Wrong fuel!

[mikeybikey]

hi all, collected my new to me 2010 Rt yesterday and managed to achieve the unthinkable error of filling it with diesel. Apart from being taken outside and shot, what's next?


Obviously I'll drain the tank but before I turn the starter, is there anything else I should do?


Is there a catalytic converter to worry about?


Can I turn it over with the plug leads off to purge the oily stuff out?


Thanks for any advice- not an auspicious start to my RT ownership

[David.]

Would I be correct after reading your post that the bike hasn't been started since the diesel was put in the tank.

When in Norway recently, a Guy put diesel in his tank, he didn't start the bike, siphoned it out, replaced it with petrol & started the bike without any problems.



Also know of someone who put diesel in his Fireblade, again, he didn't start the bike, had the tank drained & I believe all was OK.

[Levisp]

Agee with David if the bike has not been started then just drain tank and refill. I'm presuming when the diesel was put in the tank it was not completely empty. In which case the fuel line/s from the tank will still be full with petrol. If the bike has been started then I'm not sure what the correct procedure would be to decontaniminate the fuel lines and injectors. If this is the case I would get advice from your local BMW dealer.

[mikeybikey]

Ah, unfortunately I managed to get about 300 metres down the road on the existing fuel before it cut out. I realised what I'd done then and switched it off.


Am I going to be in fault code territory too?

[David.]

Found this website, might be of some assistance, http://www.autofuelfix.com/blog/diesel- ... -and-video.

[Manofleisur]

My Son In Law ran out of fuel about 5 miles after picking up a Triumph Thunderbird, then had a gallon of diesel poured into the tank by breakdown company !!! Soon as started up mistake was spotted but still required the bike to be returned to Triumph dealer to be flushed out tank fuel lines and fuel injection. In his case was free of charge as caused by the recovery company. Would guess as in his case engine was only started and not even ridden 1 yard let alone 300 yards in your case a full flush would be required.
Unless you had a lot of petrol before you filled up, may be possible to just empty tank refill with petrol, as long as it will start. Fingers crossed that might work.

[David.]

Unless you had a lot of petrol before you filled up, may be possible to just empty tank refill with petrol, as long as it will start. Fingers crossed that might work.

Having looked at several threads on UKGSer, I'd agree that this idea sounds like the first thing to do.

[Dogbreath]

Last year I managed to put 50l of petrol into my diesel car!!!
Then I drove 10 miles, disaster that cost me me about £500 after cost of fuel chucked out, new seals etc etc....


However, I learned then that's it's far worse than diesel to petrol. It's all down to the lunricating quality of the fuels.


I'd guess, I'm no expert but have subsequently learnt, that if you drain it out and refill with petrol you'll be fine.


Good luck!!

[mikeybikey]

Success!


Removed all the plastic, removed fuel tank after siphoning out all I could, flushed it with clean petrol (!), removed spark plugs and cranked it over on the starter with the throttle wide open till all the diesel was out of the lines and I could smell petrol coming through. Put it back together and started it up, a little smoky to begin with- understandable, but soon settled down smoothly.


So scary lesson learned- hopefully expensive mistake avoided.


I'll be very gentle over the next tankful or so, report further with any more ramifications.


Thanks for all your hints and tips!

[David.]

Excellent news, a dose of Fuel System Cleaner/Treatment might not go a miss.

Some Folks won't use anything, even if it has got BMW stamped on it, http://www.ascycles.com/detail.aspx?ID=44455.



I use Silkolene PRO FST in my XJ650, http://www.opieoils.co.uk/p-809-silkole ... gines.aspx.

[Levisp]

Glad you got it sorted. With a diesel car I'm sure one day I'm going to be distracted and do the same.

[David.]

It's an easy mistake, particularly with this kind of signage at a Shell Pump.

[Manofleisur]

Glad it worked for you ...... My money says you will never make the same mistake 

[Steve F]

....and then.....when you go riding in Europe, they switch the Unleaded and Diesel pump colour coding around. Keeps you on your toes....!!!

[StephenS]

I worked with a guy called Dave, in the eighties, who made the same mistake with a company car.


From then on, he was universally known as Derv.