(Misfuel) Petrol AND Diesel

[tokirky]

Guess what I just did - #ickhead!!!!!

I was in my own little world and picked up the Vortex pump and started filling my Diesel tri.

Then i have had a thought to see what Vortex, to my surprise it was Vortex 95 unleaded.....
I stopped at 20ltrs and had a little think......wish the wife had done this.........
with half a tank to go I filled the rest (30 ltrs) with Vortex Diesel.

Then I thought whether i should start it or not or call a tow truck.

So i gave it a go and limped home, but had NO adverse affects. A little rattlier but gave it big drink of 2T - 400ml
and 'so far so good'?

Any other numb nuts out there who have done this - I cant be the first one surely
What has happened to your truck??????

[fridgie]

'I wish my wife had done this!'

[daryn]

Geez, what do ya do ?

Is there a drain plug, never looked ?

[gutters]

I did exactly this with my old Pajero, but didn't realise until she started running really rough. The Paj had 150lt long range tank and numb nuts here filled her up with 95lt of Vortex unleaded and then headed off to the hospital as my wife had just had our second child the previous night. Well didn't end up at the hospital, but instead limped to the nearest mechanic who had a great laugh when he told me what I'd done. He told me he gets about 15 to 20 instances of this a year.

We drained the tank and replaced the filters and all seemed well but after a while the Paj started to play up, hard to start, running rough, blowing white smoke etc. Turns out I had stuffed all the seals in the injector pump and had to replace the pump and get new injectors, so an expensive stuff up.

If I were you I would completely drain the tank and replace the filter, petrol has poor lubrication properties and may cause damage to the seals in the pump or worse (CRD seem to be little less tolerant of incorrect fuel/impurities than the old diesels).

So your not alone mate, that makes at least 2 of us

[MLTRIT08]

Apparently this can have devastating effects on a modern CRD engine, so lucky to get home, I would be draining the tank

[borngeek]

DO NOT START THE ENGINE AGAIN!!!

You will destroy the engine completely. It is amazing you got home. Probably the fact the majority in the tank is diesel makes you very lucky... MAYBE.

Unleaded fuel will destroy the fuel pump first ($6K) then move to injectors and completely strip the bore of lubricant and bang... Only mits will be able to replace and reprogram the injectors so it aint going to be cheap.

I be draining (even replacing the tank with a new long range one) flushing the lines, draining the common rail and fuel filter replaced a couple times and pumping diesel thru it before the engine fires up again.
Fuel conditioner, liberal amount of 2T and PRAY you havent damaged something already.

When you were considering a tow, you should have done that... good luck

[Cowboy Dave]

Hopefully yours is old enough to still have a drain plug on the tank. Apparently the newer models don't even have that. Fingers crossed for you mate. I swear I check the nozzle about 3 times every time I fill up for the same reason.

[tokirky]

Geez boys you are full of doom and gloom I thought i had dodged a bulllet.

I did give her some 2T to help the lube.

better look for a drain plug hey

[snowman]

Hopefully yours is old enough to still have a drain plug on the tank. Apparently the newer models don't even have that. Fingers crossed for you mate. I swear I check the nozzle about 3 times every time I fill up for the same reason.

according to sources - the ML's never had a drain plug.

get some expert advice. make a few phone calls before you start her again.

[snowman]

as diesel is heavier than petrol could one keep filling it once full.......

messy i know but might do the job if this happens to someone else.

i reckon the 2 stroke might have been the saviour though.

keen to get some detailed advice on this one mate so post up the feedback.

Call Westend Diesel in Sydney - they might give you some good advice over the phone.

[borngeek]

here is a article to scare you even more

http://motortorque.askaprice.com/articles/auto-0711/help-ive-put-petrol-in-a-diesel-engine-frequently-asked-questions.asp

[daryn]

Geez boys you are full of doom and gloom I thought i had dodged a bulllet.

