Put Petrol in a Diesel Volkswagen Golf by Mistake?
The motor is safest left off if it hasn't been run since you put petrol in a diesel Volkswagen Golf, and that includes shifting it away from the pump. As long as your engine stays off the petrol sits in your tank, and a drain is generally all it needs to set your Golf right.
Petrol in Diesel empties wrongly fuelled cars on the spot, so the Volkswagen Golf can remain on the forecourt or wherever it has stopped. We'll go through it with you on the phone, so call us before trying anything on your own.
The first steps with petrol in a diesel Golf
- Don't turn on your engine, even though a diesel Golf will normally run with petrol inside the tank. It can feel fine for a time, and that is how drivers commonly pull away without realising anything is wrong.
- Switching the ignition on is enough, on a lot of diesels, to start the fuel pump priming and draw fuel from the tank towards the injectors, so keep that off as well.
- Don't fill the rest of the tank with diesel to dilute it. Your Golf takes up to 65 litres, and topping it up just means more contaminated fuel to drain. Super unleaded counts as petrol here too.
- When the vehicle is blocking a pump, pop it in neutral then roll it clear. Forecourt attendants are normally glad to lend a hand.
- Call 0333 366 0103 and tell us which Golf you have and where it is parked, about how much petrol was put in, and whether your engine has run. Where the exact version is shown on the badging, say the Golf 1.9 SDI, tell us that as well.
Wrong fuel in your Volkswagen Golf once the motor has been run
Starting your engine is what pulls the wrong fuel in your Volkswagen Golf from your tank, and only then does it begin to reach your engine. Inside a diesel motor, the fuel oils your injectors and the injection pump on its way past. That protection is stripped away once petrol thins your diesel, so the damage, where there is any, is down to driving on the blend.
Pull over somewhere safe then switch off when your Golf has already been on the road. We can still deal with it, by draining the tank and rinsing the lines and your filter till all the tainted fuel is out. If it's caught early and flushed out thoroughly, permanent harm is very uncommon.
The Golf 1.9 TDI is no different here from any other variant of the Golf.
Volkswagen Golf fuel tank capacity
Because the risk hinges on what share of your fuel is petrol, the capacity of the tank counts, and a couple of litres in a tank that was almost empty are more of a problem than the same in a fuller one.
Tank capacities across the Volkswagen Golf go from 50 to 65 litres according to the version.
The Golf Variant Blue is the variant with the smallest tank in our figures, and the Golf Variant CL TDI syncro is the one with the largest.
The tank on the Golf Variant CL 1.9 TD takes 60 litres.
| Version | Fuel tank |
|---|---|
| Volkswagen CrossGolf 1.6 TDI | 55 litres |
| Volkswagen CrossGolf 1.9 TDI | 55 litres |
| Volkswagen CrossGolf 2.0 TDI | 55 litres |
| Volkswagen Golf 1.6 TDI | 55 litres |
| Volkswagen Golf 1.9 SDI | 55 litres |
| Volkswagen Golf 1.9 TDI | 55 litres |
| Volkswagen Golf 1.9 TDI 4motion | 62 litres |
| Volkswagen Golf 2.0 SDI | 55 litres |
| Volkswagen Golf 2.0 TDI | 55 litres |
| Volkswagen Golf 2.0 TDI 4Motion | 55 litres |
| Volkswagen Golf 2.0 TDI GT | 55 litres |
| Volkswagen Golf BlueMotion | 50 litres |
| Volkswagen Golf Cabrio 1.6 TDI | 55 litres |
| Volkswagen Golf Cabrio 1.9 TDI | 55 litres |
| Volkswagen Golf Cabrio 2.0 TDI | 55 litres |
| Volkswagen Golf CL 1.9 D | 55 litres |
| Volkswagen Golf CL 1.9 TD | 55 litres |
| Volkswagen Golf CL Ecomatic | 55 litres |
| Volkswagen Golf CL SDI | 55 litres |
| Volkswagen Golf GTD | 55 litres |
| Volkswagen Golf Plus 1.6 TDI | 55 litres |
| Volkswagen Golf Plus 1.9 TDI | 55 litres |
| Volkswagen Golf Plus 2.0 TDI | 55 litres |
| Volkswagen Golf TDI | 55 litres |
| Volkswagen Golf Variant 1.6 TDI | 55 litres |
| Volkswagen Golf Variant 1.6 TDI 4motion | 55 litres |
| Volkswagen Golf Variant 1.9 SDI | 55 litres |
| Volkswagen Golf Variant 1.9 TDI | 60 litres |
| Volkswagen Golf Variant 1.9 TDI 4motion | 62 litres |
| Volkswagen Golf Variant 2.0 TDI | 55 litres |
| Volkswagen Golf Variant 2.0 TDI 4Motion | 50 litres |
| Volkswagen Golf Variant Blue | 50 litres |
| Volkswagen Golf Variant CL 1.9 D | 60 litres |
| Volkswagen Golf Variant CL 1.9 TD | 60 litres |
| Volkswagen Golf Variant CL SDI | 60 litres |
| Volkswagen Golf Variant CL TDI syncro | 65 litres |
| Volkswagen Golf Variant GL 1.9 TDI | 60 litres |
What diesel Golf do you own?
