Kept Driving With Petrol in a Diesel Toyota Hilux?
If you have driven with petrol in a diesel Toyota Hilux, pull in as soon as it is safe, switch the motor off and leave it off. Wherever you've pulled up, we can still put it right, and damage that lasts is very uncommon once it is spotted early.
Once Petrol in Diesel comes out to wherever your Toyota Hilux has ended up, the petrol is cleared from the system and the fuel tank drained. It is on fresh diesel and running when we leave.
How petrol in a diesel Hilux shows itself
You might go a few miles without noticing anything, as petrol in the tank frequently keeps a diesel Hilux running as usual at first. Motorists usually spot the following when there is petrol or AdBlue inside the fuel tank:
- power falls away, especially as you ask the motor to accelerate
- it runs roughly, or the idle becomes erratic
- there is more smoke than usual from the exhaust
- the dash shows warning lamps
- it cuts out and might not start again
One of these beginning after you filled up is a reason to look at your receipt to see what was put in.
What driving does to wrong fuel in your Toyota Hilux
Until the motor draws it out, wrong fuel in your Toyota Hilux stays in your tank, but driving pulls it on to the fuel filter, then into the injection pump and the injectors. Petrol weakens the diesel that lubricates your fuel pump and your fuel injectors as it passes through them, so running the Hilux further brings that blend into more of your fuel system.
This is the reason to stop the moment you can rather than finish the journey. Damage, where it occurs, comes from a long drive on tainted fuel, and a drain and a clean are normally all a motor needs when it's stopped soon.
Yours being the Hilux 4x4 2.5 D-4D Single Cab and not another version of the Hilux makes no difference.
Where you have pulled up
The Hilux does not need moving anywhere. The side of the road and outside your home are both places we come to, and so it doesn't need starting or towing.
If you are alongside a busy road, switch the hazard lights on then wait somewhere out of harm's way, clear of the traffic.
When you phone 0333 366 0103, tell us where you are, which Hilux it is and roughly how far you went. The version shown on the badge, such as the Hilux 4x2, is useful as well.
Fuel drain on your Toyota Hilux when you have driven on it
There is a step more to a fuel drain on your Toyota Hilux after it was driven than to one on the forecourt. We drain your fuel tank first, then open the fuel lines and then rinse them through with your fuel filter, so no petrol is left between your fuel tank and the motor. The fuel system is primed after clean diesel has gone in, and the motor is started to confirm it runs smoothly.
AdBlue in a diesel Toyota Hilux after it has run
Travelling with AdBlue in a diesel Toyota Hilux normally brings warning lamps, smoke and rough running, and your car may stall. Because AdBlue settles to the bottom of the tank, where your pump takes its fuel, it is in your fuel line quickly, and it neither burns nor lubricates. Its water drying lets the urea form crystals in your lines and your fuel filter.
How AdBlue removal from a diesel Toyota Hilux is done
Draining the tank comes first with AdBlue removal from a diesel Toyota Hilux that has been run, and then the crystals are flushed from the lines and your fuel filter, with the fuel filter replaced if it needs it.
If your Hilux has a separate AdBlue tank, that is not touched. This is about liquid in the diesel tank, not taking out or switching off the AdBlue system.
Engine sizes and Toyota Hilux fuel tank capacity
Diesel fuel tanks on the Toyota Hilux run from 66 to 80 litres over its versions, with the Hilux 4x4 2.5 D-4D Extra Cab at the top end and the Hilux 4x4 2.5 D-4D Double Cab at the bottom.
A fuel tank of 77 litres is fitted on the Hilux 4x4 Xtra Cab, for instance.
On the diesel Hilux, the versions wear D-4D badging.
From 2.5 litres in the Hilux 4x2 2.5 D-4D Single Cab, engine sizes go up to 3.0 litres in the Hilux 4x4 3.0 D-4D Double Cab.
Amongst them are 4x4 and Double Cab versions.
| Version | Fuel tank |
|---|---|
| Toyota Hilux 4x2 | 69 litres |
| Toyota Hilux 4x2 2.5 D-4D Single Cab | 69 litres |
| Toyota Hilux 4x4 2.5 D-4D Double Cab | 66 litres |
| Toyota Hilux 4x4 2.5 D-4D Extra Cab | 80 litres |
| Toyota Hilux 4x4 2.5 D-4D Single Cab | 80 litres |
| Toyota Hilux 4x4 3.0 D-4D Double Cab | 80 litres |
| Toyota Hilux 4x4 Xtra Cab | 77 litres |
Pricing a fuel drain on the Toyota Hilux after a drive
The distance travelled and where it is now matter most for the cost of a fuel drain on the Toyota Hilux after driving, and so does whether it was AdBlue or petrol. Tell us those details in a call and we can tell you what's involved in the job.
Common queries about petrol in a diesel Toyota Hilux after driving
Is my Hilux ruined?
It's very unlikely to be. When the car is stopped early, draining and flushing your fuel system is what we do wherever you've pulled up, and damage that lasts is rare after that.
Is it OK to drive it home first?
Our guidance is not to. Tainted fuel reaches further into your system with every mile, so keep the Hilux where it is while we drain it there, with no reason to move the vehicle.
It has stalled and won't restart. What should I do?
Please do not try a second time. Leave it as it is, because each try draws more of that mixture through. After we have emptied and flushed it and then put clean diesel in, we prime the fuel system and get it started for you.
Does the version of my Hilux matter?
There are 7 diesel versions of the Hilux, and the badge on the tailgate says which one you have. Knowing that assists us when you call.
Is wrong fuel in my Toyota Hilux covered by insurance?
Misfuelling cover is offered in some policies, so check yours once the vehicle has been sorted. Whatever it says, we still come out.