# Gas in my diesel



## allybeads (Dec 9, 2012)

My wife put 20 gallons of unleaded in the x5 diesel. She did not start it and we had it towed to the local dealer. How much will this cost


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## spirpiris (Feb 24, 2013)

According to BMW that is not possible as there are two mechanisms to prevent accidental gasoline filling. The pump nozzle must be exactly 24mm or the vent flap will block entrance of the fuel nozzle and there are two stickers saying that it is a diesel vehicle which is hard to miss.


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## allybeads (Dec 9, 2012)

After she fueled it she called me and I told her the same thing. I had her get the receipt from the attendant and she confirmed it was unleaded and not diesel. She tried the unleaded nossel again and she said it went in with no problem. The dealer showed me the safety mechanism when we purchased it 2 months ago.

Luckily she did not start the X5 and we had it towed. The question is, what is the dealer going to want to replace to cover their butt instead of just draining the fuel and replacing with diesel.


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## spirpiris (Feb 24, 2013)

I am sorry for the misfortune. The opposite happened to me. I have owned diesel cars for 7 years but had never heard of the safety feature. While commuting from NJ to MD I stopped at a truck stop. The passenger car diesel pump nozzel was too small and I had no idea that new diesels had the safety feature as a result I wasn't able to pump. The manual had no information and neither did BMW roadside assistance. I later found out after getting towed to the dealer the accessory to bypass is in the trunk.


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## d geek (Nov 26, 2008)

allybeads said:


> ... The question is, what is the dealer going to want to replace to cover their butt instead of just draining the fuel and replacing with diesel.


My guess is they will drain your tank, purge the lines and replace your filter.


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## BB_cuda (Nov 8, 2011)

Thanks goodness she realized and didn't start it. I would say since it didn't get started that the fuel line is likely full of diesel. But to be safe a flush up to the filter would cover you. Best of luck and let us know how it comes out.


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## Pierre Louis (Oct 23, 2011)

It sounds like the station was using a passenger car/light truck diesel nozzle for their gasoline pump. I wouldn't know if this is against the rules or not.

PL


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## 01Byte (Jun 22, 2003)

Something isn't adding up. If the station is using wrong nozzles, then you might be able to get them to cover the charges to fix this.

My wife has been driving her X5d for 3 years and she has yet to manage putting gas instead of diesel (and it's not like she hasn't tried).


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## F32Fleet (Jul 14, 2010)

Pierre Louis said:


> It sounds like the station was using a passenger car/light truck diesel nozzle for their gasoline pump. I wouldn't know if this is against the rules or not.
> 
> PL


We'll she'd still be able.to fuel up but a much lower rate.
Sent from my MB525 using Bimmer App


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## Pierre Louis (Oct 23, 2011)

Here is a thread that explains how the incorrect fueling protection system works in BMW cars: http://www.cleanmpg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=18964

PL


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## Axel61 (Mar 10, 2011)

hey NEVR underestimate a woman a sister of an exgirlfriend of mines stopped ata local gas station in Florida and she filled her tank with DIESEL fuel , i asked her how she managed to do it she stated that she NEVER read it was DIESEL (yeah right! Bimbo)she thought everything was the same, needless to say she started the engine and do you believe that Honda let her get away with it!!


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## Pierre Louis (Oct 23, 2011)

If the gasoline pump had the larger diesel nozzle, it wouldn't work on gasoline vehicles, so there must have been something else that went wrong, i.e. the incorrect fuel protection system must have been bypassed somehow.

PL


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## 335dFan (Nov 8, 2012)

I always rent diesel vehicles when in Europe. One time in Italy I put a few gallons of petrol in the tank by mistake. Not a fillup. I was horrified and it ruined the rest of my trip because of my worry. Wrong or right, ethical or unethical, I did the following. As soon as I realized my error, I shut off the pump, paid for the petrol portion, and continued the fillup with diesel. Then I drove off. But I stopped everytime I could (very often) and topped it off with diesel. And worried and monitored and worried and monitored and drove much more gently. There were no obvious symptoms, but I have always felt bad about returning the rental vehicle like that, and have always wondered about the long term effect on the engine.


