Wrong fuel recovery and draining

Compare wrong fuel recovery costs and find misfuel draining garages near you

Wrong fuel

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£155.34

Average quote for wrong fuel recovery and misfuel draining

What happens when you misfuel?

Unfortunately, putting in the wrong fuel in your car happens easily. The fuel nozzles are next to one another after all. It’s an easy mistake, but one that can cost a lot of money if you don’t take some precautions. If you’ve accidentally put diesel into a petrol car or petrol into a diesel, then you needn’t despair about how you’ll sort this out. You can find a misfuel recovery service with WhoCanFixMyCar that will provide you with a fair and quick quote. 

The important thing to note here, is if you have put the wrong fuel in your car, then NOT to start your engine.

Because diesel has a wider nozzle which is harder to fit into a petrol car, 95% of mis-fueling happens when petrol is put into a diesel car. However, there are scenarios where the driver has put diesel into a petrol car too, so we can help you in both situations. The wrong fuel can damage your car if it is ignored and driven - by not starting your engine, you’ll be saving yourself a lot of money in the long run. Keeping the engine off will decrease the damage done, but fear not, as our garages can solve a range of wrong fuel mishaps and get you back on the road!

Wrong fuel in car recovery, draining costs and prices

The cost of putting the wrong fuel in your car can vary depending due to differences in labour time, however there is usually little discrepancy across different car makes. Take a look below at the average quote on WhoCanFixMyCar for some of the top car makes.

Car MakeAverage Price
Audi£140.52
BMW£159.97
Citroen£141.43
Ford£146.85
Mazda£158.26
Mercedes£149.54
MINI£180.05
Peugeot£174.74
Renault£158.08
Toyota£125.89
Vauxhall£156.02
Volkswagen£150.74
Volvo£145.50

Top warning signs that you’ve put the wrong fuel in your car

If you have noticed almost immediately that you have put the wrong fuel in your car, then this is the time when you must call your recovery service to drain the car. However, if you are unfortunate enough to not have realised before starting the engine, here are some warning signs that your car has received the wrong fuel:

  • Lack of throttle power despite pressing the accelerator.

  • Knocking sound when you accelerate

  • Thick black smoke

  • Engine cutting out

  • Engine starting to cough or chug

  • Engine warning light 

  • Problems starting/restarting the vehicle

  • An unusual smell

If you have put the wrong fuel in your car and happened to have started your engine, and even driven your car, then it’s important to not only have the car drained and given the correct fuel, but to also take it to a local repair garage to get a full check on your car parts so see whether there has been any damage that needs to be taken care of.

  • Wrong fuel recovery

    The average cost of a misfuel recovery when booked on WhoCanFixMyCar is £155.34.

    Putting the wrong fuel in your car is an easy mistake to make. If this happens, make sure you do not drive your car until a misfuel speicalist or garage has removed the fuel from your car and replaced it with the correct fuel.

  • Mobile mechanic

    The average cost of a mobile mechanic booked on WhoCanFixMyCar is £81.64.

    A mobile mechanic will visit you at your home or workplace and can carry out a wide range of different repairs. If the repair is more complex, the mechanic will collect your car, take it to a garage to be repaired, and drop it off when it's finished. The exact cost of a mobile mechanic will depend on the repair you need.

    Can include
    • Home visit
    • Servicing
    • Tyre change
    • Oil change
    • Recommended repairs
  • Fuel injector replacement

    The average cost of a fuel injector replacement booked on WhoCanFixMyCar is £185.35.

    Your fuel injector is there to make sure the correct amounts of fuel and air are received by your engine, When your fuel injector is faulty, it can leave your engine damaged and become a costly repair.

    Can include
    • Diagnosis
    • Fuel injector replacement

Which misfuel recovery service do you need?

Draining petrol out of a diesel car

If you own a diesel car and you’ve accidentally filled petrol inside it, then please don’t panic! You can limit the amount of damage if you realise that the wrong fuel has been added before starting your engine. When this happens, you must call your breakdown provider or a mobile mechanic. Often, then will have your car drained on site and might recommend that you have your car checked over to ensure there is no lasting damage. 

