Re: Petrol in a diesel engine

Ken wrote:
> The other thread about someone using the wrong oil prompted the
> following:
>
> Does anyone know what exactly happens if you fill a diesel tank with
> petrol? Someone once filled a petrol tractor from the diesel tank and
> it was not happy (just drain and replace). But I am curious about how
> petrol performs in a diesel engine. I doubt that the result would be
> spectacular. Diesel has a higher energy density than petrol so petrol
> is unlikely to blow the thing up. So I would expect that petrol would
> work. As with oil, I suspect that the net result would be nuisance
> rather than disaster.
>
> But has anyone tried/experienced it?

This has been done to death on uk.rec.cars.maintenance. The consensus is 
that modern common rail cars can't go very far like that as it knackers
the 
injector pump (which relies on the lubrication of the diesel). An older 
simple diesel like a 405 or earlier Xants should be relatively ok so long
as 
you don't go too far, they do get very rattly and bangy though or so I've 
been told.

-- 
Malc
Do not use the area outside this door for a urinal