Have You Put Petrol in a Diesel Suzuki Vitara?
When you have got petrol in a diesel Suzuki Vitara but the engine hasn't been run, leave it turned off, including to shift it clear of the petrol pump. The petrol cannot leave your tank whilst your engine is off, so your Vitara can usually be set right with a fuel drain.
There is no reason to move your Suzuki Vitara off the forecourt, or from any other spot where it came to a stop, because the drain is carried out by Petrol in Diesel where the vehicle sits. Phone us before you try anything on your own and we'll talk you through it.
Petrol in a diesel Vitara: what to do right away
- Do not turn on your motor, even though a diesel Vitara will usually run with petrol inside your tank. It may seem fine for a while, and that's how motorists frequently pull away without realising something is wrong.
- Fuel can be pulled towards your injectors before the engine has started, as on a lot of diesel motors your ignition on its own primes the fuel pump. Leave your ignition off too.
- Don't fill the rest of your tank with diesel to dilute it. Your Vitara holds up to 70 litres, and filling it up only means more tainted fuel to empty out. Super unleaded is petrol here too.
- A vehicle in the way of a pump can be put in neutral and rolled out of the way, and the forecourt attendants are generally willing to lend a hand.
- Call 0333 366 0103 with where the Vitara is and which one it is, the approximate volume of petrol that was put in, and whether it has been run. When you can read the exact version on the badging, for example the Vitara 2.0 Turbo Diesel, that helps too.
What starting your motor does with wrong fuel in your Suzuki Vitara
The engine isn't touched by wrong fuel in your Suzuki Vitara until it's pulled out of the tank, and starting the motor is what draws it out. The high-pressure pump and your injectors in a diesel motor are lubricated by your fuel passing through them. With petrol diluting your diesel, that protection is lost, and driving for any distance on it is then what can do damage.
If you've already been driving the Vitara, stop somewhere safe and turn off. We empty the tank, then flush the pipes and filter through until no contaminated fuel is left, so it can still be put right. Provided it's cleaned out thoroughly after being caught early, it very rarely leaves lasting harm.
The fuel tank capacity of the Suzuki Vitara
If you fuelled up while the tank was almost empty, the same couple of litres make up more of the fuel in there, and the danger rests on that proportion, which means the size of your tank matters.
It does not matter which version you own, since each diesel Suzuki Vitara in our data has the same tank, taking 70 litres.
Checking your diesel Vitara version
The variant is normally on a badge on the boot lid, and it's useful for us to know when you phone.
The engine is 2.0 litres in every version in our list.
AdBlue in a diesel Suzuki Vitara
Some diesel vehicles carry a mixture of water and urea, called AdBlue, in a tank of its own with a separate filler, and use it to treat their exhaust. Pouring AdBlue in the wrong filler leaves you with AdBlue in a diesel Suzuki Vitara, so do not turn the key, not even to shift it.
Even a tank holding up to 70 litres won't dilute AdBlue the way it would dilute petrol. AdBlue does not mix with diesel, so it drops to the bottom, right where your pump draws its fuel, and being largely water it neither burns nor offers the fuel pump any protection.
Even a little of it is enough to end up in the fuel line. Once the water dries out, the urea crystallises inside your fuel system, including your filter and injectors, and it attacks the metal it touches.
Look under the fuel flap if the Vitara has an AdBlue filler, since on plenty of motors it is right alongside your diesel filler. You can typically tell the AdBlue cap by its blue colour and the much slimmer nozzle it takes.
How a fuel drain on your Suzuki Vitara is done
Moving the car to a garage isn't needed, as a fuel drain on your Suzuki Vitara is done right at your vehicle. We start by finding out what was put in and whether your motor has run, then drain the tank, which on the Vitara takes up to 70 litres. Next we clean the fuel lines and the filter and fill up with fresh diesel, and the fuel system is primed before we start the vehicle.
By the time we leave, the Vitara is running on fresh diesel again and ready for you to take away.
AdBlue removal from a diesel Suzuki Vitara, explained
The stages are the same as a petrol drain in AdBlue removal from a diesel Suzuki Vitara. If the Vitara has been started, AdBlue may leave crystals in the pipes, as it collects under the diesel instead of blending in. We rinse those out too, and replace the fuel filter where needed.
What we call AdBlue removal is emptying AdBlue from your diesel tank after a slip at your filler, not taking out or disabling the AdBlue system on a car.
A fuel drain on the Suzuki Vitara: what it costs
The work differs from one task to the next, so we don't publish a set price. The biggest things that shape it are these:
- whether the Vitara has been started or driven, which makes the greatest difference
- a tank's size next to the quantity that went in
- whether it was petrol or AdBlue
- whether the van can easily and safely reach the Vitara where it sits
We can let you know what the work will probably involve once you ring with those details.
Petrol in a diesel Suzuki Vitara: your questions
The Suzuki Vitara fuel tank capacity: how many litres?
70 litres. Your tank is the same size whatever version you drive.
I just put a little petrol in my Vitara. Should I fill up with diesel?
It is not something we would advise, since putting in diesel does nothing to remove that petrol. It just reduces its proportion, and that petrol is still in the fuel system once you drive off. With only a little petrol, a fuel drain to get all of that out is normally all your Vitara requires.
Will my Vitara have to go to the Suzuki dealer?
No, we come to it. Your Vitara is drained and cleaned wherever it has stopped, by an independent business with no link to Suzuki or any dealer.
Does my policy cover wrong fuel in my Suzuki Vitara?
We'll still come out to drain it for you, either way. Check your insurance anyway, since not every policy includes misfuelling cover.
What happens if I put diesel in the AdBlue tank of my Vitara?
Don't put your key in your ignition then either. The AdBlue system will need draining, and if your car is driven that way, it will most likely show a warning and enter limp mode. Do say which tank took the fuel when you call.
What should I do if I've already driven my Vitara?
Stop where it is safe and switch your engine off, then leave it off until we reach you. We empty and clean the fuel system wherever you have stopped, and if it is caught early like this, permanent harm is very uncommon.