cj79 Posted August 18, 2015 Report Share Posted August 18, 2015 I realise by posting this I will never be allowed back into this forum but here goes... I have NEVER done this before, but there is a first time for everything.. basically I was very distracted due to 3 or 4 things that happened yesterday, coupled with the lock on my fuel cap jamming for about 5 minutes when I was late for a wedding (as best man), got the lock open, turned around and thought to myself 'i'm driving the TR, so get the hi octane stuff' - my regular driver is a diesel.... you can see where i'm going with this.. Anyway I put about 5 litres in before I realised what I was doing.. it was almost empty and given the situation I had no choice but to fill the remained with unleaded and hope it diluted the diesel enough. A 7 mile smokey (gentle) journey to the wedding and back to the garage I drained the whole lot out and filled up full of unleaded.. I've done about 5 miles since and it's not quite right. First thing i'm going to look at is the sparks, then fuel filter, both easy to replace. Then I guess if it hasn't improved have the (2 week old) metering unit checked out, is there anything else anyone can suggest? without laughing? Many thanks,Chris Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Steves_TR6 Posted August 19, 2015 Report Share Posted August 19, 2015 I wonder if a good dose of Redex fuel system cleaner would do the job ? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TR5tar Posted August 19, 2015 Report Share Posted August 19, 2015 (edited) Hi Chris, Sorry to hear about your woes. If it makes you feel any better, I've also done it. I regularly switch between driving three cars - one standard unleaded, one higher octane unleaded and the main one a diesel. Rushing about getting ready to go on holiday a few years ago, I stuck about 0.25p of unleaded in the diesel before I realised what I was doing. Had to call out someone to drain the tank there and then because I didn't want to risk starting the engine. All of which took a couple of hours and cost in excess of £150 I seem to remember. Plus, there was the embarrassment of sitting on the garage forecourt, so I sympathise. After that I did a bit of research. According to what I read at the time, it's not as bad to put diesel in a petrol engine as it is to put petrol in a diesel (as I did). I now have one of those special fuel caps on my diesel, that can only be opened with the nozzle of the diesel pump. Since then, I've also read that with the low amount of petrol I put in it probably wouldn't have been a problem. In fact, some people add a bit of petrol to diesel to stop it waxing in cold weather it turns out, but I wouldn't want to have taken the risk. I'm not able to provide you with any technical knowledge (this more a post of solidarity), but I'm sure someone will be along that can help with that. I'd wonder about clogging of the injectors, I suppose. When you say the car isn't running quite right, what are the symptoms? Cheers, Darren Edited August 19, 2015 by TR5tar Quote Link to post Share on other sites
johnny250 Posted August 19, 2015 Report Share Posted August 19, 2015 (edited) A bit late now......but for next time....... a 'must have' on any diesel car http://www.amazon.co.uk/Think-Diesel/dp/B002M95AFC Not sure if you can get a talking 'petrol' warning though It works by shouting STOP....DIESEL...remember... DIESEL , when you open the filler cap! Edited August 19, 2015 by johnny250 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Peter Cobbold Posted August 19, 2015 Report Share Posted August 19, 2015 Go for at least an hour drive, 5min wont get the engine up to full working temperature. Cant see that brief exposure to diluted diesel (10% ) killing anything in the PI. But it might have fouled the plugs. A good run on the open road should do the job. Avoid full throttle until you feel its back to normal. Peter Quote Link to post Share on other sites
cj79 Posted August 19, 2015 Author Report Share Posted August 19, 2015 OK thanks for the advice, i'll take it out this weekend weather permitting and let you know the outcome. It's not really bad just seems a little underpowered and generally rough. Hope its just the sparks. Many thanks,Chris Quote Link to post Share on other sites
John Bracher Posted August 19, 2015 Report Share Posted August 19, 2015 Hi Chris. I know someone who did similar (bio diesel) in a petrol car. If you have paper filter elements in your fuel system, they may be 'gooey' after shifting diesel. If you can, maybe swill out/reverse flush them?? I am sure the petrol will break the diesel down, but may be worth a look (especially if you can't get out due to weather!) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ben Freer Posted August 19, 2015 Report Share Posted August 19, 2015 At least no - one will get too close as you lay down a smoke screen. I have seen it done to a 6 before and after a run and a plug clean it was as right as rain. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bill Bourne Posted August 19, 2015 Report Share Posted August 19, 2015 I've also done it not once, but twice !!! derrrr. Got the nut of the year award for doing so.. After the 2nd time, I saw that I was sending out from the exhausts fabulous huge smoke rings.Hi-yer watha comes to mind..or something like that.. Drain the tank, fill with fresh fuel, and drive gently. It will clear.. dependent on how much contamination, you may need to drain again and repeat. Also turn the injectors upside down into a jam jar to clear. I have now invested in a tap under the tank so that IF I EVER DO IT AGAIN - grrr.. I can attach a pipe and easily drain through the boot floor. I'm so glad to hear others have done it toooo. (sorry) Best Bill Quote Link to post Share on other sites
john.r.davies Posted August 19, 2015 Report Share Posted August 19, 2015 I did the same, VERY early in the morning, on the way back from Le Mans. Yes, I was that tired. Carried on, my escorting barge driver said with seven different colours of smoke coming out. Second fillup with high octane short of the Ferry Port, but it was very difficult to start to drive off again. Next fill up was around London, and it was still lumpy, so stopped and pulled the plugs. They were clean, but still wet with diesel! Cleaned them out - all I had was tissues and a small can of WD40 - and it ran normally thereafter! Diesel in petrol isn't a disaster; petrol in diesel is! John Quote Link to post Share on other sites
OAF939M Posted August 31, 2015 Report Share Posted August 31, 2015 (edited) About a month ago I filled up the Mercedes diesel,after a few seconds I realised I was putting super unleaded in as I do with the TR6. I stopped and carried on with Supreme diesel ,total 4.5 litres petrol in 65 litres diesel tank. Trouble is they use blue for both these fuels,either on the pump or the nozzle ,my fault but can see how it happened. Any way asked the garage what they thought and reckoned I would be OK,went to my local garage and they reckoned OK. I wondered about putting some 2 stroke in the tank as petrol does not lubricate the pumpwell. No, they said just run it. So I did and as soon as could get a few more litres of diesel in I did, more or less every day. Fortunately it has been OK. Funny thing is since I have done this, each time I fill up, despite checking several times ,when I go to pay I always ask if I did actually put diesel in. A few years ago I was at a local air show and there was someone giving rides in an Abbot tracked self propelled gun,I was the first passenger and they were still warming it up. Any way we set off and reckon I had a good 15 minutes going around, blue smoke belching out the back. When we came back I paid, think it was about 8 pounds. Told him that surely that wouldn't cover the fuel. Aha,he said, it is multi-fuel and they ran it on diesel/petrol cock ups. Edited August 31, 2015 by OAF939M Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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