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Wrong Fuel Recovery: The What, Why, and How

10/4/2023

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Every driver's nightmare, whether seasoned or novice, is the realisation that they’ve put the wrong fuel in their car. It’s an easy mistake to make but can come with a host of complications if not addressed immediately and correctly. With the hustle and bustle of modern life, distractions can easily lead to grabbing the wrong nozzle at the fuel station.

Before you know it, you're driving off with a ticking time bomb of potential engine complications. So, what do you do in such a situation? Let's delve into the world of wrong fuel recovery.
How Do People End Up Putting the Wrong Fuel in Their Cars?

Distraction
Life can be hectic. Whether it’s kids arguing in the back seat, an urgent call, or simply a daydream, distractions can cause us to make simple but impactful mistakes like choosing the wrong pump.

Unfamiliar Vehicles
Borrowing a car or renting a different vehicle can lead to confusion. You might be used to filling up your petrol car and accidentally fill a diesel rental with petrol.

Misleading Nozzle Colours
Sometimes, nozzle colours can vary from station to station, leading to confusion.

Simple Forgetfulness
We're all human, and sometimes we just forget. What To Do If You Put the Wrong Fuel in Your Car?

Do Not Start the Engine
This is crucial. Starting the engine circulates the mixed fuel around your car's system. If you haven’t started the car yet, the wrong fuel is still only in the tank, making the problem more manageable.

Move Away from the Pump
If possible, push the car to a safe spot to avoid causing a jam at the fuel station.

Notify the Fuel Station
It’s a good practice to inform the fuel station of the mistake.

Call a Fuel Drain Provider
This is where professionals like Fuel Doctor come in. They have the expertise and equipment to drain the incorrect fuel from your car and ensure it’s safe to drive.

Introducing Fuel Doctor: The Lifesaver in Wrong Fuel SituationsWhen faced with the distressing realization of a wrong fuel mishap, it's comforting to know that there are professionals ready to come to the rescue. Fuel Doctor is a leading national fuel drain provider that covers the entirety of the UK.

Why Choose Fuel Doctor?

Prompt Response
We promise a 1-hour fuel drain service. This means that within an hour of your call, they'll be at your location, ensuring that your vehicle is free from the wrong fuel and safe to drive.

Nationwide Coverage
Regardless of where you are in the UK, Fuel Doctor has got you covered. Whether you're on a remote countryside road or in the heart of a bustling city, their network ensures that a technician isn't far away.

Expertise
Dealing with wrong fuel situations requires knowledge, experience, and precision. Fuel Doctor’s technicians are trained and have a wealth of experience in handling such issues. They'll not only drain the wrong fuel but will also provide advice to prevent future mishaps.

Affordability: Mistakes happen, and they shouldn't cost you an arm and a leg. Fuel Doctor offers competitive pricing, ensuring that your wallet doesn’t take too big a hit.

In conclusion, while putting the wrong fuel in your car can be distressing, knowing what to do can save you from potential damage and costs.

Immediate action is crucial, and having professionals like Fuel Doctor at your beck and call ensures that the situation is managed promptly and efficiently. Remember, the next time you’re at a fuel station, double-check the pump, and always keep emergency numbers like Fuel Doctor's handy. Drive safe!

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What To Do When You Put Wrong Fuel In Your Car

11/29/2018

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When reading articles on the internet about this, there are many many scare stories about how putting petrol in your diesel engine can ruin your car, how your engine will blow, how it will erode! Ignore them all and just read our article below to get the full low down on what to do when you have just mixed your petrol and diesel cars.

A motor vehicle is a finely tuned and handy machine. Many of us would be entirely lost without our vehicles, and it is easy to see why. Each and every car can transport at least two people from one place to the next without any issues at all.

However, the finely tuned machine can be susceptible to some major flaws and issues. The majority of these are just down to the nature of the car and how it progresses, but in some cases, it can be an accident on the part of the owner. We’re going to be taking a look at what you can do when you put the wrong kind of fuel in a car, and if there’s anything which can be done to change it.

Initial Reaction
When you first come to the realisation that you have put the wrong fuel into your vehicle, you need to make sure that you follow these golden rules to minimise the damage and prevent a problem from becoming a serious issue.

First of all, do not start the car. If you start your vehicle, you run the risk of the fuel contaminating your engine and damaging it beyond repair. You should take the keys away from the ignition. It’s then a case of making sure that you get the car to a safe location. If you’re at a petrol station, then you do at least have the advantage of asking someone to give you a hand pushing the vehicle. You want the car to get to somewhere where services can provide assistance to you without inconveniencing other people.

