Petrol in a Diesel Vauxhall Signum? Leave It Switched Off
If you've put petrol in a diesel Vauxhall Signum but the motor hasn't been turned on, leave it switched off, including to shift it away from the pump. The petrol can't leave your tank as long as the motor is off, so your Signum can usually be set right with a fuel drain.
We come to misfuelled vehicles instead of the other way round, so with Petrol in Diesel your Vauxhall Signum remains at the forecourt or wherever it has stopped. Wait before attempting anything on your own till you've phoned us, and we'll explain what to do.
First steps for petrol in a diesel Signum
- Do not turn on your engine, even though a diesel Signum will normally run with petrol inside your tank. It may feel fine for a time, and that is how people often drive away without noticing something is amiss.
- Turning the ignition on is enough, on a lot of diesels, to start the fuel pump priming and draw fuel from the tank towards your injectors, so leave that off as well.
- Don't fill the remainder of the tank with diesel to weaken it. The Signum holds up to 60 litres, and topping it up only means more contaminated fuel to empty out. Super unleaded counts as petrol here as well.
- Forecourt attendants will usually help push the car out of the way in neutral when it's blocking a pump.
- Ring 0333 366 0103 with the place the Signum has stopped and which one it is, the approximate quantity of petrol that went in, and whether it has run. If you can see the precise variant on the badging, for instance the Signum 2.0 DTI, that is useful as well.
Wrong fuel in your Vauxhall Signum after your engine has run
The engine is not affected by wrong fuel in your Vauxhall Signum till it's drawn out of your tank, and starting your engine is what pulls it out. As it flows through, diesel fuel keeps the high-pressure pump and the fuel injectors oiled, and the engine depends on that. Driving any distance on the mixture is what can do harm, as petrol thins the diesel and washes that protection away.
Stop in a safe place and turn off if your Signum has already been driven. Even so, we can get all the tainted fuel out, by draining the tank and then cleaning your fuel lines and the filter. If it is caught early and cleaned out properly, lasting damage is very uncommon.
The Vauxhall Signum fuel tank capacity, by version
The size of the tank counts because the danger depends on what proportion of your fuel in it is petrol, so the same few litres are more of a worry if the tank was nearly empty when you fuelled up.
It doesn't make a difference which variant you have, as every diesel Vauxhall Signum in our data uses the same tank, taking 60 litres.
| Version | Fuel tank |
|---|---|
| Vauxhall Signum 1.9 CDTI | 60 litres |
| Vauxhall Signum 2.0 DTI | 60 litres |
| Vauxhall Signum 2.2 DTI | 60 litres |
| Vauxhall Signum 3.0 CDTI | 60 litres |
Checking your diesel Signum version
The variant is usually on the badging on the boot lid, and it's useful for us to know when you call.
Look for CDTI and DTI on the badge of a diesel Signum.
In our records the most common badge is CDTI, and the Signum 2.2 DTI is badged DTI instead.
Engine sizes go from 1.9 litres in the Signum 1.9 CDTI up to 3.0 litres on the Signum 3.0 CDTI.
AdBlue in a diesel Vauxhall Signum
Some diesel vehicles hold 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. The key needs to be kept out of the ignition when you have AdBlue in a diesel Vauxhall Signum through the incorrect filler, and that covers shifting your car.
The fuel pump gets no lubrication at all from AdBlue, which is largely water and won't burn. It won't mix with diesel either, and drops to the base of the tank, the very location the pump draws from, so a tank of up to 60 litres won't dilute it.
Even a little of it is plenty to end up in the fuel line. When the water dries off, the urea forms crystals in the system, including the filter and injectors, and it attacks the metal it rests against.
On a lot of cars the AdBlue filler is alongside your diesel filler under the same fuel flap, and if the Signum has one, it might well be there as well. You can usually spot the AdBlue lid by its blue shade and the much smaller nozzle it accepts.
What we do for a fuel drain on your Vauxhall Signum
Moving the vehicle to a garage isn't necessary, as a fuel drain on your Vauxhall Signum is carried out right at your vehicle. We begin by finding out what went in and whether the engine has run, then drain your tank, which on the Signum takes up to 60 litres. Next we clean the fuel pipes and the fuel filter and refill with clean diesel, and your system is primed before we start your engine.
You can take the Signum away once we have finished, now running on clean diesel.
How we handle AdBlue removal from a diesel Vauxhall Signum
The steps are the same as draining petrol for AdBlue removal from a diesel Vauxhall Signum. AdBlue settles at the base of your tank instead of mixing in, and if the Signum has been run it may form deposits in the pipes, so we flush those through too and change your fuel filter where needed.
AdBlue removal on this page means getting AdBlue out of the diesel tank once it has been put in the incorrect filler. It doesn't mean taking out or switching off the AdBlue system on your car.
What does a fuel drain on the Vauxhall Signum cost?
As every task is different, we have no fixed quote to publish, and these are the biggest factors that shape it:
- most of all, whether the Signum has been driven or even started
- the capacity of the tank, set against how much went in
- which of the two it was, petrol or AdBlue
- the position of the Signum and how easily we can reach it with our van
With those answers on the phone, we can let you know what the job is likely to involve.
Queries on petrol in a diesel Vauxhall Signum, answered
What's the fuel tank capacity of the Vauxhall Signum?
It holds 60 litres, and our figures show the same tank on every variant.
Does filling up with diesel help with a little petrol in my Signum?
It isn't something we'd advise, as putting in diesel does nothing to remove that petrol. It just lowers its proportion, and the petrol is still in your system once you drive off. All of that comes out with a fuel drain, which for a modest quantity is usually everything your Signum requires.
Does my Signum have to go to the Vauxhall dealer?
No. We are an independent business with no link with Vauxhall or its dealers, plus we empty and clean your Signum wherever it is parked, so there's no need to move it anywhere.
Which Signum I drive: does it make a difference?
Yes, it does. Our data cover 4 diesel variants of the Signum, so let us know which one you drive when you ring.
Am I insured for wrong fuel in my Vauxhall Signum?
Some policies have misfuelling cover and some don't, so it is worth checking yours. Whichever it is, we come out to empty the vehicle for you.
The diesel went into the AdBlue filler on my Signum. What now?
In this case, too, the right thing is to leave the ignition alone. Limp mode and an alert are what the majority of vehicles give you when they are driven that way, and their AdBlue system will need emptying. Which tank your fuel was put in is worth mentioning when you phone.
What should I do if I've already driven my Signum?
Find a safe spot to pull over, then turn the motor off and keep the car that way until we get there. Wherever you have stopped, the system is drained and cleaned there, and caught early like this, it very rarely leaves long-term harm.