The cost of filling up with the wrong fuel Putting the wrong kind of fuel in your car can add up to be a hugely expensive error. And it’s all too easily done.
It’s estimated that 120,000 drivers put the wrong fuel in their cars every year – that’s about 13 an hour – and they end up paying a massive £50 million in repair bills.
Research shows that some garages have quoted thousands of pounds to put things right. If you happen to own a Chrysler Grand Voyager, it will cost you a whopping £5,000 to sort out, which includes new injectors, injector pump, fuel filter and fuel pump. Next up is the Land Rover Freelander TD4, coming in at a pricey £4,300.
But repair bills seem to vary quite considerably depending on what car you drive. If, on the other hand, you own a Skodia Octavia, only expect to pay £110 for being absent minded at the pumps. Yet, if you’re driving a BMW 320d and make the same mistake, then it’ll set you back £1,000.
But in many cases, it would appear much of this billing is simply unnecessary. ‘Misfuelling’, as it has become known, can be easily rectified with nothing much more required than draining and flushing the fuel system through.
In fact, cases of motorists filling up with the wrong fuel have become so common that the AA has specialist patrols set up to help drivers who have misfuelled. Almost all incidents involve petrol being put into diesel vehicles, simply because diesel pump nozzles are too large to fit into petrol fuel tanks.
In a diesel engine, fuel acts as a lubricant as well as a propellant. Petrol, however, is a solvent and can easily strip any lubricant away, leaving engine components to grind together. Damage to a diesel engine as a result of misfuelling can vary, depending on how early you realise your mistake.
So, be observant at the pumps. Check the nozzle colour and the read-out on the pump itself. It’ll save you a lot of time, trouble and money.