What is the difference between petrol and diesel oil?

Conventional diesel and petrol are both produced from mineral oil, but the precise refining methods vary. Per litre, diesel contains more energy than petrol and the vehicle’s engine combustion process is more efficient, adding up to higher fuel efficiency and lower CO2 emissions when using diesel.

Will my car start if I put the wrong fuel in?

Quite often a car does not break down immediately after a misfueling, assuming you have drived to a petrol station to buy your fuel. Your cars engine will be hot, and a warm engine copes with wrong fuel much better than a cold engine.

What happens if you fill a petrol car with diesel?

Filling a petrol car with diesel is a less serious mistake – and the damage isn’t as severe – but you should follow the same steps. If you start the engine, the spark plugs and fuel system will be coated in diesel, leading to a misfire and smoke from the exhaust, before the car grinds to a halt.

Can a misfuelled petrol car damage your engine?

Irrespective of the possibilities of misfuelling, both the incidents (petrol in diesel car or diesel in petrol car) can damage your engine. Let us consider the following scenarios: Given the nozzle of petrol car tanks are smaller than the nozzle of a diesel dispenser, the chances of misfuelling is curtailed to a great extent.

What happens if you start a diesel car with a misfire?

If you start the engine, the spark plugs and fuel system will be coated in diesel, leading to a misfire and smoke from the exhaust, before the car grinds to a halt. Alternatively, the engine will fail to start or just stop. Again, don’t start the engine – simply call for help and follow the instructions outlined above.

What happens if you turn on the wrong fuel in your car?

If the ignition is turned on with the wrong fuel in the tank, there are high chances that you would end up with a hefty bill. The sole reason is that as soon as the engine is turned on, the petrol gushes into the internal parts of the engine which need lubrication to work properly.