Put Petrol in a Diesel Skoda Roomster?
Anyone who has put petrol in a diesel Skoda Roomster without starting the motor should leave it switched off, and not start it even to roll it away from the petrol pump. The petrol cannot get out of the tank whilst the engine is off, so the Roomster can usually be put right with a drain.
There is no reason to shift your Skoda Roomster off the forecourt, or from any other place where it stopped, since this drain is carried out by Petrol in Diesel wherever the car sits. We'll go through it with you over the phone, so ring us before attempting anything on your own.
Put petrol in a diesel Roomster? First steps
- With petrol inside your tank, a diesel Roomster will generally still fire up and run, and feel perfectly normal for some miles. That is why motorists often drive off without spotting a problem, and the reason your engine needs to be left off.
- Fuel can be pulled towards the injectors before your motor has started, since on plenty of diesel motors your ignition on its own starts priming the fuel pump. Keep your ignition off as well.
- Thinning that petrol by filling up with diesel does not help. It just adds to the tainted fuel to be drained from a tank that holds up to 55 litres in your Roomster, and super unleaded is petrol here as well.
- If your vehicle is in the way of a pump, put it in neutral and roll the vehicle out of the way. Forecourt attendants are generally happy to help with that.
- Once you call 0333 366 0103, we want to know which Roomster you drive, where it is parked, how much petrol you think went in and whether your motor has been run. The precise version helps too if it's on the badge, for instance the Roomster Scout 1.9 TDI-PD.
Running on wrong fuel in your Skoda Roomster
Turning on the engine is what pulls the wrong fuel in your Skoda Roomster out of the tank, and only then does it start to reach the motor. A diesel engine relies on its fuel to lubricate the high-pressure pump and the fuel injectors as it runs through them. Driving any distance on the mixture is what can cause damage, since petrol dilutes the diesel and strips that lubrication away.
Once you have driven the Roomster on it, the right thing to do is pull over somewhere safe then turn the motor off. Even so, we can get all of the contaminated fuel out, by draining the tank and then cleaning your fuel pipes and the fuel filter. Very few cars that are caught soon and flushed out thoroughly end up with permanent harm.
The Roomster Scout 1.6 TDI is no different here from any other version of the Roomster.
The fuel tank capacity of the Skoda Roomster
The size of the tank counts as the danger hinges on how much of the fuel in it is petrol, so the same few litres are a bigger problem if your tank was almost empty when you filled up.
Every diesel Skoda Roomster we have data for uses the same tank, which holds 55 litres, so the variant you own doesn't alter that calculation.
| Version | Fuel tank |
|---|---|
| Skoda Roomster 1.2 TDI | 55 litres |
| Skoda Roomster 1.4 TDI-PD | 55 litres |
| Skoda Roomster 1.6 TDI | 55 litres |
| Skoda Roomster 1.9 TDI-PD | 55 litres |
| Skoda Roomster Scout 1.4 TDI-PD | 55 litres |
| Skoda Roomster Scout 1.6 TDI | 55 litres |
| Skoda Roomster Scout 1.9 TDI-PD | 55 litres |
What diesel version of the Roomster do you drive?
Look for the badging on your boot lid, which usually gives the version, and let us know what it says when you call.
Diesel versions of the Roomster have been labelled TDI.
Engine sizes run from 1.2 litres in the Roomster 1.2 TDI up to 1.9 litres on the Roomster 1.9 TDI-PD.
When there is AdBlue in a diesel Skoda Roomster
AdBlue is a mix of water and urea that certain diesel vehicles use to clean up their exhaust, and it has its own tank and filler. Pouring AdBlue in the wrong filler leaves you with AdBlue in a diesel Skoda Roomster, so do not touch your key, not even to move it.
Even a tank of up to 55 litres does nothing to dilute AdBlue the way it would dilute petrol. AdBlue doesn't mix with diesel, so it drops to the bottom, right where your pump picks up its fuel, and being largely water it neither burns nor offers the fuel pump any lubrication.
However modest the volume, some of that gets sucked into the line. When the water dries out, the urea crystallises within your fuel system, including the filter and injectors, and it eats into the metalwork it touches.
If the Roomster has an AdBlue filler, it could well sit beside the diesel filler under the same fuel flap, as it does on plenty of vehicles. A blue lid and a nozzle far smaller than diesel generally pick out the AdBlue filler.
The fuel drain on your Skoda Roomster, step by step
Every fuel drain on your Skoda Roomster is done beside the car, and it doesn't need to go to a garage. We start by confirming what was put in and whether your motor has run, then drain the tank, which on the Roomster takes up to 55 litres. After that we flush your fuel lines and the filter and refill with clean diesel, and the fuel system is primed before we fire it up.
You are free to take the Roomster away when we've finished, running on clean diesel.
How we handle AdBlue removal from a diesel Skoda Roomster
We use the same stages for AdBlue removal from a diesel Skoda Roomster as we do for clearing petrol. AdBlue gathers at the bottom of the tank instead of blending in, and if the Roomster has been run it can leave crystals inside the lines, so we flush those through too and swap the filter if it needs it.
On this page, AdBlue removal means taking AdBlue back out of a diesel tank it was put into through the incorrect filler. Disabling or removing the AdBlue system on a vehicle isn't what it means.
What decides the cost of a fuel drain on the Skoda Roomster
A set quote isn't something we publish, since no two jobs involve the same work. It mainly comes down to the following:
- whether the Roomster has been started or driven, which makes the greatest difference
- a tank's size next to the amount that went in
- whether it was petrol or AdBlue
- whether our van can safely reach the Roomster where it sits
Phone with those answers and we will be able to explain what's likely to be involved.
Questions about petrol in a diesel Skoda Roomster
The Skoda Roomster fuel tank capacity: how many litres?
55 litres. Your tank is the same size whatever variant you drive.
Can I fill up with diesel if I just put a little petrol in my Roomster?
We would advise against it. That petrol stays in your system when you drive, as adding diesel just reduces its proportion and removes none of it. Your Roomster usually requires no more than a fuel drain if just a small amount was put in, and that gets that petrol out completely.
Do I have to take my Roomster to the Skoda dealer?
No. We are an independent business with no connection with Skoda or its dealers, plus we empty and clean your Roomster wherever it is, so there's no need to move it anywhere.
Does it help to know which Roomster I have?
We hold data for 7 diesel versions of the Roomster, and knowing which one you have helps us when you phone.
Will my insurance pay for wrong fuel in my Skoda Roomster?
We will still come out and empty it for you, covered or not. Look at your insurance anyway, as not every policy has misfuelling cover.
Diesel in the AdBlue tank of my Roomster: what happens?
Do not put the key in your ignition in that case either. Limp mode and an alert are what most motors give you if they're driven that way, and their AdBlue system will need draining. Please say which tank took your fuel when you ring.
Already driven my Roomster: what do I do?
Stop where it's safe and switch the engine off, then keep it off till we arrive. We empty and clean the system where you are, and if it is caught soon like this, lasting damage is very rare.