 1.6 TDI | 55 litres |
| Seat Altea 1.9 TDI | 55 litres |
| Seat Altea 2.0 TDI | 55 litres |
| Seat Altea Freetrack 1.6 TDI | 55 litres |
| Seat Altea Freetrack 2.0 TDI | 55 litres |
| Seat Altea Freetrack 4x4 2.0 TDI | 55 litres |
| Seat Altea XL 1.6 TDI | 55 litres |
| Seat Altea XL 1.9 TDI | 55 litres |
| Seat Altea XL 2.0 TDI | 55 litres |
| Seat Altea XL 2.0 TDI Allrad | 55 litres |
Finding your diesel Altea version
The version is generally on a badge on your boot lid, and it's useful for us to know when you call.
On the diesel Altea, the badging used is TDI.
Motor sizes go from 1.6 litres on the Altea 1.6 TDI up to 2.0 litres on the Altea Freetrack 2.0 TDI.
There are 4x4 versions in the list as well.
Put AdBlue in a diesel Seat Altea?
AdBlue is a mixture of water and urea that certain diesel vehicles rely on to clean up their exhaust, and it has its own tank and filler. If you have AdBlue in a diesel Seat Altea as it went in the wrong filler, don't touch the key, even to shift the vehicle.
Even a tank of up to 55 litres does nothing to dilute AdBlue the way it would dilute petrol. AdBlue doesn't blend with diesel, so it sinks to the bottom, right where your pump picks up its fuel, and being mainly water it neither burns nor offers the fuel pump any lubrication.
Even a small amount is drawn into the fuel 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.
Look under your fuel flap where your Altea has an AdBlue filler, since on many cars it is right beside the diesel filler. A blue cap and a nozzle far narrower than diesel generally mark the AdBlue filler.
How a fuel drain on your Seat Altea works
There is no garage involved, because we carry out a fuel drain on your Seat Altea at your car itself. We start by confirming what was put in and whether your engine has run, then drain your tank, which on the Altea holds up to 55 litres. Next we clean your fuel pipes and your filter and fill up with clean diesel, and your system is primed before we fire it up.
By the time we leave, your Altea is running on fresh diesel once more and ready for you to drive away.
AdBlue removal from a diesel Seat Altea, step by step
Like emptying petrol, AdBlue removal from a diesel Seat Altea runs through the same stages. We clear deposits out of the pipes too when the Altea has been run, and replace the filter where needed, as AdBlue settles in the bottom of your tank rather than mixing in and can leave them behind.
AdBlue removal here means taking AdBlue out of the diesel tank after it has gone in the wrong filler. It doesn't mean removing or switching off the AdBlue system on the car.
A fuel drain on the Seat Altea: the cost
The work differs from one task to the next, so we do not publish a set quote. The main things that affect it are these:
- whether anyone has started or driven the Altea, the thing that matters most
- the quantity put in, weighed against the capacity of the tank
- whether it was petrol or AdBlue
- where the Altea has stopped, and whether we can bring the van to it in safety
Call with those details and we'll be able to say what's likely to be involved.
Questions on petrol in a diesel Seat Altea, answered
What is the fuel tank capacity of the Seat Altea?
All the versions we have data for take 55 litres.
I just put a little petrol in my Altea. Should I fill up with diesel?
We would recommend against it. The petrol remains in the fuel system when you drive, as putting in diesel only reduces its share and removes none of it. Draining takes all of that out, and with a small quantity that's generally all your Altea requires.
Do I have to take my Altea to the Seat dealer?
There is no reason to move it elsewhere. We empty and clean your Altea where it is, and we are independent, with no tie to Seat or its dealers.
Does the version of my Altea make a difference?
We have data for 10 diesel versions of the Altea, and knowing which one you have assists us when you phone.
Does my insurance cover wrong fuel in my Seat Altea?
It is worth checking your insurance, as misfuelling cover is part of some but not all. Whichever way it reads, we come out and empty the vehicle.
What happens if I put diesel in the AdBlue tank of my Altea?
Keep the key out of your ignition in that case as well. Most cars show an alert and go into limp mode if they are driven in that state, and the AdBlue system will need emptying. Please say which tank took the fuel when you phone.
What should I do if I have already driven my Altea?
Turn your engine off once you've pulled over somewhere safe, and leave it off till we arrive. Permanent harm is very unusual if it's caught early like this, plus we drain the fuel system and clean it where you've pulled over.