I PUT THE WRONG FUEL IN MY CAR
Hello, and welcome to fuel expert.
If you are here because you have put the wrong fuel in your car then we can help.
Putting the wrong fuel in your car is not always as bad as is first thought, and a breakdown caused by wrong fuel can be rectified in nearly all cases with a drain down and refuel (correct fuel this time!)
In days gone by a fuel drain was as simple as unscrewing the sump plug at the bottom of the fuel tank and letting gravity do what it does best, unfortunately todays cars are not as easy.
The fuel tank sump plug was a common fixture on steel fuel tanks, however most cars from 1990 onwards have plastic/composite fuel tanks, and plastic being plastic does not suite plastic/metal joints that would accommodate a plug, also, the upside is composite tanks can be made into far for elaborate designs than the traditional steel square box tank, which was either far too small, or dominated the interior design and ride height of the car.
There are 3 ways to drain most fuel tanks without removing it.
Firstly, suck the fuel out of the filler neck with special equipment
Second. suck the fuel out of the line that supplies fuel to the engine at a connection point, this is done by temporarily disconnecting the fuel line and reconnecting it to special fittings that are attached to the vacuum tank.
Third, access the fuel from the top of the tank where there is an access hatch for the fuel pump and level sender unit (usually under the seat)
Some cars need a special approach and specialist tools, some also need a unique approach, our experience in this industry means that you will always get a safe, efficient and intelligent fuel drain.
For example this Diesel powered land rover drove for 30 miles on a 70/30 mix of mixed fuel. it was loosing power and once parked up it refused to start from cold. our team had it back running again in less than 30 minutes. if you need help to rectify a misfuel, call us now.
Typically it goes like this, You pull up at the petrol station, look at the price of fuel, wince and start to fill up.
Holding the nozzle you gaze into the distance and perhaps daydream of the times when fuel was sold by the gallon and cost less than cider.
The automatic cutoff on the pump signals you are now full and a fully paid up member of the robbed blind by a petrol station club.
In a moment of clarity you see that the fuel pistol you are holding is green, the writing on the top sais “unleaded” and funnily enough you are driving a Diesel car, you double check, diesel car, petrol pump diesel car petrol pump, the cars diesel, the pump readout sais £112.00 the cars diesel, it sais unleaded, look at the readout again, look at the trigger, look at the pump.
Trust me, I know, I am not too proud to admit I have done it twice. for me, and I think I was a normal case, I was stunned for a good few minutes, punch drunk on remorse I slowly made my way to the cashier to pay for fuel I did not want in a car that does not run on it, paying for it before doing anything else is is a british trait.
Most people pay and don’t say anything, this is the dazed and confused period which occurs after a misfuel.
Then, we phone a friend, not one that will laugh at us, but one who knows a bit about cars, well more than us anyway.
The friend suggests we drain it out, syphon it perhaps, logical but impractical, syphoning is a gravity driven process and most fuel tanks are within inches of the ground to start with, a syphon requires a decent drop to flow properly, and thats before you figure out where to get a syphon kit from, how to get the car high enough to get a good “drop” or what to put the fuel in, because the BP M&S manager frowns upon fuel being pissed all over the forecourt by a frantic wannabe mechanic.
Eliminating the unfeasible, it turns out that someone once knew someone who got a company to come round and sort it out, and we hit google, surprise surprise we are now introduced to the fuel draining subculture, there are a dozen fuel draining companies advertising on google adwords, and paying a hefty fee to boot, and the garage has 4 business cards for local fuel drainers.
We hum, we haw and we think about our options, the fuel drainer wants 170 quid, the mechanic friend is offering to tow you home once he gets off shift and sort it out in your drive with some empty catering size margarine tubs.
You think about your neighbours and the wife, and what they will make of the planned shenanigans in your front drive and you opt for the fuel draining company.
You call them, it might be forecourt assist, fuelfixer, fuel-fix, greenways, doctor fuel, fuel doctor, GPS, AFS247, or any number of independent companies and offer up you debit card details.
half an hour later they turn up. orange recovery lights flashing like a school disco, the red bull ridden fuel drainer hops out and gets to work, maybe he will set up the “exclusion zone” this is a few traffic cones with no smoking signs “fuel drain in progress” all in high visibility to bring maximum embarrassment to the victim.
The suction line is put down the cars throat and the pump kicks in, 10 minutes later, you are asked to pay, yes pay to have 120 pounds of fuel taken off you.
The helpful fuel drainer pushes your car back onto the pump, and you start where you left off, albeit paying a fair bit more attention.
£290 lighter from the fuel drain & the removed fuel, you now pay again for your diesel, and wonder how you ever managed to spend 2 hours of your life and 400 quid in a petrol station.
Welcome my friend, this club is bigger than you think!
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