The wrong fuel in your car can be detrimental to your vehicle because if it is driven, the engine can seize and parts of the fuel system be destroyed.
It can easily result in a write-off due to the cost of parts.
The website www.fleetcare.com.au explains because a diesel input hole in a vehicle is bigger than a petrol input hole, it is more than likely to miss-fuel a diesel vehicle.
This, however, also happens to petrol vehicles.
Diesel and petrol both have advantages and disadvantages as the choice of fuel for your vehicle.
Diesel is run off an internal combustion engine which uses glow plugs to ignite with heat compression.
Diesel is a much heavier mixture and also very oily.
Petrol engines use spark plugs to ignite and burn fuel to make an engine run.
In most petrol engines, the fuel and air are usually pre-mixed before compression and petrol engines must be geared lower to get the same torque as a diesel.
The website advises this when the wrong fuel is poured into your engine:
- Do not start the engine at all – not even to move it.
- Disconnect the battery before attempting to move the car.
- Switching on the ignition to release the steering lock may feed contaminated fuel to the injectors. Even a small amount of the wrong fuel in your engine can require dismantling of the complete fuel system and replacement of expensive components.
- Call your road-service provider or a removal truck to transport the vehicle to a mechanic where they can drain the tank, clean the fuel pump and replace any filters.
If you don’t notice the error until the vehicle has been driven, stop as soon as you can and call for assistance because the longer you drive, the more damage you will cause to your vehicle.
