Misfuelling Emergencies |
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Melanie Kamdar
20 August 2014
With an estimated 150, 000 cases a year in the UK, the chances are that you or someone you know has suffered from misfuelling. That's once every three and a half minutes that someone, somewhere in the UK accidentally fills their tank with the wrong type of fuel. A big problem when you consider that the average repair bill totals £7000 and is not generally covered by insurance policies.
95% of cases involve petrol being put into diesel cars due to petrol pump nozzles fitting easily into diesel car filling necks due to their much smaller size. This is also due to the increased growth in diesel car sales and the greater number of diesel cars on the road these days. Modern diesels are much quieter and less smoky than ever before so it's easy to forget you are driving one, especially if you have recently changed to a diesel engine or it's a hire or company fleet car. Many drivers have been caught out this way absent-mindedly reaching for the unleaded pump as it's what they've always been used to.
Friday afternoons are also reportedly a peak time for misfuelling as tired commuters fill their cars up on the way home after a busy week. If you find yourself in the unfortunate position of having put the wrong fuel in your car then the current advice is not to start the engine at any cost! As soon as the ignition is turned on the low-pressure electric pump that many cars have these days is switched on, circulating contaminated fuel. This risks damaging the fuel system of the car leading to a hefty repair bill or even a complete new engine in the worst case.
Just call one of the many companies who offer a fuel draining service in the UK following misfuelling. They have all the necessary fuel drain equipment and will be able to come out to you and drain your engine of the wrong fuel. The engine is then flushed completely and the correct fuel added. It is important to use a reputable company as fuel draining can be dangerous and there are issues such as disposal of the contaminated fuel which are defined by law. A good company will come out to you quickly and are reliable. They generally charge a fraction of the average £7000 repair cost and within 45mins to an hour you'll be back on the road happily motoring again!