You've Driven With Petrol in a Diesel Volkswagen
Once you have been driving with petrol in a diesel Volkswagen, pull in the moment it's safe, turn the engine off and leave it off. We can still sort it out wherever you have pulled up, and when it is spotted soon, permanent harm is very rare.
Wherever your car has ended up, Petrol in Diesel comes out to it. We drain your fuel tank then clear the petrol from the fuel system, leaving it running on fresh diesel again.
Petrol in a diesel Volkswagen: the symptoms to look for
You may cover the first few miles with petrol in your tank without noticing anything unusual, because the symptoms usually show up later. The following are most often noticed when the tank has AdBlue or petrol in it:
- the motor struggles for power, particularly as it's asked to accelerate
- it ticks over unsteadily or runs rough
- there is more smoke than usual from the tailpipe
- some warning lights light up
- stalling, then perhaps refusing to start again
If these symptoms began following a fill-up, the fuel that went in will be shown on your receipt.
How travelling moves wrong fuel in your Volkswagen
Driving is what pulls wrong fuel in your Volkswagen through the fuel filter, the high-pressure fuel pump and the fuel injectors. Until the motor draws it out, it stays in the tank. Petrol thins the diesel that protects your fuel pump and your injectors, so the mixture reaches deeper into the system with every mile your car goes.
This is the reason to stop as soon as you can and not complete the trip. Driving a long way on mixed fuel is what can do harm, and when a vehicle is stopped soon, a drain and a clean are normally all it requires.
It's the same for the Golf as for any other diesel Volkswagen.
We come to wherever you have pulled up
You do not need to move the car anywhere. We come to it at the roadside or outside your home, so there is no reason to start it or organise a tow.
Somewhere safe away from the traffic is where to wait if a fast road is just next to you, with your hazard lights on.
Call 0333 366 0103 and say where you have stopped, which model it is and roughly how far it has gone. To start with, the model name will do, such as the Caddy.
What a fuel drain on your Volkswagen means after a drive
There is a step more to a fuel drain on your Volkswagen after driving than to one at the forecourt. We empty the tank first, then open up your fuel lines and rinse them through with the fuel filter, so that no petrol is remaining between the fuel tank and the engine. The fuel system is primed once fresh diesel goes in, and the motor is started to check it runs properly.
For the Scirocco, the fuel tank we empty first takes up to 55 litres.
After the engine has run: AdBlue in a diesel Volkswagen
Driving on AdBlue in a diesel Volkswagen can end in a stall, normally following rough running, smoke and warning lights. Once AdBlue is in your fuel tank, it settles to the bottom, where the fuel pump picks up fuel, so it gets into the fuel line fast. It also doesn't burn or lubricate. As its water dries, the urea crystallises in your fuel lines and your filter.
AdBlue removal from a diesel Volkswagen
We replace the fuel filter if it needs it during AdBlue removal from a diesel Volkswagen after it has run, after emptying your fuel tank and flushing the crystals from the filter and the fuel lines.
Just your fuel tank is worked on here. Where the car has a separate AdBlue tank, it's left alone, and its AdBlue system isn't taken out or disabled.
Tank sizes across the diesel Volkswagen range
Diesel Volkswagen fuel tanks go from 34 to 100 litres across the line-up.
One example is the Passat, which takes up to 70 litres.
Every one of the 21 diesel Volkswagen models we cover has its own page further down, with every version and its fuel tank.
What a fuel drain on a diesel Volkswagen costs after a drive
What you are charged for a fuel drain after driving comes down mainly to the miles the car did and where it is now, though petrol versus AdBlue counts as well. What the job will involve is something we can explain once we have those details on the phone.
Driven on petrol in a diesel Volkswagen: your queries
Is the damage to my Volkswagen lasting?
Lasting damage is very unlikely. It is rare when the vehicle is stopped soon and the fuel system is emptied and cleaned, which is what we do where you have stopped.
Can I complete the journey home first?
We'd sooner you didn't. We can deal with the car just where it stands, so it does not need moving, and every mile on contaminated fuel would carry it further through the fuel system.
What should I do when it has stalled and won't restart?
Please don't try again. Leave it as it is, because every attempt draws more of that mixture through. We prime your fuel system and get it started for you once it has been emptied and flushed and fresh diesel is in.
Wrong fuel in my Volkswagen: will insurance cover it?
Once the vehicle is dealt with, it's worth looking at your policy, because some include misfuelling cover. We come out whether or not it does.