I did something incredibly stupid and pumped about 2.5 gallons of diesel into a 2001 Prius. I realized what I had done and I have not started the car. My question is, how hard will it be for the mechanic to drain the fuel tank? Keeping in mind that I have not started the car, will anything else need to be done to rectify the problem? I had it towed to a mechanic but I wont even be able to talk to them until Monday. Is the bladder in the fuel tank going to be a problem? Is this going to cost me an arm and a leg?
I don't think it is that easy to syphon fuel from a Prius. Shouldn't cost a lot as you only put a little in. I wouldn't be that surprised if it ran on a full tank of petrol with a couple of litres of diesel so if the mechanic bypasses the fuel pump relay and directs the fuel line into a drum he should be able to empty the tank then it's just a matter of refilling and flush the line out then drive. The fuel pump should move the fuel at 2 litres per minute so if you have say 4 gallons in the tank it will empty in about 8 minutes. I doubt diesel will harm the bladder, that is if the early models had a bladder.
It is good that you did not attempt to start the car. That would have the potential to cause engine damage, depending upon the relative mix of diesel to gasoline in the tank. As Pat indicated, the easiest way to drain the tank will be to disconnect the fuel line at the engine, allow the line to pump into a drain container while placing a jumper across the switched terminals of the circuit opening relay (aka fuel pump relay), then reconnect the line and refill the gas tank. Hopefully you will only be charged for 1/2 hour or 1 hour of labor time.
I've been thinking about the diesel fuel contamination problem when it occurred to me that it must precipitate out of the gasoline spray. The diesel then accumulates in the manifold and/or in the cylinders until enough forms a liquid lock and breaks the pistons/connecting rods/crank/bearings. Sad to say but someone posted a note about mixing 'filtered, used motor oil' from a change with gasoline. I've shared my concerns but it wasn't until I realized that though the gasoline might 'carry' the oil, the oil hydrocarbons won't evaporate along with the gasoline. It is most likely to precipitate out and join the traditional Prius pool in the intake manifold. Bob Wilson
Before you have your car towed the the Toyota shop, call and confirm that they will do the work as suggested above. I see no reason why it would not be successful. Afterwards, maybe toss in a gallon or two of 87 octane and pump that out also? Just to increase your chance of a good 'clearing'. Actually I have liitle to add to this thread, but I thought 'the traditional Prius pool in the intake manifold' was charming. Please make a follow-up post. I'm sure, decades ago, that I bought gasoline that was 10% diesel (or so) somewhere in Arizona. A tank or two later the engine inhaled a valve guide, poor thing. No known causality there, but it later caused me to learn engine rebuilding!
So how did you get diesel into it? The diesel nozzles are supposed to be larger than the unleaded nozzles and shouldn't fit.
disconnect the fuel line up front, use scan tool to run the fuel pump. run till tank is dry. add 3 gal gas, pump till dry again. labor charge about 3 hours.
Just curious - What do you do with the 3 to 12 gallons of gasoline / diesel mixture at this point? Or, what does the dealer do with it? (I'd be tempted to add about a gallon of that mixture to every tank of gas just to safely burn it to get rid of it.)
lol... yes it's £1/litre. It's not that long ago actually. it's $2/litre. $1.30 is about $5/gal there so yeah $7.39/gal sounds right.
usually the mixture is disposed of with waste oil. you definitely would not want to burn that in a prius- maybe in a lawn mower though.
Hummmmm .... You could leave it in a can in an area full of gas thieves ... Certainly that would be a better solution than confronting them with a gun. <GRINS> Just rig up a special 'pony tank' so when the gas thieves come around, they get a nice load of diesel to add to their vehicle. After a while, there won't be any more problem with the gas thieves ... they will have another problem. <GRINS> Bob Wilson
