Put Petrol in a Diesel Subaru?
Anybody who has put petrol in a diesel Subaru without running your engine should keep it switched off, and not start it even to move the vehicle clear of the pump. At that point the petrol hasn't left your tank, so draining it is normally enough to put the vehicle right.
Your diesel Subaru can stay on the forecourt, or wherever it has stopped, since Petrol in Diesel empties vehicles where they stand. Each model has its own page, listed below, and you can call us before you attempt anything on your own.
What to do if there is petrol in a diesel Subaru
- Do not start your engine, and do not turn your ignition on either. A lot of diesels begin priming the fuel pump when the ignition comes on, pulling fuel out of the tank towards the injectors.
- Thinning the petrol down with diesel doesn't help. Filling up only adds to the contaminated fuel to be drained from a tank that holds up to 64 litres in a diesel Subaru.
- Forecourt attendants will normally help roll your vehicle clear in neutral when it's in the way of a pump.
- The model name, for instance the Impreza, is all we need to start with. Ring 0333 366 0103 with it, together with where you are, roughly how much was put in and whether your car has been started.
Leaving your engine off after wrong fuel in your Subaru
Wrong fuel in your Subaru only starts to cause problems after it's pulled from the tank, and starting your engine is what pulls it. Your injectors and your high-pressure pump rely on diesel passing through them for protection. Petrol dilutes that diesel, so the damage, where there is any, comes from driving on the mix.
Find a safe place to pull in and turn off, when you have already driven. Spotting it early keeps permanent harm very rare, and putting it right where you have stopped is still possible.
It is the same whichever Subaru you have, and that includes the Legacy.
Tank sizes across the diesel Subaru range
What counts is how much of the fuel in the tank is petrol, which is why its size matters. A couple of litres matter more when your tank was close to empty.
Throughout the diesel Subaru range, tanks vary from 42 to 64 litres.
Through the range, the Trezia has the smallest tank and the Forester the biggest.
Up to 64 litres goes in the tank on the Outback.
Our data take in 5 diesel Subaru models. Each has a page of its own, giving the tank for each variant.
AdBlue in a diesel Subaru
The first step is the same if you've got AdBlue in a diesel Subaru after it went in the incorrect filler. Don't turn the key, even to move the vehicle.
Made largely of water with urea dissolved in it, AdBlue doesn't burn and does not blend with diesel. It drops to the base of the tank instead, just where the pump picks up its fuel, and gives it no protection. Once the water dries out, the urea crystallises in the pipes and the fuel filter and eats into the metal around it.
Where a diesel car keeps its AdBlue in a separate tank, that tank has its own filler too, frequently sharing a flap with your diesel filler. If yours does, the AdBlue cap is generally blue and fits a narrower nozzle.
Our fuel drain on your Subaru, stage by stage
There's no reason to move the car, because we do a fuel drain on your Subaru where it stands, on the forecourt or on your drive. We check what was put in and whether your motor has been run, drain your tank, and flush your fuel pipes and the fuel filter. Then we fill up with fresh diesel and prime the system before starting your engine.
The job finishes with your vehicle running on clean diesel.
AdBlue removal from a diesel Subaru, step by step
Like a petrol drain, AdBlue removal from a diesel Subaru goes through the same steps, but we take more care at the bottom of your tank, where AdBlue settles. A car that has been started gets its pipes and filter flushed through, plus a new fuel filter where needed.
This means AdBlue drained out of your diesel tank. It doesn't mean taking out or disabling the AdBlue system.
Fuel drain on a diesel Subaru: what sets the price
There is no set quote on this page, as jobs differ. Most of all, it comes down to whether your engine has run or your car has been driven. Other things count as well: how much went in compared with the size of your tank, whether it was petrol or AdBlue, and where your car is. Those answers are what we need to explain what the work involves, so call with them.
Questions about petrol in a diesel Subaru
Do you cover every diesel Subaru?
Every diesel Subaru model we hold data for is linked from this page. Diesel vehicles beyond that list are emptied too.
How many diesel Subaru models do you have?
Our list has 7 variants across 5 diesel Subaru models.
Does my Subaru have to go to the dealer?
You do not need to. Being an independent business, we have no connection with Subaru or any of its dealers. We empty the vehicle wherever it is.
Is wrong fuel in my Subaru covered by my policy?
Misfuelling cover comes with some policies and not others, so check yours. Covered or not, we'll come out.