I did give her some 2T to help the lube.

better look for a drain plug hey

Not doom and gloom, we just care

[craig1]

bloke I work with (no not me mine is already petrol) drove his car from about 5 hours with petrol in his diesel triton just topping it up with diesel when he could 12 months later it hasn't seemed to have any adverse effects. not saying I would recommend it though.

[mattz]

Also speak to your insurance company. I have heard about some one else doing the same thing and were covered. It surprised me but is worth a try.

[Kegsy]

bloke I work with (no not me mine is already petrol) drove his car from about 5 hours with petrol in his diesel triton just topping it up with diesel when he could 12 months later it hasn't seemed to have any adverse effects. not saying I would recommend it though.

Yep my mate did the same.

Filled up with 20litres of ULP by mistake then just topped the rest up with diesel. Every trip he topped up the tank with diesel for about 3 weeks to dilute it.

His ute hasn't missed a beat and that was quite a while ago. But its not a common rail.

Also just as a note, back in the older days people used to add small amounts of gasoline to diesel to make it handle colder weather better before this new alpine diesel came out. Not sure the ratio though.

[jop]

After a rather large weekend in coffs (bucks party and wheeling) a few years ago i half filled my paj diesel with unleaded, realised and switched to diesel.

Drove it home filling it with diesel at every service station - no issues till i sold it about a year later.

wouldn't have done it with a common rail though.

Still cringe evertime i pass that servo on the way out of coffs

[MUD LARK]

Isn't the super PETROL nozzle different size to ULP & DIESEL??
Am sure it is, so how does one continue to fill up as it won't even fit??

[borngeek]

Here the diesel nozzle (like europe) is bigger. So ULP, ethanol blend etc fit straight in no problem Mud Lark.

It is a easy mistake to make especially the fact damn service stations here market the premium diesel products under the same name as their ULP counterparts.

ToKirky; Just get it out and hope you are OK!

[tokirky]

Thanks guys i will get it sorted and post back 'professional advice'.

The ML does NOT have a drain plug - thanks mitsu for the extra couple of hours work now......

Tomorrow is a day off for me so i will consult colleges at work on Wed.

Boycee hows that longrange group buy going??? If i pull this tank out it 's not going back in

[chick_magnet_0001]

can i ask how long it took to drive home from the fuel station, might of been enough fuel in the lines for 5ks or soo before the shit fuel entered the pump then recycled it feel for u at least you bought this to the attention of everyone to make a quick double look at the fuel type they are filling with

[mattz]

Does anyone know if all MLs don't have drain plugs on the fuel tanks?
I'm sure I saw one the other day when I was cleaning the mud from underneath and thought that will be handy when installing the LR tank.
Might have imagined it or could have been looking at something else.

[Steane]

The earlier MLs have drain bungs for the fuel tank Mattz. Pretty damn sure I've seen one on mine (late 07), and there have been guys on this forum who've drained their tanks using the bung.

[Steane]

Ahhh...caught by the double post bug...

[Eureka]

this happened recently to one of my work Tritons. The guy realised and called in after puting around 30l of unleaded into a 2.5 ML diesel.

First order was "Just dont turn the f*&%ing key!"

Called Mits roadside asist and got the thing towed to the closest Mits outlet (Melton) and about $300 bucks later has the tank drained and everything checked, etc.

A bit shirty at the cost but compared to him hopping in the vehicle and trying the 5 hours drive home (reckon he would have made it!!!) this was cheap.

It happens, anyone can have a brain fade. Just be warned that it can get VERY expensive if it goes wrong as per BGs post above.

[tokirky]

can i ask how long it took to drive home from the fuel station, might of been enough fuel in the lines for 5ks or soo before the shit fuel entered the pump then recycled it feel for u at least you bought this to the attention of everyone to make a quick double look at the fuel type they are filling with

About 5k's chicky, the fuel mixes fairly well, i can't see any seperation of fuels in my clear 'sight glass' I have inline
before the main filter. Maybe cause the tank is full and the unleaded is right up the top.???

I have an 08 ML, so if the drain plugs were on the early models they deleted them fairly quick..........WHY????