Petrol in a Diesel Volkswagen Lupo? Leave It Switched Off
If you have put petrol in a diesel Volkswagen Lupo but your motor has not been turned on, leave it turned off, including to move it away from the petrol pump. The petrol cannot get out of the tank as long as your engine is off, so the Lupo can normally be put right with a fuel drain.
There is no reason to shift your Volkswagen Lupo off the forecourt, or from any other place where it stopped, since this drain is done by Petrol in Diesel wherever the car stands. Wait before trying anything on your own till you have phoned us, and we'll explain what to do.
Put petrol in a diesel Lupo? What to do first
- Do not turn on the motor, even though a diesel Lupo will generally run with petrol in the tank. It can seem normal for a while, and that's how people frequently pull away without noticing something is wrong.
- Keep the ignition off too. On many diesels turning it on will set the fuel pump priming, which pulls fuel out of your tank to the injectors.
- Don't fill the remainder of the tank with diesel to thin it. Your Lupo takes up to 34 litres, and topping it up just means more tainted fuel to drain. Super unleaded counts as petrol here as well.
- Forecourt attendants will normally help roll your car clear in neutral when it's blocking a pump.
- Once you call 0333 366 0103, we need to know which Lupo you have, where it is, how much petrol you reckon went in and whether your engine has been run. The exact variant helps as well if it's on the badging, for instance the Lupo 3L TDI.
Driving on wrong fuel in your Volkswagen Lupo
The engine is not affected by wrong fuel in your Volkswagen Lupo until it's pulled from the tank, and starting the engine is what draws it out. A diesel motor relies on the fuel to oil your high-pressure pump and your injectors as it flows through them. Driving for any distance on that mix is what can do harm, since petrol dilutes your diesel and washes that protection away.
If you have driven the Lupo on it, the right thing to do is stop in a safe place then turn the engine off. Even so, we can get all the tainted fuel out, by draining your tank and then cleaning the fuel lines and the fuel filter. When it's caught early and cleaned out properly, long-term damage is very unusual.
The Volkswagen Lupo fuel tank capacity, by version
What matters is what proportion of the fuel in your tank is petrol. The same few litres matter more if you filled up with the tank almost empty, which is why its size makes a difference.
Every diesel Volkswagen Lupo we hold figures for uses the same tank, which holds 34 litres, so the version you have doesn't alter that sum.
| Version | Fuel tank |
|---|---|
| Volkswagen Lupo 1.4 TDI | 34 litres |
| Volkswagen Lupo 1.7 SDI | 34 litres |
| Volkswagen Lupo 3L TDI | 34 litres |
Checking your diesel Lupo variant
More often than not the variant is badged on the boot lid, and it's useful to us to know when you ring.
On a diesel Lupo you will find TDI and SDI on the badging.
The smallest engine, 1.4 litres, is in the Lupo 1.4 TDI, and the largest, 1.7 litres, is on the Lupo 1.7 SDI.
When there's AdBlue in a diesel Volkswagen Lupo
To treat their exhaust, some diesel vehicles rely on AdBlue, a mix of water and urea that is put in its own tank through its own filler. The key should remain out of the ignition if you have AdBlue in a diesel Volkswagen Lupo through the wrong filler, and that includes moving your car.
AdBlue sinks to the bottom of your tank, where the pump takes its fuel from, because it will not blend with diesel. Being largely water, it cannot ignite and gives the fuel pump no protection, and the diesel in a tank holding up to 34 litres doesn't thin it as it would petrol.
However small the amount, some of that gets pulled into the line. Deposits of urea form in your filter, the injectors and the remainder of the system as the water evaporates, and they attack the metal they touch.
On plenty of vehicles the AdBlue filler sits alongside the diesel filler under the same fuel flap, and where the Lupo has one, it could well be there too. A blue cap and a nozzle far smaller than diesel typically mark the AdBlue filler.
Fuel drain on your Volkswagen Lupo: how it works
We do a fuel drain on your Volkswagen Lupo where the car stands, and it never has to go to a garage. On the Lupo the tank takes up to 34 litres, and we empty all of it after we have found out what was put in and whether your engine has been run. Your fuel pipes and the fuel filter are rinsed next, then we refill with fresh diesel and prime your system before firing up the engine.
By the time we leave, your Lupo is running on fresh diesel once more and all set for you to drive away.
AdBlue removal from a diesel Volkswagen Lupo, explained
The stages are the same as a petrol drain for AdBlue removal from a diesel Volkswagen Lupo. When the Lupo has been run, AdBlue may leave crystals inside the pipes, since it settles under the diesel rather than mixing in. We clear those through as well, and swap your fuel filter where needed.
AdBlue removal here means taking AdBlue out of your diesel tank once it has gone in the wrong filler. It does not mean taking out or switching off the AdBlue system on the car.
What does a fuel drain on the Volkswagen Lupo cost?
As each job is different, we have no set price to publish, and these are the chief things that shape it:
- whether the Lupo has been started or driven, which makes the largest difference
- the amount put in, measured against the size of your tank
- what was put in, petrol or AdBlue
- the position of the Lupo and how easily we can get to it with the van
Once you phone with those details we can tell you what the job is likely to involve.
Questions on petrol in a diesel Volkswagen Lupo, answered
Your Volkswagen Lupo fuel tank capacity: how many litres?
All the versions we have figures for hold 34 litres.
Is it OK to add diesel after just a little petrol in my Lupo?
Topping up only cuts the share of petrol. None of it is removed, so it's all still there when you drive off, which is why we wouldn't recommend it. Your Lupo normally needs no more than a fuel drain if only a small quantity went in, and that gets that petrol out entirely.
Should my Lupo go to the Volkswagen dealer?
There is no need to move it anywhere. We drain and clean your Lupo where it is, and we're independent, with no connection to Volkswagen or any of its dealers.
Does it help to know which Lupo I have?
Knowing your version is useful when you ring, since there are 3 diesel variants of the Lupo in our figures.
Does my insurance policy cover wrong fuel in my Volkswagen Lupo?
We'll still come out to drain it for you, covered or not. Look at your insurance all the same, as not every policy has misfuelling cover.
What should I do if my Lupo got diesel in its AdBlue tank?
Don't put the key in your ignition in that case either. Most cars give an alert and go into limp mode if they're driven in that state, and the AdBlue system will need emptying. Which tank the fuel was put in is worth telling us when you call.
What should I do if I have already driven my Lupo?
Switch your motor off once you have pulled over somewhere safe, and leave it off until we arrive. Permanent damage is very unusual if it's caught early like this, and we empty your fuel system and clean it where you have pulled over.