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HELP!! I Accidently Put Diesel in My Durango

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Ricky Spanish

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Discussion starter · #1 ·
I was filling up my Durango this afternoon and picked the cheapest fuel not thinking it was anything but gas, but when i put the handle back on the gas pump i noticed the pump was red and it said "red diesel" i tried to start it but it will not start all it does is go chuga chuga. Thankfully the owner of the gas station is letting me leave it their over night till I figure out what to do next. any suggestions would be appreciated. I hope this "red diesel" won't cause any problems.

,thanks Ricky
 
#3 ·
Oh man that’s not good. Either have it towed to a shop so they can drain it, or siphon it out yourself. You’re gonna need to be able to hold about 25 gallons in whatever you’re siphoning into


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#6 ·
Ugh.. unfortunate that you tried to run it..

You'll certainly have to have the fuel system drained and flushed. You may need new O2 sensors and spark plugs.

Hopefully the cats will burn themselves clean without any damage.
 
#9 ·
Not trying to twist the dagger, but your first mistake was intentionally using cheap fuel. If you have a hemi, its recommended to use 89, but 87 would suffice. Diesel doesn't list an octane number. Personally, I run ethanol free premium because it runs better for me and somehow gets me slightly better MPG.

You can drain it yourself as mentioned, but don't forget to drain the fuel lines and the rails. It may be better to call a shop and have them assess for damage.

Lesson learned, hopefully you get by with only having to drain and refill.
 
#10 ·
bigunit54 said:
The nozzle should’ve been way bigger than the gas pump nozzles. Surprised it fit in.
Click to expand...
Most gas stations in my rural area use the same size nozzle for all fuels. They usually have different colors on the nozzles though...green is diesel and red or black is gas. Very few places around me specifically offer offroad diesel, so if they do, they are usually in a completely separate area and there is no real distinguishable difference on the pump besides the big sticker that says "red (or offroad) diesel"
 
#11 ·
cerd said:
Most gas stations in my rural area use the same size nozzle for all fuels. They usually have different colors on the nozzles though...green is diesel and red or black is gas. Very few places around me specifically offer offroad diesel, so if they do, they are usually in a completely separate area and there is no real distinguishable difference on the pump besides the big sticker that says "red (or offroad) diesel"
Click to expand...
That's good to know when traveling...in my area, there are separate pumps for diesel fuel and it won't fit into the unleaded fuel fill opening. I bet its a law in GA.
 
#12 ·
its worst to put gas in a diesel engine than diesel in a gas engine. Electronic is a PITA sometimes but in your case it will help you. just have it drain, put gas and let it run on idle. it will rattle and rough start at first but it will settle and you will be fine
 
#13 ·
I actually almost did this 2 years ago on our 2012 when we were driving back from Florida. I had about 5 hours left in the trip and we were in North-Western Kentucky, I was tired and stopped for fuel. I grabbed the wrong one and the thing that saved me was the nozzle wouldn't fit. I looked at it and the guy next to me says "you got the diesel pump". I was like "Thanks, its been a long day". Anyway, I didn't know some stations had the nozzles the same size.
 
#14 ·
bigunit54 said:
I actually almost did this 2 years ago on our 2012 when we were driving back from Florida. I had about 5 hours left in the trip and we were in North-Western Kentucky, I was tired and stopped for fuel. I grabbed the wrong one and the thing that saved me was the nozzle wouldn't fit. I looked at it and the guy next to me says "you got the diesel pump". I was like "Thanks, its been a long day". Anyway, I didn't know some stations had the nozzles the same size.
Click to expand...
On long trips where I feel myself getting fatigued, I will sometimes actually slap myself to wake up a little more. Granted, if I get to that point, its probably better to switch drivers or pull over and rest for a bit. Stopping at a Walmart or a truck stop to peruse the trinkets sometimes helps wake me up. Some truck stops have some really neat stuff in them.
 
#16 ·
cerd said:
Most gas stations in my rural area use the same size nozzle for all fuels. They usually have different colors on the nozzles though...green is diesel and red or black is gas. Very few places around me specifically offer offroad diesel, so if they do, they are usually in a completely separate area and there is no real distinguishable difference on the pump besides the big sticker that says "red (or offroad) diesel"
Click to expand...
I have seem this on trips, where there is only one pump and 3 different buttons to push. I have also seen the pumps where there is a pump for each fuel E85, 100%, ethanol, and diesel.
 
#17 ·
As others have said, get it drained and fill with gas. DO NOT TRY STARTING IT AGAIN until you have the diesel out!
Diesel won't vaporize in the cylinder like gasoline and will remain liquid. This could cause a hydro lock condition if you're unlucky. If not....
....your biggest problem will be getting it started because you made the crucial error of trying to run it on diesel.
You may want to pay the shop that drains your tank to also open the fuel line near the injectors and run the pump to purge as much diesel as possible close to the injectors. If there is no readily convenient access point in the engine compartment fuel system, have them remove the fuel pressure sensor or fuel pressure regulator and purge it there.
Hopefully after that it will start and eventually smooth out.
This isn't going to be cheap but, if you're very lucky, you'll have your rig back with a very "lubricated" fuel system.
Good luck.
 
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