Can a gasoline car be filled with diesel?
2 Answers
Gasoline cars cannot be filled with diesel. If diesel is accidentally added to a gasoline car, do not start the engine. Immediately clean the fuel tank to resolve the issue. Additional information: 1. Consequences of mistakenly adding diesel to a gasoline car: If a gasoline car is filled with diesel and started, the fuel injector pressure will be insufficient, causing the diesel to only partially atomize. It will enter the cylinder in liquid form, leading to incomplete combustion, carbon buildup, and clogging of the fuel injectors. After diesel is added to a gasoline engine, the high-pressure mixed gas reaches the auto-ignition temperature before the spark plug ignites, causing violent combustion. This results in abnormal combustion chamber pressure, commonly known as knocking, which can damage the engine. In severe cases, it can cause engine cylinder scoring. 2. Accuracy of fuel measurement: First, do not rely on the fuel tank's rated capacity to determine fuel levels. A car's fuel tank is a container (not classified as a measuring instrument by national regulations) and cannot be used as a basis for accurate measurement. According to relevant mandatory standards, the rated capacity of a car's fuel tank should be controlled within 95% of its maximum safe capacity. Second, do not rely on the fuel gauge on the dashboard to determine fuel levels.
I once had a friend who carelessly filled his gasoline car with diesel at a gas station, resulting in the car failing to start and the engine making strange noises. In the end, it had to be towed to a repair shop, costing him a significant amount of money. So, you must never put diesel in a gasoline car because diesel is much more viscous than gasoline. Gasoline engines are designed with an ignition system that uses spark plugs to ignite the fuel, but diesel won’t ignite this way. It can also clog the fuel injectors or damage internal components. I recommend everyone to double-check the labels when refueling—diesel pumps usually have black or green handles, while gasoline pumps have different colors. If you accidentally fill up with the wrong fuel, do not start the engine. Call a towing service immediately to avoid costly mistakes like my friend’s. It’s also a good habit to stick a reminder label on the fuel cap, such as "93 or 97 octane gasoline only," to reduce the chance of errors. Safety always comes first.
