Put Petrol in a Diesel Vauxhall Mokka?
We'd ask you to leave the engine off if you have put petrol in a diesel Vauxhall Mokka and not started it yet, and that counts for moving it off the forecourt too. A drain is usually enough to set your Mokka right, as long as the petrol stays inside the tank, which it does whilst your motor is off.
Your Vauxhall Mokka can be left wherever it ended up, forecourt or not, because Petrol in Diesel empties misfuelled cars on the spot. Phone us before anything else and let us walk you through it, instead of trying anything on your own.
The first moves with petrol in a diesel Mokka
- Do not start the engine, even though a diesel Mokka will normally run with petrol inside the tank. It can feel fine for a while, and that's how motorists commonly pull away without realising something is wrong.
- The ignition needs to stay off too, as turning it on sets the fuel pump priming on a lot of diesels, and the pump then draws fuel out of your tank.
- Topping up with diesel to dilute it is a mistake, even with super unleaded, which counts as petrol too. The tank in your Mokka holds up to 54 litres, and each litre of diesel added is more tainted fuel for us to empty.
- A car blocking a pump can be put in neutral and rolled clear, and the forecourt staff are normally willing to lend a hand.
- Call 0333 366 0103 then let us know which Mokka you drive and where it is, roughly how much petrol was put in, and whether the motor has been run. Where the precise version is on the badging, for instance the Mokka 1.7 CDTI, give us that too.
Driven your vehicle with wrong fuel in your Vauxhall Mokka?
The motor isn't touched by wrong fuel in your Vauxhall Mokka until it's drawn out of your tank, and starting your motor is what pulls it out. As it flows through, diesel fuel keeps the high-pressure fuel pump and your injectors oiled, and your engine depends on that. Petrol thins your diesel and strips that lubrication away, which is why it is driving for any distance on the blend that can cause harm.
Stop in a safe place and turn off if your Mokka has already been on the road. It can still be sorted out, with your tank drained and the pipes and filter cleaned till every trace of the tainted fuel has been removed. If it's caught soon and flushed out properly, permanent harm is very uncommon.
The fuel tank capacity of the Vauxhall Mokka
If you filled up when the tank was close to empty, the same couple of litres make up more of the fuel in it, and the risk depends on that share, which means the size of your tank counts.
From 52 litres up to 54, the tank on the Vauxhall Mokka varies with the version.
In our figures the Mokka 1.7 CDTI has the largest tank and the Mokka 1.7 CDTI 4x4 the smallest.
| Version | Fuel tank |
|---|---|
| Vauxhall Mokka 1.7 CDTI | 54 litres |
| Vauxhall Mokka 1.7 CDTI 4x4 | 52 litres |
Working out which diesel Mokka you drive
Look for the badge on the boot lid, which normally shows the version, and tell us what it says when you ring.
The diesel versions of the Mokka have been labelled CDTI.
The motor is 1.7 litres in every version in our records.
Our list also includes 4x4 versions.
Got AdBlue in a diesel Vauxhall Mokka?
To clean up their exhaust, some diesel vehicles use AdBlue, a mixture of water and urea that goes in its own tank through its own filler. The key needs to be kept out of your ignition if you've got AdBlue in a diesel Vauxhall Mokka through the wrong filler, and that covers moving your vehicle.
The fuel pump has no protection at all from AdBlue, which is mainly water and will not burn. It will not mix with diesel either, and settles to the base of your tank, the very location the pump draws from, so a tank of up to 54 litres does nothing to dilute it.
Even a small amount is pulled into the fuel line. Inside the fuel system the water evaporates and lets the urea crystallise, in your filter and injectors and elsewhere, where it corrodes the metalwork it sits against.
Where your Mokka has an AdBlue filler, it could well sit next to the diesel filler under the same flap, as it does on many vehicles. AdBlue caps are normally blue and take a far smaller nozzle than diesel.
How a fuel drain on your Vauxhall Mokka works
Taking your car to a garage is not necessary, as a fuel drain on your Vauxhall Mokka is carried out right at the car. Before we fire up the motor, the system is primed and the tank refilled with fresh diesel. First comes checking what went in and whether it's run, draining a tank that holds up to 54 litres on the Mokka, and flushing the pipes and filter.
You are free to drive your Mokka away once we've finished, now running on fresh diesel.
AdBlue removal from a diesel Vauxhall Mokka, step by step
We use the same stages for AdBlue removal from a diesel Vauxhall Mokka as we do for draining petrol. When the Mokka has been started, AdBlue can form crystals in the pipes, because it collects under the diesel instead of mixing in. We rinse those through too, and replace your fuel filter where needed.
What we call AdBlue removal is emptying AdBlue from your diesel tank after a mistake at the filler, not taking out or switching off the AdBlue system on a vehicle.
What does a fuel drain on the Vauxhall Mokka cost?
A fixed quote is not something we publish, because no two jobs need the same work. It mainly comes down to the following:
- whether the Mokka has been started or driven, which makes the biggest difference
- a tank's capacity next to the quantity that went in
- whether it was AdBlue and not petrol
- whether our van can easily and safely reach the Mokka where it is
With those details on the phone, we can let you know what the job is likely to involve.
Petrol in a diesel Vauxhall Mokka: questions
Your Vauxhall Mokka fuel tank capacity: how many litres?
Somewhere from 52 to 54 litres, according to which variant it is. Each one is listed above.
Is it OK to add diesel after only a little petrol in my Mokka?
It isn't something we would advise, since adding diesel does nothing to take out that petrol. It just reduces its proportion, and that petrol is still in your system after you drive off. All of it comes out with a fuel drain, which for a modest amount is generally everything the Mokka needs.
Should my Mokka go to the Vauxhall dealer?
There is no need to take it elsewhere. We empty and clean your Mokka where it is, and we're independent, with no connection to Vauxhall or its dealers.
Does it matter which Mokka I own?
Knowing your version helps when you phone, since there are 2 diesel versions of the Mokka in our data.
Will my insurance pay for wrong fuel in my Vauxhall Mokka?
We will still come out and empty it for you, either way. Check your insurance anyway, because not every policy has misfuelling cover.
What if I pour diesel in the AdBlue tank of my Mokka?
Don't put the key in your ignition then either. The AdBlue system will need emptying, and when the vehicle is driven like that, it will most likely give an alert and enter limp mode. Which tank your diesel was put in is worth telling us when you phone.
I drove my Mokka before I noticed. What do I do?
Stop where it is safe and switch the engine off, then leave it off till we arrive. Where you have pulled over, the fuel system is emptied and cleaned on the spot, and caught soon like this, it very seldom leaves long-term harm.