Petrol in a Diesel Vauxhall Vectra: What the Tank Holds
If you have put petrol in a diesel Vauxhall Vectra, the size of its fuel tank is among the first things to know, because it settles how much of what is in there is currently petrol. The tank and the engines are set out here for each Vauxhall Vectra version which we keep data for.
Whatever the number, the guidance is unchanged once it has happened. Once you leave your engine off and call Petrol in Diesel, we will come and empty the car where it is.
How each version compares on Vauxhall Vectra fuel tank capacity
Versions of the Vauxhall Vectra vary, and so the fuel tank takes anything from 60 to 61 litres depending on yours.
Of the versions in our figures, the Vectra GTS 1.9 CDTI carries the largest tank, with the smallest in the Vectra Caravan 2.0 DI 16V.
By comparison, the fuel tank on the Vectra 1.7TD comes to 60 litres.
The fuel tank holds 60 litres on the Vectra Caravan 2.2 DTI 16V.
| Version | Fuel tank |
|---|---|
| Vauxhall Vectra 1.7TD | 60 litres |
| Vauxhall Vectra 1.9 CDTI | 61 litres |
| Vauxhall Vectra 2.0 DI 16V | 60 litres |
| Vauxhall Vectra 2.0 DTI | 61 litres |
| Vauxhall Vectra 2.0 DTI 16V | 60 litres |
| Vauxhall Vectra 2.2 DTI | 61 litres |
| Vauxhall Vectra 2.2 DTI 16V | 60 litres |
| Vauxhall Vectra 3.0 CDTI | 61 litres |
| Vauxhall Vectra Caravan 1.9 CDTI | 60 litres |
| Vauxhall Vectra Caravan 2.0 DI 16V | 60 litres |
| Vauxhall Vectra Caravan 2.0 DTI | 60 litres |
| Vauxhall Vectra Caravan 2.0 DTI 16V | 60 litres |
| Vauxhall Vectra Caravan 2.2 DTI | 60 litres |
| Vauxhall Vectra Caravan 2.2 DTI 16V | 60 litres |
| Vauxhall Vectra Caravan 3.0 CDTI | 60 litres |
| Vauxhall Vectra GTS 1.9 CDTI | 61 litres |
| Vauxhall Vectra GTS 2.2 DTI | 61 litres |
| Vauxhall Vectra GTS 3.0 CDTI | 61 litres |
Wrong fuel in your Vauxhall Vectra: what a few litres amounts to
Whatever diesel was still in the tank mixes with the wrong fuel in your Vauxhall Vectra, and how full the tank was when you filled up determines how much of that mixture is petrol. In a tank that holds up to 61 litres, a few litres of unleaded added to a nearly full tank makes a minor share of the total, and the same few litres going into a tank that was nearly empty is a much bigger share of what your engine would pull through.
People often ask how much petrol counts as too much. Running the motor is what carries the blend out of the tank and through your pump and the injectors, and so the more useful thing to find out is whether it has run.
Whatever the proportion, the sensible course is to get it drained, and with a modest amount a drain is normally all your Vectra needs.
Engines used in your diesel Vectra
Before you call, it is worth reading the version name on the badge, as it tells us which engine your Vectra has.
Across all diesel Vectra versions in our figures, the badges are DTI and CDTI.
The DTI badge shows up across more of them than any other, and the Vectra GTS 3.0 CDTI is a version that wears the CDTI badge instead.
In the Vectra Caravan 3.0 CDTI the motor is 3.0 litres, and in the Vectra Caravan 1.9 CDTI it is 1.9 litres, the lowest of them.
Phone all the same if you're not sure which version you have, then we will figure it out with you.
Tank size and AdBlue in a diesel Vauxhall Vectra
AdBlue changes what the capacity of the tank means. If you have AdBlue in a diesel Vauxhall Vectra, the diesel around it doesn't thin it, since AdBlue is largely water and does not blend with diesel. It sinks to the bottom of your tank, which is where the fuel pump pulls from, and so even a small amount reaches your fuel lines.
As the water in AdBlue evaporates, the urea left behind forms crystals in the fuel lines and the fuel filter and corrodes the metalwork next to it, and AdBlue does not burn or give the pump any protection either.
A separate tank with its own filler holds the AdBlue on some diesel vehicles, often alongside the filler for diesel under the same fuel flap. On any Vectra with an AdBlue filler, a blue cap normally shows it, and that cap accepts a narrower nozzle than the diesel one.
A fuel drain on your Vauxhall Vectra, step by step
A fuel drain on your Vauxhall Vectra clears the whole tank, whatever its size on your version, and it is carried out where the vehicle is sitting. First the tainted fuel is pumped out, then the filter and fuel lines are cleaned. After refilling with fresh diesel, we re-prime your system and fire up the engine.
It makes no difference whether your Vectra is still at the station forecourt or left on your driveway. You can take it away when this drain is finished, and it will be running on clean diesel.
AdBlue removal from a diesel Vauxhall Vectra
With AdBlue lying at the base of the tank and not mixed in, AdBlue removal from a diesel Vauxhall Vectra starts by draining your tank totally. We also rinse the lines and the filter through if the motor has been started, changing the fuel filter where it needs replacing.
Removing or disabling the AdBlue system on the vehicle is not what this covers. It's about AdBlue that has got into your diesel tank.
What a fuel drain on the Vauxhall Vectra costs
Two jobs on the same model can be rather dissimilar, so we do not publish a fixed price. How much went in against the size of your tank, petrol or AdBlue, and the car's location all count, but whether the Vectra has been driven or only started changes it most.
With those facts, we can let you know what the job will need when you phone.
Your tank queries on petrol in a diesel Vauxhall Vectra
What does the Vauxhall Vectra fuel tank capacity amount to?
Each version is listed above in the table, with tanks from 60 to 61 litres according to which one it is.
Does petrol matter less with a larger tank?
In a larger tank, petrol makes up a smaller share of the whole, yet it hasn't gone anywhere, and it reaches the pump when your engine runs. All of that comes out with a drain, as long as your Vectra is turned off.
Do you cover more than one diesel Vectra?
Our data cover 18 diesel versions of the Vectra, all set out in the table above, and so you can pick out yours there using the name printed on its badge.
Wrong fuel in my Vauxhall Vectra: what does that cover?
It means everything put into the diesel tank that is not diesel, and so petrol of any type, including super unleaded, or AdBlue, which has its own dedicated tank.
Do you come to the Vauxhall Vectra to drain it?
Yes, wherever it is. Sitting at home or still at the pumps, the vehicle remains put and isn't started, as we travel to it.