What You Need to Know About Filling a Diesel Engine with Gasoline

May 27, 2020

Putting something on the engine that doesn’t belong there will probably deal with unlikeable damage.

Not every part of your vehicle is as delicate as glass. But then again, you best be careful with the parts that need to be treated with care.

Performance parts, in particular, do a lot of work every time you use your car. Though a lot of these performance parts are made to be durable, that doesn’t mean they’re indestructible.

That’s why you still need to perform inspections and maintenance procedures every now and then. One of the most delicate parts of a typical vehicle is usually the engine. But have you ever wondered what would happen if gasoline would be filled into a diesel engine?

petrol pumps

But have you ever wondered what would happen if gasoline would be filled into a diesel engine?

A lot of the maintenance procedures that need to be taken seriously are in one way or another, connected to the engine. This is because the engine is the heart of the vehicle. So if you’ve put something in the engine that doesn’t belong there, you may have to deal with unlikeable effects.

But what outcome can you really expect if this happens? Will you need a new engine? Will you have to pay for a major repair? Or will everything be alright with all that gas in your diesel tank? Find out in this article from Philcarnews.com.

Diesel and gasoline engines: What is the difference?

There are a lot of peculiar differences between gasoline and diesel engines. But the most identifiable one is the way that the explosions happen. In a typical gas engine, air is mixed with fuel.

This is then compressed by the pistons. Then, it is ignited by the sparks from the spark plug. In diesel engines, air is first compressed. After that, the fuel is then injected.

gasoline and diesel

There are a lot of peculiar differences between gasoline and diesel engines

A lot of gasoline stations make use of different nozzles for pumping gasoline and diesel. More times than often, a diesel’s pump nozzle is larger in diameter than the nozzle in gas pumps. A lot of the current gasoline-engine vehicles usually won’t allow a large diesel nozzle to fit in the filler.

But since gasoline nozzles are smaller, they can easily fit into a diesel engine’s filler - even by accident. The event of accidentally putting the wrong oil in your engine is a minor problem. But having the wrong type of fuel is a whole new matter that can be worse.

How? Take a look here:

What happens if you fill a gas tank with diesel

1. No ignition

Therefore, if gasoline gets inside a diesel engine, ignition will not happen. If ignition does take place since gas is already mixed with diesel, the result may be too much. In fact, the result can be so severe that the engine may not be able to handle it.

If gasoline gets inside a diesel engine, ignition will not happen

The properties of gasoline will definitely affect the many parts of your diesel engine. These parts can include the fuel filter, the fuel pump, and the fuel injectors.

 6. Black smoke

Gasoline is going to have a harder time being ignited in diesel engines where it shouldn’t be. This means there would be a lot of unburned fuel.

black smoke

What you should and shouldn’t do

>>> Related: How deep is your knowledge of car engine?

  1. Do not turn the ignition on. If you do, the system will trigger the fuel injectors and fuel pump to get ready for work.
  2. Have the towing service take your car to a mechanic you trust.
  3. From the automotive shop, the fuel tank will have to be drained and flushed.
Source: Hanna Miel Sanchez

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