12
April
2018
|
17:11
Europe/Amsterdam

Putting the wrong fuel in the tank

 

What should you do when realizing you’ve put in the wrong petrol to fill your car?

While filling the tank…

Do not turn the engine on. Put the car somewhere safe, away from traffic.

Right after leaving the petrol station

You’ve just left the station and you hear a strange noise coming from your engine?

Do not drive any further, park your vehicle as soon as possible somewhere you can turn off the engine safely. Keeping on driving will only make it worse.

On the road, while driving

Your engine is making a strange noise and is randomly stopping meanwhile driving? Most of the time, your car will breakdown a few miles later. Turn on safety lights, park your car, turn off the engine and don’t turn it on again.

Mixing petrol with diesel is the most frequent mistake. If there is over 10% of this mix in your tank, it might damage your engine. The reason for this is simple: diesel moisturizes the injection pump while petrol do not, which can easily damage the protection of the injection system. Besides damage, this mix is also inflammable and your car may explode.

Call assistance

If you notice the problem early enough, before any damage is done to your engine, it will be very easy and cheap to fix. If the engine is damaged, the repair will be much more expensive.

Assistance can send a mechanic for you, provided that misfuelling mistake are covered by your contract. Your car will be either fixed on spot or taken to the nearest garage. The towing service will all be covered by your assistance; however, it won’t cover any fuel or reparation costs.

This article was first published by Europ Assistance Belgium. Discover more insight here: http://blog.europ-assistance.be