West Sussex, UK – Diesel drivers in the UK mistakenly pumped over 3 million litres of PETROL (approximately £4 million) into their DIESEL cars in the last year.

With approximately 130,000 instances of misfuelling in the last year the bill for repairing the mistake is estimated to have amounted to as much as £30 million – not including money wasted on lost time and business, or even cost of the incorrect fuel itself. This is according to figures released by wrong fuel recovery company Fuel Fixer Ltd, based on over 20,000 misfuel recovery call-outs in the last year.

VW Golf drivers were the worst culprits, with diesel Golf drivers nearly twice as likely as the average to pick up the wrong nozzle at the petrol station. Nissan Qashqai and Vauxhall Astra drivers were the next most likely, with nearly 2% of all Qashqai and Astra owners giving themselves the nasty surprise each year.

It should be noted that putting the wrong fuel in your car is not the end of the world, or your car for that matter. Getting the contaminated tank drained and flushed is usually sufficient to get the vehicle back on the road no worse for wear. Fuel Fixer Managing Director, Mr Daniel Garside, says: “Putting the wrong fuel in the car is a growing problem in the UK. Fortunately, if it is caught early and dealt with by a properly qualified fuel drain technician there should be no ill effects – apart from the understandable annoyance.”

Mr Garside also warned drivers who do make the mistake to be wary of rogue traders. With the instances of misfueling strife in the UK some unscrupulous individuals have found new and interesting ways to con hapless motorists out of their hard-earned money.

Mr Garside said, “One wrong fuel drain company was recently exposed by the BBC Watchdog programme (Watchdog Series 39, Episode 4). They were caught selling diesel, labelled as a fuel additive, to stranded motorists for prices of up to £400 per litre!

“If you do put the wrong fuel in your tank, you are not alone. Just make sure you contact a reputable wrong fuel drain company to come out and correct the problem.” Fuel Fixer have created a handy online guide for motorists who fall victim to such a mix-up, which can be found on their website at https://www.fuelfixer.co.uk/have-you-put-petrol-in-a-diesel-car/.

Misfuelling causes such havoc because diesel and petrol engines work differently. Diesel does not ignite with a spark – and petrol won’t ignite without one. Petrol in a diesel engine will wash away some of the diesel oil the engine needs for lubrication, and can corrode rubber hoses and plastic seals. Although some cars will run for a short time on a mixture of petrol and diesel in the tank, vehicle manufacturers all recommend that the engine is kept switched off until the wrong fuel has been fully removed.

Unfortunately petrol and diesel blend instantly in the tank when mixed. Although they are different compounds they both come from crude oil and have spent millions of years in the ground as one and the same. Only the refining process separates them. And once they are mixed they will stay together until re-refined.

Media Contact
Company Name: Fuel Fixer Ltd
Contact Person: Media Relations
Email: Send Email
Phone: 0800 015 9564
Address:Linx House, 147-149 London Road
City: East Grinstead
State: West Sussex RH19 1ET
Country: United Kingdom
Website: https://www.fuelfixer.co.uk