Have You Put Petrol in a Diesel Volkswagen Multivan?
We'd ask you to keep the motor off when you've put petrol in a diesel Volkswagen Multivan and not started it yet, and that counts for shifting it off the forecourt too. With your engine kept off, that petrol stays put inside your tank, and in the majority of cases a drain is all your Multivan requires.
Your Volkswagen Multivan can be left wherever it has stopped, forecourt or not, since Petrol in Diesel empties wrongly fuelled cars where they are. Hold off trying anything yourself until you have phoned us, and we will explain what to do.
The first moves after petrol in a diesel Multivan
- Do not start the engine, even though a diesel Multivan will normally run with petrol inside the tank. It can feel normal for a while, and that's how motorists frequently pull away without noticing something is wrong.
- Turning the ignition on is enough, on many diesels, to set the fuel pump priming and pull fuel from the tank to the injectors, so keep that off as well.
- The Multivan holds up to 80 litres, so filling the rest of your tank with diesel to dilute the petrol simply leaves more contaminated fuel to drain. The same applies to super unleaded, which counts as petrol as well.
- Forecourt staff will usually help push the vehicle out of the way in neutral if it's in the way of a pump.
- Call 0333 366 0103 with the place your Multivan is and which one it is, the approximate volume of petrol that was put in, and whether it has been run. If you can read the exact version on the badge, for example the Multivan 2.5 TDI lang, that is useful as well.
Wrong fuel in your Volkswagen Multivan after your motor has been started
Whilst it remains in your tank, wrong fuel in your Volkswagen Multivan doesn't reach your engine. That only starts once it is pulled out, which is what occurs when your engine is started. A diesel motor depends on the fuel to lubricate the high-pressure fuel pump and the fuel injectors whilst it passes through them. Petrol thins your diesel and takes that protection away, which is why it's driving any distance on the mix that can do harm.
Stop somewhere safe and switch off if your Multivan has already been on the road. We can still sort it out, by draining your tank and rinsing the pipes and your filter until all of the contaminated fuel is cleared. Very few cars that are caught soon and cleaned out thoroughly end up with long-term harm.
That applies to the Multivan 2.0 BiTDI 4Motion as much as any other version of the Multivan.
Checking the Volkswagen Multivan fuel tank capacity
As the danger rests on how much of your fuel is petrol, the size of the tank counts, and a few litres in a tank that was almost empty are a bigger problem than the same in a fuller tank.
Depending on the version, the Volkswagen Multivan has a tank of 70 to 80 litres.
In our figures the Multivan 1.9 TDI lang has the biggest tank and the Multivan 2.0 TDI the smallest.
The Multivan 2.5 TDI 4Motion holds 80 litres.
| Version | Fuel tank |
|---|---|
| Volkswagen Multivan 1.9 TDI | 80 litres |
| Volkswagen Multivan 1.9 TDI lang | 80 litres |
| Volkswagen Multivan 2.0 BiTDI 4Motion | 80 litres |
| Volkswagen Multivan 2.0 BiTDI 4Motion lang | 80 litres |
| Volkswagen Multivan 2.0 BiTDI lang | 70 litres |
| Volkswagen Multivan 2.0 TDI | 70 litres |
| Volkswagen Multivan 2.0 TDI 4Motion | 80 litres |
| Volkswagen Multivan 2.0 TDI 4Motion lang | 80 litres |
| Volkswagen Multivan 2.0 TDI lang | 70 litres |
| Volkswagen Multivan 2.5 TDI | 80 litres |
| Volkswagen Multivan 2.5 TDI 4Motion | 80 litres |
| Volkswagen Multivan 2.5 TDI lang | 80 litres |
What diesel variant of the Multivan is yours?
It helps us to have the variant when you phone, and it is usually on a badge at the back of your car.
On a diesel Multivan you can find TDI on the badge.
The Multivan 2.5 TDI has the largest engine, at 2.5 litres, and the Multivan 1.9 TDI the smallest, at 1.9 litres.
