DerbyTup   10 #49 Posted September 13, 2011 I filled up my diesel Land Rover with petrol - 85 litres of it - then noticed the pump said "unleaded" as I was replacing it in the holster.  I'd been driving my wife's car all week, which is petrol, and been all over the country in it. So, I think I was on automatic pilot when I got back in my own car and went to fill up. I just automatically picked the green pipe.  Fortunately I realised straight away. I went in and paid best part of a hundred quid for the fuel - then got the breakdown service out who towed it away to be drained.  If I'd started it I was told it could have damage the engine - a cost of a few grand for a new one. As it happens it only cost me about £300!!  Bargain eh!  I've never done it before and I hope I'll never do it again! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
walkertelecoms   16 #50 Posted September 14, 2011 Hmm my wife put about a tenners worth of unleaded into my trooper about 3 months ago. Phoned a friend at a garage and was told to fill with diesel and should be alright. Took about another 80 squids to fill. I now have a trooper on my drive that I'm scrapping because the fuel system is knackered. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
kittykat   10 #51 Posted September 14, 2011 God some people on here are so nasty! To the original poster, i know ive already posted in this thread... but i did the same, and it is strange, because, as i said, i have NEVER done it before, so maybe they have changed something? Although im not claiming to be the sharpest tool in the box! Also, i can honestly say, my car has been fine. Its been a good month or so now, and ive had no problems whatsoever... although i only put about £2.50 worth in, so i dont know the limit of how much would do any damage. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
Bloomdido   10 #52 Posted September 14, 2011 The wife put petrol in the car and phoned me to ask what to do fortunately. The garage was literally across the road from my garage so it cost £40 for draining and nothing for the tow.  I went to fill up with deisel the other week for my petrol car. Luckily the pump didn't fit. Shell recently changed the colours on their pumps and added some 'black' to the petrol pumps which is what threw me. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
Shogun   10 #53 Posted September 14, 2011 It depends on what kind of car it is and how much petrol you have put in it,if say you put £20 of petrol and the tank was empty you would have to probably fill the tank with diesel to be safe, some more modern diesel cars have sensors in the diesel pump and that will send the car into limp mode if you try to start it, other cars it will ruin the pump,if you have not started the engine it is best to fill the tank with diesel,if you have just petrol in the tank and you start it it could be terminal for the diesel pump,ether way a costly mistake to make. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
*_ash_*   88 #54 Posted September 15, 2011 It's different the other way around though. Diesel into petrol, you'll be okay.  Petrol into diesel and you need it draining.  Which makes me wonder why Diesel has the wider diameter . It would seem more logical to have it the other way around. Only reason I can think is that Diesels were more common for commercial vehicles and trucks (and perhaps faster flow).  Thats rubblish, diesel pump nozzle are design to be bigger so it cant fit into a petrol car, why tell lies? does it make you look clever?  You can still get Diesel in it. You would think that the comfort of the fit would ring alarm bells, but clearly it doesn't always. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
GrannyGranny   10 #55 Posted September 15, 2011 It depends on what kind of car it is and how much petrol you have put in it,if say you put £20 of petrol and the tank was empty you would have to probably fill the tank with diesel to be safe, some more modern diesel cars have sensors in the diesel pump and that will send the car into limp mode if you try to start it, other cars it will ruin the pump,if you have not started the engine it is best to fill the tank with diesel,if you have just petrol in the tank and you start it it could be terminal for the diesel pump,ether way a costly mistake to make.  Even with £20 worth (same amount my wife put in her diesel car) its best to get it drained IMO. Luckily my wife's car died within 50 yds of the garage so a little petrol must have got into the fuel system but with no lasting damage. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
Cyclone   10 #56 Posted September 15, 2011 I've always wondered why they made the nozzles as they did. It would have been simple to make them mutually exclusive, so if the diesel one needs to be bigger to allow for commercial vehicles to fill up quicker, the petrol nozzle could have an irregular shape to stop it fitting in a round hole! Of course to implement that now would inconvenience anyone with a vehicle that didn't match, but how did they get around that problem when the different sized nozzles were introduced in the first place? I'm guessing that the petrol nozzle was actually made smaller and so it would still work in older vehicles. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
Dizzyblonde   10 #57 Posted September 15, 2011 Getting back on point to the original OP. I know I posted earlier that lots of people do it. HOWEVER. When I filled up there today both pumps have a lime green advertising picture on the pump with the writing smaller in the standard colour (black or green) at the bottom of the picture. I thought about this post as I went to do my selection and I have to say it probably was not as clear as it really should be considering how expensive a mistake could be. I did have a which one is it moment.:huh:  There is a sticker above the pump but depending how tall you are it might be difficult to see - it would be eye level for a six footer without heels.  If I were you I would take a photo of the pumps and write in and complain to their head office. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
Ghostrider   11 #58 Posted September 15, 2011 Yesterday I saw a garage on the old wortley road (cant remember what brand it was) and for £3 or £4, they were selling a diesel warning alarm for petrol cars - it fits to the inside of the filler cap and goes off when it picks up diesel fumes.... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
beckibliss   10 #59 Posted September 20, 2011 It's different the other way around though. Diesel into petrol, you'll be okay.  Petrol into diesel and you need it draining. That is complete rubbish! its the other way around. If you put petrol in a diesel engine just fill to the top with diesel and car may run like **** for a while but will be ok once all fuel used up. if you put diesel into a petrol car you would knacker the engine! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
carboy42   10 #60 Posted September 20, 2011 cost me a lot more £50 for petrol didnt realise what I had done . drainage and newfilter cost me £350 plus should have gone away on holiday next day with caravan all lost!!!!!!  Fantastic, A Caravan off the road!!!! lets hope more people do this. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Share this content via...
