The Dangers of Misfuelling

Misfuelling is something you may have often seen mentioned when it comes to insuring your car or renting a hire car but what is it and what are the dangers of it?

At Direct Car Hire Excess, we protect you from the costs associated with misfuelling thanks to our car hire insurance excess cover both across Europe and Worldwide.

So, let us take a look at the potential problems you could encounter with your hire car should you put the wrong fuel in your car.

What is misfuelling?

Putting it simply, misfuelling is when you put the wrong fuel into your car. For example, putting petrol into a diesel vehicle. It sounds like the type of thing that shouldn’t or wouldn’t happen often, reports from the AA indicate that they receive almost 80 call outs a day relating to fueling related issues!

What danger does it pose to your car?

In this example, we will look at what happens when you put petrol into a diesel car as this tends to be the most common cause. The potential costs to repair damage to this can run into thousands of pounds and sometimes actually lead to engine failure.

Our worldwide car excess insurance costs as little as £2.63 per day and will cover you from these potentially damaging costs.

Several key components of the car are at risk if a car is misfuelled, below is what to expect if you accidentally fuel up the wrong way.

The fuel pump

Petrol going through a diesel pump is like having an engine without oil. The friction builds up due to the metal-on-metal contact created by the petrol acting more like a solvent than a lubricant. With this increased friction, you run the risk of small fragments breaking off and getting into the fuel system.

Cost to replace-£450+

The filter

If petrol has made its way to the filter, it will need replacing. The filter is installed to prevent engine contamination. With petrol now in it, the contamination has already happened.

Cost to replace-£75+

The fuel lines

As petrol travels along from the fuel tank to the engine it passes through the fuel lines. These will certainly need flushing through to remove any contamination but dependent on the level of damage, they may even need replacing.

Cost to replace-£70+

Fuel injectors

Those small metal fragments we mentioned earlier could well find themselves swimming towards the fuel injectors, the issue here being that fuel injectors have tiny holes within them. If these fragments block those holes, the whole fuel system can be damaged severely.

Cost to replace- £700+ (if all injectors and parts replaced)

Now all these costs are based on UK averages and do not take into account, garage fees, we would advise you contact some local experts for a quote first should you need any of these jobs carried out.

Contact us today and ensure you only pay the hire fee for your car and not these expensive repairs by getting fully covered with our excess insurance for car hire in Europe and worldwide.

What should you do if you have misfuelled?

If you have filled your car and are still at the pump. Do not start the car. The biggest damage comes the moment you start the ignition. You may well be in the best place, so notify the staff and then push your car safety. Call your car hire company, they should be able to help you locate a mechanic who may be able to flush the fuel system-you can find a comprehensive list of hire companies within our directory. Then contact us should you need to make a claim.

What if you have already driven off?

If you have misfuelled but only realise after you are on your way. Stop the car immediately and pull over in a safe space. Follow the procedure as above. Our policy includes towing cover as well as misfuelling so do not panic. We can help you avoid the huge costs and still enjoy your holiday.

Indicators of misfuelling

If you have put petrol in your diesel car you could notice several things, keep an eye out for:

• A loud knocking sound as you accelerate
• Excessive smoke from the exhaust
• Slow acceleration
• Engine warning light on
• Car will not restart

We hope this guide has helped you know what to look out for but also how to be protected from the costly fees associated with misfuelling. Contact us today for a FREE quote to see how we can protect you whilst on your holidays.