Wrong fuel in your BMW?

Wrong Fuel BMW

If you have put diesel in a petrol BMW, or petrol in a diesel BMW then you will want to know what to do about it, how to get it out, if it’s safe to drive, and probably a host of other questions.

We are here to answer those questions and get you back on the road again.

Is having the wrong fuel in a BMW a problem?

In most cases, yes. Petrol in a diesel fuel system can cause issues with a loss of lubrication resulting in damaged fuel pumps and injectors. It can also lead to the deterioration of fuel lines, seals and filters.

Running a diesel vehicle on petrol can also cause a number of problems – including burnt out spark-plugs, thinned out oil (leading to a lack of engine lubrication), and even complete engine failure.

How to drain a misfuelled BMW?

The easiest way to get the wrong fuel out of you BMW is to call us. We offer a specialist BMW misfuel service where we come out to attend the vehicle wherever it is. We will drain the fuel tank (or tanks if there are more than one), flush out the fuel lines, filters and pumps, re-prime the system with clean fuel, and get the engine running again.

Can you drive a misfuelled BMW?

The safe answer is always no. Putting any amount of the wrong fuel in a car can cause damage to the fuel system.

You will often find that after filling up with the wrong fuel the driver is unaware of the fact and attempts to drive off down the road. In most cases the car will get a couple of miles before it starts to exhibit the tell-tale signs of misfuelling (loss of power, excess smoke, cutting out, or failing to restart after being turned off). These few miles will be because the engine is running on the remaining clean fuel left in the fuel lines and filter. Once the contaminated fuel reaches the engine it’s a completely different story altogether.

How quickly it starts to misbehave depends on the fuel system, the amount of correct fuel in the vehicle, and the volume of incorrect fuel pumped into the tank.

These last two factors will determine the contamination ratio in the fuel tank. We generally say that if you have more than 5% contamination in your fuel tank you should get it drained out as soon as possible*.

If you want to know your contamination ratio we have provided a list at the bottom of the page of the most common BMW models and variants. This list gives their estimated fuel tank capacity and an indicator of how many litres of fuel equates to five percent.

If you have put more than this amount into the tank then give us a call right away to get it drained and cleaned out.

_{* NOTE: This 5% contamination ratio advice is based on our customer feedback and years of experience in dealing with misfuelled BMWs. Bear in mind that any amount of contaminated fuel can damage the engine. To avoid any uncertainty please consult BMW’s guidelines on what level of contamination is acceptable.}