17 replies to this topic

[artistico]

BMW Mini Cooper D
Reg Oct 2007
Hi everyone
What a way to start! We got a BMW mini cooper D (reg 57) just before Christmas. It now has 11 litres of petrol in its tank plus the few remaining litres of diesel. What a mess. Can anyone offer some sensible advice about what we need to do to sort it out. We get that it's an expensive mess, but there seem to be different views about what we need to do, ranging from drain and clear the tank, through to we'll need a new engine and/or expensive parts. The engine has not been started, but the electric unlock has been used both to lock and unlock the car.
Is anyone out there who can advise tonight, as we have to deal with it in the morning.

OK we're dumb, but please help!

Artistico and partner

Has Cruise control
PS I posted this in the wrong place before, as I'm new to forums too.....

[clivemk1mini]

if you havent started the car then you should be able to drain the fuel tank and put some diesal in it when a friend did it to my astra van the aa just drained it and put 10 of fuel back in it then charged him £285 but if by any chance you are with the rac apparently you are covered for human error so they should do it for free hope this is of some help good luck

[lrostoke]

Done this loads of times on Merc Sprinter vans (dozy drivers), drain the tank, refill with fresh diesel. Should be fine

[nathansminis]

BMW Mini Cooper D
Reg Oct 2007
Hi everyone
What a way to start! We got a BMW mini cooper D (reg 57) just before Christmas. It now has 11 litres of petrol in its tank plus the few remaining litres of diesel. What a mess. Can anyone offer some sensible advice about what we need to do to sort it out. We get that it's an expensive mess, but there seem to be different views about what we need to do, ranging from drain and clear the tank, through to we'll need a new engine and/or expensive parts. The engine has not been started, but the electric unlock has been used both to lock and unlock the car.
Is anyone out there who can advise tonight, as we have to deal with it in the morning.

OK we're dumb, but please help!

Artistico and partner

Has Cruise control
PS I posted this in the wrong place before, as I'm new to forums too.....

might be worth checking yell.com for the companies that do emergancy call-outs with regards to fuel mix ups. see their vans all the time. im guessing they empty and flush your tank and get you sorted. might get you out of a tight spot.

[Dan]

Ignore anyone who's told you that you need a new engine. If you haven't run the engine on petrol then the most you've damaged may be the fuel filter. Don't worry about using anything on the car other than the engine, electric locks and the stereo don't affect the fuel system. Don't put the key in the ignition and turn it, if you do the car will prime the fuel system. That might start to damage things in the fuel system but in theory you haven't actually got petrol into anything important yet. People will tell you that it will be fine for a few miles because petrol floats on diesel, ignore them. Many modern cars collect fuel from the top of the tank, not the bottom because the fuel pickup floats and that means is will pick up petrol straight away. I don't know where the MINI tank collects fuel from so I can't tell you definitely either way but it's safer to assume it would be a bad thing to do. Phone your recovery service, if you don't have one then phone a local recovery specialist from the Yellow Pages. Your fuel tank and system has to be drained and purged, possibly some filters and seals and other parts will need to be changed. Recovery companies are very experienced in this and will know what to do.

Don't worry, many modern diesels have sensors to detect when petrol is used and will not pump it into anything important. I'd imagine the MINI does this as it has pretty advanced systems.

[artistico]

if you havent started the car then you should be able to drain the fuel tank and put some diesal in it when a friend did it to my astra van the aa just drained it and put 10 of fuel back in it then charged him £285 but if by any chance you are with the rac apparently you are covered for human error so they should do it for free hope this is of some help good luck

Thanks for that. It was the RAC and they tried to sort it but because it is all sealed, they took it to a garage who will drain as you said. We're worried about all the horror stories that it could still have done more serious damage just from using the remote which triggers the fuel injection system. (I ain't not tekkie so I hope that makes sense)

[artistico]

Ignore anyone who's told you that you need a new engine. If you haven't run the engine on petrol then the most you've damaged may be the fuel filter. Don't worry about using anything on the car other than the engine, electric locks and the stereo don't affect the fuel system. Don't put the key in the ignition and turn it, if you do the car will prime the fuel system. That might start to damage things in the fuel system but in theory you haven't actually got petrol into anything important yet. People will tell you that it will be fine for a few miles because petrol floats on diesel, ignore them. Many modern cars collect fuel from the top of the tank, not the bottom because the fuel pickup floats and that means is will pick up petrol straight away. I don't know where the MINI tank collects fuel from so I can't tell you definitely either way but it's safer to assume it would be a bad thing to do. Phone your recovery service, if you don't have one then phone a local recovery specialist from the Yellow Pages. Your fuel tank and system has to be drained and purged, possibly some filters and seals and other parts will need to be changed. Recovery companies are very experienced in this and will know what to do.

