Already Driven With Petrol in a Diesel Smart Fortwo?
Leaving the motor off is what matters once you have travelled on petrol in a diesel Smart Fortwo, which means you should pull in as soon as it's safe and turn the engine off. Spotted soon, it very rarely leaves permanent damage, while sorting it out where you've pulled up is still something we can do.
Your Smart Fortwo can remain where it has stopped, as Petrol in Diesel travels out to it, drains its tank there and cleans its fuel system of petrol. Once we head off, your vehicle is running on fresh diesel.
Symptoms of petrol in a diesel Fortwo
You may drive a couple of miles without noticing anything, because petrol inside your fuel tank frequently leaves a diesel Fortwo running as usual at first. People usually notice these signs when there's petrol or AdBlue in your fuel tank:
- the engine lacks power, particularly whenever you ask it to accelerate
- it runs roughly, or your idle turns uneven
- more smoke than usual appears from the exhaust
- the dashboard shows warning lights
- it stalls and may not restart
The receipt shows what was put in, so check it if one of these started after you filled up.
What travelling does with wrong fuel in your Smart Fortwo
Driving is what takes wrong fuel in your Smart Fortwo from your fuel tank and on through your fuel filter, your high-pressure fuel pump and the fuel injectors. Until the engine draws it out, it stays where it is. The mix gets into more of the fuel system the longer the Fortwo is taken, because petrol weakens the diesel that protects the pump and your fuel injectors on its way through them.
So finishing the journey is a worse choice than stopping the moment you can. A motor that's stopped soon usually needs no more than a drain and a clean. What can cause damage is covering a long way on contaminated fuel.
It makes no difference whether you have the smart cdi & pure or a different version of the Fortwo.
Staying where you've stopped
There's no reason to move the Fortwo anywhere. We come to it at the side of the road or outside your house, so there's no reason to restart it or arrange a recovery truck.
With the hazard lights on, stand clear of the traffic in a safe spot if the road beside you is busy.
When you ring 0333 366 0103, let us know where you are, which Fortwo it is and roughly how far you went. The version on the badge, such as the smart cabro cdi & pure, helps too.
Fuel drain on your Smart Fortwo once you have driven on it
A fuel drain on your Smart Fortwo after it was driven goes a step further than one on the forecourt. No petrol should be remaining between your tank and the engine by the end, which is why the tank is emptied first and the fuel lines are then opened up and flushed through with the fuel filter. The fuel system is primed after clean diesel is in, and the engine is started to check it runs properly.
AdBlue in a diesel Smart Fortwo once driven
If you have AdBlue in a diesel Smart Fortwo and have driven on it, the symptoms are normally uneven running, smoke and warning lamps, and the vehicle might cut out. Settling to the base of the fuel tank, where your fuel pump picks up fuel, AdBlue gets into your fuel line quickly, and it does not burn or lubricate. The urea forms crystals in the filter and your fuel lines once its water evaporates.
AdBlue removal from a diesel Smart Fortwo after it has run
We change the filter if it needs it as part of AdBlue removal from a diesel Smart Fortwo after it's run, once your fuel tank is drained and the crystals are flushed out of your fuel filter and the fuel lines.
Nothing here involves disabling or removing the AdBlue system. It deals with fluid in your diesel tank, and a separate AdBlue tank your Fortwo has is left alone.
Smart Fortwo fuel tank capacity and engines
Of the Smart Fortwo versions, the Fortwo Cabrio cdi has the largest diesel tank, at 33 litres, and the smart cabrio cdi & pure the smallest, at 22 litres.
The Fortwo Coupe cdi, for example, takes 33 litres.
You will find CDI badges on diesel Fortwo versions.
There are Coupe versions among them.
| Version | Fuel tank |
|---|---|
| Smart Fortwo Cabrio cdi | 33 litres |
| Smart Fortwo Coupe cdi | 33 litres |
| Smart smart cabrio cdi & pure | 22 litres |
| Smart smart cabro cdi & pure | 22 litres |
| Smart smart cdi & pure | 22 litres |
Costing a fuel drain on the Smart Fortwo after a drive
The mileage driven and where it is now matter the most towards the price of a fuel drain on the Smart Fortwo after a drive, as does whether it was AdBlue or petrol. Give us those details in a call and then we can say what's involved in the job.
Petrol in a diesel Smart Fortwo: questions after a drive
Will my Fortwo be ruined?
It is very unlikely to be. If your car is stopped early, draining and flushing the fuel system is what we do where you have stopped, and harm that lasts is rare after that.
Should I drive it home first?
It's wiser not to. We can drain the Fortwo just where it sits, which means it doesn't need shifting, and every mile driven on tainted fuel would take it further through the fuel system.
Stalled, and it will not restart: what should I do next?
Please do not try once more. Leave it as it is, since each attempt draws more of that mixture through. Once we have drained and flushed it and then put fresh diesel in, we prime your fuel system and get it started for you.
Does it matter which Fortwo I own?
The badge on the boot gives the version you have, out of the 5 diesel versions of the Fortwo, and knowing it assists us when you call.
Insurance and wrong fuel in my Smart Fortwo: am I covered?
Some insurance policies have misfuelling cover, and so it's worth looking at yours after the vehicle is dealt with. We come out either way.