Our list covers 4MOTION versions too.
Got AdBlue in a diesel Volkswagen Multivan?
To treat their exhaust, some diesel vehicles use AdBlue, a blend of water and urea that goes in its own tank through its own filler. Even to shift the vehicle, do not turn your key if you have AdBlue in a diesel Volkswagen Multivan after it went in the wrong filler.
AdBlue sinks to the bottom of the tank, where your pump takes its fuel from, because it will not mix with diesel. Being largely water, it can't ignite and gives the fuel pump no protection, and the diesel in a tank of up to 80 litres doesn't thin it the way it would petrol.
Even a small amount is pulled into the fuel line. Within the fuel system the water dries off and lets the urea crystallise, in your filter and injectors among other places, where it eats into the metalwork it touches.
On many cars the AdBlue filler sits alongside the diesel filler under the same cover, and where your Multivan has one, it may well be there as well. AdBlue caps are typically blue and fit a far smaller nozzle than diesel.
Fuel drain on your Volkswagen Multivan: what we do
Taking your vehicle to a garage is not necessary, as a fuel drain on your Volkswagen Multivan is carried out right at your car. We begin by checking what went in and whether the motor has run, then drain the tank, which on the Multivan takes up to 80 litres. After that we clean your fuel pipes and the fuel filter and refill with clean diesel, and the system is primed before we fire it up.
The Multivan 2.0 TDI 4Motion has a tank of 80 litres.
Once we've finished, your Multivan runs on clean diesel and you can drive off in it.
AdBlue removal from a diesel Volkswagen Multivan
Just like draining petrol, AdBlue removal from a diesel Volkswagen Multivan runs through the same stages. As AdBlue doesn't blend in but gathers at the bottom of your tank, running the Multivan on it can leave deposits inside the lines. Those get flushed through as well, and the filter is swapped where needed.
On this page, AdBlue removal means taking AdBlue back out of a diesel tank it was put into through the incorrect filler. Disabling or removing the AdBlue system on a vehicle isn't what it means.
What decides the price of a fuel drain on the Volkswagen Multivan
The work varies from one task to the next, so we don't publish a set quote. The main factors that shape it are these:
- whether the Multivan has been started or driven, which makes the biggest difference
- how much was put in compared to the capacity of the tank
- whether it was AdBlue instead of petrol
- where you are with the Multivan, and whether it is safe to bring our van there
To compare, a full tank in the Multivan 2.0 TDI lang comes to 70 litres.
With those answers on the phone, we can let you know what the work is going to involve.
Your questions on petrol in a diesel Volkswagen Multivan
The Volkswagen Multivan fuel tank capacity: how many litres?
The table further up lists every variant, with tanks of between 70 and 80 litres.
Does topping up with diesel help with a little petrol in my Multivan?
Filling up just reduces the proportion of petrol. None of that is removed, so it is all still there when you drive, which is why we wouldn't advise it. The Multivan normally needs no more than a fuel drain if only a modest amount went in, and that takes the petrol out completely.
Do I need to take my Multivan to the Volkswagen dealer?
No. We're independent and have no tie with Volkswagen or its dealers, plus we drain and clean the Multivan wherever it is, so there's no need to move it anywhere.
Does the variant of my Multivan make a difference?
We have data for 12 diesel versions of the Multivan, and knowing which one you have helps us when you ring.
Will my policy pay for wrong fuel in my Volkswagen Multivan?
Misfuelling cover comes with some policies and not others, so check yours. We'll come out to drain it for you whether it does or not.
The diesel went into the AdBlue filler on my Multivan. What now?
In that case, as well, leave the key out of your ignition. The majority of cars display an alert and go into limp mode if they are driven in that state, and the AdBlue system will need emptying. When you phone, tell us which tank the diesel went into.
What should I do if I've already driven my Multivan?
Pull over where it is safe and turn the engine off, then keep it off till we reach you. We empty and clean the system where you are, and if it is caught soon like this, permanent harm is very uncommon.