Put Petrol in a Diesel Toyota RAV4?
Anybody who has put petrol in a diesel Toyota RAV4 without running the motor should leave it switched off, and not start it even to roll it off the petrol pump. That petrol cannot leave the tank as long as your engine is off, so the RAV4 can normally be put right with a fuel drain.
Your Toyota RAV4 can stay put wherever it has stopped, forecourt included, because Petrol in Diesel drains misfuelled cars where they are. Ring us before you attempt anything on your own and we will walk you through it.
Your first moves after petrol in a diesel RAV4
- Keep the motor off. Any diesel RAV4 will generally fire up and run with petrol in the tank, and it can feel fine for a few miles, which explains why people frequently drive away without noticing anything is amiss.
- Fuel can be drawn towards the fuel injectors even before the motor has started, as on many diesel engines the ignition on its own starts priming the fuel pump. Keep the ignition off too.
- Do not fill the rest of the tank with diesel to dilute it. Your RAV4 holds up to 60 litres, and filling it up simply leaves more contaminated fuel to drain. Super unleaded is petrol here too.
- Forecourt attendants will generally help roll your car clear in neutral when it is in the way of a pump.
- Call 0333 366 0103 then let us know which RAV4 you have and where it is parked, about how much petrol went in, and whether the engine has been run. Where the precise variant is on the badging, for example the RAV4 2.2 D-4D, tell us that as well.
Wrong fuel in your Toyota RAV4 once your engine has run
The engine is not affected by wrong fuel in your Toyota RAV4 until it is pulled from your tank, and starting the motor is what pulls it out. The high-pressure fuel pump and the fuel injectors on a diesel engine are lubricated by the fuel running through them. Driving for any distance on the mix is what can cause damage, because petrol dilutes your diesel and strips that lubrication away.
Find a safe place to pull in and switch off, if the RAV4 has already been driven. We can still deal with it, by emptying the tank and cleaning the lines and the filter until all the contaminated fuel is gone. Provided it's cleaned out properly after being caught early, it very seldom leaves permanent damage.
Each version of the RAV4 is the same in this, the RAV4 2.2 D-4D 4x4 included.
The fuel tank capacity of the Toyota RAV4
The size of the tank counts as the danger depends on what proportion of your fuel in there is petrol, so the same few litres are a bigger problem if your tank was nearly empty when you fuelled up.
It doesn't make a difference which version you drive, as every diesel Toyota RAV4 in our data uses the same tank, taking 60 litres.
| Version | Fuel tank |
|---|---|
| Toyota RAV4 2.2 D-4D | 60 litres |
| Toyota RAV4 2.2 D-4D 4x4 | 60 litres |
| Toyota RAV4 2.2 D-CAT | 60 litres |
Checking your diesel RAV4 version
It is useful for us to know the variant when you call, and it's generally on a badge at the rear of your car.
The diesel models of the RAV4 have been sold as D-4D.
There is a single engine size across our list, 2.2 litres.
There are 4x4 versions in the list too.
AdBlue in a diesel Toyota RAV4
AdBlue is a mixture of water and urea that some diesel cars rely on to treat their exhaust, and it has a separate tank and filler. Even to move your vehicle, don't turn your key when you have AdBlue in a diesel Toyota RAV4 after it went in the wrong filler.
Even a tank holding up to 60 litres won't dilute AdBlue the way it would dilute petrol. AdBlue does not mix with diesel, so it sinks to the bottom, right where your pump draws its fuel, and being mainly water it neither ignites nor gives the fuel pump any protection.
No matter how small the quantity, some of it is drawn into the line. Within the system the water dries off and leaves the urea to crystallise, in your filter and injectors among other places, where it corrodes the metalwork it sits against.
The same filler flap frequently hides both fillers, and if the RAV4 has an AdBlue filler, it might well be next to the diesel one. You can generally tell the AdBlue cap by its blue colour and the far smaller nozzle it fits.
What we do for a fuel drain on your Toyota RAV4
We carry out a fuel drain on your Toyota RAV4 where the vehicle sits, and it never has to go to a garage. Before we start the engine, the fuel system is primed and your tank refilled with fresh diesel. First comes finding out what went in and whether it has run, draining a tank that takes up to 60 litres on the RAV4, and rinsing the lines and filter.
You are free to take your RAV4 away once we've finished, running on clean diesel.
AdBlue removal from a diesel Toyota RAV4
AdBlue removal from a diesel Toyota RAV4 follows the same stages as draining petrol. As AdBlue does not blend in but collects at the base of your tank, running the RAV4 on it may leave crystals in the pipes. Those get flushed through too, and your fuel filter is changed if it needs it.
AdBlue removal on this page means taking AdBlue out of the diesel tank once it has gone in the incorrect filler. It doesn't mean taking out or switching off the AdBlue system on your car.
How much does a fuel drain on the Toyota RAV4 cost?
The work changes from one task to the next, so we don't publish a fixed price. The chief things that affect it are these:
- starting or driving the RAV4, which makes more difference than anything else
- a tank's size next to the volume that was put in
- which of the two it was, petrol or AdBlue
- where you are with the RAV4, and whether it's safe to bring the van there
Ring with those answers and we'll be able to explain what's likely to be involved.
Queries about petrol in a diesel Toyota RAV4
Your Toyota RAV4 fuel tank capacity: how many litres?
It takes 60 litres, and our figures show the same tank on every variant.
Does topping up with diesel help with a little petrol in my RAV4?
It is not something we would advise, because adding diesel does nothing to take out that petrol. It just lowers its share, and the petrol is still in the fuel system after you drive off. A fuel drain gets all of that out, and with a small quantity that is generally all your RAV4 requires.
Will my RAV4 have to go to the Toyota dealer?
No. We're independent and have no tie with Toyota or its dealers, and we drain and clean the RAV4 wherever it has stopped, so there's no need to move it anywhere.
Do you need to know which RAV4 I have?
It helps us to know which one you drive when you phone, since we have figures for 3 diesel versions of the RAV4.
Does my policy cover wrong fuel in my Toyota RAV4?
Some policies carry misfuelling cover and some do not, so it's worth checking yours. Whichever it is, we come out to empty the vehicle for you.
What should I do if my RAV4 got diesel in its AdBlue tank?
In this case, too, the sensible thing is to leave the ignition alone. If it's driven that way, a vehicle will normally give an alert and drop into limp mode. The AdBlue system needs draining too. When you ring, let us know which tank the diesel was put in.
I have already driven my RAV4. What now?
Stop where it is safe and switch your engine off, then keep it off until we reach you. Long-term damage is very unusual if it's caught soon like this, plus we drain your fuel system and clean it where you have pulled over.