Kept Driving With Petrol in a Diesel Volkswagen Passat?
As soon as it is safe, pull in and turn the engine off, and leave it off. Driving on with petrol in a diesel Volkswagen Passat only takes the petrol further in. Spotted early, it very rarely causes permanent harm, and sorting it out wherever you've stopped is still something we can do.
Petrol in Diesel travels out to wherever your Volkswagen Passat has stopped, drains the tank and clears the petrol out of the system. When we go, it's running on clean diesel.
How petrol in a diesel Passat shows itself
To begin with, petrol in your fuel tank often makes little difference to how a diesel Passat drives, so the symptoms show up a few miles further on. The following are the ones most often spotted when your fuel tank has AdBlue or petrol in it:
- power drops away, especially when you ask the engine to pull
- the idle becomes erratic, or it runs roughly
- more smoke than normal appears from the tailpipe
- warning lights on the dash come on
- the motor stalls then might not start again
If one of these started after you fuelled up, check the receipt to confirm what was put in.
How far wrong fuel in your Volkswagen Passat goes when you drive
Wrong fuel in your Volkswagen Passat remains in your fuel tank till the motor pulls it out, and driving is what pulls it through your filter, your injection pump then the fuel injectors. As diesel passes through your fuel injectors and your fuel pump it protects them, but petrol weakens it, which is why the Passat takes that mixture deeper into the fuel system the more it's used.
Stopping the moment you can is wiser than finishing the journey for that reason. Travelling a long way on contaminated fuel is what can cause harm, and if a vehicle is stopped soon, draining and cleaning are generally all it needs.
Yours being the Passat 2.0 Variant TDI BMT SCR 4MOTION rather than any other version of the Passat makes no difference.
Right where you stopped
Getting the Passat anywhere is not needed. You can keep it at the side of the road or at home while we come to it, with no need to restart it and no tow to book.
If you are alongside a main road, put the hazard lights on then wait somewhere out of harm's way, away from the traffic.
Before you phone 0333 366 0103, have your location to hand, along with the distance you travelled and which Passat it is. If the badge shows the version, such as the Passat Variant TDI, that is useful too.
The fuel drain on your Volkswagen Passat after driving
After it has been driven, a fuel drain on your Volkswagen Passat takes a step more than one on the forecourt. No petrol is left between your tank and the engine by the end, so your tank is emptied first and the lines are then opened and flushed through with your filter. With fresh diesel in and your fuel system primed, we fire up the engine then check it runs smoothly.
Draining your tank comes first, and on the Passat 1.9 TDI it holds 62 litres.
If your engine has run with AdBlue in a diesel Volkswagen Passat
Travelling with AdBlue in a diesel Volkswagen Passat usually shows up as warning lights, smoke and rough running, and your car might stall. The fuel pump picks up fuel from the bottom of your tank, which is where AdBlue sinks, and so it reaches the fuel line quickly. It also doesn't burn or lubricate. Its water drying lets the urea form crystals in your fuel lines and the filter.
How AdBlue removal from a diesel Volkswagen Passat is done
We replace your fuel filter if it needs it as part of AdBlue removal from a diesel Volkswagen Passat after it has run, when the tank is emptied and the crystals are cleared from the fuel filter and your fuel lines.
Nothing here involves switching off or removing the AdBlue system. It deals with fluid in the diesel tank, and a dedicated AdBlue tank your Passat may have is left alone.
Volkswagen Passat fuel tank capacity and engines
Of the Volkswagen Passat versions, the Passat CL 1.9 TD has the largest diesel tank, at 70 litres, and the Passat 1.6 TDI BMT the smallest, at 59 litres.
An example is the Passat 2.0 TDI, which holds 62 litres.
On this diesel Passat, the versions wear TDI and TD badging.
One of those badged TD rather than TDI is the Passat Variant CL 1.9 TD.
The smallest engine is 1.6 litres, on the Passat Variant 1.6 TDI, and the biggest is 2.5 litres, on the Passat 2.5 V6 TDI 4motion.
