Rising cases of wrong-fuelling mistake seem to be intimately linked to increasing growth in sale of diesel cars. Modern-day diesel cars are very quiet so much so that it will take no time to forget that you are driving a car, especially if it is a hire car or second family car.
Potential damages – Petrol in Diesel Cars
The fuel pumps in diesel powered engine have a fine tolerance. They work at a very high pressure. – new-age system runs at a pressure between 350 and 1600 bar. These pumps have a layer of lubrication by fuel. Petrol functions as a solvent in diesel-driven cars. It could reduce lubrication, thereby causing serious damage to the pump as metals get in direct contact with each other.
Metal particles built up in the damaged pump could contaminate fuel further, thereby causing more damages to other parts of the fuel system. Petrol compounds can also negatively affect some seals in the fuel system. The further the fuel mixture goes into the fuel supply system, more costly will be its repairing. In the worst cases, the motorists prefer buying a new engine to repairing the older one.
Common rail or HDi diesel engines are considered more susceptible to damages following wrong fuel mistake. If pump wear debris pollutes the common rail system, replacement of high and low pressure fuel pumps is more likely to be a must. In addition, you may have to change line filters, fuel rail, injections and even fuel tank.
GDI or Gasoline Direct Injection petrol engines are also more vulnerable to damages. Many vehicles have a low-pressure electric pump fitted in the tank and it starts working once the ignition key is turned on. That circulates the polluted fuel throughout the pump as well as rail. That is why, it is often recommended that the motorists should not turn on the ignition key
by