Question Filled up diesel in Car

[Sungirl]

Filled up diesel in Car
Hi Friends,
I rented a Sienna and accidently filled it up with Diesel instead of Gas. I did not crank the engine then. I called the rental company and they towed it to their office.
I had purchased full insurance but now the claims department is contacting me and their manager says that the insurance dosent cover this thing.
Can anyone provide me any infrmation or tell me where I can find some information on how bad does it affect the car or does it damage the car , can it be just flushed out and be done etc./
I will appericiate any help I can get
Regards....

[core64]

If you just filled it up but didnt start the motor, it shouldnt be to bad. They just have to drain and flush the tank. Go to a local dealer and tell them what happened and ask how much they would have charged to fix it. Then you will have an idea of the cost. Dont let the rental place rape you for the cost. Also you might wanna read the contract to make sure that situation is excluded. Dont believe everything they tell you. Good luck.

[Mr. Creosote]

Diesel mixed in a gasoline engine can cause detonation (pinging) because that is how diesel is designed to ignite (compression ignition). If the gasoline engine is subsequently placed under load, it could take a chunk out of the piston crown unless the knock sensor interjects and retards timing enough. It sounds more like a near 100% diesel mix though, and I would guess the engine would flame out pretty quickly as diesel tends to ignite and burn much slower when spark is the source of ignition (as opposed to compression).

[maxwell11]

good advise from all,
Question is how did this happen?

Were the plastic hose handle coverings not colored yellow, if not might check with fuel station and see if they will share some cost.

I know what happens, the fuel nozzle rubber covering get torn, so station dudes replace them with what color plastic covering they have in stock, rather then the proper color.

The proper color for diesel is yellow, even the portable fuel tanks you buy to put diesel in are yellow,

gas red, diesel yellow, Kerosene blue,

might be worth checking into.

my friend had a vw diesel and station attendent filled it with gas, did not start motor, tow car to shop, drained and flushed tank,

station paid for cost and gave them a full tank of the correct fuel
all was well, but a pain in butt!!

[HOGWILD]

drain it is only thing that can be done and if engine has not been started the likleyhood of further damage is slim. Big issues like this happened in town a few months back!
KRQE - Albuquerque, New Mexico - News, Video, Weather Forecast, Sports, Community, Health, Homes | KBIM - KREZ | Dealer expects to fix dozens of cars after fuel foulup
Good Luck and do not let anyone rob you!

[mustang67408]

We get 3-4 cars a week with this problem. It's a common problem here.
Drain and fill the tank and then drive it for an extended period of time. I have never had an issue from the diesel. Even vehicles that were filled and driven until they stopped did not have any major problems, except they smoke for a while.
Usually we get 1 hour labor to drain and fill tank and roadtest until they stop smoking and the fuel trim comes back into specification.

E-85 is also very bad for toyotas, it makes the vehicle run lean and sets a check engine light, this also requires a drain and fill and roadtest.

[djb383]

Finally, someone is telling it like it is. Drain the diesel, fill it with gasoline and go. No damage done at all. In fact, a gallon of diesel every so often in a full tank of gas is a superb cleaner/upper lubricant and that low ratio won't smoke. Again, no damage done.

Now, if you put gasoline in a diesel.........ho chee moma!

[Jade]

I agree, the last two guys are bang on, it shouldn't be a problem. We used to mix a little diesel with gasoline to prevent vapor lock during really hot weather.....but aren't the nozzles on diesel pumps too large to fit into a modern unleaded fill neck?

[Triple BB]

You might want to file a claim with your own insurance carrier. If you have comprehensive coverage, they may help out with the towing cost as well as any cost over your deductible. Also if the rental company tries to charge for loss of use, your company may step in and help out. They may also offer to pick up some of the deductible if you have certain coverages. If you rented the car with a credit card, you might want to call the credit card company and see if they'll help out. Some credit card companies will when it involves a rental vehicle...

[mustang67408]

Originally Posted by Jade

.....but aren't the nozzles on diesel pumps too large to fit into a modern unleaded fill neck?

Nope, they fit perfectly. I was under the impression just like you that the nozzles were bigger. THEY USED TO BE. I went and verified this myself. I wonder what brain surgeon ( no offence) decided to make them the same size?
Its just like people putting in E-8. FLEX FUEL VEHICLES that are designed to run on this have YELLOW GAS CAPS...