Confusing fuel when refueling a car and pouring gasoline instead of diesel is quite easy. The tanker confused, changed the car and were not used to a different fuel - there are quite a few reasons why such a situation occurred. The question immediately arises: what to do. Naturally, go to the service.
Cars with mixed fuel at service stations are not uncommon - this will be confirmed by employees of such services. The owners of cars that have been filled with gasoline instead of diesel are naturally nervous and are already counting losses in their heads.
What happens if you add the wrong fuel
To understand how much damage was done to a vehicle, it is necessary to consider the principle of the car engine. It should be understood that gasoline and diesel engines are very different from each other. The main difference is that in diesel, heating and ignition of the air-fuel mixture occurs due to compression inside the cylinder.
If the tank was almost empty, then when filling the diesel engine with gasoline, the engine can even start. This will happen due to the fact that there is still some normal fuel left in the fuel line and filter. Further, the car will travel a certain number of meters or even kilometers, after which the car will stand up and it will no longer be possible to start it. And if it works, then you should not spoil the engine further, it is better to immediately call a tow truck to get to the service.
Experts call such a development of events favorable and argue that in this case the repair will not require large financial investments: it will be enough to flush the main line and the tank and change the filter.
In the event that a certain volume of diesel still remained in the tank, and then gasoline was poured, the two types of fuel are mixed. The motor will most likely start (again due to the remains of the diesel in the highway), but it will not be possible to drive for a long time again. When the fuel mixture begins to flow into the engine, there are two possible scenarios. In the first car it will simply stand up. In the second, it will continue to work, however, the engine power will begin to decrease, but the coolant temperature, on the contrary, will rise. Additionally, there will be a strong rumble. It should be understood that this is very dangerous for the engine, so you need to stop, unscrew the gas tank cap and sniff if it smells like gasoline.
Often, drivers, driving away from a gas station and not checking what kind of fuel was filled, write off the noises that have been poured into the fuel and continues to drive on. This is absolutely impossible to do.
The main reason for engine problems is that ignition will occur later than is necessary for a diesel engine. As a result, pressure waves are generated that randomly move through the combustion chamber and hit the piston, cover and cylinder walls. It is these actions that cause the noises that the driver hears.
What to do
Naturally, you will have to flush the entire fuel system. This must be done both if the damage is minor and if the situation is serious. Flushing the fuel system is necessary to remove all gasoline particles that can spoil the engine while driving.
If the situation is serious, i.e. the engine is damaged quite badly, it is better to carry out its full diagnostics and replace everything that needs to be replaced.
To avoid such problems in the future, in the area of the gas tank, make yourself a sticker with a reminder: for yourself, refuellers, that only diesel should be poured into the tank. And then you will be able to avoid problems and costly repairs.
