I too have seen this done on more than one occasion.How these people do it is beyond me but I had a minivan the other day with almost 20 gallons of diesel towed in.I would think it takes some determination to get diesel in the tank,but people do it.Back in the day,I worked at an Olds dealer and there were still a bunch of Olds diesels running around and it used to be common for these nimrods to put gas in them.They would run but the noise they made sounded like the engine was coming apart right now.Those engines were a lot tougher than you would think.Unrelated but they would drive in with broken crankshafts from time to time.That was some noise.
If he had somehow managed to fit the diesel nozzle in his car and pump in almost a full tank and been foolish enough to actually drive, well, he would have found it worth mentioning the smoke that would have come out on his way home.
Diesel is more dense than unleaded. It would have sunk right down to be sucked into the engine first thing, and if he could have driven the two miles, it would have been with noxious billowing smoke.
Honda Civic gas filter is built into the bottom of the gas tank. I don't know if it can be replaced.
You won't need to replace the filter. The diesel is a heavy, oily fuel. Even if some of the oil started to accumulate in the gasoline filter, the gasoline would dilute it and wash it out.
The nozzles on islands where either a car or small truck can fill, the diesel one might be a little different size, although it isn't big enough to stop you from getting it somewhat into the filler on the vehicle.
But, go to a Flying J or some other such place where they have a totally separate filling islands for big rigs and that nozzle is waaaay larger with a huge flow rate comparatively.
Even then it might fit into the most exterior part of the filler but it won't be pretty once you pull the trigger.
"StoopidFool" because that's what he is tried to troll and failed the least he could have done is some research and switched the story and put gas in a diesel car. Next time put some effort into it kiddo.
Do your own research. With Google and about 60 seconds of time I found several pieces of evidence that the nozzles CAN be the same size and people HAVE accidentally used diesel. I don't see why people would want to make up questions like this anyway. If anyone's a "troll" (a word that makes you look as stupid as saying "pwned" or "epic fail"), it's the people who immediately accuse the original poster of being one instead of trying to help.
doesnt diesel fuel smell different? I would think you'd smell the difference as it's being pumped. and diesel pumps are usually different colors and separate from the regular pumps, at least the ones i've seen
You may not notice the smell right away but you would sure notice the oily mess on and around your average diesel pump
The correct answer is diesel pumps are supose to have a larger end on them so they can not go into a gas auto. The truth is though, that MANY pumps are not set up correctly.
I have traveled much of the USA and I have a diesel truck, and gas autos, I have seen more stations than not that are not correctly set up.
There is no way you put Diesel fuel into a Honda Civic? Most have already said it, the diesel nozzle is too big to insert it into the vehicle. This is really backwards as putting gasoline into a diesel engine will blow the engine up.
I call bull on this but will answer it anyway. Either that or the person is looking to do something bad like mess with someones vehicle, steal gas, or something they just do not want to admit.
You can let the fuel out usually by just disconnecting the line at the tank? Drain the think into gas cans or whatever then just burn it, or whatever, to get rid of it.
Or, just run the car. It will smoke a lot but it will run with a mix of gasoline in there. It may even HELP the engine as the fuel is heavier and will "oil" it up a bit.
Put some Asian-style stickers on the back, paint the rims black and put a really big exhaust on it. I'm sure some teenager in SoCal will buy it on site.
OK, in all fairness I've never driven a diesel car, only tractor-trailers and now an International 8600, so I don't spend much time at a fuel island that can't accommodate my big truck. . In my post I said "I've never seen", not "there aren't any" in regards to a smaller diesel pump designed for a car.
I assumed, erroneously, that the larger diesel pumps I am accustomed to were the standard and it would be impossible to accidentally fill a gasoline car with diesel.
In my defense, however, most of the stations around this part of the country that I have been to and / or seen have the diesel pumps separated from the gasoline pumps. Now, there are a few stations that have diesel and gasoline at the same pump, but there are two lines and you have to push a separate button for the diesel fuel...you'd have to be colorblind and possibly on crack to not notice you're pumping diesel.
Like most have already reported, you cannot fit a diesel nozzle into a gas car, but, and this is a big but, there are many station owners who are cheap, and I have seen more than a few small nozzles on diesel pump, so it is possible if a hired brain dead station attendent is repairing equipment instead of qualified company like many use these days.
One thing I learned long ago, never say never. lol Nozzles are interchangable, so it is possible, but talk about not paying attention, heck, I alway do a double take just because of price increases. With diesel higher than unleaded in my area over the past five years, so I always pay attention when pumping gas or diesel as I own both car and truck.
