unleaded not diesel

[Jeremy Marchant]

I have just bought my first diesel car (s/h) having driven petrol engines exclusively for decades. Very happy with the decision. But I am a bit absent minded and I can just see myself filling the car with unleaded one bleary morning. Any ideas how to ensure I don't make this expensive mistake?

[Beechwoods]

- Make sure you have a sticker with the word 'Diesel' on the inside of the flap over the fuel filler. It's easy to stick a petrol pump into a diesel inlet, though they size the pipes so it's impossible the other way round these days.

- Remember 'black is best' - you always want the black pump nozzle, not the green one!

- You can get a way with a small amount of petrol in the tank. Dilute it as much as you can with diesel, and keep adding diesel as you drive and pass subsequent filling stations to maximise the dilution affect. This assumes that you realise after just a few moments of petrol going in... :)

[REM]

Pumps dispense 2 litres minimum, so bare that in mind, but a quick squirt of unleaded into say a 50/60 odd litre tank of diesel "shouldn't" do any great harm, but yes, topping up with the proper stuff so as to dilute things is certainly a good idea. Any more than "a quick blast" of petrol though and forget it, just call the AA, or whoever, get the car towed to a garage and have the tank flushed out, don't start the car once you do that, then it gets expensive.
Diesel cars can be great to drive, bags of low end torque = great fun in everyday driving, just don't expect huge mpg round town.

[Ali Tait]

Some garages sell a "Fuel Angel" which as far as I can see fits into the filling hole to prevent this sort of thing.About 45 quid I think.

[Steve Toy]

Pumps dispense 2 litres minimum,

This is a myth. I've checked diesl tanks of taxis are completely full by going to the service station and filling them to the brim and it's cost me as little as 39p.

[Mark Grant]

Some garages sell a "Fuel Angel" which as far as I can see fits into the filling hole to prevent this sort of thing.About 45 quid I think.

What a good idea, I had never heard of those. learn something every day here.

http://www.misfuellingprevention.co.uk/ £35.00 with post.

Mark.

[Jeremy Marchant]

Thanks, people.
Fuel Angel it is.

[Ali Tait]

What a good idea, I had never heard of those. learn something every day here.

http://www.misfuellingprevention.co.uk/ £35.00 with post.

Mark.

Ah,the garage down the road is diddling people then!

[Covenant]

Diesel cars are great except for mine. Its a Lexus IS220d. Looks nice and the multimedia doodahs are great but its got poor acceleration and only fair mileage. I dont think I will get another which is a shame because the dealership is outstanding-they treat you like royalty.

[MartinT]

Remember 'black is best'

It's blue for me. My BMW 335d just loves BP super-diesel and thrives on it. Mind you, I did have the ECU remapped for more power.

[MartinT]

its got poor acceleration and only fair mileage

Really? I made the jump to diesel because I wanted better economy but without losing performance. For comparison, my previous BMW 540i (4.4L V8) returned 21mpg overall while my new 335d coupe (3.0L twin turbo) returns 35mpg, and it goes faster.

[Alex_UK]

Jerry - did you try the hybrid Lexus? Best of both worlds?

My Chrysler 300C has a 3.0 V6 Mercedes diesel engine, and chipped puts out masses of torque - the kick up the arse when I floor it, for such a huge car, gives many hot hatches a shock! (0-60 5.9 seconds, average MPG around 36) - I doubt I'd go back to Petrol now, although the SRT-8 version of my car with a 425BHP 6.1 V8 is mighty appealing, if I had no conscience and owned an oil field!

[Covenant]

Dont think they do a hybrid in the 220 range do they? The fuel economy is ok about 42mpg but my last car an Audi A4 1.8tdi could do 60mph on a good run.
It had much better acceleration as well.

[DSJR]

You lot are as bad with motor name dropping as you are with audio :D

Pity those with a family Focus diesel (Ghia, but that's not saying much) - 48 - 50mpg on a run and 38 - 40mpg around town on the school run.

[MartinT]

Dave - I only have one more statistic for you: 700nm torque! :ner:

[Alex_UK]

Dont think they do a hybrid in the 220 range do they?

Sorry, my confusion, I was thinking of the GS.

[Covenant]

You lot are as bad with motor name dropping as you are with audio :D

Pity those with a family Focus diesel (Ghia, but that's not saying much) - 48 - 50mpg on a run and 38 - 40mpg around town on the school run.

