Tank Sizes and Petrol in a Diesel Volkswagen Polo
Someone who has put petrol in a diesel Volkswagen Polo wants to know the size of its tank early on, because that determines what share of the fuel in there is now petrol. We set out the tank for each version of the Volkswagen Polo that our figures cover here, plus the engines it came with.
Whatever the figure, the advice is unchanged after it has occurred. As soon as you switch your engine off then call Petrol in Diesel, we'll come and drain the vehicle where it sits.
The Volkswagen Polo fuel tank capacity on every version
45 litres is what the fuel tank takes on each version of the Volkswagen Polo we have data for, because they all share the same tank.
| Version | Fuel tank |
|---|---|
| Volkswagen Cross Polo 1.2 TDI | 45 litres |
| Volkswagen Cross Polo 1.6 TDI | 45 litres |
| Volkswagen CrossPolo 1.4 TDI | 45 litres |
| Volkswagen CrossPolo 1.9 TDI | 45 litres |
| Volkswagen Polo 1.2 TDI Blue Motion | 45 litres |
| Volkswagen Polo 1.4 TDI | 45 litres |
| Volkswagen Polo 1.6 TDI | 45 litres |
| Volkswagen Polo 1.9 SDI | 45 litres |
| Volkswagen Polo 1.9 TDI | 45 litres |
| Volkswagen Polo 64 Diesel | 45 litres |
| Volkswagen Polo Classic SDi | 45 litres |
| Volkswagen Polo Classic TDi | 45 litres |
| Volkswagen Polo Fun 1.4 TDI | 45 litres |
| Volkswagen Polo Fun 1.9 TDI | 45 litres |
| Volkswagen Polo Limousine 1.4 TDI | 45 litres |
| Volkswagen Polo Limousine 1.9 SDI | 45 litres |
| Volkswagen Polo SDi | 45 litres |
| Volkswagen Polo Variant SDi | 45 litres |
| Volkswagen Polo Variant TDi | 45 litres |
What a couple of litres means for wrong fuel in your Volkswagen Polo
The share of petrol depends on how full your tank was before you refuelled. That's because wrong fuel in your Volkswagen Polo blends with whatever diesel is still in it. When a few litres of petrol are put into a tank sitting near empty, they form a far larger part of what the engine would draw. Added to an almost full tank of up to 45 litres, the same quantity is just a minor share of the total.
Motorists often ask how much petrol is too much. Whether your engine has run is the more useful thing to know. After it runs, the pump pulls the blend from the tank and pushes it on to the fuel injectors.
With a small volume, a fuel drain is normally all your Polo needs, and whatever the proportion, having it drained is the safe thing to do.
The engine options fitted to the diesel Polo
The version name on the badge shows us which engine your Polo has, so it is worth noting before you call.
Among all diesel Polo versions in our data, the badges are TDI and SDI.
The TDI badge appears across more of them than any other, and the Polo SDi is a version that carries the SDI badge instead.
The CrossPolo 1.9 TDI has the largest motor at 1.9 litres, and the Polo 1.2 TDI Blue Motion the smallest at 1.2 litres.
There are Variant Polo versions in the data too.
If you are not certain which version you own, phone all the same then we'll figure it out with you.
When there's AdBlue in a diesel Volkswagen Polo
AdBlue alters what the capacity of the tank means. AdBlue is largely water and does not mix with diesel, and so with AdBlue in a diesel Volkswagen Polo, the diesel surrounding it does nothing to weaken it. Because it settles to the base of your tank, where the fuel pump pulls from, even a small quantity reaches the fuel line.
AdBlue gives your pump no lubrication and will not burn. Its water dries out as it sits, leaving urea that crystallises in your filter and the fuel lines, where it eats into the metalwork it sits against.
The filler neck for AdBlue, on diesel cars that carry it, commonly shares a flap with the diesel one and feeds a separate tank. Where your Polo has an AdBlue filler, its filler cap is generally blue and fits a slimmer nozzle than the diesel filler.
A fuel drain on your Volkswagen Polo, step by step
The whole tank is emptied in a fuel drain on your Volkswagen Polo, however big it is in your version, without the car being moved from where it sits. Drawing out the tainted fuel comes first, followed by a flush of the fuel lines and your fuel filter. Then we top up with clean diesel, prime the system and start your engine.
Whether your Polo is still on the forecourt or left on your driveway doesn't change anything. Once the drain is finished it is running on fresh diesel and you can take it away.
How AdBlue removal from a diesel Volkswagen Polo works
AdBlue settles at the base of the tank rather than blending in, so emptying it completely is the first step in AdBlue removal from a diesel Volkswagen Polo. We also rinse your lines and your filter through if the engine has been run, changing the fuel filter when it needs changing.
This covers AdBlue that has got into your diesel tank. It's not taking out or disabling the AdBlue system on the car.
Pricing a fuel drain on the Volkswagen Polo
We do not publish a fixed price, since two call-outs on the same model can be quite dissimilar. What affects it most is whether the Polo has been run or driven, and next how much was put in against the size of the tank, whether it was petrol or AdBlue, and where the car is.
With those details, we can tell you what the job will need when you phone.
Tank questions about petrol in a diesel Volkswagen Polo
What does the Volkswagen Polo fuel tank capacity come to?
It takes 45 litres, and each version we hold figures for shares that tank.
Does petrol matter less with a bigger tank?
A bigger tank means a few litres make up less of the total, yet the petrol is still there and still reaches the pump once the motor runs. A fuel drain clears all of that while your Polo is switched off.
Do you cover more than one diesel Polo?
There are 19 diesel Polo versions in our data, and the model name on the badge shows which row of the table above is yours.
Which fuels, other than diesel, would be wrong fuel in my Volkswagen Polo?
Petrol counts whatever the grade, super unleaded too, and so does AdBlue that was intended for its own separate tank. Anything other than diesel in your diesel tank is wrong fuel.
Do you come to the Volkswagen Polo to drain it?
Yes. We travel to the vehicle, whether it's still at the station forecourt or left at home, so it doesn't need to be moved or started.