We filled our diesel Sprinter with unleaded gas!! | 4WDTalk - Overlanding and offroad Forum
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We filled our diesel Sprinter with unleaded gas!!

VanGoCamp

VanGoCamp

Active member
So this doesn't lead to an arguement locally, one of us who normally doesn't fill our Sprinter van just filled it up, except with gas vs diesel! This was noticed when this person was finishing the fueling process. We have the van being towed into shop as we speak. But just want to get an idea of what sort of potential damage might have happened here. If the van was turned over, the fuel pump would have stopped any fuel getting to any motor and more expensive to repair parts right?

Could the tank be pumped and filled with diesel and be OK to start?
 
Most of the modern diesels wont start if it detects gas. If you started it, you would have known something is wrong by the sound. Driving it, may have caused issues but, it would have been rattling badly. Worse case of driving will be broken pistons, bent valves and whatever those damaged. How much and what is damaged is more based on what engine it is.
For the most part, drain tank, drain separator if equipped. If the key was never turned on, the fuel never made it past the tank. If it was started, whatever it takes to clean the fuel lines out.
A shop or access to a hoist is the best
 
Well my wife called me when this happened and I had a flatbed come and pick up the van. It's at the mechanic as we speak waiting for them to dive into it. Crossing fingers it's just a matter of pumping out the tank and adding fresh diesel.
 
Should be just the fuel pump, doesn't that prime the system regardless if key is turned over? How did you all fair on this?
 
Another reason why I'm the one who always fills my trucks and rv up! Hope that worked out well for you all.
 
Damn that sucks. So let me ask this, if you did start it or try to start it, and the sensors didn't detect that it was Unleaded fuel, would that screw up the motor bad?
 
Thank you all, well we lucked out. All that needed was pump and empty the existing tank, they ended up swapping out fuel pump and filter, although he said we likely could have used the old pump, but it was a matter of 'being safe', so I went with it. Happy to say I have our van back, and it's running perfectly!
 
Well that could have ended up different. Consider that a lesson learned and close call all wrapped up as one!!
 
VanGoCamp said:
Thank you all, well we lucked out. All that needed was pump and empty the existing tank, they ended up swapping out fuel pump and filter, although he said we likely could have used the old pump, but it was a matter of 'being safe', so I went with it. Happy to say I have our van back, and it's running perfectly!
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Heck yeah. I'd put a big old sign around the gas cap "Diesel ONLY" :ROFLMAO:
 
Yeah, let’s just say there is blue masking tape there already with that said on it with a sharply! ha ha ha
 
I would say, gas in a diesel. Gas has way more energy and diesels are very high compression. "If" you don't have a sensor to shut off the engine when it detects gas, your going to break the engine. Diesel in a gas vehicle will, destroy the cats, run like crap and smell. At my old shop we would get diesel in gas vehicles once in a while. They commonly drove them in. The gas in diesel were towed with the hope no damage was done.
 
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