What to do right now
- Do not start the engine and do not turn the key to ignition
- If you are already driving, pull over safely and switch off
- Leave the car where it is if it is safe — a tow is rarely needed
- Call us with your vehicle make, model and roughly how much fuel went in
What the wrong fuel actually does
Petrol in a diesel is the worse of the two. Diesel lubricates the pump and injectors, and petrol strips that lubrication away, so every second the engine runs is wear you pay for later. Caught before start-up it is a drain and a flush; driven for twenty minutes it can be a pump and injector job.
Diesel in a petrol car is thicker than the engine is built for. It fouls plugs and injectors, the car runs rough, smokes and often will not restart. Even a splash in a mostly full tank is worth draining rather than diluting.
How the drain works
We attach a purpose-built extraction unit and remove the contaminated fuel from the tank, then flush the lines and filter so nothing is left behind. Where the wrong fuel has been pumped through the system, we check the injectors and fuel pump before signing the job off.
If the engine was never started, the job is usually a straight drain, fresh fuel and a road test — the car is back in service the same visit. If it was driven, the repair depends on how far the contamination travelled, and we will tell you exactly what we find before doing more work.
Contaminated and stale fuel
We also drain tanks contaminated with water, dirt or fuel that has sat for a year in a car that has not been driven. Old fuel turns to varnish and blocks injectors — draining it is far cheaper than an injector set.
Why people call us for a misfuel
- Fast response at the servo, in a driveway or on the roadside
- Seven-day callouts, because fuel mix-ups do not only happen on weekdays
- Straight pricing quoted before we start — no shock invoice
- Licensed mechanics, contaminated fuel removed and disposed of properly
- Covering Broadbeach, Burleigh Heads, Coolangatta, Elanora, Mermaid Waters, Mudgeeraba, Palm Beach, Robina, Surfers Paradise and the rest of the Coast
Broken down right now? We come to you on the roadside, 7 days.