Sorry about the name dropping. I go for reliability and looks when choosing a car. The worse thing in the world is being in a strange place and hearing a funny noise from your vehicle. Also important to me was built in sat-nav. The hassle of getting a Tom-Tom nicked, side window replaced etc....

[DSJR]

Dave - I only have one more statistic for you: 700nm torque! :ner:

Try using that on an icy road.......:rolleyes:


Many years ago, I'd lumbered myself with a Citroen BX GTI (curates egg par excellance this one). I lived at the bottom of a hill and my neighbour with a little Polo started up and drove off with no difficulty. The Citroen was all over the shop, too high a gear and it stalled, too low and it wheel-spun. More recently, the Focus was almost un-driveable in the snow. I just had to let the engine pull itself and keep well away from the throttle until it had sorted itself out. I'm sure that ordinary petrol motors weren't as tricky...

[MartinT]

Try using that on an icy road.......:rolleyes:

It was truly terrible in the snow. The best I could do was to keep the fuel tank full and carry some extra ballast in the boot, then set the auto box to 2nd gear and not touch the throttle. Traction was very marginal. I'm going to look for a set of winter wheels and tyres for next year.

[REM]

It was truly terrible in the snow. The best I could do was to keep the fuel tank full and carry some extra ballast in the boot, then set the auto box to 2nd gear and not touch the throttle. Traction was very marginal. I'm going to look for a set of winter wheels and tyres for next year.

You could try carrying a set of Auto Socks:-

http://www.autosock.co.uk/

[Alex_UK]

I didn't even try using my car in the snow - Maggie the 19 year old Land Rover Defender was far too eager to go and play, left the whipper-snapper asleep on the drive for weeks! ;)

[MartinT]

Thanks Ralph - I have considered them and also WeissSocks. Still thinking about it as it would save me a great deal of money (I would need runflat winter tyres as there is no spare).

[MartinT]

A set of Autosocks now ordered. Now bring the snow on!

[CornishPasty]

I didn't even try using my car in the snow - Maggie the 19 year old Land Rover Defender was far too eager to go and play, left the whipper-snapper asleep on the drive for weeks! ;)


I have an old 110 Defender too. A bit older than yours and still on 7.50 x 16s. It's been fantastic during the bad weather. The heater doesn't work and she leaks like a sieve but this old girl will take me anywhere, anytime :)

[Alex_UK]

Well Ralph, I learned to drive on a farm (in the Scouts) in an 86" Series 1, bought a 1952 80" Series 1 when I was 18 (stupidly sold it when I was 25, due to 1st wife! :doh:) so they're in my blood - the Defender was some deference to family life and "creature comforts" :lol:

Here's Maggie:

http://i653.photobucket.com/albums/uu259/Alex_Steel1969/IMG_1048Sb.jpg

Still on 7.50 R16s too. She managed to survive most of her life doing charity work in Africa on that size boots! (May be changing them this year, though, as I am a member of the Suffolk Land Rover Owners Club and looking to make the most of the "black run" on our course in 2010 - well, Landies don't want to retire, do they? :) She's fully kitted out for expeditions, though a nice family camping holiday is the only thing on the cards in the near future. Oh, and her heater doesn't work either, and she leaks like a sieve, but that's just "character" isn't it? ;)

EDIT: I read somewhere that after Armageddon, the only thing that will survive is cockroaches. Add Defenders to that (very short) list! :)

[REM]

EDIT: I read somewhere that after Armageddon, the only thing that will survive is cockroaches. Add Defenders to that (very short) list! :)

Hi Alex
Don't forget to add Cher to the list, with all the after market mods she's had she will outlive anything! (Maggie looks fabulous btw, much better than Cher).

Hi Martin,
Now you've taken the plunge and got the AutoSocks, I take it this means we will definitely NOT get any more snow for at least ten years, sods law and all that.

Cheers

[Mark Grant]

Now you've taken the plunge and got the AutoSocks, I take it this means we will definitely NOT get any more snow for at least ten years, sods law and all that.

That is exactly what I was going to say, sods law.

I once bought a really nice expensive wooden sledge, then no snow for years, we tidied our garden shed out just before Christmas and gave the sledge away because we never had used it, it then snowed for weeks....

Mark.

[MartinT]

Now you've taken the plunge and got the AutoSocks, I take it this means we will definitely NOT get any more snow for at least ten years, sods law and all that.

I know - sheesh, what can you do? At least I'll never get stuck for 7 hours trying to get home from work again. I hope :(