Don't worry, many modern diesels have sensors to detect when petrol is used and will not pump it into anything important. I'd imagine the MINI does this as it has pretty advanced systems.

Thank you, that is very reassuring. It has been taken to a garage that does the draining, so hopefully they will be straight with us. We're worried they'll see us coming (stressed and female!)

[Purple Tom]

There could be an issue because some modern cars prime the fuel pump when you unlock the doors via the remote, rather than older EFi cars which generally prime when the ignition is switched on.

I'm guessing you're alluding to this when you mention that the car has been unlocked, so I think you're aware that it could be a possibility. If it is indeed the case that the Cooper D does prime the pump on the doors being unlocked then its likely that the filter, fuel lines and fuel pump will have a mixture of dieselly petrol in them.

I'm torn between suggesting that you contact a BMW dealer, ask for advice and likely get shafted by them for the removal of the fuel and replacement of any components necessary, and suggesting that you contact an independent garage for advice and get shafted slightly less! However I'm sure it won't be majorly expensive and it may be that just smaller things like seals may be the only parts that need replacing.

Either way its not good. I suppose you could risk brimming the tank with diesel (how big is the tank?), and hope that the petrol will be sufficiently diluted enough for it to not make any noticeable difference to the engine - however this is something you'd likely get away with on an older, less complex diesel lump, i'm sure on the Cooper D it is full of sensors and emissions control stuff and therefore I would not recommend that option!

Hope that helps a bit

[artistico]

Thanks!

[lrostoke]

I'd be suprised if its damaged anything. Merc Sprinters have every sensor going, the new ones also have alsorts of emmsions controls. basically a real fancy diesel lump.
All they have done on us is drain the tank and refill.
I doubt the BMW lump is any more complicated
Probably get a charge for enviromental disposal of old fuel. Plus charge for draining, and a bit more for however much fuel they fill it with.

Edited by lrostoke, 15 January 2009 - 11:03 PM.

[998dave]

hi,

As above, should be drain tank and put Diesel in, though if it primes it may need bleeding at the fuel rail end, there should be a facility to do this, so hope the garage know about it!

Quite suprised the Mini isn't similar to the Ford set up now, fuel pumps have different nozzles for petrol and diesel, so we've got fuel filler holes that physically won't fit the wrong nozzle, genius.

Dave

[freaker]

if you drain the fuel tank and fill it up with diesel its fine.
if you haven't started it there is no problem as there is still diesel fuel in the rail.

yesterday we had 2 cars coming in with error of fuel...
its like the fuel is for free...

drain the tank put diesel in it and let it run stationary for a few minutes it will do a bit crazy but thats not a real problem...

freaker

[john1.2pearl]

ive recovered loads of cars and vans which have had the wrong fuel put in, petrol into diesel and vice versa and i can say that ive had no experience of damage occuring due to the wrong fuel type being used, many have unknowingly put the wrong fuel in and drove a mile or two and wondered why it cut out on them, even then ive never experienced damage to the pumps/rails/injectors etc.... just drained the tank/pipes and common rail if it has one, renewed the fuel filter put a few litres of the correct fuel in, prime the system and cranked it over and after a few seconds cranking they then normally burst into life with a couple of misfires then run smoothly as before. If people are saying ooooh thats probably a new fuel pump/rail/injectors etc id take it to a garage with people who know what their doing to be honest.

Edited by john1.2pearl, 16 January 2009 - 06:53 PM.

[artistico]

Thanks for all the help and reassurance. we're all sorted out by a garage who knew the issues.

[minimanclive]

My wife put petrol in my diesel mondeo. I Just told her to fill the tank with diesel and drive it. People run the things on chip fat etc, so a bit of petrol wasn't going to hurt. My car was fine, but it's a bit of an agricultural engine. No idea how a modern one would cope.