Check the badge on your boot lid, which generally gives the version, then tell us what it says when you ring.
The diesel models of the Golf have been labelled TDI, SDI and TD.
The Golf Variant CL SDI is badged SDI, whilst the commonest badge in our records is TDI.
At 1.6 litres, the Golf Cabrio 1.6 TDI has the smallest motor, whilst the Golf Variant 2.0 TDI goes up to 2.0 litres.
You can also find Variant and 4MOTION versions in the list.
AdBlue in a diesel Volkswagen Golf
To clean up their exhaust, some diesel cars use AdBlue, a mixture of water and urea that goes in its own tank through its own filler. The key should remain out of the ignition when you have AdBlue in a diesel Volkswagen Golf through the incorrect filler, and that includes moving your vehicle.
Even a tank holding up to 65 litres won't dilute AdBlue the way it would dilute petrol. AdBlue does not blend with diesel, so it sinks to the bottom, right where your pump draws its fuel, and being mainly water it neither ignites nor offers the fuel pump any lubrication.
A small quantity is still drawn into the system. Deposits of urea form in your filter, the injectors and the remainder of the system as the water dries off, and they eat into the metalwork they sit against.
Look under the fuel flap where the Golf has an AdBlue filler, as on many cars it is right alongside the diesel filler. AdBlue caps are typically blue and fit a much smaller nozzle than diesel.
What we do in a fuel drain on your Volkswagen Golf
A fuel drain on your Volkswagen Golf is carried out beside the car, so it never has to be taken to a garage. We begin by finding out what was put in and whether the engine has been run, then drain your tank, which on the Golf holds up to 65 litres. Then we flush your fuel lines and the filter and refill with clean diesel, and the system is primed before we start the car.
The tank in the Golf 1.9 TDI 4motion takes 62 litres.
You can take your Golf away when we have finished, now running on fresh diesel.
AdBlue removal from a diesel Volkswagen Golf, step by step
Just like clearing petrol, AdBlue removal from a diesel Volkswagen Golf runs through the same steps. We flush crystals out of the pipes as well when the Golf has been started, and change the fuel filter if needed, because AdBlue collects in the bottom of the tank instead of mixing in and can leave them there.
What we call AdBlue removal is emptying AdBlue from your diesel tank after a slip at your filler, not removing or switching off the AdBlue system on a vehicle.
Pricing a fuel drain on the Volkswagen Golf
We do not publish a fixed quote, as this work varies from one job to the next. These are the chief things that change it:
- whether anyone has started or driven the Golf, the thing that counts most
- how much was put in compared with the size of the tank
- whether it was petrol or AdBlue
- whether the van can easily and safely reach the Golf where it stands
To compare, a full tank on the Golf Variant 1.9 SDI is 55 litres.
If you ring with those answers we can explain what the job is likely to involve.
Queries about petrol in a diesel Volkswagen Golf
Can you tell me the fuel tank capacity of the Volkswagen Golf?
Between 50 and 65 litres according to the variant, and the table above lists every one.
Does filling up with diesel help with a little petrol in my Golf?
We'd advise against it. The petrol remains in your system when you drive off, since adding diesel only cuts its proportion and takes out none of it. All of that comes out with a fuel drain, which for a modest quantity is normally everything your Golf requires.
Should my Golf go to the Volkswagen dealer?
You don't need to. We have no connection with Volkswagen or any of its dealers, being independent, and the Golf is emptied and cleaned where you are.
Does the variant of my Golf make a difference?
We have figures for 37 diesel versions of the Golf, and knowing which one you have assists us when you ring.
Will my policy pay for wrong fuel in my Volkswagen Golf?
It is worth checking your insurance, as misfuelling cover is part of some and not others. Whatever it says, we come out to drain the car.
The diesel went into the AdBlue filler on my Golf. What now?
In this case, too, the right thing is to leave your ignition alone. Limp mode and a warning are what the majority of vehicles give you when they're driven like that, and their AdBlue system will need emptying. Let us know which tank the diesel went into when you ring.
I drove my Golf before I noticed. What do I do?
Find a safe location to pull over, then switch your engine off and keep the vehicle that way till we arrive. Long-term harm is very uncommon if it's caught soon like this, and we drain the fuel system and clean it where you have pulled over.