Member Since: 13 Aug 2009
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Rectifying a misfuel - DIY at the petrol station + photos
PHOTOS ADDED AS PROMISED
My two year old son was to blame for a misfuel today. Entirely his fault. Nothing to do with me.
Had below a quarter tank of diesel and then added about 10L of petrol. Rather than fill up with diesel and risk it, I opted for a quick call to TFC, who advised on this procedure. I'll post some photos later. All the work was carried out on Asda Penryn's forecourt, bless them. I was there for about 3 hours. The alternative was a callout charge of £250 from a local garage, plus parts and fuel.
I'm sure this procedure is on here numerous times, but it won't hurt to post again.
Hopefully this procedure will help some one else.
You need:
- Length of pipe connected to a footpump valve (ideally, although a length of thin hose would do fine), footpump hose cut and connected via jubliee clip to the other hose.
- A schrader valve removing tool (on old fashioned tyre pressure gagues, tire weld, etc). Again, ideally. You don't need to remove the valve, but the fuel flow is faster with it out.
- Containers large enough to take the mixed fuel.
- A short length of domestic wire
- Rag.
Steps:
1. Realise that 132p per litre of diesel seems very cheap, then realise it's the price for unleaded.
2. Stop fuelling the car.
3. Do not turn on the ignition (this will activate the HP fuel pump, which is the thing you are trying to protect).
4. Gather the tools, above. (I had a fried who did the running around for me, plus there was a B&Q next door).
Click image to enlarge
5. Remove engine cover, locate fuel bleed valve (grey plastic tyre valve in the middle of the engine at the back).
Click image to enlarge
6. Unscrew schrader valve and remove (like a car tyre). Connect the footpump valve to the fuel bleed valve, lock it down, place the end of the pipe in the fuel container.
Click image to enlarge
7. Remove the engine compartment fuse box cover; identify the fuel pump relay (has a picture of a petrol pump on it - irony).
Click image to enlarge
8. Remove relay. Identify terminals 3 & 5 (it's the pair that show the 'switch gate' on the relay).
9. Short the terminals using the piece of wire. You'll hear nothing, but after a short while, the fuel will start to flow through the pipe. Note: it isn't fast. It took probably almost an hour to remove about 25 odd litres of fuel.
Click image to enlarge
10. Keep going until the flow stops, at which point the tank is empty. Remove the short.
Click image to enlarge
11. Refuel the car to the brim (I got 92 litres in, so the tank was totally empty).
12. Run the pump again using the bit of wire until clean diesel has come through for a while. Remove short.
13. Reassemble the schrader valve, but leave the valve cover off. Replace the relay.
14. Start the car; check for leaks. Replace covers (incl oil cap!!!)
15. Leave the forecourt.
I will replace the fuel filter on Monday as a precaution (don't have one at home).
I realise that some folk will be happy to fill diesel on top of petrol, but I want to keep this car and so didn't want to risk the engine. Doing it this way meant that the HP fuel pump and engine did not taste petrol at all, thus no harm done; just dented pride and money and fuel wasted. Thankfully, I could get the tools I needed pretty quickly and the Asda dudes didn't try too hard to move me along.
If you had to do this with a full tank of fuel, it would take a long time, so perhaps not a technique for everyone, but if you catch it early, it's an option.
My massive thanks to Iain. As usual.PAGODA
Last edited by pagoda on 26th Sep 2011 9:35 am. Edited 2 times in total
24th Sep 2011 8:23 pm
gilmore
Member Since: 16 Jan 2005
Location: On the sofa
Posts: 2185
Nice job I take it all of this happened next to the offending pump. Did the petrol station people try to get you to move your car away from the pumps, or were they cooperative? If often wondered how garages react when this happens.
regs
robAll opinions expressed in this posting are my own and are not necessarily those of someone who knows what they are talking about.
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24th Sep 2011 9:03 pm
dadof7kids
Member Since: 23 Aug 2011
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would like to see photos ..
for when its my young ones fault.. java Black D3 gone : (
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24th Sep 2011 9:05 pm
dsd1036
Member Since: 27 Feb 2010
Location: Surrey
Posts: 2692
Great write up
Hope i never need to do it tho oops i did already a while back, only a small amount,so brimmed it with diesel,changed fuel filter,rather TFC did,not had a problem a few thousand miles past since
24th Sep 2011 9:07 pm
pagoda
Member Since: 13 Aug 2009
Location: Not London Anymore (or the US for that matter)
Posts: 1923
gilmore wrote:
Nice job I take it all of this happened next to the offending pump. Did the petrol station people try to get you to move your car away from the pumps, or were they cooperative? If often wondered how garages react when this happens.
regs
rob
Thankfully, Asda pays minimum wage it seems, so the kids operating the pay kiosk couldn't care less about my de-fuelling efforts on the forecourt. I got a few looks from an AA guy who came to help a broken down fiesta (I had plenty of time to help push that car around trying to help them bump start) and a copper gave me the once over. But in all, no worries, thankfully.
