Gas in the diesel

JDaPP · **Posted:** Thu May 14, 2009 9:02 pm

Traveling today to my grandmother's funeral, my wife mistakenly put about 13 gallons worth of gas in the tank (handle was green so she assumed diesel). We had alot of things on our mind and we did not notice until the vehicle lost power and we glided to the side of the interstate a total of about 3 miles down the road. I have read all of the threads about draining the tank and changing the filters and putting fresh diesel in. My concern is the injectors as I have to drive from Florida to California next week. How concerned should I be about the injectors? Should I take it to the dealership or can I get by with the drain and replace of fuel filter and clean diesel?

Thanks

AZ CRD · **Posted:** Thu May 14, 2009 9:56 pm

I hear you can get divorces on the Internet for $199

patracy · **Joined:** Tue Apr 07, 2009 8:50 pm **Posts:** 115

Might want to give it a go yourself. Some stealerships will stick you with the hazardous materials disposal fee. All they'll do is suck the tank dry, change the filter, and fill it back up to see how it does. You'll be footing the bill on this regardless so that's the cheaper way out. It's likely you didn't do any harm. A higher ratio of gas in the tank is best actually. As someone only splashing 5 gallons in the tank would still allow it to run, but harm the internals.

RJM · **Posted:** Thu May 14, 2009 10:12 pm

Drain it, remove as much of the contaminated fuel as possible from the entire system, hope for the best.

RJM · **Posted:** Thu May 14, 2009 10:16 pm

An intank lift pump would come in handy for you right now, but I don't see it listed in your sig.

MrMopar64 · **Posted:** Thu May 14, 2009 10:26 pm

JDaPP wrote:

Traveling today to my grandmother's funeral, my wife mistakenly put about 13 gallons worth of gas in the tank (handle was green so she assumed diesel). We had alot of things on our mind and we did not notice until the vehicle lost power and we glided to the side of the interstate a total of about 3 miles down the road. I have read all of the threads about draining the tank and changing the filters and putting fresh diesel in. My concern is the injectors as I have to drive from Florida to California next week. How concerned should I be about the injectors? Should I take it to the dealership or can I get by with the drain and replace of fuel filter and clean diesel?

Thanks

The entire common rail fuel system has a "wear package" to prevent for situations just as this. Drain the tank, fill with clean diesel, and change the filter and you'll be good to go!

You'll have no problems with the injectors, etc. etc.

BCool · **Posted:** Fri May 15, 2009 12:21 am

I put in 5 or so gallons of gas and just ran it a couple of years ago, did I ruin something that will fail early?

nursecosmo · **Posted:** Fri May 15, 2009 12:50 am

MrMopar64 wrote:

The entire common rail fuel system has a "wear package" to prevent for situations just as this. Drain the tank, fill with clean diesel, and change the filter and you'll be good to go!

Hi MrMo. Did you ever find out what this "wear package" consists of? Or is it just another name for a "muffler bearing" which some dumb exec at DCX paid an extra $100 per unit for?

nursecosmo · **Posted:** Fri May 15, 2009 12:55 am

I regularly run various percentages of gas in my fuel mixes. In summer I don't go over 10%, but I have run more in winter. The only problem I have run into is vapor-locking with too much gasoline in warm weather. 72k miles on the clock and no IP problem yet.

warp2diesel · **Posted:** Fri May 15, 2009 6:33 am

Octane in gasoline is a Cetane killer. You want your diesel fuel (including Biodiesel) to compression ignite readily when injected into the cylinders since we don't use spark plugs to ignite. In a gasser you don't want it to compression ignite before the spark plug ignites it. If we had 55 Cetane at the pumps, our CRDs would run great instead we are stuck with 40 to 45 Cetane that is garbage. Add Biodiesel, the Cetane goes up so if it is a great batch, a CRD will run better yet. Put in Gasoline, you lower the Cetane and it will run worse. Put in lots of gas and make the Cetane take a dump you will quit running and coast to a stop as your CRD did.
If you have a friend or relative with a beater gasser, they may be able to use up the brew you have in your tank. When I had my repair shop I had a customer with a friend with a beater who took the gas diesel mix off his hands so I did not have to dispose of it. Based upon the laws of Physics, the more the brew is diluted, the less it will effect either engine gasser or diesel.
Put the brew in legal jugs, don't put more than 20 gal at one house and have the recipient add some to each tank and they will be OK. With your CRD, get as much out as possible and you should be OK when you fill up with diesel fuel.

If you don't have a lift pump, consider hooking one up to the filter inlet and pump out the gas to jugs. Of course, don't do any thing stupid and burn up your CRD or other property.

If all else fails with disposal write "Gasolina Gratis" on the jugs with a marker and they will vanish in the right neighborhood.

CATCRD · **Posted:** Fri May 15, 2009 2:09 pm

nursecosmo wrote:

MrMopar64 wrote:

The entire common rail fuel system has a "wear package" to prevent for situations just as this. Drain the tank, fill with clean diesel, and change the filter and you'll be good to go!

Hi MrMo. Did you ever find out what this "wear package" consists of? Or is it just another name for a "muffler bearing" which some dumb exec at DCX paid an extra $100 per unit for?

No doubt it is a very very thin coating of tungsten carbide, deposited from a vapor onto the relevant sliding steel parts in the injectors/pump. Cat went to it in many of their product lines after ULSD became widespread.

JDaPP · **Posted:** Fri May 15, 2009 4:47 pm

Was able to drain the gas and have replaced with diesel and a new fuel filter. Liberty started right up with no issues, skips alittle when you take foot off diesel pedal and apply again, but I am sure that will clear up as the gas clears out of the system. Thanks for all of the help, this website is a lifesaver.

Gas in the diesel

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