FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Here are some answers to frequent questions from customers who put the wrong fuel in their cars
When people put the wrong fuel in their car, a lot of people think they have ruined their engine. All kinds of horrible thoughts come in to play about how they are going to afford it and what they are going to do. This is only made worse by the myriad of horror stories littered all over the internet! The simple truth is that in the UK one person every 3 minutes puts the wrong fuel in their car. You are not alone!
There are many people that put petrol in diesel or diesel in their petrol cars who have the vehicle attended to by a professional and suffer no long term damage whatsoever. Fuel Doctor are here 24/7, 365 days a year to help you get back on the road with a minimum of fuss and inconvenience.
These are common questions we get asked at the roadside and at our national call centre in Sheffield.
Will my car be ruined from putting the wrong fuel in my car?
99.9% of the time there will be no long term damage to your car after you misfuel. Depending on your engine and the age of the car there is a small risk of the petrol interfering with the lubricative properties of the diesel fuel in the pump. This can cause some of the metal to be eroded. This metal can run through the fuel system causing more damage in the long term. But do not panic, this is an extreme case and very rare. This is why if you know you have put the wrong fuel in your car it is advisable to call a professional who will advise you further.
DO NOT START THE ENGINE. IF IT IS POSSIBLE, PUSH THE CAR TO THE SIDE OF THE GARAGE FORECOURT AND CALL FUEL DOCTOR ON 0333 4449000.
I have put the wrong fuel in my motorbike, truck, van, trike or any other vehicle - can you help me?
It doesn't matter what you are driving, we can drain the wrong fuel from any type of vehicle and get you back on the road. You'll be surprised at the vehicles we attend, ranging from ambulances, trikes to performance motorbikes - even tractors and lorries! We have even drained generators and plant equipment.
I have roadside membership - will I be covered for wrong fuel?
Some breakdown companies will have an incorrect fuel assistance policy. Many, however, do not due to the fact that so many people put the wrong fuel in their car. It is best to check with your policy provider to see if you are covered for misfuelling. If you are then great, you may well still get the Fuel Doctor service! If not, call us on the numbers above for a fast, professional fuel drain from Fuel Doctor.
If I have put a few litres of petrol or diesel in my car will it still be OK?
This will depend on the age of your car and the size of the fuel tank. We recommend that the tank is drained in all circumstances for peace of mind. In many cases, however, 5% is a ratio that will be OK. There is no guarantee though as this can vary, with newer vehicles proving far less tolerant to mixing petrol in diesel or diesel in petrol.
I put the wrong fuel in my car and have driven to work, can we schedule a time for you to do the fuel drain?
Sure, if you have managed to get to work or home before realising your mistake, then we can schedule a convenient time for your local fuel drain technician to come and see you. (Subject to demand and workload)
Are you available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week?
Yes, our fuel drain service never stops all over the UK. We have over 50 vans on the road all the time to help you get back on the road with the minimum of time and inconvenience. This includes Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day along with all Bank Holidays, please note there may be an extra charge for these days.
Can I prevent this happening again?
There is nothing on the market that will prevent it completely but there are devices that make it harder to do. Some manufacturers are already fitting them but these do not prevent people putting the wrong fuel in, just reduce the risk. We don’t recommend any of them as we have not yet found one that works perfectly but there are plenty on the market that have limited success.
What happens to the fuel that you remove?
The fuel is transferred into an Approved Tank in the Fuel Doctor vehicle. At the end of each working day (or sooner if needed) that tank is emptied into one of our Registered and Licensed Storage Facilities. Once there is a suitable quantity of contaminated fuel stored we have it collected by a Fully Licensed Waste Carrier and it is recycled.
There are many people that put petrol in diesel or diesel in their petrol cars who have the vehicle attended to by a professional and suffer no long term damage whatsoever. Fuel Doctor are here 24/7, 365 days a year to help you get back on the road with a minimum of fuss and inconvenience.
These are common questions we get asked at the roadside and at our national call centre in Sheffield.
Will my car be ruined from putting the wrong fuel in my car?
99.9% of the time there will be no long term damage to your car after you misfuel. Depending on your engine and the age of the car there is a small risk of the petrol interfering with the lubricative properties of the diesel fuel in the pump. This can cause some of the metal to be eroded. This metal can run through the fuel system causing more damage in the long term. But do not panic, this is an extreme case and very rare. This is why if you know you have put the wrong fuel in your car it is advisable to call a professional who will advise you further.
DO NOT START THE ENGINE. IF IT IS POSSIBLE, PUSH THE CAR TO THE SIDE OF THE GARAGE FORECOURT AND CALL FUEL DOCTOR ON 0333 4449000.
I have put the wrong fuel in my motorbike, truck, van, trike or any other vehicle - can you help me?
It doesn't matter what you are driving, we can drain the wrong fuel from any type of vehicle and get you back on the road. You'll be surprised at the vehicles we attend, ranging from ambulances, trikes to performance motorbikes - even tractors and lorries! We have even drained generators and plant equipment.
I have roadside membership - will I be covered for wrong fuel?
Some breakdown companies will have an incorrect fuel assistance policy. Many, however, do not due to the fact that so many people put the wrong fuel in their car. It is best to check with your policy provider to see if you are covered for misfuelling. If you are then great, you may well still get the Fuel Doctor service! If not, call us on the numbers above for a fast, professional fuel drain from Fuel Doctor.
If I have put a few litres of petrol or diesel in my car will it still be OK?
This will depend on the age of your car and the size of the fuel tank. We recommend that the tank is drained in all circumstances for peace of mind. In many cases, however, 5% is a ratio that will be OK. There is no guarantee though as this can vary, with newer vehicles proving far less tolerant to mixing petrol in diesel or diesel in petrol.
I put the wrong fuel in my car and have driven to work, can we schedule a time for you to do the fuel drain?
Sure, if you have managed to get to work or home before realising your mistake, then we can schedule a convenient time for your local fuel drain technician to come and see you. (Subject to demand and workload)
Are you available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week?
Yes, our fuel drain service never stops all over the UK. We have over 50 vans on the road all the time to help you get back on the road with the minimum of time and inconvenience. This includes Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day along with all Bank Holidays, please note there may be an extra charge for these days.
Can I prevent this happening again?
There is nothing on the market that will prevent it completely but there are devices that make it harder to do. Some manufacturers are already fitting them but these do not prevent people putting the wrong fuel in, just reduce the risk. We don’t recommend any of them as we have not yet found one that works perfectly but there are plenty on the market that have limited success.
What happens to the fuel that you remove?
The fuel is transferred into an Approved Tank in the Fuel Doctor vehicle. At the end of each working day (or sooner if needed) that tank is emptied into one of our Registered and Licensed Storage Facilities. Once there is a suitable quantity of contaminated fuel stored we have it collected by a Fully Licensed Waste Carrier and it is recycled.