Put Petrol in a Diesel Volkswagen Phaeton?
We'd ask you to keep the engine off if you have put petrol in a diesel Volkswagen Phaeton and not started it yet, and that counts for shifting it off the forecourt as well. A drain is normally enough to put your Phaeton right, as long as the petrol remains in your tank, which it will while your motor is off.
Petrol in Diesel drains misfuelled vehicles where they are, so the Volkswagen Phaeton can stay at the forecourt or wherever it ended up. Wait before attempting anything on your own till you have called us, and we'll tell you what to do.
Put petrol in a diesel Phaeton? First steps
- Don't start your motor, even though a diesel Phaeton will normally run with petrol inside your tank. It can feel normal for a time, and that's how people commonly pull away without realising anything is amiss.
- The ignition needs to stay off too, since switching it on sets the fuel pump priming on plenty of diesels, and your pump then pulls fuel out of the tank.
- Your Phaeton holds up to 90 litres, so filling the remainder of your tank with diesel to dilute that petrol simply leaves more contaminated fuel to drain. The same applies to super unleaded, which counts as petrol as well.
- Ask the forecourt attendants when your car is blocking a pump. They generally help push the vehicle out of the way after it is in neutral.
- If the badging shows the exact version, for example the Phaeton V6 TDI 4Motion, give it when you call 0333 366 0103. Tell us as well which Phaeton you have and where it is parked, roughly how much petrol was put in and whether your engine has run.
What starting your engine does with wrong fuel in your Volkswagen Phaeton
As long as it sits in the tank, wrong fuel in your Volkswagen Phaeton doesn't affect the motor. That only begins when it is drawn out, which is what occurs when your motor is started. A diesel motor relies on its fuel to oil your high-pressure pump and the injectors while it passes through them. With petrol thinning your diesel, that lubrication is lost, and driving any distance on it is then what can cause harm.
Pull over in a safe place and turn off when the Phaeton has already been driven. Even so, we can take all the contaminated fuel out, by emptying the tank and then flushing the fuel lines and the filter. If it's caught early and flushed out thoroughly, permanent harm is very unusual.
It is the same whatever version of the Phaeton you have, including the Phaeton V10 TDI 4Motion lang.
Volkswagen Phaeton fuel tank capacity
What matters is what proportion of the fuel inside your tank is petrol. The same few litres count for more if you filled up with the tank nearly empty, which is why its capacity makes a difference.
The fuel tank holds 90 litres on each diesel Volkswagen Phaeton we hold figures for, so that calculation is the same whatever variant you have.
| Version | Fuel tank |
|---|---|
| Volkswagen Phaeton V10 TDI 4motion | 90 litres |
| Volkswagen Phaeton V10 TDI 4Motion lang | 90 litres |
| Volkswagen Phaeton V6 TDI 4Motion | 90 litres |
| Volkswagen Phaeton V6 TDI 4motion lang | 90 litres |
Telling which diesel Phaeton you drive
The version is normally on a badge on your boot lid, and it helps us to know it when you ring.
On your diesel Phaeton, the badging found is TDI.
Our list takes in 4MOTION versions too.
AdBlue in a diesel Volkswagen Phaeton by mistake
Water and urea go into AdBlue, which some diesel vehicles rely on to clean up the exhaust. It's kept in a tank of its own, with its own filler. The key needs to stay out of your ignition if you have AdBlue in a diesel Volkswagen Phaeton through the incorrect filler, and that covers shifting the car.
AdBlue drops to the bottom of your tank, where the pump draws its fuel from, as it won't blend with diesel. Being mainly water, it cannot ignite and gives the fuel pump no protection, and your diesel in a tank of up to 90 litres does not thin it as it would petrol.
A small amount is still sucked into the fuel system. When the water has evaporated, what is left is urea, which crystallises in your fuel system, filter and injectors included, and attacks any metal it touches.
The same flap often covers both fillers, and where your Phaeton has an AdBlue filler, it might well be beside the diesel one. A blue cap and a nozzle far narrower than diesel normally mark the AdBlue filler.
Our fuel drain on your Volkswagen Phaeton, step by step
Every fuel drain on your Volkswagen Phaeton is done at the car, so it never needs to be taken to a garage. Before we start the motor, your system is primed and the tank refilled with clean diesel. First comes checking what was put in and whether it has run, draining a tank that takes up to 90 litres on the Phaeton, and rinsing the pipes and filter.
By the time we leave, the Phaeton is running on fresh diesel once more and ready for you to take away.
AdBlue removal from a diesel Volkswagen Phaeton, explained
The stages are the same as draining petrol for AdBlue removal from a diesel Volkswagen Phaeton. We flush deposits out of the pipes too if the Phaeton has been run, and change the fuel filter if needed, as AdBlue gathers in the base of the tank rather than blending in and can leave them there.
What we call AdBlue removal is draining AdBlue from your diesel tank after a slip at the filler, not taking out or switching off the AdBlue system on a vehicle.
A fuel drain on the Volkswagen Phaeton: what it costs
A set quote is not something we publish, as no two jobs involve the same work. It mainly comes down to the following:
- whether the Phaeton has been started or driven, which makes the largest difference
- the capacity of your tank, set against how much was put in
- which of the two it was, petrol or AdBlue
- where the Phaeton is, and whether we can bring the van to it safely
We can let you know what the work will probably need once you ring with those details.
Petrol in a diesel Volkswagen Phaeton: questions
Do you know the fuel tank capacity of the Volkswagen Phaeton?
90 litres on every variant in our figures.
Is it OK to add diesel after only a little petrol in my Phaeton?
Filling up only lowers the proportion of petrol. None of that is taken out, so it is all still there when you drive, which is why we wouldn't advise it. A drain gets all of that out, and with a small amount that's normally all your Phaeton requires.
Do I have to take my Phaeton to the Volkswagen dealer?
No, we travel to it. The Phaeton is emptied and cleaned where it is, by an independent business with no link to Volkswagen or any dealer.
Which Phaeton I have: does it matter?
We have data for 4 diesel versions of the Phaeton, and knowing which one you have assists us when you call.
Will my insurance pay for wrong fuel in my Volkswagen Phaeton?
It is worth checking your insurance, as misfuelling cover is part of some and not others. Whatever it says, we come out and drain your car.
What should I do if my Phaeton got diesel in its AdBlue tank?
In that case, too, keep the key out of the ignition. The majority of cars show a warning and go into limp mode if they're driven like that, and the AdBlue system will need draining. When you phone, tell us which tank your diesel was put in.
I drove my Phaeton before I realised. What do I do?
Stop where it's safe and turn your motor off, then leave it off till we reach you. Spotting it this soon means permanent harm is very unusual, and we drain and clean the fuel system wherever you happen to be.