Every 3.5 minutes someone puts the wrong fuel in their car. So what should you do if it happens to you?
Do not start the engine

Do not operate your electrical unlocking because unlocking can cause automatic priming of the fuel system in some cars.

Call The Motor Gym on 028 91 453310 and we will help

If you have already started the engine and driven off, then stop as soon as you realise your mistake.

Even a small amount of the wrong fuel can seriously damage the car's fuel system or reduce the efficiency of the catalyst

If you are not in our area you can call your breakdown service and get recovered to us
HOW TO MAKE SURE IT DOESN'T HAPPEN TO YOU...
Think about what car you are driving and what fuel it takes.
If you're not sure check the marking around the filler cap.
Always double check that you pick up the correct pump nozzle.
Most pumps use a colour coding:
Green smaller nozzle for unleaded petrol
Black large nozzle for Diesel
Due to the larger nozzle, it is more difficult to fill a petrol car with diesel. However, it is all too easy to fill a diesel car with petrol so always take extra care if you have a diesel car.
Never force a larger nozzle into a smaller filler neck. It will be the wrong fuel.

WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU DO FILL YOUR CAR WITH THE WRONG FUEL?
Don't start the engine and call The Motor Gym. We cannot Guarantee to fix the vehicle But 95% of the vehicles that we drain go back on the road without fail within an hour of arriving at our facility. We do not take responsibility for any damage caused by the user putting wrong fuel in the vehicle.
The breakdown services will not drain the fuel on the spot but can arrange to take the car to The Motor Gym at your request if you are not in our area

WHAT DAMAGE IS CAUSED TO THE CAR?
For modern diesel engines because they use extremely high injection pressures the composition of the fuel is critical. Any petrol present can cause damage to the pump elements, and the seals can be damaged by compounds found in petrol. Petrol wrecks a diesel engine lubrication process, and is particularly damaging to its costly, high-pressure pump, fuel injection system and filters.
For a petrol engine the combustion efficiency of an engine designed for petrol will be very poor if it's fed diesel fuel, and the resulting unburned fuel passing through to the exhaust can cause the catalyst to overheat.

WHY IS IT HAPPENING MORE OFTEN NOW?
The possibility of getting the wrong fuel has risen pretty much in line with the increase in the number of diesel cars – which now account for one in four new cars in the UK.