After this, you’re going to need to contact your breakdown provider or a roadside services provider. Explain the situation to them and tell them where you are. They’ll be able to come to you and provide aid, so you’ll need to sit tight and wait.

Two Fuel Types - Two Different Situations
Because there are two different types of fuel which can go into two different engines, there are two types of reactions which can take place within the vehicle when you try and use it.

Putting diesel in a petrol car is the least damaging occurrence of the two, but it is a real pain to get around. What you will notice is that the diesel pump nozzle is larger than the filler necks for petrol vehicles, so it’s much harder to put the wrong fuel in. However, it can still be a pain.

Now, what you need to understand is that diesel and petrol are used in two different ways. As a fuel, they are utilised by the vehicles in different ways. Petrol is ignited, whereas diesel is compressed. What this means is that when you go to start the car, it just won’t do anything. It’s a significant pain to drain the fuel out and put more in, but it’s not going to wreck your engine completely.

Putting petrol into a diesel vehicle, however, is much more damaging and potentially fatal to your car. The mistake which a lot of people make is that the filler nozzle for petrol will fit into a diesel cap, so it is much easier to make the mistake of putting the wrong fuel in.

Diesel acts as a lubricant for the vehicle - it helps all of the different parts in the engine to work together. It also helps the fuel pump to perform its tasks with more ease. The problem with petrol is that it does the exact opposite. It jams up and causes friction between all of the different parts of the machine, which means that when you actually go and start up the engine, it will experience problems and issues which can cripple it.

How Do I Prevent Misfiling A Vehicle?
As you can probably tell, putting the wrong kind of fuel into your vehicle can be a major problem, and so many people really don't want it to happen to their car - a new engine is going to set you back a long way concerning price.

This means that people will need to make sure that they avoid putting the wrong fuel into your vehicle. While it is impossible never to make a mistake, trying to reduce them is crucial. You should always make an attempt to read the labels when using the pumps, which can happen more than you think.

You should also make sure that you avoid refuelling if you’re tired or in a rush where possible. These are the points where you are most likely to make a mistake, which can impact your whole day. It’s also possible to get a special attachment for your fuel cap if you drive a diesel vehicle, which will prevent you from inserting the wrong nozzle into your vehicle.

Overall, these are some of the different things which you can do to prevent the wrong fuel from being put into your vehicle. It’s not something that anyone wants to do, but you have to make sure that you are careful about how you go about putting fuel in.

Putting even the smallest amount of new fuel into the engine can potentially severely damage it. It’s important to understand that it can be easy to make a serious mistake. If you aren’t paying attention and you aren’t thinking, you can do some serious damage. The motor engine is a precise machine. Despite all of the grease and rough work which seems to go on inside garages, it’s actually a carefully maintained system which gives you the car we know and love. You have to be careful with fuel, because not only are you spending more money, but you’re also running the risk of damaging your engine beyond repair. That’s obviously something you want to avoid. It’s just a case of taking the time to look carefully into what you put into your machine and make the correct decision in regards to fuel.

Fuel Doctor are the nations favourite wrong fuel recovery experts and provide the cheapest national independent fuel drain service throughout the UK. With over 45 vans throughout the UK we are on call 24 hours a day 7 days a week including bank holidays and Christmas.

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A Class Mercedes Fuel Drain in Tipton Birmingham

8/7/2018

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Fuel Doctor Birmingham was called out to an A Class Mercedes recovery in Tipton Birmingham. The driver had put a full tank of petrol in his diesel car. No need to panic though, once the driver called us we were able to drain the fuel, clean his tank and system and have him back on the road within the hour.

Once again Fuel Doctor saves the day and yet another motorist back on the road in no time!

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WRONG FUEL DRAIN LEIGH LANCASHIRE

3/16/2017

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A Director of a heavy haulage company in Lancashire accidently put 40 litres of Petrol in a Diesel powered Mitsubishi Shogun pickup at Morrisons filling station in Leigh, Lancashire on the 16/3/17. Although he was covered by AA breakdown service, thanks to a recommendation and a significantly reduced cost he chose to use Fuel Doctors services. The job was attended by Fuel Doctor Dan within 35 minutes and completed within the hour

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WRONG FUEL DRAIN, RAINHILL, MERSEYSIDE

3/16/2017

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A Diesel Technician from Rainhill, Merseyside unfortunately put 60 litres of the wrong fuel in a Ford Transit Connect at
TESCOS Fuel station in Prescot, Merseyside. His company advised him to ring Fuel Doctor. The vehicle was attended in 20 minutes and the Fuel drain completed within the hour.

