Wife filled her up with unleaded this morning!!!

qdog · **Posted:** Thu Jan 25, 2007 6:55 pm

Towed her to the dealer after she noticed a slight hestitation. Pulled over immediately and we had it towed to the dealer. She drove approx 3 mi. The dealer called me and told me that their "diesel guy" is out until Monday and he doesn't want to do anything to it until he gets in on monday. What am I in for? Thanks.

oldnavy · **Posted:** Thu Jan 25, 2007 7:27 pm

qdog wrote:

Towed her to the dealer after she noticed a slight hestitation. Pulled over immediately and we had it towed to the dealer. She drove approx 3 mi. The dealer called me and told me that their "diesel guy" is out until Monday and he doesn't want to do anything to it until he gets in on monday. What am I in for? Thanks.

Probably a nice chuck of change out of your pocket. Tank needs to be drained, fuel lines, fuel pump and fuel rail and injectors will need to be purged and the fuel filter replaced. Depending on the area you are in and the shop hourly rate, best guess is low side $200 to as much as $500 for this procedure.

impulse · **Posted:** Thu Jan 25, 2007 7:44 pm

Exerpt from http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mdieselvsgas.html

What happens when you use gasoline in a diesel engine? Either something expensive or something very expensive. Since gasoline is designed to be resistant to self-ignition, gasoline in a diesel engine either won't ignite or will ignite at the wrong time. Some diesel engines run leaner than gasoline engines (meaning that the air-fuel mix has a higher proportion of air than a gasoline engine). That increases the chances that the gasoline won't ignite and that unburnt fuel will be sent into the hot exhaust system--where, ironically, it could ignite, leading to possible exhaust damage. Even if you avoid that disaster, you can expect to pay $500 to drain the fuel tank, clean out the fuel lines, and refill the tank with diesel.

oldnavy · **Posted:** Thu Jan 25, 2007 8:03 pm

Over the years I have seen many MB & VW owner that went through this "PROBLEM" and survived w/o any damage and less then $50 of loss. All they did was pull a hose loose or siphon the fuel from the tank, drain the filter and restart the engine and drive the vehicle another 100k miles or 20 years without any problems. That said those were not our CR diesels, but old MB's of the 80's and VW TDI's as late as '03 with no problem. Yes they did their on "repairs" to avoid that $500 loss the dealer wanted for repairs.

If my wife did the same and I could get it home, I would drain the tank, fuel filter and restart the engine. After it finally smooths out and I would replace the filter. On our CRD it would be easy to purge the fuel line from the tank, and there is not much fuel in the system forward of the filter and once clean diesel hits it it will self purge back to tank and that quart of two will not hurt the engine as long as some type of fuel additive like power survice is put in the tank with the new fuel.

KenJennings · **Posted:** Thu Jan 25, 2007 9:03 pm

Divorce comes to mind. Unless she's one of those hot, Russian, mail-order brides. Then she has an excuse for not understanding the Diesel Fuel Only labels.

DarbyWalters · **Posted:** Thu Jan 25, 2007 9:38 pm

I would try to siphon it out or drain the tank...then use the primer to run as much of the fuel line fuel out...change the diesel fuel filter...then add fresh diesel. If you only ran if for a few seconds there should be no huge damage. Also change the oil to assure no gas is in that system either. You could probably use some suction to get the gas out of the rail. Maybe PM MrMopar64 for some information.

bbo · **Joined:** Fri Sep 30, 2005 5:17 pm **Posts:** 382

KenJennings wrote:

Divorce comes to mind. Unless she's one of those hot, Russian, mail-order brides. Then she has an excuse for not understanding the Diesel Fuel Only labels.

if you had one .. you should have a spare too then .... and what would she be doing driving?

BLake · **Posted:** Fri Jan 26, 2007 9:31 am

I wouldn't through stones at this glass house. In 20 years of diesels, I have reached for the wrong nozzle a few times. Never put any gas in the tank put it was close. Some station have the gas and diesel at the same pump island, it's so confusing.

My sister lives in Oregon where it it too dangerous to pump your own gas so they have attendants like the old days. She pulls up to the diesel pump and tells the kid to fill'er up with DIESEL. Diesel Ma'am? Yes it's a diesel she yelled over the clatter of the mighty Nissan engine. He topped off the tank with gasoline, guess he didn't believe her of the green fuel cap. If a person that pumps gas/diesel for a living can make this mistake, so can you.

KenJennings · **Posted:** Fri Jan 26, 2007 10:57 am

BLake wrote:

... My sister lives in Oregon where it it too dangerous to pump your own gas so they have attendants like the old days. ....

Too dangerous to pump your own gas? How so? I can't think of anything reasonable. Lions, Tigers, Bears (or Colts)? Purse Snatchers? Terrorists? Falling trees? Earthquakes? Acid Rain? Can't be the cold. I've used self-service pumps in Wisconsin in 50 below windchill with the attendant indoors, warm and smiling, planted behind his bulletproof glass window.

