YOU'VE POURED THE WRONG FUEL? HERE'S WHAT TO DO -

One of the more common mishaps among drivers is pouring the wrong fuel into the gas tank.

It may be because of a hurry, a lack of attention, a lack of knowledge, or else, you put diesel instead of gasoline or vice versa.

If it happens, it can cause serious damage to your car’s engine unless you take the steps shown here.

Besides these articles, you can also watch our YouTube channel where you can see not only a video on this topic but also other useful car and driving-related videos.

WRONG FUEL IN YOUR CAR? HERE’S WHAT TO DO

1. DO NOT START THE ENGINE

It is very important to realize that you’ve poured the wrong fuel on time and that you do not start the engine.

If you are lucky enough to realize this on time, you have a good chance of getting yourself out of trouble without any serious damage.

The wrong fuel will lay inside the tank and no other parts of the system will be affected.

However, if you have started the engine, the sooner you realize your mistake the better. Stop the car and turn off the engine as soon as possible. The less you drive, the less chance of big damage there is.

So, to summarize this part: the best-case scenario is that you notice the mistake on time and you do not start the engine.

The worst case is that you start the engine and drive with the wrong fuel (if you’ve managed to start the car at all).

2. PUSH THE CAR ASIDE

Next, move the car from the gas pump and make some distance from the gas station.

Since the road service or some kind of help will have to park near you and all of this involves working with gas, it’s good to take safety precautions.

Make as much safe distance as you can.

If you’re on your own regarding pushing the car, we have a specific article and video that shows you how to push the car by yourself without much trouble. Click here to read it.

3. CALL A ROAD SERVICE

From this point onwards you can either call the road service or try to do something on your own.

If you’re not good around cars it’s best to call the road service.

Also, if you’ve started the engine and driven the car with the wrong fuel you may need the road service for towing the car.

Besides this, they also have specialized mobile pumps for flushing and cleaning gas tanks. Not to mention the needed expertise and knowledge for these situations.

All in all, if you don’t mind the occasional long wait for them to arrive and,in some countries, the hefty repair bill, this is the best option.

4. YOU CAN TRY TO FIX THE PROBLEM YOURSELF

If for some reason the road service isn’t available and you’re good around cars you can try fixing the problem yourself.

You can seriously consider this if the engine hasn’t been started and the rest of the system is not contaminated.

The best solution is to try and siphon the gas tank.

You can perhaps do it on the spot. Most gas stations sell plastic manual pumps and gas cans so you have all you need to try siphoning.

The downside of this fix is that some gas tanks are easier to siphon, while some are almost impossible. Have this in mind when considering this option.

But if the wrong fuel got into the system forget siphoning.

If it got into the fuel pump, filter, injectors, and else it’s best to tow the car away since you’re in for some serious repairs.