Author Topic: Im a diesel idiot !!!!  (Read 389 times)

Offline paulbaker1954

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Im a diesel idiot !!!!
« on: May 06, 2024, 06:13:53 PM »
Went to fill up with 99 juice at end of a run today, tank just on reserve and stupidly got the pumps muddled up and put about a litre of high spec diesel in.

Quickly realise my error and stopped and filled up with 99 E5

Stemmed to run fine on the 10 miles home

Guess it just got well diluted

Lesson learned 😂😂😂
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Offline Athame57

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Re: Im a diesel idiot !!!!
« Reply #1 on: May 06, 2024, 06:19:04 PM »
Did it smoke a lot?  ;D  I nearly did that once but a sharp eyed attendant rescued me!
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Offline McCabe-Thiele (Ted)

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Re: Im a diesel idiot !!!!
« Reply #2 on: May 06, 2024, 06:40:21 PM »
Personally I would consider draining out the tank and start with new petrol - diesel is not good for the piston rings.

Not sure if the diesel will seperate out when standing or if the two hydrocarbons are compleltly miscible.
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Offline marroinia

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Re: Im a diesel idiot !!!!
« Reply #3 on: May 06, 2024, 07:39:27 PM »
Haha! It happened to me once when working in an australian farm. I filled up a quad bike to the pump dedicated to diesel tractors, whistling to that beautiful morning coming up. It smoked a LOT and finally stall 2 minutes later, and I learnt a LOT of new cursing and swearing in english from the local mecanic!

He drained the whole thing and cleaned everything with gasoline, the bike started as new and I went back to work fairly ashamed  ;D

Offline taysidedragon

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Re: Im a diesel idiot !!!!
« Reply #4 on: May 06, 2024, 08:17:14 PM »
Personally I would consider draining out the tank and start with new petrol - diesel is not good for the piston rings.


Is that true Ted, or just a feeling?
One litre in a full tank of about 18litres can't make too much difference. Not recommended,  but not disastrous.
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Offline McCabe-Thiele (Ted)

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Re: Im a diesel idiot !!!!
« Reply #5 on: May 06, 2024, 08:37:17 PM »
Petrol floats in Diesel so it will probably soon soot up the plugs then start to misfire.
Anecdotal Story
It was a long time ago but an lovely Irishman (Keith Dunne) I worked with used to put diesel in his petrol car to save money as in the 1960's it was cheaper- he drove a Standard Vanguard - it would smoke like the clappers and eventually it seized up.
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Offline Laverda Dave

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Re: Im a diesel idiot !!!!
« Reply #6 on: May 06, 2024, 08:57:04 PM »
I did it with the VFR. I didn't even know until I pulled out from the forecourt onto the main road and it died. I pushed it the two miles home and drained 15ltrs of diesel into three jerry cans and gave them to my neighbour for his van. I had to replace the fuel filter in order to be able to start the bike.
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Offline SumpMagnet

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Re: Im a diesel idiot !!!!
« Reply #7 on: May 06, 2024, 09:42:35 PM »
Could be worse.... one of the drivers at work put unleaded in his truck. 50 litres of the stuff mixed with 50 litres of diesel.  The bill to drain, clean and flush.....£3000.

Had he run the thing any distance, then the fuel pump and injector seals suffer, and that would push the bill north of £10k. Luckily he realised what he had done and didn;t just sert off on his delivery run.
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Offline Bryanj

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Re: Im a diesel idiot !!!!
« Reply #8 on: May 06, 2024, 09:45:28 PM »
Mirsubishi on the L200 stated you could use up to 25% petrol in the diesel

Offline Athame57

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Re: Im a diesel idiot !!!!
« Reply #9 on: May 06, 2024, 09:59:29 PM »
In spite of this, I think this error will vanish into the past as we have a need to be choosey and look for E5?  8)
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Offline paulbaker1954

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Re: Im a diesel idiot !!!!
« Reply #10 on: May 07, 2024, 08:12:29 AM »
At the end of the day it’s 1 litre in 14 so 7% so reckon will be ok from what I have read.

If it runs bad will drain it off but seems to be running fine. One of the benefits of old tech like ours here is that there no fuel pumps, injectors or catalysts to worry about. Modern vehicles are just less tolerant.
 

Will be more careful in future.
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Offline K2-K6

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Re: Im a diesel idiot !!!!
« Reply #11 on: May 07, 2024, 08:25:33 AM »
I cant see any practical problem if it runs ok. It'll just pass through with no real effects generally at that level.

Just topping it up as its used should get hack on track with dilution at that level.

iF there's any immediate affect, thats usually cold starting with the mixture less likely to fire competently and possible white smoke evident from diesel not burning in cold combustion chambers.

Offline florence

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Re: Im a diesel idiot !!!!
« Reply #12 on: May 07, 2024, 09:45:02 AM »
I would make sure it doesn't get too hot.  In effect you are running lean as there is less petrol to air.  Once, I put too much two stroke oil in my moped and it got very hot and seized up.  Not helped I imagine by the fact that I would run it flat out all the time.  ;D

Offline Moorey

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Re: Im a diesel idiot !!!!
« Reply #13 on: May 07, 2024, 10:17:37 AM »
If its running OK I wouldn't worry about it but if you are drain the tank and add it back a bit at a time over fill ups diluting even further if you don't  want to dump a tank of fuel

 

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