What happens when you put petrol in a diesel car and drive it
What happens when you put petrol in a diesel car and drive it? The most common misfuel by a wide margin. Do not start the engine — it is drained, flushed and primed on site. Call 01293 248666 — a mobile technician comes to the vehicle anywhere across TS1 and TS3 to TS8. Call-out £89 to £199, drain £199 to £1,999.
No premises, no recovery truck
The alternative to what we do is a recovery truck, a garage queue and a courtesy car you did not want. Wrong Fuel Middlesbrough sends a technician to TS1 and TS3 to TS8 instead, and the job is normally finished where you are standing. Call 01293 248666. There is no Middlesbrough branch to drive to, which is rather the point.
| Search | what happens when you put petrol in a diesel car and drive it |
|---|---|
| What it is | Petrol in diesel |
| Where we cover | TS1 and TS3 to TS8 |
| Cost | Call-out £89 to £199, drain £199 to £1,999, quoted in full before we travel |
| Time on site | About an hour |
| Hours | 24 hours, every day |
| Phone | 01293 248666 |
What happens when you put petrol in a diesel car and drive it: what to do
The most common misfuel, and the one with the most to lose by starting the engine.
Why the engine matters more than the litres
People assume a splash is fine and a full tank is a disaster. It is the other way round. Wrong fuel sitting in a tank is inert — it is a drain. Turn the key and it travels: lift pump, filter, high-pressure pump, injectors, and every stage it reaches adds a component to the bill. Five litres burned is worse than fifty litres left alone.
Step by step
- Ignition off and stay off No starting, no accessory position, no quick test. Contamination still sitting in the tank is the best case, and it lasts exactly until the engine turns over.
- Keep the vehicle still Even rolling it a few metres can move fuel toward the pickup. If the spot is safe, the spot is right.
- Look after people first Hazard lights on. Passengers out and clear if there is passing traffic. On a forecourt, let the staff know what has happened.
- Phone 01293 248666 Give the vehicle, the fuel that went in, an estimate of the amount, and whether it ran. The price comes back on the same call.
- Extraction on the spot The tank is drained, the lines flushed, clean fuel added and the system primed — anywhere across TS1 and TS3 to TS8.
- Paperwork and the waste An invoice for you; the contaminated fuel leaves with us as controlled waste under a transfer note.
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What drivers tell other drivers
4.8 stars, 2,190 Trustpilot reviews. The advice drivers pass on is simple: do not start the engine, ring, and expect someone level-headed who knows exactly what to do.
The warning they pass on is that it is not cheap. Fair enough — the call-out runs £89 to £199, the drain £199 to £1,999, and both are stated before a van leaves, so nobody is surprised at the roadside.
Questions we get asked
What if I have already driven it?
Still call. Most vehicles driven a short distance are recoverable. Tell us how far you got, because it changes the kit we bring.
Can I just top it up with the right fuel?
No. Dilution does not fix contamination, and driving to a filling station to try it is the mile that turns a drain into a repair.
What happens to the old fuel?
It leaves with us as controlled waste under a waste transfer note. It is not tipped, and it is not resold to you.
Is this a garage?
No. Wrong Fuel Middlesbrough is mobile. A technician travels to the vehicle wherever it is standing.
Who you are dealing with
Wrong Fuel Middlesbrough is a service by Forecourt Assistance. Forecourt Assistance is a trading name of Fuel Fixer Ltd, company no 08520551, a company of Fuel Fixer International. Registered at Fairway House, Portland Road, East Grinstead, RH19 4ET. Fuel Fixer International is owned by Stockbridge Capital Holdings.
Across the network
Wrong Fuel Middlesbrough is one of the sites run by Forecourt Assistance, a trading name of Fuel Fixer Ltd, part of Fuel Fixer International, owned by Stockbridge Capital Holdings. Every site below belongs to the same company.
- Forecourt Assistance — the operator: network directory and author page
- AdBlue in Fuel — AdBlue contamination drains only
- Misfuel Doctor — misfuel help, organised by fuel mix-up
- Wrong Fuel — the evidence base; home of every statistic
- Fuel Fixer Scotland — wrong fuel across Scotland, plus Ireland
- Fuel Fixer — the group operating site
- Misfuel Servicing — wrong fuel and misfuelling help, call-only
Background reading: Environment Agency.
Last updated · Reviewed by Rambo S, Wrong Fuel Expert