You might have seen 'Fuel Drain Specialists' in the Yellow Pages or other directory and wondered exactly what it is that they are responsible for and when they are needed. However, the chances are that unless you have encountered a very specific problem with your vehicle, you will never have had to use their services.
Here's a guide to the work that these specialists do and when you might need their assistance.
Misfuelling
There can be nothing worse than that feeling of dread and horror when you realise that you’ve filled up your petrol car with diesel, or vice versa. Hopefully you’ll never have to experience this phenomenon and you’ll never make the mistake of using the wrong fuel, but no one’s perfect and accidents happen. Probably more often than you think!
Misfuels are regrettably all too common If you are in the habit of switching between petrol and diesel vehicles either in your professional or personal life, this can be an easy mistake to make. Equally if you’re a little tired, not paying full attention or are in something of a hurry, it can be worryingly easy to pick up the wrong coloured pump.
Still sound like a silly mistake that you’d never make? Studies have shown that over 150,000 drivers put the wrong fuel in their car every year; one every three and a half minutes, so it’s good to know what to do should it ever happen.
Why is it Such a Problem?
Should you fill up your car with the wrong fuel, (diesel into a petrol car, or petrol into a diesel car) you run the risk of doing significant damage to your engine. The wrong fuel can actively erode the engine and cause metal particles to be dislodged, which then circulate alongside the inappropriate fuel doing further damage.
The more the wrong type of fuel circulates around the engine, the more damage you are likely to do to it. In some cases, it can end up being a lot cheaper to simply buy a whole new engine than to attempt to repair the damage done.
What to Do About It?
First things first, should you fill up with the wrong fuel: don’t panic. Yes you have made a horrible mistake. Yes you will have to pay to rectify your mistake... but if you panic you may make things worse and end up having to pay more. So remain calm and stay level headed.
Secondly, stop the engine. It’s likely that you’ve just filled up at a petrol station and haven’t yet started your engine. Whatever you do, don’t start your engine! As soon as you turn on the engine, the fuel will start circulating around it. If you have only just filled it up, the fuel will be pretty dormant and hopefully will not really have done any significant damage.
If you have already started driving or turned on the engine before realising your mistake then turn it off straight away; the longer it is left on, the more the incorrect fuel will circulate and cause damage. Stop the engine as soon as possible to prevent any further potential problems.
Fuel Drain Specialists
This a specially trained call-out technician who can drain your car of the wrong fuel at your location. Should you be away from a petrol station forecourt, they will then provide you with enough of the appropriate fuel to get you to the next available pump.
Such specialists are the best people to call out to deal with the issue as they are the most qualified to deal with this specific job. They possess comprehensive knowledge of fuels, fuelling and different types of engines. All of this means that they are the best people to deal with all kinds of engines, including more recent developments such as high-pressure diesel injection systems in cars.
A fuel drain specialist is the most likely to ensure that no unnecessary damage is done to the engine and the incorrect fuel is drained in the most efficient manner.
Conclusion
These technicians are responsible for the removal of incorrect fuels from vehicles. Hopefully you will never need to call one but it could be helpful to know that they are the go-to people should you ever make the horrible mistake of misfuelling.
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