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PUTTING THE WRONG FUEL IN YOUR CAR IN CONNAH'S QUAY ELLESEMERE PORT

2/2/2017

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We serve the whole of Ellesmere Port with a wrong fuel recovery service and this customer put petrol in his diesel car in Connah's Quay Ellesmere Port. The car as you can see is a stunning brand new Kia Sportage and they are just not meant to run on the wrong fuel and if it has been run through the engine, then we need to drain the wrong fuel out of the car and the engine so that we can replace with the right fuel. Why not read our article on what happens to an engine over time if you put petrol in a diesel engine.

The customer here was seen to within the hour and we performed the fuel drain in 20 minutes. As usual, we test and run through the engine before we leave to make sure that the car is fine and will run well.

Check out the image below and if you put the wrong fuel in your car in the Ellesmere Port or Birkenhead areas, then make sure you call out national call centre on 0845 45 90 000 or using the mobile friendly number on 0333 444 9000

Connah's Quay wrong fuel recovery Ellesmere Port

FUEL DOCTOR ARE THE CHEAPEST INDEPENDENT NATIONAL FUEL DRAIN PROVIDER IN THE UK!

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CUSTOMER PUTS WRONG FUEL IN CAR IN CHORLEY LANCASHIRE

1/3/2017

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It's been a busy Christmas for Fuel Doctor throughout Lancashire and this customer in Chorley is just one of many wrong fuel recoveries we attended throughout the Christmas period. There is nothing worse than making a mistake, we all do, and when it costs us money, it can become even more frustrating. However, the way it can be dealt with is everything. It is about being understanding and making sure that the problem is taken away as soon as possible.

It is the same with putting the wrong fuel in your car, it's annoying but your car won't run without the right fuel in it, so this is where we come in. Our man in Chorley Lancashire attended this customer in distress after putting petrol in her Honda Civic diesel car and managed to make it down the road before the car cut out.

Here is a picture of the fuel drain in Chorley

If you are in the Chorley area of Lancashire and put the wrong fuel in your car, you can speak to one of our dedicated fuel drain technicians and call our 24 hour emergency line 0333 444 9000 . To our customers, we are the 4th emergency service and you can see why.

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WRONG FUEL RECOVERY IN FEATHERSTONE WAKEFIELD YORKSHIRE

12/21/2016

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We were called out to Featherstone Wakefield recently to attend to a customer that had added 85 litres of petrol in their diesel tank.

Mrs Lyles was unaware she he added the wrong fuel in her car and had then tried to set off. Unfortunately, she ran the wrong fuel through the engine, which isn't a problem because as part of our mobile fuel drain in Wakefield, we drain the wrong fuel out of the fuel tank as well as the engine meaning your car will be fine.

We then drained the wrong fuel and added 10 litres of the right fuel so she could get back to her work in Wakefield Yorkshire.

Wrong fuel in my car Wakefield Featherstone

Fuel Doctor provivde a full national fuel drain and we have wrong fuel recovery experts on hand to help you if you put the wrong the fuel in your car and get you back on the road in under an hour. We are the largest independent fuel drain company specialising in mobile fuel drains. If you live in Wakefield Yorkshire, why not call us on the number above and in this case our Fuel Doctor on the ground Lee Atkinson will be on hand to help you by the roadside.

We also accept all major debit and credit cards by the roadside too.

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Doncaster Customer Gets Back On The Road After Wrong Fuel Recovery

12/16/2016

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We were recently called out to Armthorpe in Doncaster as a customer has put in 20 litres of petrol in her diesel Suzuki Celerio. She was completely unaware that she has put the wrong fuel in her car and even managed to drive away from the forecourt and towards home before the car began to jolt to a sudden halt.

We were called out as our main man James in the area was available within the hour to the Donaster area and able to drain the wrong fuel from her car and run through the engine and then add the right fuel back in to her car.

When you put petrol in your diesel car it's always best to make sure that you call us out as soon as possible to drain and run through the diesel so that the petrol does not have time to erode.

The customer was extremely pleased with our service and was just happy to be on her way without any issues.

Fuel Doctor are on call all over Doncaster and if you put the wrong fuel in your car in the Doncaster area we aim to be on hand to get you back on the road no matter where you are in Doncaster

We are the largest independent fuel drain company in the UK so you know when you call us, we will be quick, professional and get you back on your way.

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Diesel in Petrol Misfuel Wigan

11/12/2016

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We were recently called to a home where the customer had put the wrong fuel in their car and actually managed to get home. In this case, the symptoms of the wrong fuel were that the car began to jump and it was only when the customer got home he had realised he had put the wrong fuel in his car in a Wigan petrol station.