MrMopar64 · **Posted:** Fri Jan 26, 2007 11:00 am

The fuel system on the Liberty (injectors, rail, pump - important stuff) has a wear coating on the inside for this purpose exactly. You should have no problems in the aftermath - just drain tank, drain filter through water sensor, reprime system and all will be good to go. In fact, it was tested that the vehicle would still run fairly well (within reason) on up to about 15-20% gasoline if i remember correctly, and to around 30% with some good misfire.

BLake · **Posted:** Fri Jan 26, 2007 11:29 am

KenJennings wrote:

BLake wrote:

... My sister lives in Oregon where it it too dangerous to pump your own gas so they have attendants like the old days. ....

Too dangerous to pump your own gas? How so? I can't think of anything reasonable. Lions, Tigers, Bears (or Colts)? Purse Snatchers? Terrorists? Falling trees? Earthquakes? Acid Rain? Can't be the cold. I've used self-service pumps in Wisconsin in 50 below windchill with the attendant indoors, warm and smiling, planted behind his bulletproof glass window.

State law in Oregon and New Jersey(i think). I didn't make the laws. Sounds like a make work program to me.

clday25 · **Posted:** Fri Jan 26, 2007 2:56 pm

I was told recently that the state law in OR only covers gas, you can legally pump your own diesel......

Being an Oregonian though, you gotta pay attention when most attendents fuel you up. Gas caps L.O.S.T or not tightened enough, fuel spilled everywhere, 87 when you asked for 91, chipped paint... and don't get me started on asking to get it "topped off"

Drewd · **Joined:** Mon Feb 06, 2006 12:24 pm **Posts:** 902

Do the work yourself unless you view a 500-600 dollar bill as loose change you find under your sofa cushions.

RedJeepCRD · **Posted:** Fri Jan 26, 2007 5:21 pm

I did this when I had my CRD. It's not that bad. I drove it above 3 miles and then it died. I tried everything, even primed it up before I figured out I had filled it with unleaded. My local gas station had changed all there handles to green, but thats another story. DON'T worry about it. I had mine towed to the house because it was a late friday afternoon and I had an offroad trip the very next day. I pulled the fuel tank and emptied it, (don't ask about how much gas I spilled try to get it into containers). It took me about 3 hours to empty the tank and put it back together. It's not that hard to do and I doubt it messed anything up. Me and you are not the only ones that have done this. My buddies with deisel truck have all done it once or twice and all without damage. One friend with an F250 even filled his half with gas and then went back and filled it the rest of the way with diesel. It ran kind of rough but he burned it out. Just empty the tank, unhook the fuel line at the filter (try to use an air pump and blow the line out with the tank disconnected), replace the fuel filter, and refill it with diesel. Then just turn it over a few times and she'll fire up. DON'T let the dealer screw you, they will do that exact thing and charge you for blowing out fuel lines, replacing the fuel filter, cleaning out the injectors, changing the oil, replacing O-rings, replacing fuel tank seals, ETC.!!!!
I even played with the idea about putting in a drain valve on the fuel tank. That way if you where on the road (out of state like one of my friends did) you could just drain the gas out into containers and fuel up with diesel after changing the fuel filter.

Wes

If you have any questions just PM me.

Mykol · **Posted:** Sat Jan 27, 2007 12:12 am

On the powerstroke.org forum, they say if the tank contents are 50% or more diesel, drive it!

qdog · **Posted:** Sun Jan 28, 2007 2:36 pm

the dealer called yesterday and told me that they got the crd running but that I am to call the service adviser on Monday to discuss the "other porocesses" that they need to do to get all the fuel out of the lines or something to that effect. What should I do? I'm thinking that I just pick her up and drive it.

gsbrockman · **Posted:** Sun Jan 28, 2007 2:42 pm

qdog wrote:

What should I do? I'm thinking that I just pick her up and drive it.

Buy some 50:1 weedeater oil/fuel mix, dump one bottle in the tank, top it off, and drive it like you stole it.

In addition, change out the fuel filter again and prime it with some Power Service or similar product.

Greg

RFCRD · **Posted:** Sun Jan 28, 2007 2:54 pm

gsbrockman wrote:

qdog wrote:

What should I do? I'm thinking that I just pick her up and drive it.

Buy some 50:1 weedeater oil/fuel mix, dump one bottle in the tank, top it off, and drive it like you stole it.

In addition, change out the fuel filter again and prime it with some Power Service or similar product.

Greg

This is what I was going to recommend. If the tank was drained to get most of the gasoline out and it runs, refill with fresh fuel, lots of additive including someting to add lubricity like biodiesel (some back-woods truckers I know would even say to add some ATF). Drive the snot out of it. Run through one tank and change the filter after you refill a second time.

RedJeepCRD · **Posted:** Sun Jan 28, 2007 5:40 pm

Second to what they said, don't let the stealship take your money.

Wes

Gator4x · **Posted:** Mon Jan 29, 2007 2:50 pm

Only question I have is...What the hell do you do with 20 gallons of gas/diesel mix?????????? That would keep a lawnmower running for several summers!!!

Wife filled her up with unleaded this morning!!!

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