I've managed to kill my Xantia TD :-(

[andmcit]

After very favourable findings using Shell V-max diesel my father used,
I decided it was worth treating my 1996 TD Xantia SX estate to some on
the way to it's new MOT. That's all fine and dandy but I didn't realise the
v-max is unleaded as well as diesel and spread randomly on different
pumps around the local Shell garage.

So, after 10 litres of unleaded I finally twigged there may be something
awry with the smell of the fuel I'm filling into the tank! OK, been here
before with smaller volumes mind on a CX and at the time sought technical
advice ringing up the AA people who said so long as the ratio of diesel/
unleaded was below a certain %age no harm will come to the car and it
will actually go a bit better and this is used by Scandinavian DERV users
to stop waxing/freezing of fuel tanks.

All great stuff but I couldn't recall the %age although I know it is a whole
lot worse having the wrong %age of diesel in a petrol car than unleaded in
a DERV car.

Time pressing, I decided to drown the unleaded and brimmed the tank with
45 litres of diesel. Not sure that ratio worked but the tank wouldn't hold
any more and I didn't think the old Bosch pump was too fussy seeing all
the other stuff that get's pumped through them. Problem is, the car runs
but doesn't like idling and smokes really badly. Is this RIP for the engine
or the pump or both?

The car's MOT was aborted due to the smoke too after I'd rebuilt the front
suspension and treated the car to spare Activa rims.

Andrew

[lexi]

Funnily enough I looked at that the other day in a Shell garage . I though s**t ..........will need to watch out for that. 5 to 10 per cent is usually not a problem. With 25% you may have lost lubricity?

A few litres of veg oil in tank would have helped. So it`s running like this now long after the petrol in that tank has been used?

[Citroenmad]

Ah no

Its all to easily done though.

I dont know what to suggest, drain the tank and fill up with diesel would the the obvious thing, but thats an awful lot of fuel to have to drain out.

Im sure it will be fine with the right fuel in, i doubt you have done much damage.

Our DCi Scenic was treated to a tankful of petrol at one point, we drove it until it sounded funny (didnt realise then what had happened) and turned it off and checked the fuel reciept!

Anyway, after draining the tank, putting in fresh diesel, a new fuel filter and it taking a long time to chug over it went, with lots of smoke for a few miles, but a run and some fuel system cleaner soon sorted it out.

And thats a modern diesel engine, so i would have thought the TD lump would take to it a bit better.

Its worth a try.

[isisalar]

Doubt you've done any damage.I remember reading in the handbook of a golf diesel I ran in the mid eighties that it was recommended a mix of up to 30% unleaded/70% diesel was used in the winter.The bosch pumps can handle veg oil ok so just keep on topping up with diesel.
I did even worse in a BX diesel and put in £25 of four star about 10 years ago I think it took about £20 to fill with diesel so was worse than 50% and that ran ok after a while.
The high octane rating of the V power unleaded may be exasperating the problem as opposed to normal petrol .
If you want to clean your injectors Slick 50 fuel system cleaner is the stuff to use,dilute it a bit less than recommended.
You were heading in the right direction with the V power diesel though.It has transformed my 1.9TD, now runs smooth as silk and consumption seems to have gone from a consistent 38mpg to nearer 48mpg! and better performance.
I tried it as an alternative to the slick 50 stuff and does it work!Has similarly transformed my 1.9 diesel citroen work van.

[red_dwarfers]

Oh no
Typical it happened on the way to MoT...
I've had no experience of this in my short time of driving so far, I've a lot to look forward to
As the others have said, I can't see much damage, if at all with the pump/engine. but then, is it worth draining say 3/4 of the tank, filling up with DERV and chuck the petrol/diesel mix in the tank on the next big fillup for precaution?

[citronut]

to much petrol in a diesel will damage the mechanical fuel pump, as the pump relies on the oil in the diesel to lubricate it, petrol dose not lubricate so the moving components will run against themselves dry,

a bit of diesel in a petrol car wont hurt at all, unless it's a car with an enginge management system, as the diesel causes a bit of soot which in turn fouls up any sensosrs in the system

regards malcolm

[AndersDK]

Look at the facts :
10L of unl
At least 8L diesel before you started re-fuelling
45L of diesel to compensate.
Thats a 5,5:1 diesel:petrol mix.
- or some 15% of unl in the diesel.

Any diesel will run upsidaisy kangaroo on that mix, as the unl will definately pre-ignite because of the high compression ratio.

Your pump should not be harmed by less than 20% nonlubing additive in the derv.
Here in Scandinavia we are using max 5% unl as non waxing additive, or up to 10% heating petroleum, and of course over-mixing happens at times.

Seep up the good old way the fuel mix from the tank, at least half of it, then brim again with derv and you should be okay.

[dnsey]

If you're worried about the pump getting insufficient lubrication, it might be worth adding a bit of 2-stroke oil to the mix. It'll smoke even more for a bit, but should protect the pump until the petrol has run through.

[Peter.N.]

I wouldn't be surprised if the problem was nothing to do with the petrol at all, but putting a pint or so of engine oil in the tank as suggested should protect the pump fron any possible harm. I once drove a car with a Perkins 4/108 engine for about 10 miles on about 90% petrol, as that was all I could get, didn't hurt it at all and that was a CAV pump.

[andmcit]

It seems suggestions made earlier of my Td's demise were premature!

I must say it looked and sounded bloody awful on Saturday after I'd
emptied the tank and put some of the 'ard stuff in. Happily there seems
to be life in the old dog yet! I filled it with DERV with a pop of some
optimistically titled Stop Smoke from Wynn's costing a fiver that promises
to help fix everything from World Dept and World Peace as well as lubricate
the pump innards or somesuch - the long list of benefits sounds wonderful!

I then blasted the car on a 300 mile round trip to Stratford on Avon to
collect an Xm 2.0TCT engine with ancilliaries and low miles that I won off
ebay for £50. It was bought from an engine snatcher so ironic it'll now
save my blue Activa as a runner after all!! Yay!!

I daren't even mention it just in case I tempt fate, so I'll whisper the fact
that it'll see MrMOTman again on Monday afternoon so fingers crossed!

I really appreciate all the comments/thoughts and suggestions as they
made me decide to use the car today when it may have just sat and run
lumpily and felt sorry for itself before being scrapped! Today it passed
237,777 miles...

TTFN
Andrew

[andmcit]

Yay!! The good news is the car passed the emissions test in it's MOT today!!!!!!!!

I must admit I didn't see that one happening after the chugging fallout from
the engine on the weekend. The bad news is the damned car failed to get a
pass as the nearside headlight aim was too low and the OSR numberplate
light had a dodgy connection!

I cannot understand the headlight aim bit (one side only) as the car has
always been tested by the same place and I haven't touched it, EVER! He's
advised or initially failed every car I've taken there on headlight aim in the
past two or so years and I reckon it's because the test equipment has been
recalibrated as I don't tinker with my headlight aim or have height corrector
issues! If anything I'd rather have it aimed slightly lower than many
seem to like on their blinding lights!

The long hard run on Sunday with an engine in the boot and the Wynn's
has helped (as well as the removal of the unleaded I guess!!! ).

Xantia with TWO engines:



The stuff wot I used:|:D



Right, now to sort that damned "STOP" lamp on the other estate!

Andrew