Man puts petrol into a diesel car to show what happens and what you can do if you accidentally mix them up

Claiming that it is ‘one of the most embarrassing mistakes you can make,’ this man shows exactly what happens when you put petrol into a diesel car, and whether you can save yourself if you notice before it’s too late.

With electric cars on the rise, it might not be long before we never have to bother filling up our cars with gas again. At least, in our lifetime, the hope is that we can all plug in and go.

But with decades-worth of combustion engines still on the road and standing the test of time, there’s plenty of gas being poured into cars every single second.

With diesel and petrol both being side by side, Fifth Gear once claimed 20,000 people a year put the wrong fuel in their car, and this is exactly what happens when they do.

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Fifth Gear shows what happens when you put petrol into a diesel car

Fuel is the blood of a car. Your engine, the beating heart, needs it to survive. So if you ever run out or have the wrong fuel, it can be a disaster. An expensive disaster.

While one mechanic has debunked the myths surrounding putting ‘premium’ fuels in your car by mistake, UK TV show Fifth Gear once revealed why you should be extra careful not to make that mistake with diesel.

Back when it was only a choice between the two fuels, and EVs were a futuristic thought, this presenter changed the fuels in two cars and watched them both struggle.

Starting with petrol in a diesel car.

Typically, diesel burns very differently from petrol, and the engines are designed differently due to how the two fuels will lubricate the engine.

But in the case of diesel, the big difference is that it ignites differently than simply adding fire to it, meaning the ignition of a petrol car cannot set it alight.

In this example, uploaded to YouTube, the diesel car broke down and failed to fire back up when the petrol began infiltrating the engine.

On the flip side, when he put diesel in a petrol car, it ran, the car soon began bunny hopping along and making clouds of smoke.

But here’s why it can be an expensive error

If you’re quick enough, though, both engine types can be salvaged.

In the video, both tanks were drained of the wrong fuel, filled up with the right liquid, and ran perfectly again. Well, as perfectly as these squeaky bangers could do.

However, if they were left unchecked and a driver persisted in trying to drive them with these issues, then you could end up with an engine failure.

At the very least, a garage would need to repair or replace major components like the fuel tank, lines, pump, and injectors.

So, next time you’re at the fuel pump, make sure to pay attention to which nozzle you’re using, and make sure not to put petrol into a diesel car.

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