BERLIN: Mistakes can happen at the petrol station: maybe your mind was elsewhere and you filled your diesel car with petrol.
If you noticed before you drove away, that's great — under no circumstances should you turn on the engine. If you didn't figure it out until you were back on the road: pull over right away, says Germany's top technical inspection agency TÜV.
You'll need to call a professional to come out and remove the wrong contents from the tank, using a special suction device.
The worst-case scenario is when a diesel vehicle has been filled with petrol: Even the smallest amount can cause the engine's entire injection system to have to be replaced.
In general, the different sizes of the fuel nozzles prevent diesel from being put into a petrol car by mistake. But the other way around isn't as dummy-proof: The narrower petrol nozzle can easily fit into the wider funnel of a diesel tank.
If the issue is only that you used a lower-quality petrol than required, you can continue to drive, albeit carefully, says TÜV. Going full throttle is a no-no, and drivers should refuel with the required grade of premium petrol ASAP, says TÜV.
The worst part is that by and large, car insurance won't pay for such a mistake, as the person wasn't being careful enough.
