Engine/Transmission (1998.5 - 2002) HELP! Gas was put in my diesel tank!

[Dixie Dawg]

got about a half mile down the road and it started sputtering out then POW a blue plume of smoke and it cut off. Is my beloved CUMMINS dead?

 

[illflem]

Your engine is ok

You'll have to dump the tank and change the filter. Easiest way is to remove the fill tube from the tank so you can get past the rollover ball and siphon it. Bumping the lift pump after the tank is empty will purge the lines, do it again after you fill up preferably before starting the engine. What you do with the mixed fuel is the hard part. Don't worry about getting every last drop out, a low percent won't hurt but you should use additive on your first couple tanks.

It's actually better for your engine when the gas to diesel ratio is high, it won't run. If you had added a smaller amount of gas so that the engine continued running it could have caused damage. More info here http://www.chevron.com/prodserv/fuels/bulletin/diesel/L2_qa_fs.htm

 

[Shovelhead]

If it was put in your tank by a station employee, you need to contact the station owner before you try to do any repairs.



JMHO

Ed

 

[JWhitcomb]

Dawg, can you provide more details about this as it gets taken care of. Both new owners like myself and old timers can benefit from any info on how it happened and what you do to take care of the problem. I have learned a load of stuff here but it may be that to sniff the nozzle before fueling will save me the most hassle.

 

[Dixie Dawg]

Well here's what my last 3 weeks have been like to my truck. Filled up with 31 gallons of water on Aug 8th. . (at a station off interstate 75... fairly large volume) . truck in shop for 2 days to get drained/fixed. Was reimbursed in full by station owner. Then today I am in a helluva hurry... running real low on fuel... and sitting at a red light. I look over and notice station next to me has diesel, and I can even see the green handle at the island. Do a U and pull up to said green pump... put in credit card... start fueling. Get half mile down road and BAM... . see original post. Major dumba$$ move by me... . I must admit for the last week I've had nothing but UGA's opener vs Clemson on my mind

 

[rweis]

This may sound a little mechanical but,



I put a fuel lubricant / water disperser additive in each tank of fuel. I put the additive in first because it takes time to get it from behind the drivers seat, open it up, pour it in. Gives me a few seconds to just stop, relax, and focus on what I'm doing.



Helps lube the fuel system with fuel distributors going toward low sulfur fuel too. Do you know when you just filled up the tank with low sulfur diesel?



Bob Weis

 

[JWhitcomb]

Dawg, so you used a green handle that was marked diesel and go gas????

 

[SEmerson]

I have had this happen before. I disconected the line at the filter and put a long hose on it. Then bummed the pump till the tank was empty. Put diesel in , drained fuel fiter(used the same one). Added a quart of 2 stoke oil. Primed up the system and spun till it started. Wasn't a big deal at all. And wife now looks at the green handles better.

 

[duaneparks]

It's been mentioned before, and it's a good practice...



Use the squirt and sniff method. Start the pump, squirt a little fuel into the tank, sniff to make sure it's diesel, then finish filling the tank.



Cheap insurance. Sorry about your ordeal man.



Duane

 

[RJOL]

Originally posted by JWhitcomb

Dawg, so you used a green handle that was marked diesel and go gas????

Don't know that answer, but believe it or not... there are some stations that have green handle pumps that are not diesel!!!

 

[rashwor]

Saw green handle gas pump this week...

I traveled to Austin on business this week. While in route, I noticed a green handle hose... caught my eye so I drove by the pump and the pump was marked unleaded! Didn't fuel at that station, as they have no clue and I can't take chances. :{

 

[Wheaties]

There are a lot of stations that use green handles for other than diesel. The green handle doesn't mean squat any more--you can not go by a green handle. Green handles are often used for unleaded regular. You can not expect diesel to come out of a nozzle just because it has a green handle. Lots of things come out of green handled hoses that are not diesel.



There are diesel pumps out there with black handles and still other diesel pumps with yellow handles. And some of them are beside unleaded pumps with green handles!



Don't go by a green handle



Matt

 

[Truckie]

Fuel handle color

The color of the handle on the fuel pump don't mean squat. I have seen green ones, black ones, blue ones, and yellow ones, the best way to tell if it is diesel is sniff it and also read the pump where the hose is connected. Also look for sings of oil residue on the handle rest and the latch to turn it on. But like a lot of people here and I said sniff and read then you will know what you are getting.

As far as the colors go it used to be black was for gas, blue was for kerosene, and yellow was for diesel. But you cant go by that no more.

 

[WOT]

Maybe it's because I'm impatient, but just go through where the big rigs are. If the pump has a BIG spout you got the right stuff in half the time.

 

[schu777]

Re: Fuel handle color

Originally posted by Truckie

the colors go it used to be black was for gas, blue was for kerosene, and yellow was for diesel.

Hmmm - I've noticed that the Kero tanks are Blue, Diesel is Yellow while Gas is Red... maybe they quit doing that for the pumps since some people are color blind?

 

[krs]

"maybe they quit doing that for the pumps since some people are color blind?"



I think it has to do with what a station sells most. They might have been set up to carry diesel but it sold slow for whatever reason. Then one day they got a great deal on an additional 5000 gals. (or any amount) of unleaded and had only one place to put it... .



Some smaller stations are at the mercy of the suppliers and have to take what they can get