One of my sisters and her American husband have just been visiting the UK for the 'holiday' season .... (they are California residents these days) they stayed with friend who lent them a diesel VW Golf ..... they were well impressed with the fuel economy .... however shortly before returning the car to the friend from whom they borrowed it they decided they would 'fill it up' ..... oh dear .... back home these guys just are not used to filling a car with diesel ....so they filled it with petrol ..... With the car coughing and spluttering they just made it back to airport for their flight back to the USA .... however their friends have a Golf with 90%+ mix of petrol to deal with .... ooops ....

I once managed to start putting petrol in my current diesel Saab 93, I spotted my mistake after the first litre, and then filled the rest of the tank with diesel. I was terrified that the engine would pack up, as it was only about 6 months old at the time. I then spent the next month or so filling up to the top with diesel everytime the tank was 3/4s full.

I have to say, once you've made this mistake, you don't do it again - fortunately, I got away with it!

I've seen some little gizmos which sit behind the petrol cap cover and then shout 'Diesel' out when you open them - perhaps you could get your sis to send the car owners one as an olive branch !!

Filling a petrol with diesel isn't too bad...................... but petrol into a diesel usually means a new engine, especially if it a very modern diesel.
Reason? The petrol dissolves all the seals in the engine and fuelling system lines which makes it more economical to replace everything. Just as well it wasn't a nice shiny new Freelander

The TDv8 FFRR and RRSport have a special fuel filler tube that will automatically block off the filling line before you even put a drop of petrol into it! Anybody know if they have fitted the device to Freelander 2? I suspect LR developed this system for the TDv8's because of mistakes made by test drivers during developement. That engine is soooooooooooooooo smooooooooooooth and quiet and has such petrol like performance that it would be a very easy and expensive mistake to make. How can carbon have a footprint, it has no feet?
Now driving - RRE Coupe Dynamic Lux Auto with Plus pack, Fuji White, Ebony, SD4 with tow pack
Gone - 2010MY FFRR TDv8 Stornoway and Ivory, Privacy - the pace of a TDv8 RRS, the incomparable grace of a Range Rover
Gone but will be missed- RRS Tdv8 HSE Stornoway Grey with Ebony Leather
Gone (only a little missed) RRS Tdv6 2.7SE Giverny Green/Aspen
Defender 90 County HT in Epsom Green

Last edited by Tim in Scotland on 5th Jan 2007 6:27 pm. Edited 1 time in total

Tim in Scotland wrote:

The TDv8 FFRR and RRSport have a special fuel filler tube that will automatically block off the filling line before you even put a drop of petrol into it! .

I think it is something to do with the length of the fuel pump nozzle. If my memory serves me right the nozzle on a petrol pump is longer than a deisel pump nozzle, so if you shove a petrol nozzle into the TDV8 filler neck it activates a sensor which blocks off the filler neck.

Or I could be talking a load of derv.

This is it:

http://www.saxonind.co.uk/fuelrite.htm

Tim in Scotland wrote:

The petrol dissolves all the seals in the engine and fuelling system lines which makes it more economical to replace everything.

The other issue is that the diesel itself is used to lubricate the injectors, pump and more-or-less everything that can move in the the fuel feed.

Petrol, on the other hand, is a solvent...

This, in combination with point Tim made means that damage can result very quickly if a modern diesel is driven for any length of time with a tank full of petrol.

If it's caught quickly and the tank and fuel system drained and purged of petrol before it's driven any distance then it should be OK but it's not guaranteed to be OK with modern diesels the way it used to be with the old thumpers  Bill

'97 Land Rover 300Tdi Defender 90 "Big Red" - Never Clean
'78 Triumph Spitfire 2500 - Much Modified
'76 Triumph 2000TC Saloon - Forever Original
ex V6 Freelander owner not interested in another shiny Land Rover at the moment

Just found out a bit more about the incident. At the time they filled the car they were totally unaware of the potential problem. It all came to light once they'd driven the car several miles and it had got to the point where the engine was coughing and spluttering and thye'd had to push the car !!! I think its going to be expensive ...

avtur wrote:

I think its going to be expensive ...

Yup, I reckon so too  Bill

'97 Land Rover 300Tdi Defender 90 "Big Red" - Never Clean
'78 Triumph Spitfire 2500 - Much Modified
'76 Triumph 2000TC Saloon - Forever Original
ex V6 Freelander owner not interested in another shiny Land Rover at the moment