Gas in diesel

[watanabe]

During a fill up the attendant inadvertantly began pumping diesel into my Duramax. Before I had noticed he put 2 gallons in, then proceeded to fill the tank with diesel. What if any reprecussions might I have.

[FisHn2DMax]

I assume you meant to say the attendant pumped some "gas" into your DuraMax? From what I understand, its not good! If the attendant pumped two gallons of Gas and then filled the tank with 22+ gallons of diesel, you should be oK. If you didn't need a full fill-up, I would drain it ASAP!!! Gas has a high octane and doesn't like glow plug high compression engines!!! GAS has little lubrication properties and is very hard on the fuel on a diesel engine. Personally If it were mine, I would have the tank drained and the station that pumped it, pay for it!!! :mad:

My wife did just the opposite on her new SUV. I have NO idea how she managed to get the nozzle to fit, but she filled our GAS SUV with Diesel. I got a cell phone call from her telling me the engine was blowing large amounts of white/ blue smoke, making a horrible sound, and won't run very well. It sounded to me like a internal catastrophic engine failure, so I called a local GM dealership to have her towed to the dealership. Tow truck driver called me back a few minutes laughing. He said, I checked the tank, your wife filled it up with diesel. :rolleyes: I've seen this many times before. I told him she also drives a Duramax and must have got confused. He towed it back to my home. I drained the tank and everything is fine.

Good Luck!

[ 12-07-2003, 08:49 AM: Message edited by: FisHn2DMax ]

[Johnny Diesel]

I know the answer your looking for is it'll be okay. But truth be known it really isn't. If this is your personal truck you've already committed to loads of cash or payments for it. Since your soliciting opinions heres mine. Drain it and either eat the mistake or hold the service station or attendant liable for it. If you have a problem and take it to the dealer they are not going to care who put the gas in it but will bill YOU to correct it.

[BlueOx03]

I would have the station that did it pay to have your tank drained and cleaned. This is the very reason that I am the only person that fuels up my truck. When I first bought my truck the attendants always tried to fill me up with gas, even if it was running!! Not a chance I'm willing to take anymore.

Ox

[Jorday]

I think there are a couple of states where you must have your tank filled by an attendant. Guess you just have to watch them close if you live there. Isn't that strange they would have it like that?

[cmadmaxman]

You are right in the north east (don't remember which state we were in) while on a bike trip they wanted to do our fill up. We would not let them do it. They were ok with us taking the nozzel from them, they watched while we filled up, then they took the nozzel from us when we were done. That might work the same while filling our rigs!?

[AlanL]

New Jersey requires "professional fueling technicians" pump the fuel. I don't know what they're really called, but that sounded like a good PC BS convaluted term. tongue.gif

In terms of the truck needing a fill up or not (reply #1) this is irrelevant, isn't it? If the truck were empty and the guy pumped 2 gals of gas then 22 gals of diesel, then there's a 12:1 ratio of diesel to gas because tank size is 26 gals. If the tank were 3/4 full and the guy pumped 2 gals of gas, then filled the rest with diesel, then then there's still a 12:1 ratio. Doesn't matter when the fuel went in, right?

-Al

[txguppy]

To All, what's a "gas station attendant?" There are'nt any in my area. Must be extinct. LOL :D :D

txguppy

[britannic]

Oregon's another state where you can't fill up yourself. I found that out when filling my DMax and the attendant came out and explained the rules :D .

[Jomar]

Put a locking fuel cap on and then when you have to get out and unlock it you can make sure they put in diesel. From my experience in the states that require it, I`ve never seen a service station attendant that could get in the double digits on an IQ test.


Jomar

[tophog]

Originally posted by britannic:
Oregon's another state where you can't fill up yourself. I found that out when filling my DMax and the attendant came out and explained the rules :D . Yep, Oregon is one of the very few states that by law, a "service station attendent" must pump your fuel/gas. They just recently passed a law in Jan 02 that lets "bikers" fill their own scoots which made me happy ... but I have also joined a private card-lock system (Pacific Pride) so I can pump my own fuel smile.gif
Wife thinks I'm crazy for wanting to pump my own fuel. -ha

[Hammer Down]

2 gallons of gas in 20 gallons of diesel is not a big deal in my opionion. That is how some of us up here in the north country run our rigs in the winter. Your wife basically made a mixture for cold weather. It is basically the same as running #1 diesel fuel in your truck. Good luck with what ever you decide.

[ColoMax]

It's been a long time since I was on here, but I had to put in my 2 cents about gas in diesel. I've done it a few times in my Duramax, to the tune of 1 1/2 gal. gas, to @32 gal. diesel. It is a winter trick an old truck driver taught me many years ago. I've also applied the trick to my Kenworth, with no ill effects at all. KW fill up is @ 125 - 130 gal. & I put 4-5 gal. gas in many times, but just for the winter, anti-gel thing. Old KW rolls eveyday, & the Duramax has to get me to the KW.

[Kennedy]

Best thing would be pump it out and start fresh, but it's really not as bad as some people think. MANY diesels were filled from 1/4 tank with gasoline only to coast to a stop when they quit.

Drain the system, refill with diesel, and on the road again.

One thing NOT to do is ask or let the dealer know, otherwise you could end up with warranty snafu.

If you are one that is extra cautious, it is not a bad idea to document the incident with the station involved.

As stated above, many truckers cut their fuel with up to 10% gasoline in winter weather. NOT something I would suggest or practice, but not the end of the world...

[charliepeterson]

At my shop we had one of the drivers FILL the tank with Unleaded '02 DMax. I mean the tank had very little diesel in it because we run the Red Diesel Fuel (State Vehicle). He didn't get very far.

I drained the tank and refilled with no issues yet. This happens way too offten!

[Turbo Al]

I was filling up the 93 one day and I could smell a strong odor of GAS, stopped filling looked at the pump "DIESEL" smelled the nozzle -- smelled like gas. Shut the pump down went in and told the lady something was wrong -- her reply was "Nobody else has complained" Paid her for the couple of gallons I had pumped and went to the next station that had diesel (two miles) very slowly and filled it up.