Filling up with diesel by mistake could be a costly repair bill

What happens if I accidentally fill my car with diesel? 

When it comes to putting fuel in a car, truck or SUV, it really doesn’t seem like a lot could go wrong. Putting premium-grade gas in a vehicle that only requires regular isn’t really a problem beyond paying a little extra. Even the reverse situation isn’t a real big deal once the right type of gasoline is used. However, if you’re wondering, ‘What happens if I accidentally fill my car with diesel,’ the team at Carizma Motors has some bad, but not surprising news to share – you might be in for a hefty repair bill. Our team reached out to some automotive repair experts in the Lubbock area to get some answers. Let’s see what they found. 

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Why is diesel in a gasoline-powered car bad? 

Gasoline and diesel have a few fundamental differences. As it applies to our question today, diesel fuel is a thicker fluid than gasoline. In the (unlikely event) someone in Lubbock fills their tank with diesel by mistake, the fuel pump that is designed for gasoline will struggle to move the fuel from the tank to the engine. Not that it matters a whole lot, because gasoline and diesel are ignited in different ways and the engine won’t start. Additionally, running diesel through a gasoline filter will very likely damage the filer.  

How should this be fixed? 

If someone fills their gas tank with diesel, the most important troubleshooting step is to not start the engine. Step two is to remove the diesel fuel from the gas tank as soon as possible. There should be a drain plug located on the gas tank and the diesel fuel could be drained that way if someone knows what they’re doing. However, if the gas tank doesn’t have a drain plug, it will have to be removed from the vehicle and repeatedly rinsed with fresh gasoline until all the diesel is gone. 

Estimates on properly removing diesel fuel from a gas tank range from $200 to $500 if there is a drain plug. However, that price could climb as high as $2,000 if the tank needs to be dropped. 

Make an appointment with a Carizma Motors product expert today if you need to move on from your current vehicle.