What to do if you put the wrong fuel in your car

What to do if you put the wrong fuel in your car

If you have ever put the wrong fuel in your car, you are one of more than 400 people who accidentally do this every day in the UK. Take heart… it can happen to anyone – honest – though that doesn’t prevent you feeling a bit silly at the time.

But what do you do after you have counted to ten, muttered expletive laden words of frustration under your breath – then realised you’re stuck…what do you do now?

Well, if you are lucky – sort of – you’ll realise you’ve put the wrong fuel in at some point when you’re filling up or when you come to pay. If this happens, don’t be tempted to try correcting the mistake by ‘topping’ up with the correct fuel. You need to keep your cool here, follow a few simple steps…its all about damage limitation from here on in.

First, don’t switch on the ignition, don’t start the car; the key should not even be turned to the “accessories” position as this can start a pump that circulates fuel in some models.

Instead, put the car into neutral and push it somewhere safe where it will not obstruct other road users or cause risk. By not starting the car and driving off without realising what you have just done, you’ve avoided damaging the engine, and have reduced the cost of putting this little ‘mishap’ right.

Misfuelling, as it has become known, happens in one of two ways, either;

Putting diesel in a petrol vehicle

This is the least common form of misfuelling because a standard diesel nozzle is bigger than the filler neck on most modern petrol cars.

Most car manufacturers recommend that any petrol vehicle contaminated with diesel fuel should be flushed out thoroughly, and replaced with the correct fuel before the ignition is turned on and the car started or driven.

Putting petrol in a diesel vehicle

Again, and in line with car manufacturers’ recommendations, diesel fuel contaminated with petrol should be removed from the tank completely, by flushing, and replaced with correct, clean fuel.

Putting petrol in diesel vehicles is the more common misfuelling error unfortunately and is easily done because standard unleaded petrol nozzles fit into the filler neck of the diesel vehicles. Diesel fuel has a larger nozzle so it is more difficult confusing things the other way around.

Repair costs

The cost of putting the wrong fuel in your car will vary according to the type of vehicle, and, crucially, whether the engine has been started; but expect to pay a few hundred pounds, even for a routine drain and flush clean.  If the engine has been started, then expensive component parts may be damaged, sending costs spiralling.

Would I be covered by my insurance for misfuelling?

Can I claim on my insurance for putting the wrong fuel in my car is a question often asked, and there is no clear answer: it will all depend on the type of policy you have.

This type of risk is seldom considered by the average driver, and therefore rarely requested – look around next time your insurance is up for renewal: check with your present provider, most forms of cover are available, at a price.

A simple adhesive label can save you pounds in repair costs and delays.

Putting the wrong fuel in a car – misfuelling –  is often, thankfully, a once bitten, twice shy kind of experience: one we vow we’ll never make again – fingers crossed – but just to be on the safe side, it would be handy if we could employ some form of fail safe device. A little memory jogger to trigger our attention before pulling the trigger, something straight forward like a label! A reminder, there in front of the eyes as you remove the filler cap.

Many of us as drivers may drive both manual and automatic cars, many families have both types: and it can be confusing at times as we switch from one to another. For that reason the simple and inexpensive precaution of purchasing a fuel identification adhesive label indicating the fuel type, and attaching it within the refuelling recess or rear of cap cover, could save you hundreds of pounds should a moments distraction cause you to put the wrong fuel in your car.

Misfuelling – all too common with company vehicles

Many employers insist company vehicles- especially pool vehicles – those used by a number of employees, are labelled clearly to indicate the type of fuel to be used, as mix ups often causes delays to operational activities as well as repair work.

Label Bar have over ten years experience of providing the highest quality labels to contractors, engineers and wholesalers at the lowest possible prices.

We supply a wide range of Health & Safety labels including Test & Service, Fire Safety, Electrical Safety and Asset ID & Barcoding Labels. We also provide a range of high quality promotional & bespoke labels made to your specific requirements.