Already Driven With Petrol in a Diesel Volvo S80?
The motor needs turning off then leaving off as soon as you can pull over safely, if you've driven with petrol in a diesel Volvo S80. Where you've pulled up, we can still sort it out, and harm that lasts is very uncommon when it is spotted early.
Wherever your Volvo S80 has ended up, Petrol in Diesel comes out to drain your fuel tank there and clear the petrol from the system. We go when it is running again on clean diesel.
Noticing petrol in a diesel S80
You may go a few miles without spotting anything, as petrol inside the tank frequently leaves a diesel S80 running as usual to begin with. These are the signs most often noticed if the fuel tank has AdBlue or petrol in it:
- the motor lacks power, especially whenever you ask it to pull
- it idles unevenly, or it runs roughly
- smoke from the exhaust, more than normal
- a warning lamp comes on
- once it stalls, it might not restart
If one of these started after you fuelled up, check your receipt to confirm what was put in.
How far wrong fuel in your Volvo S80 gets when you drive
The tank keeps wrong fuel in your Volvo S80 in one place until it's drawn out by the motor. Once you drive, it is drawn through the fuel injectors, your fuel filter and your high-pressure pump. The mix gets into more of your fuel system the further the S80 is driven, because petrol thins the diesel that protects your pump and your injectors on its way through them.
So finishing the trip is a worse choice than stopping as soon as you can. Damage, where it happens, comes from a long journey on contaminated fuel, and draining and cleaning are usually all a car needs if it's stopped soon.
It makes no difference whether you have the S80 D5 AWD or another version of the S80.
We come to where you've stopped
There is no reason to take the S80 anywhere. The roadside and outside your house are both spots we come to, and so it does not need starting or a tow.
Somewhere safe, clear of the traffic, is where to wait when you're next to a main road, with your hazards on.
When you call 0333 366 0103, let us know where you are, which S80 it is and about how far you travelled. It also helps if the badge shows the version, like the S80 2.4 D.
Fuel drain on your Volvo S80 when you've driven it
There is a step more to a fuel drain on your Volvo S80 after it has been driven than to a drain on the forecourt. We empty the tank first, then open up your fuel lines and then rinse them through with your fuel filter, so that no petrol is left between your fuel tank and the engine. With fresh diesel in and your system primed, we start the motor and check it runs correctly.
Emptying the fuel tank comes first, and on the S80 2.0D it holds 70 litres.
After it has run: AdBlue in a diesel Volvo S80
Watch for smoke, uneven running and warning lamps when AdBlue in a diesel Volvo S80 has been driven on, because the car might also stall. Settling to the base of the fuel tank, where your fuel pump draws fuel, AdBlue reaches your fuel line fast, and it doesn't burn or lubricate. As its water evaporates, the urea forms crystals in your fuel lines and the fuel filter.
AdBlue removal from a diesel Volvo S80: what it means
We replace the filter if it needs it as part of AdBlue removal from a diesel Volvo S80 after it has run, when the fuel tank is drained and the crystals are cleared from the fuel filter and the lines.
A dedicated AdBlue tank, if your S80 has one, is left as it is. The work is about fluid in your diesel tank, and does not mean taking out or turning off an AdBlue system.
The Volvo S80 fuel tank capacity and the engines
The S80 2.5 D sits at the top end and the S80 D3 at the bottom end of the Volvo S80 versions, with diesel tanks from 70 to 80 litres.
The S80 2.4 Bi-Fuel, for example, takes 80 litres.
Among them are AWD versions.
| Version | Fuel tank |
|---|---|
| Volvo S80 1.6 DRIVe | 70 litres |
| Volvo S80 2.0D | 70 litres |
| Volvo S80 2.4 Bi-Fuel | 80 litres |
| Volvo S80 2.4 D | 80 litres |
| Volvo S80 2.4D | 70 litres |
| Volvo S80 2.5 D | 80 litres |
| Volvo S80 D3 | 70 litres |
| Volvo S80 D5 | 80 litres |
| Volvo S80 D5 AWD | 70 litres |
What a fuel drain on the Volvo S80 will cost after a drive
The mileage driven and where it is now count most towards the cost of a fuel drain on the Volvo S80 after a drive, and so does whether it was AdBlue or petrol. Give us those details in a call and then we can say what's involved in the job.
Petrol in a diesel Volvo S80: common questions after driving
Has the petrol ruined my S80?
It's very unlikely. Permanent harm is rare when the car is stopped soon and the fuel system is emptied and flushed, and that's what we do where you have stopped.
Is it OK to drive it home first?
We'd ask you not to. We can drain the S80 right where it stands, so it doesn't need shifting, and every mile driven on contaminated fuel would take it further through your system.
What do I do if it has stalled and will not restart?
Please leave the car instead of trying again, as each try draws more of that mixture through. We get it started for you after emptying and rinsing it, putting clean diesel in and priming the fuel system.
Which S80 I own: does it matter?
The badge on the boot gives the version you have, out of the 9 diesel versions of the S80, and knowing it assists us when you call.
Wrong fuel in my Volvo S80: does insurance cover it?
We still come out whatever your policy says, and some do offer misfuelling cover, so looking at yours after the vehicle is sorted is worth doing.