Misfuelling - What To Do If You Put The Wrong Fuel In Your Vehicle. |
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Melanie Kamdar
April 11, 2013
What can you do if you put the wrong fuel into your car, van, motorcycle or lorry? First of all don't panic. Misfuelling is very common. Fuel rescue and recovery companies are busy every day working at petrol station forecourts and helping stranded cars on the roads from problems arising from misfuelling i.e. putting petrol into a diesel engine or diesel into a petrol engine.
Has this happened to you? Even if you haven't misfuelled your car, it's worth knowing what to do in case you or someone you know ever makes this simple mistake.
First of all, it's imperative that you don't panic; you can get back on the road relatively quickly as long as you do not start your engine or turn on the ignition. If the car isn't started or the ignition turned on them there will not be any damage to your engine and the wrong fuel can be simply drained down by a professional fuel rescue company with the right equipment.
Secondly make sure that you don't top up the tank with the correct fuel. The engine won't be able to run on a mixture of fuel and simply adding unleaded to diesel or diesel to unleaded petrol will not fix the problem. If you do then and start the engine you risk causing severe damage to your car and more expense for you. Even if you don't start the engine, the tank will still need a full draining and you will have cost yourself more expense in the additional fuel.
If you have started the engine or attempted to drive after misfuelling your car, stop immediately. The further you drive the more damage you will cause.
You will need to contact a reputable fuel drain down company. Before you decide which one is the right one you trust with your car, ask a few questions first:-
• Will they charge you if they can't drain down your vehicle? Are they No fix, no fee?
• Are they a fully accredited and insured business?
These questions might be simple but, it is imperative you find this out so that you aren't stung by cowboy companies who may end up doing the job incorrectly and costing you more by damaging your vehicle further.
A good company will be able to provide this fuel draining service on petrol station forecourts, at the roadside, whilst at work or at your home.
What a Fuel Draining Service Does
• Drain the wrong fuel from the vehicles tank
• Draining flushes the fuel system through
• Replenishes the fuel system with fresh fuel (clean fuel available at pump prices from our vehicles)
• Environmentally friendly recycling of contaminated fuel
• Most fuel drains completed within an hour
• Does the Fuel drain company have a registered business address on their website (if not, why not?).