I'll get some photos tomorrow and post them here as it'll make it clear just how simple the procedure is. (Very).PAGODA
24th Sep 2011 9:33 pm
Dave T
Member Since: 03 Jul 2009
Location: Glasgow
Posts: 6902
Great write up, photos will help visualise it a lot better, may even make up the rig and keep in the back, just in case.
Just on wee point of clarification, is it a case that you can't turn the key at all from the fully off position, just wondering about taking the epb off to get the car pushed to a quiet corner? Although I suppose there is always the emergency release cable, does that still work ok? If you do use the emergency cable what do you do to get it all back in sync again? Is it simply a case of operating it normally?Joined the BMWX5 45e group
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24th Sep 2011 9:50 pm
pagoda
Member Since: 13 Aug 2009
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Now with photos added as promised.PAGODA
26th Sep 2011 9:36 am
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Spot on Pagoda log that one in the grey matter bank MY18 D5 HSE LUX😎
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26th Sep 2011 9:42 am
DG Site Moderator
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Following on from rob gilmores comment ...I'm not sure it's really a good idea (or legal) to be fannying around with electrics and fuel right next to pumps on the forecourt...perhaps best done in a quiet corner where your motor can burn without fear of creating a thermo-nuclear blast 21 year LR veteran > D2 GS 2003 > D3 S 2006 > D3 HSE 2009 > D4 HSE 2013 > D4 HSE 2015 > D5 HSE 2018 > DS HSE R-Dynamic P300e 2021
26th Sep 2011 9:57 am
DiscoDunc
Member Since: 08 May 2006
Location: Bristol
Posts: 16390
really good write up .
hopefully ill never need to use it.
I dont have a two year old son so unlikely to do anything so daft
I might just try and drain the tank this way just to see how it works Duncan
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26th Sep 2011 10:14 am
ruggedpeak
Member Since: 10 Jun 2010
Location: UK
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I wouldnt worry about trying to move it - I suspect standard operating procedure for any petrol forecourt is leave well alone and let the punter sort it out.not worth the risk of insisting its moved. I blocked up a pump at a busy Sainsburys for 4 hours and they weren't fussed.
Impressed with the ingenuity but for £250 I'd rather pay someone - that way if it goes wrong I don't get the bill for 10x as much! Also if you diy you've then got to find a home for contaminated fuel.Tony
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26th Sep 2011 10:15 am
DG Site Moderator
Member Since: 12 Dec 2005
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ruggedpeak wrote:
I wouldnt worry about trying to move it - I suspect standard operating procedure for any petrol forecourt is leave well alone and let the punter sort it out.not worth the risk of insisting its moved.
Forecourts are quite highly regulated and the forecourt staff shouldn't permit the dispensing or flow of fuel outside the prescribed methods under the legislated acts ...not saying that the procedure pagoda has used is wrong but it's where its being done that might cause an issue for some 21 year LR veteran > D2 GS 2003 > D3 S 2006 > D3 HSE 2009 > D4 HSE 2013 > D4 HSE 2015 > D5 HSE 2018 > DS HSE R-Dynamic P300e 2021
26th Sep 2011 10:49 am
pagoda
Member Since: 13 Aug 2009
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I can well believe it, but with £250+ at stake they'd have had to try very hard indeed to move me!! (Thankfully, it was an offside pump and other cars could pull around. I was lucky).PAGODA
26th Sep 2011 11:32 am
mrscdsymons
Member Since: 12 Sep 2011
Location: Oldham
Posts: 14
gilmore wrote:
Nice job I take it all of this happened next to the offending pump. Did the petrol station people try to get you to move your car away from the pumps, or were they cooperative? If often wondered how garages react when this happens.
regs
rob
I've done this twice in 9 years, luckily not in my D3. However in relation to garage reaction in both asda and tesco's they have been mighty helpful. They popped cones around car, got out a triangle and gave me both RAC and AA details. Covered with RAC for breakdown but they wanted over £200 to sort as it's not part of policy. Hubby towed me home with his D3, fixed for about a £5 for a pipe and an hours time. I got great service in both occasions. 1st incident taught me not to start engine..wrote that off!! Loving my D3!
26th Sep 2011 12:30 pm
zebadee
Member Since: 15 Feb 2006
Location: The Magic Roundabout
Posts: 1392
Great write up
Like other have said I hope I never need to use it though
Can I just ask, why run the pump by removing the relay & shorting out the terminals, as opposed to just switching on the key when you've connected the hose to the valve ??
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I take it all of this happened next to the offending pump. Did the petrol station people try to get you to move your car away from the pumps, or were they cooperative? If often wondered how garages react when this happens.