You're only in real trouble if you do not notice the wrong fuel straight away, and proceed to starting the engine and driving off. This is because when the key is turned in the ignition, your fuel pump also comes into action. Once you start a diesel car with petrol in it, then not only does the car need to be drained, but your fuel pipes also need to be flushed, which can sometimes be costly.

Are misfueling repairs necessary?

Misfueling repairs are absolutely necessary. If you’ve put the wrong fuel in your car, then you must not ignore it and continue to drive with the wrong type of fuel. Putting petrol in a diesel car is far more damaging than putting diesel in a petrol car. The petrol will act as a solvent, dissolving the lubricant, damaging the fuel pump and other parts of the fuel system. If ignored, this could result in costly repair of your car's fuel system, or a complete replacement of the fuel pump, diesel injectors, filters and fuel tank.

Putting diesel in a petrol car is less serious than putting petrol in a diesel car, but nevertheless must be drained for your car to run efficiently, and for you to avoid damaging the parts.  After starting your engine in the petrol car, the diesel will cover your car’s spark plugs and the fuel system, which can cause misfiring. Your engine may give off a lot of smoke, keep cutting out, or fail to start at all. Draining it is absolutely essential. 

Find local recovery services for wrong fuel in car repair specialists

If you have driven your car after putting in the wrong fuel, then you must book your car in for an inspection after the recovery service drains your fuel. They might even indicate that there has been some damage that a garage needs to repair when they are draining your car. In some scenarios, your car may need to be towed to the local garage for a wrong fuel repair. 

A breakdown provider or mobile recovery service provider will be able to tow your vehicle to the closest garage if it is not driveable.

Get your wrong fuel in car repair carried out from the service or fuel station

Every year around 150,000 UK drivers put the wrong fuel in their vehicle. That’s a huge number of cars that need to be drained for misfueling.

When you have misfueled, you must not drive your car to a local garage. Instead, if you notice the misfueling immediately, then search for a recovery service immediately and ask them to come out to your car to drain it of the offending fuel.

If you have a breakdown provider, you will want to contact them first, because some will include misfueling within the cover, or alternatively, a mobile mechanic will be able to come out to where your car is and drain it for you there.

At WhoCanFixMyCar, we help you compare trusted mobile garages near you by reviews, ratings and price to give yourself complete confidence that they will do the work well.

What happens if I put the wrong fuel in my car?

Either your car will not start, or it is likely to break down shortly into your journey from the petrol station. The use of the wrong fuel may also cause damage to your car’s engine. Other symptoms of putting in the wrong fuel include:

  • Lack of throttle power despite pressing the accelerator.

  • Knocking sound when you accelerate

  • Thick black smoke

  • Engine cutting out

  • Engine starting to cough or chug

  • Engine warning light 

  • Problems starting/restarting the vehicle

  • An unusual smell

What should I do if I have put the wrong fuel in my car?

If you are lucky, you will notice the error at the fuel station before you have started your car. It’s important that you don’t start your ignition. Instead, ask the fuel station guards to help you push the vehicle to a safe space. Ring a recovery service or your break-down cover and they will attend almost immediately to drain your car of the offending fuel and so it is ready to take the correct fuel. In this scenario, there will be no further damage to your car. However, if you have driven the car then you must stop at a safe space, and call the breakdown or recovery service. You must also book your car in for a full inspection to see if any damage has been done by the offending fuel. 

How much does it cost to have the wrong fuel taken out from my car?

If the fuel is drained right away, the damage will not be substantial where it requires repair or replacement of car parts and all it will cost is the price of removal, usually around £150-£300. However, if you have turned on your ignition and the fuel has run through the engine, you might be facing repair costs on top of this.

Is the wrong fuel draining service covered by insurance?

Most car insurance policies actually exclude any damages caused by putting the wrong fuel in your vehicle. Check the policy wording to make sure.

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