Petrol in a Diesel Volkswagen Touran: Already Driven It?
As soon as it is safe, pull in and switch the engine off, then keep it off. Driving on with petrol in a diesel Volkswagen Touran only carries the petrol further in. We can still put it right where you've pulled up, and if it is spotted early, lasting harm is very rare.
Petrol in Diesel comes to wherever your Volkswagen Touran has ended up, drains the fuel tank then flushes the petrol out of the fuel system. By the time we go, the car is running on fresh diesel.
Noticing petrol in a diesel Touran
You may drive a couple of miles before spotting anything wrong, as petrol in the fuel tank frequently keeps a diesel Touran running as usual at first. The following are the ones usually noticed when your fuel tank has AdBlue or petrol in it:
- power drops away, particularly as you ask the engine to accelerate
- rough running, or an erratic idle
- there's more smoke than normal from the exhaust
- a warning lamp lights up
- the engine stalls and might not restart
The receipt shows what went in, which means you should look at it if any of these began after you fuelled up.
What driving does with wrong fuel in your Volkswagen Touran
The tank keeps wrong fuel in your Volkswagen Touran where it is till it is pulled out by the engine. After you drive, it is drawn through the fuel injectors, the filter and your high-pressure fuel pump. The mix reaches more of the system the further the Touran is taken, because petrol weakens the diesel fuel that lubricates the fuel pump and your injectors on its way through them.
Stopping the moment you can is better than completing the journey because of that. Travelling a long way on contaminated fuel is what can cause harm, and if a motor is stopped early, draining and cleaning are usually all it requires.
Any other version of the Touran is no different from the Touran 1.9 TDI here, so which one is yours makes no difference.
We come to where you've stopped
There is no need to get the Touran anywhere. The side of the road and outside your house are both places we come to, and so it does not need starting or towing.
On a busy road, put on your hazards, then choose somewhere safe to wait clear of the traffic.
Before you call 0333 366 0103, have your location to hand, along with the distance you drove and which Touran it is. It also helps when the badge gives the version, like the CrossTouran 1.6 TDI.
A fuel drain on your Volkswagen Touran after a drive
There is a step more to a fuel drain on your Volkswagen Touran after it has been driven than to a drain on the forecourt. After the fuel tank is drained, your lines are opened up and rinsed through along with your fuel filter, which leaves no petrol anywhere from your tank to the engine. Before our technicians go, the motor is started to make sure it is running properly on fresh diesel, once the fuel system has been primed.
If your engine has been run with AdBlue in a diesel Volkswagen Touran
If you have AdBlue in a diesel Volkswagen Touran and you have driven on it, the symptoms are normally uneven running, smoke and warning lights, and the car can stall. The pump draws fuel at the base of your tank, which is where AdBlue settles, and so it gets to the fuel line quickly. It also doesn't burn or lubricate. As its water evaporates, the urea crystallises in your fuel lines and your fuel filter.
AdBlue removal from a diesel Volkswagen Touran after driving
The lines and your filter have to be cleared of the crystals after the tank is drained, which is what AdBlue removal from a diesel Volkswagen Touran that has been run means. If the fuel filter needs it, we replace it.
If your Touran has a separate AdBlue tank, that is not touched. This is about liquid in your diesel tank, not removing or turning off the AdBlue system.
Volkswagen Touran fuel tank capacity and engines
Each version of the Volkswagen Touran in our figures has a diesel fuel tank of 60 litres.
You'll see TDI badging on diesel Touran versions.
The Touran 2.0 TDI has the biggest engine at 2.0 litres, and the Touran 1.6 TDI has the smallest, at 1.6 litres.
| Version | Fuel tank |
|---|---|
| Volkswagen CrossTouran 1.6 TDI | 60 litres |
| Volkswagen CrossTouran 1.9 TDI | 60 litres |
| Volkswagen CrossTouran 2.0 TDI | 60 litres |
| Volkswagen CrossTouran 2.0 TDI GT | 60 litres |
| Volkswagen Touran 1.6 TDI | 60 litres |
| Volkswagen Touran 1.9 TDI | 60 litres |
| Volkswagen Touran 2.0 TDI | 60 litres |
| Volkswagen Touran 2.0 TDI GT | 60 litres |
What a fuel drain on the Volkswagen Touran costs after driving
How far it travelled and where it has stopped are what mainly decide the cost of a fuel drain on the Volkswagen Touran after a drive, and petrol or AdBlue makes a difference too. Those details are what we need when you call, and with them we can explain what the job will involve.
Petrol in a diesel Volkswagen Touran: common questions after a drive
Is my Touran ruined?
Almost certainly not. With the car stopped soon and the fuel system emptied and flushed where you have stopped, which is what we do, permanent harm is rare.
Should I drive it home first?
Our advice is not to. Moving it isn't necessary, since we can empty the Touran where it sits. Taking it on only takes tainted fuel further through the system.
It will not restart after stalling. What now?
Another go pulls more of the mixture through with each attempt. Please leave the vehicle alone. After we have emptied and rinsed it and then put fresh diesel in, we prime the system and start it for you.
Do you need to know which Touran I have?
There are 8 diesel versions of the Touran, and the badge on the boot says which one you have. Knowing that assists us when you call.
Insurance and wrong fuel in my Volkswagen Touran: am I covered?
Misfuelling cover is offered in some insurance policies, so look at yours once the car has been sorted out. Whatever it says, we come out.