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## Snipe656 (Oct 22, 2009)

Just need to drain the tank. The gasoline would actually be on top of the pre-existing diesel. She could have actually probably driven a little while before the vehicle started to try to burn the gasoline and then ran like total junk, actually have experienced this very thing but in a non BMW diesel vehicle. The dealer however probably will want to replace the fuel filter and purge the lines on top of draining the tank.


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## 335dFan (Nov 8, 2012)

Snipe656 said:


> Just need to drain the tank. The gasoline would actually be on top of the pre-existing diesel. She could have actually probably driven a little while before the vehicle started to try to burn the gasoline and then ran like total junk, actually have experienced this very thing but in a non BMW diesel vehicle. The dealer however probably will want to replace the fuel filter and purge the lines on top of draining the tank.


Interesting thought. If the diesel top ups always settled to the bottom of the tank, then theoretically it never tried to burn the gasoline as it was at the top of the tank. This was not a BMW, but some other common European brand. Makes you wonder at what level in the tank the fuel is drawn from. I'm guessing I had put 3-4 gallons in (actually the equivalent in liters).


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## Snipe656 (Oct 22, 2009)

More I think about it. I know a few people who have made this mistake. Some in VWs and others in domestics. All just drained their tanks. Most drove home before realizing wrong fuel put in.


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## DC-IT (Sep 27, 2009)

I gave my VW TDI to my daughter in 2011 and warned her that of she filled it with gas it'll cost her $10K to fix! Till today she has not made that expensive mistake lol.

Today I sent my ML bluetec for service and was given a C350 4matic loaner. I went to gas up and instinctively headed towards a Diesel pump but correct myself before I fill it with Diesel!

Sent from my SGH-I717D using Bimmer App


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## SteVTEC (Feb 16, 2005)

I don't allow my wife to fill up her X5d. I take care of that, because she once managed to pump a tank full of diesel into her Toyota Highlander despite that "not being possible!". 

Cost about a grand to fix the Highlander, but it was a bit more complicated since she actually tried to run it. It didn't get very far, lol. Drop and drain fuel tank, purge fuel system, replace fuel filter, lift intake manifold and replace spark plugs, etc. Oops!


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## allybeads (Dec 9, 2012)

After taking it to the BMW dealer, I was told that even opening the door starts priming the engine from the low pressure pump. If she had started the car it would have cost us
$6,000-$7,000.

They had a hard time believing it wasn't started because they found gas near the high pressure rail. They thought the tow truck driver started the vehicle but he towed the car without having the keys,Thank God.

The final cost is around $1200.00, Ouch .They charged us 7-8 hours labor and a new fuel filter.


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## ProRail (May 31, 2006)

SteVTEC said:


> I don't allow my wife to fill up her X5d. I take care of that, because she once managed to pump a tank full of diesel into her Toyota Highlander despite that "not being possible!".
> 
> Cost about a grand to fix the Highlander, but it was a bit more complicated since she actually tried to run it. It didn't get very far, lol. Drop and drain fuel tank, purge fuel system, replace fuel filter, lift intake manifold and replace spark plugs, etc. Oops!


How could this be? Are you sure she isn't trying to make you the "responsible pary"? She MUST know the difference between diesel and gasoline. I think she's being "the little woman." Thank god my wife doesn't do that.


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## Snipe656 (Oct 22, 2009)

My wife just shows up at the house with whatever vehicle running on fumes. Then I get to go fill it up.


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## Flyingman (Sep 13, 2009)

allybeads said:


> After taking it to the BMW dealer, I was told that even opening the door starts priming the engine from the low pressure pump. If she had started the car it would have cost us
> $6,000-$7,000.
> 
> They had a hard time believing it wasn't started because they found gas near the high pressure rail. They thought the tow truck driver started the vehicle but he towed the car without having the keys,Thank God.
> ...


I'm not sure about our D's but most typical diesel engines have a recirculating fuel system, so fuel is being pumped from the fuel tank, to the engine fuel delivery system, and then back to the tank. The fuel circulating system is always circulating more than the engine would ever actually consume, so some percent is always recirculating. That may explain why they found gas near the fuel rail.

The reason for this excess circulation is to help with cooling the fuel system, especially in those areas where fuel components may be hot. In the old days that would have included the individual fuel pumps. If the fuel pumps could inject 10cc's of fuel/min some 20 or 30ccs/min of fuel would be circulating.


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## ryebread39 (Feb 27, 2013)

Was your wife really upset, mine would have been really terrified of this.


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