What To Do When We Get The Fuel Wrong When Refueling?
Making the wrong fuel when refueling is something that can happen especially if we have just changed cars and have another fuel or if we have rented one with a different fuel than ours. But what happens in the car? It can be fixed? What can we do? We reveal these and other doubts that may arise in this regard.
What happens in the car when we get the wrong fuel when refueling
The effects on the car are different depending on the type of fuel we are talking about. For example, if our car is gasoline and we refuel diesel, the engine will start to fail until it stops completely.
The solution will be to call the tow truck, who will take the car to a nearby workshop and there they will clean the fuel filter and the ducts. If the filter does not look good after cleaning, it will be replaced with a new one.
In the event that we had circulated longer than it should with the wrong fuel, it is possible that this has reached the catalytic converter and has to be changed, which would mean a more expensive repair and that, depending on the age of your car, you could ask if it is really worth doing.
In the opposite case, when the car is diesel and we refuel, the engine will start jerking very abruptly and will stop in a short time. The problem arises at the time of repair.
Although the procedure will be the same (clean the pipes and change the fuel filter), it is normal for this fault to influence the injection pump and even the injectors. A repair that will have to be considered whether or not to do it if your car is of considerable age.
Will insurance cover it?
This is a common question and it is normal that it comes up when talking about this topic. All insurance will cover the transfer to the workshop, since the car is stopped on the road and is considered damaged, so they are obliged to do so. What they will not cover, under any circumstances, not even if we have comprehensive insurance, is the repair.
What to do when we get the wrong fuel when refueling if we realize it?
It could be the case that you thought of something else while refueling and, when you let go of the hose, you would have realized that you have refueled wrongly. Well, in this case, follow these steps below.
Don’t start
Do not start the vehicle. As is normal, you will have to move it to allow the refueling service to continue at the gas station. Talk to the worker and explain what happened to you and ask him to help you push the vehicle out of the way.
Call the crane
Once in a quiet place, call the crane and explain the situation. Wait calmly, because there is nothing more you can do. Take the car to the workshop and wait for an estimate for the repair.
Doing so will prevent damage to the injection pump, injectors, or catalyst, which will make the repair less expensive. If the wrong amount of fuel is very small because you realized it in time, nothing should happen, although if you want to stay calm you could follow the same steps.
Many are martyred for making a mistake like this, but it is one of the most common mistakes of drivers. So much so that new vehicles have a new system in the tank cap.
This no longer exists: the tanks of new cars no longer have a cap, but a semi-closed opening that will only open when the fuel hose suitable for the vehicle is inserted. Thus, in a gasoline car you can never insert a diesel hose and vice versa. Brilliant!
