HELP..... Diesel in Gas tank

Big problem. We lent our truck out to our neighbour and she put topped off our tank with 8 litres of diesel. We called two mechanics, both said to burn it off and it would be fine. After spending some time on the net everyone seems to say keep the tank above half for a while and change the fuel filter. Dad is a bit concerned about long term damage etc. BTW its a 2004, RWD with nothing special added. Anything like this happen you anyone?

 

never done this but seen it happen, didn't see any immediate damage.
if so worried just siphon the gas/diesel out.

 

Did the gas make it into the engine?

 

Sorry I am by no means a mechanic, but instead of burning off what is left in the tank personally I think it would make more sense to drop the tank and dump out the diesel.

 

x2. If not and you're concerned, siphon it out.

Lesson learned, don't let anyone else drive your Tacoma

 

keep your tank topped off and use the highest grade gas at the station for a while. That is what i heard from NPR's Car Talk

 

+1 as you refill with 91 it will keep remixing and diluting the diesel till it's burned through right? Honestly, first time I ever heard this one but google then showed me it happens a lot lol. Don't they have a car?
Also it'll probably smoke out the exhaust for a bit and also may run a little rough as that motor isn't designed to combust diesel.

 

I guarantee that this will not cause any harm. What you have is a gas/diesel mix of under 12% diesel. This will raise the effective octane of the fuel slightly, and could make it marginally more difficult to start. Its warm out though, so it shouldn't be much.

A lot of people with performance modified engines (of all types/brands) will use diesel mixes as a "poor man's racing fuel". It will resist detonation, and you could even experience marginally better fuel economy. Do *not* top up with "premium" -- stick with low octane (87) in order to balance out the high octane diesel fuel.

 

Not a Mechanic either, but ive been told its ok to do this, and not so sure it may not even help the motor, like for cleaning purposes, im from a hick town and everyone has their own ways of doing stuff around here, but for 4-wheelers my friend told me someone told them that if they get drowned out in water, and the motor becomes full of water that you should run diesel through it to burn the water off, but dont hold me to any of this, but as everyone says syphon what you can out and burn the rest i dont think it would hurt it, like i said above might help it more than anything?

 

The diesel will not harm it just don't let it set overnight in cold weather or you may have problems starting it. Not long ago it was common in Mexico for the Pemex stations to mix some diesel into the gas as they often had more of it than gas. I never had any problems with it except slow to start in the mornings.

 

I can't offer anything new but once my mom filled her Camaro with jet fuel at the airport by accident.

 

My girlfriend did this to her dirt bike once (I know completely different) and it ran like shit for months and months. I ended up having to completely take apart the carburetor, and found that whatever that green or blue die that is in diesel completely seized her floater and blocked half of the channels. Also had to replace the fuel filters, and after about 5 tanks of premium it's finally getting back to normal.

I don't have experience with having it happen to a truck/car but after going through that experience I would just drain it and flush lines.

 

1) that's farm diesel, not road diesel. The blue dye is added to stain the intake of "old style" diesel engines in order to detect if you've been cheating on you fuel taxes by using tax exempt farm diesel fuel on the road. Heating oil is dyed red. Road diesel is clear.

2) These trucks don't have carburetors.


Note that there can be significant impurities in the fuels intended for non-on-road applications. It isn't considered as critical for them to not get plugged up. Further, those who use it will filter it themselves typically.

I also suspect that your real problem was bad gas sticking the float and plugging the jets.

 

When my son was 17 , ha put in about 3 gallons ofcdiesel in my 2002 2.7
Prerunner. Dealer and machanic wanted ~$500 to drop gas tank and drain.

I just filled with 87 and let it burn off. Smoke let hell for about 5 minutes.
But ran fine. Took to dealer and had fuel filter replaced (chasis one).
About $160. Diesel will not totally combust.

Best thing my son ever did to the car! Cleanest 180k i've seen! And he did it at 100k!
Good luck.

Later
Dan

 

Isn't the diesel nozzle bigger so it doesn't fit in a gas vehicles filler?

 

-THIS-

 

Yes, but people will still be retards and do dumb shit anyways.

She was probably thinking what a piece of shit this truck is, the nozzle for fuel doesn't even fit.

 

lol...women


I am always paranoid at work that I will end up being "the one" who puts gas in a truck. Because I LOL at those people...and karma is a bitch...


I am always diligent in making sure I grab the diesel nozzle