Among them are 4MOTION and Variant versions.
| Version | Fuel tank |
|---|---|
| Volkswagen Passat 1.6 TDI | 70 litres |
| Volkswagen Passat 1.6 TDI BlueMotion | 59 litres |
| Volkswagen Passat 1.6 TDI BMT | 59 litres |
| Volkswagen Passat 1.6 Variant TDI BlueMotion | 59 litres |
| Volkswagen Passat 1.6 Variant TDI BMT | 59 litres |
| Volkswagen Passat 1.9 TDI | 62 litres |
| Volkswagen Passat 1.9 TDI 4motion | 62 litres |
| Volkswagen Passat 2.0 TDI | 62 litres |
| Volkswagen Passat 2.0 TDI 4Motion | 70 litres |
| Volkswagen Passat 2.0 TDI Blue | 70 litres |
| Volkswagen Passat 2.0 TDI BMT | 66 litres |
| Volkswagen Passat 2.0 TDI BMT 4MOTION | 66 litres |
| Volkswagen Passat 2.0 TDI BMT SCR | 66 litres |
| Volkswagen Passat 2.0 TDI BMT SCR 4MOTION | 66 litres |
| Volkswagen Passat 2.0 Variant TDI BMT | 66 litres |
| Volkswagen Passat 2.0 Variant TDI BMT 4MOTION | 66 litres |
| Volkswagen Passat 2.0 Variant TDI BMT SCR | 66 litres |
| Volkswagen Passat 2.0 Variant TDI BMT SCR 4MOTION | 66 litres |
| Volkswagen Passat 2.5 V6 TDI | 62 litres |
| Volkswagen Passat 2.5 V6 TDI 4motion | 62 litres |
| Volkswagen Passat Alltrack 2.0 TDI 4motion | 68 litres |
| Volkswagen Passat BlueMotion | 70 litres |
| Volkswagen Passat CC 2.0 TDI | 70 litres |
| Volkswagen Passat CC 2.0 TDI 4Motion | 70 litres |
| Volkswagen Passat CC 2.0 TDI Blue | 70 litres |
| Volkswagen Passat CL 1.9 TD | 70 litres |
| Volkswagen Passat CL 1.9 TDI | 70 litres |
| Volkswagen Passat TDI | 62 litres |
| Volkswagen Passat TDI 4motion | 62 litres |
| Volkswagen Passat V6 TDI | 62 litres |
| Volkswagen Passat V6 TDI 4motion | 62 litres |
| Volkswagen Passat Variant 1.6 TDI | 70 litres |
| Volkswagen Passat Variant 1.9 TDI | 62 litres |
| Volkswagen Passat Variant 1.9 TDi 4motion | 62 litres |
| Volkswagen Passat Variant 1.9 TDi syncro | 62 litres |
| Volkswagen Passat Variant 2.0 TDI | 62 litres |
| Volkswagen Passat Variant 2.0 TDI 4motion | 70 litres |
| Volkswagen Passat Variant 2.0 TDI Blue | 70 litres |
| Volkswagen Passat Variant 2.5 V6 TDI | 62 litres |
| Volkswagen Passat Variant 2.5 V6 TDi 4motion | 62 litres |
| Volkswagen Passat Variant BlueMotion | 70 litres |
| Volkswagen Passat Variant CL 1.9 TD | 70 litres |
| Volkswagen Passat Variant CL 1.9 TDI | 70 litres |
| Volkswagen Passat Variant TDI | 62 litres |
| Volkswagen Passat Variant TDI 4motion | 62 litres |
| Volkswagen Passat Variant V6 TDI 4Motion | 62 litres |
Pricing a fuel drain on the Volkswagen Passat after driving
The mileage driven and where it is now matter the most for the price of a fuel drain on the Volkswagen Passat after driving, as does whether it was AdBlue or petrol. Those details are what we need when you call, and with them we can tell you what the job will involve.
Common questions about petrol in a diesel Volkswagen Passat after driving
Is my Passat ruined?
It's very unlikely. Lasting harm is uncommon when your car is stopped soon and the fuel system is emptied and flushed, and that is what we do where you have stopped.
Is it all right to drive it home first?
We'd ask you not to. Moving it is not needed, since we can empty the Passat where it sits. Taking it on only takes tainted fuel further through your fuel system.
Stalled, and it won't restart: what should I do next?
Trying again draws more of the blend through with each try. Please leave it as it is. With it drained and rinsed and clean diesel in, we prime your system and get it started for you.
Do you need to know which Passat I own?
It's useful when you ring if we know which of the 46 diesel versions of the Passat you have, and the tailgate badge shows it.
Insurance and wrong fuel in my Volkswagen Passat: am I covered?
Misfuelling cover is offered in some policies, so check yours once your car has been dealt with. Whatever it says, we still come out.