Brings back memories as a kid though, I had put diesel from a gas can into my car when I ran out, and not realizing it until I got a mile down the road, I thought I blew the engine, it was smoking like I was spraying for mosquitos. lol It was pinking to beat the band, had little to know power, but it did run, and thankfully, it didn't harm anything, but I had to drain tank. Lesson learned, always double check.
I asked the resident diesel expert at my dealer about this, here's what I got:
1. It is possible if the nozzle isn't sized correctly, but it would take a series of brain farts to put diesel in: grab the wrong nozzle, and hit the wrong button, and not notice the odor. He says he's had a couple of cases like this over the years.
2. If the car can still start and run, there probably isn't much damage that will be done to the engine and fuel system. The O2 sensors and exhaust catalyst, however, may not like all the extra soot that the diesel can create.
3. The OP may just add gasoline to dilute the diesel, which may or may not solve the problem, at his own risk.
Iand I have seen more than a few small nozzles on diesel pump, so it is possible if a hired brain dead station attendent is repairing equipment instead of qualified company like many use these days.
Yeah, I don't know if they're supposed to be like that, but it does seem to be that they're doing it on purpose at Sheetz. It's even got the green cover over the handle. I was filling a box truck so I can't say for sure if the nozzles were any bigger than the gasoline ones but if they were it wasn't by much and it was much smaller than the typical diesel nozzles.
Hey guys this is not bull, I did this to my honda accord, you guys are right, the nozzle doesn't fit but I happened to be having a conversation with a fellow co-worker who was also gassing up and even though the nozzle didn't fit I thought it was a defect of the pump so I just pulled the nozzle cover back and filled up my tank. I'm not that into cars and had no idea that there was a reason why it won't fit. The design of the pumps didn't help either. Three nozzles, which normally would be regular, medium and super, well in this case it was medium, super and diesel so I grabbed th third one.
The car didn't make it 50 feet before it shut off, I ended up having to pay pep boys almost $300 bucks just to drain the fuel out and supposedly change out the filter, the cost being supposedly from the need to remove my fuel tank in order to get to the fuel filter.
The car worked fine with no after affects, man Honda rules.
So what about like ethanol fuel in an unleaded tank?
The problem with E85 in a non-E85 prepared vehicle is the fuel system not being able to handle the alcohol. It should fire & work but there are other properties to be thinking about.
It can dry out rubber parts, and cause some interesting damage to certain metals. Gasoline being a oil product provides some protection to those materials that even E85 - which has some gasoline in it, does not.
When Chevy prepped a Z06 to run Ethanol to pace the Indy 500 they replaced the fuel system from the injectors on back to the tank. Neoprene was the material of choice.
There is no way you put Diesel fuel into a Honda Civic? Most have already said it, the diesel nozzle is too big to insert it into the vehicle. This is really backwards as putting gasoline into a diesel engine will blow the engine up.
I call bull on this but will answer it anyway. Either that or the person is looking to do something bad like mess with someones vehicle, steal gas, or something they just do not want to admit.
You can let the fuel out usually by just disconnecting the line at the tank? Drain the think into gas cans or whatever then just burn it, or whatever, to get rid of it.
Or, just run the car. It will smoke a lot but it will run with a mix of gasoline in there. It may even HELP the engine as the fuel is heavier and will "oil" it up a bit.
But still, I say BS.
Did you read any of the posts in this thread?
Many users have listed examples were the nozzle is the same size. In my personal experience I have also seen regular sized nozzles on diesel pumps especially where the pump is not separate from the gas pumps.
If anyone does read this insanely stupid post do not follow his advice.
Draining a fuel tank with a possible gas/diesel mix is insanely dangerous proposition. Diesel is way more explosive then gasoline.
Thankfully it is hard to get burning except in this case as the mixed in gasoline will light and well if you are in an enclosed space say goodbye.
Secondly if you do manage to get it out safely burning it is stupid. It creates a horrendous cloud of smoke and the chance of creating a very large and hard to put out fire is pretty easy.
Finally running diesel fuel through a gasoline engine will NEVER help it nor will it "oil" it up.
Yes, I read it. I think the thread has been pretty well covered.
My problem with it is that the original poster never came back to say anything. So with some sarcasm, there is my post!
I have never seen where the nozzle is the smaller size for diesel. I have driven A LOT across the country and never seen this.
I really do not know what to do with the diesel. I still say burn it, but not like an idiot in some residential suburb by dumping it in your backyard. I probably should have taken into consideration the audience here.
If the diesel is mixed with the gasoline the car will burn it, it will just smoke a lot.
