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Petrol Peugeot won't start after filling it with diesel


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c0mrade
Novice

Jul 13, 2021, 1:02 PM

Post #1 of 12 (1566 views)
Petrol Peugeot won't start after filling it with diesel Sign In

Hi, my sister filled up her Peugeot Break 2004 2,2 litre petrol (125k miles) with diesel to about 1/4 tank when it was almost empty, the car ran fine for a bit before it started thumping and shortly after gave up. The car does not have a fuel filter.

After towing it home we tried:

1. Drained the diesel out of it and put in a full tank of petrol
2. Took off the fuel line right before it goes to the injectors and petrol gushed out of it when cranking
3. Took the fuel injectors out to inspect them and after cleaning them they spray well, even when we connected it to the fuel line and cranking it.
4. Tried starting it with starting fluid and then it started and seemed to run fine while we kept spraying starting fluid in the air intake which we did for a minutre or two with the engine running, but as soon as we stopped it dies shortly after.

I'm stumped as it seems to me like a fuel delivery issue but like I said the injectors spray nicely when they are taken out of the engine and cranking it.

Could it be a problem with dirty spark plugs even though it runs fine on starting fluid? I tried removing them to have a look at them but I don't have a socket long enough to reach them.

When cranking it without the starting fluid it first seems to almost start and the headlights turn on for a second but then after it's just the starter spinning. Any help is appreciated.


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

Jul 13, 2021, 3:30 PM

Post #2 of 12 (1540 views)
Re: Petrol Peugeot won't start after filling it with diesel Sign In

We don't have that car here in the US but if it dies while running on diesel, then you can be sure the plugs got fouled. Those injectors might still be pushing out diesel.



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We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Tom Greenleaf profile image

Jul 13, 2021, 10:25 PM

Post #3 of 12 (1516 views)
Re: Petrol Peugeot won't start after filling it with diesel Sign In

You still have diesel in this almost nothing (fuel tanks for vehicles) can be drained you would take it out and still have a fight and mess made.
Diesel is an oil, petrol is lots and lots more volatile, thinner to pass thru would foul up plugs and behave just as you described yet run a while on starting fluid.
Look for evidence on plugs have to be soaked the two fuels are not compatible so whatever it takes to flush it all out clean and back to just petrol may be in order?
A solvent in fuel may help but I think you are going to need to dump all that fuel (mixed up still) so it's only petrol in it,


T



tractorboy
User
tractorboy profile image

Jul 18, 2021, 8:04 AM

Post #4 of 12 (1473 views)
Re: Petrol Peugeot won't start after filling it with diesel Sign In

read all the way through first::take off the air intake duct to the throttle body and either squirt in some SENSOR SAFE (will say it on the can) carb or throttle body cleaner. or a syringe with gass.....be careful that stuff is flammable Smile then crank the car over hopefully the car will start, this may purge the system. then too you may have fouled the spark plugs with diesel as HT stated. Might want to take out the plugs and fuse/relay for the FI bump the ignition to clear the combustion chamber. look at the plugs are they wet? dry them or use new and try the above. If you removed the fuel injection fuse don't forget to re-install.


(This post was edited by tractorboy on Jul 18, 2021, 8:16 AM)


c0mrade
Novice

Jul 31, 2021, 5:43 AM

Post #5 of 12 (1418 views)
Re: Petrol Peugeot won't start after filling it with diesel Sign In

I removed the spark plugs which were all black with residue, cleaned them up and they looked good, let the engine sit for a day and ventilate, then changed the air filter which was quite clogged up, and then she finally fired up without any starting fluids! I put in some STP fuel additive that’s supposed to clean the fuel system (no idea if it does anything, but figured it wouldn’t hurt), took it for a good highway drive to clean her up and now she runs like a clock! Thanks for the responses!


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

Jul 31, 2021, 6:11 AM

Post #6 of 12 (1414 views)
Re: Petrol Peugeot won't start after filling it with diesel Sign In


Quote
I removed the spark plugs which were all black with residue, cleaned them up and they looked good,


How did you go about doing that?



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



c0mrade
Novice

Aug 1, 2021, 5:09 AM

Post #7 of 12 (1389 views)
Re: Petrol Peugeot won't start after filling it with diesel Sign In

Gently with a wire brush and brake cleaner, as well as regapping them afterwards


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

Aug 1, 2021, 5:24 AM

Post #8 of 12 (1383 views)
Re: Petrol Peugeot won't start after filling it with diesel Sign In

   

Quote
Gently with a wire brush and brake cleaner,



That's what I was expecting you to say.

NEVER use a wire brush on spark plugs.

The wire leaves a metal coating on the porcelain that conducts electricity. This can cause the spark to short circuit back to the housing of the plug, never jumping across the electrode and causing a misfire.

What I do is burn off deposits using a small propane torch. Just don't melt anything.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



(This post was edited by Hammer Time on Aug 1, 2021, 5:25 AM)


Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Tom Greenleaf profile image

Aug 1, 2021, 6:27 AM

Post #9 of 12 (1376 views)
Re: Petrol Peugeot won't start after filling it with diesel Sign In

It's working for now but don't wire brush ever again as Hammer said. That oil, or wet from gas too comes out with heat best by itself if running is why they last so long. These probably can't now new should be easy enough, exact type.
That goes for other than cars too - no brushing them it's not for looks that wet even conducts high voltage after they air dry sometimes hopelessly,
T



c0mrade
Novice

Aug 2, 2021, 1:33 PM

Post #10 of 12 (1347 views)
Re: Petrol Peugeot won't start after filling it with diesel Sign In

Huh, didn't know that. Are they safe to continue using now since they seem to work fine or could they suddenly start shorting out?


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

Aug 2, 2021, 1:35 PM

Post #11 of 12 (1340 views)
Re: Petrol Peugeot won't start after filling it with diesel Sign In

If it's running good with no misfires, leave it alone. If you start to experience any misfires, you may have to change the plugs but it sounds like you'll be fine.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Tom Greenleaf profile image

Aug 3, 2021, 3:38 AM

Post #12 of 12 (1309 views)
Re: Petrol Peugeot won't start after filling it with diesel Sign In

You did well to get this car going now the point is/was treatment for fouled plugs.
Air alone is something but not enough sometimes. That is the dirt, wet from a fuel carries the spark to ground without firing the fuel. Porcelain is used to insulate the "ground" electrode, sides of plug AND it takes very high heat even glowing hot.
Quality is imperative, those surfaces are smooth and shed off debris that would ground out spark and do all the time if running last ages if clean fuel and allowed for that engine to fully warm up to clear itself.


Idea is don't give dirts or oils a place to stick some/most wire brushes will scratch it up and IDK if it harmed them but worked for now.
It's just now lots more likely to pick up stuff on it to fail than OE grade new or just heat to run they'll finish cleaning up.


This was unique with a problem that isn't very common where I am the filler wouldn't accept diesel in a motor vehicle meant for gas being too large.
It happened and you fixed it a lesson learned to NOT allow that again just wait if ONE misfires now you know and would see that one fouled out. It's only a maybe for now,


T







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