falling-out-with-my-car wrote:Jaf wrote:...put petrol in a diesel ... car...
I think some people make this mistake once be it at an early age or a later age.
I did this for the first time in nearly 50 years last year. I went to our local Tescos and filled up the Xsara prior to a trip down to Somerset (to see the Dismaland experience). I picked up the nozzle I normally use and just about finished filling the nearly empty tank when I realised it was petrol! I phoned my brother to come with his fuel pump and empty jerry cans and then pushed the car to one side and waited for him to arrive.
We were able suck nearly all the liquid out, actually slightly more than the petrol I put in, plus some of the four or five litres of diesel that were in to start off with (the fuel warning light had been on). In total about 43 litres. I then completely filled up with diesel to flood what petrol remained and, long story short, set off about two hours later and in a lot more of a hurry than originally planned!
In my defence they had changed the pumps at Tescos since I had last been there and had put the diesel nozzle in the middle of the two petrol nozzles. What kind of sense does that make even for those who've never been there before? I mean, you would surely put it to one side or the other of the two petrol nozzles.
Two postscripts. I'm using the petrol diesel mix, further diluted with equal quantities of fresh petrol, in my situpon grass mower with no ill effects apart from a slight smokiness.
Secondly I'm glad it was the Xsara as the flexible tube on the pump was able to get right inside the tank to scavenge the mix out. I recently did the same thing to my 2003 C5 (filled it up before I knew it was going to be replaced - d'ohh!) and had to admit defeat with about a quarter of the tank left as there was some kind of plate in the way. Doubly so with the 2013 C5 as I can't even get a hose past the neck due to fuel misfiling device!
