Already Driven With Petrol in a Diesel Vauxhall Tigra?
The engine needs switching off then leaving off once you can pull in somewhere safe, if you have driven with petrol in a diesel Vauxhall Tigra. Spotted soon, it very rarely leaves lasting damage, while putting it right wherever you've pulled up is still possible.
Petrol in Diesel comes to wherever your Vauxhall Tigra has stopped, empties your tank and flushes the petrol out of your fuel system. By the time we go, it's running on clean diesel.
Petrol in a diesel Tigra: the symptoms to look for
A diesel Tigra with petrol inside the fuel tank commonly feels normal to begin with, and so the symptoms tend to show up a few miles later. Motorists usually notice these signs when there's petrol or AdBlue in your fuel tank:
- a loss of power, especially whenever the engine is asked to pull
- lumpy running, or an erratic idle
- more smoke than usual comes from the tailpipe
- a warning light comes on
- it stalls, and then might fail to restart
Check the receipt if any of these started after filling up, because it will show which fuel was put in.
Wrong fuel in your Vauxhall Tigra: what travelling on it does
Wrong fuel in your Vauxhall Tigra stays in your tank until the motor pulls it out, and driving is what pulls it through the filter, your high-pressure pump then your injectors. Petrol dilutes the diesel fuel that protects your pump and your fuel injectors as it flows through them, and running the Tigra further brings that mix into more of the fuel system.
Stopping as soon as you can is better than completing the journey for that reason. A motor that's stopped early usually needs nothing more than a drain and a clean. What can cause damage is covering a long way on tainted fuel.
Where you have stopped
The Tigra does not need getting anywhere. No recovery truck needs to be organised and there's no need to start it, because we come to it at the side of the road or outside your home.
On a busy road, switch on your hazard lights, then find somewhere safe to wait clear of the traffic.
Phone 0333 366 0103 and say where you are, what Tigra it is and about how far it has been driven. If the badge gives the version, such as the Tigra 1.3 TwinTop CDTI, that helps too.
Fuel drain on your Vauxhall Tigra after it was driven
Compared with a drain on the forecourt, a fuel drain on your Vauxhall Tigra goes one step further after driving. No petrol is left between the fuel tank and the engine by the end, which is why your fuel tank is drained first and your fuel lines are then opened up and flushed through with the filter. Clean diesel goes in, the fuel system is primed, and we fire up the engine to check it runs properly.
AdBlue in a diesel Vauxhall Tigra after it has been run
Look out for smoke, uneven running and warning lamps when AdBlue in a diesel Vauxhall Tigra has been driven on, as the vehicle might then cut out. Settling to the bottom of your tank, where the fuel pump draws fuel, AdBlue reaches the fuel line quickly, and it doesn't burn or lubricate. Urea crystals build up in your lines and your fuel filter once its water dries out.
How AdBlue removal from a diesel Vauxhall Tigra is done
The fuel lines and your filter have to be freed of the crystals after the fuel tank is drained, which is what AdBlue removal from a diesel Vauxhall Tigra that has been run means. Where the filter needs it, we change it.
A dedicated AdBlue tank, if your Tigra has one, is left as it is. The job is about fluid in the diesel tank, and doesn't mean removing or disabling an AdBlue system.
Vauxhall Tigra fuel tank capacity and engines
Our data show the diesel tank takes 45 litres on every version of the Vauxhall Tigra.
Diesel Tigra versions wear CDTI badges.
Engine size is 1.3 litres across the versions listed.
The cost of a fuel drain on the Vauxhall Tigra after a drive
Whether it was petrol or AdBlue changes what a fuel drain on the Vauxhall Tigra costs after driving on it, though it depends mostly on how far it travelled and where it has stopped. Phone with those details and we can tell you what the job will need.
Driven on petrol in a diesel Vauxhall Tigra: your queries
Is my Tigra ruined?
The chance of that is very low. We empty and clean your fuel system where you've stopped, and if your car has been stopped early, permanent harm is uncommon.
Can I drive the car home first?
We would prefer you not to. Moving it isn't needed, because we can empty the Tigra where it stands. Taking it on only pushes tainted fuel further through your fuel system.
What do I do when it has stalled and will not restart?
Trying again pulls more of that blend through with every try. Please leave it alone. Once we've emptied and flushed it and then put fresh diesel in, we prime the fuel system and start it for you.
Will my insurance cover wrong fuel in my Vauxhall Tigra?
When the vehicle is sorted out, it's worth looking at your policy, because some offer misfuelling cover. We come out whether it covers you or not.