Petrol in a Diesel Vauxhall Vivaro: What the Tank Holds
Someone who has got petrol in a diesel Vauxhall Vivaro wants to know the capacity of its fuel tank early on, as that settles what share of the fuel in there is currently petrol. We give the tank size on each version of the Vauxhall Vivaro that we have figures for on this page, together with the engines it came with.
Whatever the size, the advice is the same after it has occurred. Leave the motor off then phone Petrol in Diesel, and we'll come to drain the vehicle where it stands.
Each version in turn: Vauxhall Vivaro fuel tank capacity
90 litres is what the diesel tank takes on every version of the Vauxhall Vivaro we hold data for, since they all use the same fuel tank.
| Version | Fuel tank |
|---|---|
| Vauxhall Vivaro 2.0 CDTI | 90 litres |
| Vauxhall Vivaro 2.5 CDTI | 90 litres |
Wrong fuel in your Vauxhall Vivaro: what a few litres means
How full your tank was when you refuelled decides the proportion of petrol, as wrong fuel in your Vauxhall Vivaro mixes with whatever diesel was already in it. How much petrol goes to the engine depends a lot on the level inside the tank. It holds up to 90 litres, and in an almost full one a couple of litres remain a minor share of the total, yet in a tank running close to empty the same few litres become a far larger part.
Motorists frequently wonder how much petrol is too much. The more useful thing to know is if the motor has run, since running the engine is what moves that mixture from the tank and through the pump and the fuel injectors.
A fuel drain is the right option whatever the share, and with a small amount it is usually all your Vivaro needs.
Diesel Vivaro engines and the badges
Your engine in your Vivaro shows in the version name on the badge. Read it before you ring.
Among all diesel Vivaro versions in our figures, the badges read CDTI.
The engines range from 2.0 litres on the Vivaro 2.0 CDTI up to 2.5 litres on the Vivaro 2.5 CDTI.
Call anyway if you're not sure which version you have, and we'll work it out with you.
What goes on with AdBlue in a diesel Vauxhall Vivaro
AdBlue alters what the capacity of your tank means. With AdBlue in a diesel Vauxhall Vivaro, the diesel sitting inside your tank does not weaken it. Being largely water, AdBlue stays separate from your diesel and settles to the bottom, which is where your pump pulls from. Even a small quantity ends up in your fuel lines.
Nothing in AdBlue ignites, and the pump gets no protection from it. Once its water evaporates, urea is left in the fuel lines and the fuel filter as crystals, and the metal around it corrodes.
On some diesel cars, AdBlue has a second tank of its own, and its filler commonly is beside the diesel one under the same fuel flap. If your Vivaro has an AdBlue filler, the diesel pump nozzle is the bigger of the two, and the AdBlue cap is normally blue.
A fuel drain on your Vauxhall Vivaro, step by step
Done where your car is standing, a fuel drain on your Vauxhall Vivaro empties the entire tank, whatever size the tank is on your version. Clean diesel goes in once the contaminated fuel gets pumped out and the lines and your filter are rinsed, and then the system is primed and the engine started.
Whether your Vivaro is still at the station forecourt or left on your drive does not change a thing. You can take it away when the drain is finished, and it will be running on clean diesel.
How AdBlue removal from a diesel Vauxhall Vivaro works
With AdBlue lying at the base of your tank rather than mixed in, AdBlue removal from a diesel Vauxhall Vivaro begins by clearing your tank entirely. A motor that has run means purging the filter and lines through as well, plus replacing the fuel filter if needed.
What this covers is AdBlue that ended up in the diesel tank, not taking out or disabling the AdBlue system on your car.
How the quote of a fuel drain on the Vauxhall Vivaro is set
The same model can mean very different call-outs, which is why we don't list a fixed price. What affects it most is whether the Vivaro has been run or driven, and next how much was put in relative to the capacity of your tank, whether it was petrol or AdBlue, and where the vehicle is.
Those facts are what we need to tell you what the work takes. Call with them to hand.
Your tank questions on petrol in a diesel Vauxhall Vivaro
How many litres is the Vauxhall Vivaro fuel tank capacity?
90 litres, with every version we hold figures for sharing the same tank.
With a bigger tank, is petrol less of a problem?
In a bigger tank, petrol is a smaller part of the whole, yet it hasn't gone anywhere, and it reaches the pump once your engine runs. With your Vivaro turned off, a drain removes all of that.
How many diesel versions of the Vivaro do you list?
We have figures for 2 diesel versions of the Vivaro, and you can pick out yours in the table above by the name on the badge.
Wrong fuel in my Vauxhall Vivaro: what does that include?
It means everything put into your diesel tank that is not diesel, so petrol of any type, including super unleaded, or AdBlue, which has its own dedicated tank.
Wherever the Vauxhall Vivaro is, can you drain the vehicle?
We do. The car doesn't need to be moved or switched on, since we come to it whether it's still at the forecourt or parked on your drive.