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I put petrol in my diesel car - what do I do?

I put 25 litres of petrol on top of two gallons of diesel in my wife's diesel engined car, then drove five miles before the engine juddered and I realised my mistake.

Pulled up immediately and called out a firm called Fuel-Fix. They pumped out the tank, flushed the engine and gave us a small amount of diesel, laced with some sort of lubricating additive, then sent us on our way.

I'm worried about the long term consequences. The internet offers no reassurance and I've read that damage to the fuel pump and injectors, etc, could cause catastrophic engine failure later on.

Is there anything that could help recondition the engine internals? What tell-tale problem signs should I look out for?

Asked on 20 February 2012 by fastlane

Answered by Honest John
Continue to use the very best diesel with the highest lubricity, which is Shell V-Power diesel. There will be some damage to the pump (that's why the engine stopped). If shards of metal feed through to the injectors, then they will be damaged too. If the fuel consumption rises significantly this will tell you there is a problem.
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