Attention: TDR Forum Junkies 
Matt42
TDR MEMBER
About three weeks ago, I stopped in a small California border town in the Eastern Sierra to top off the tank before climbing over a pass. I had just entered the state from Nevada, and it was the late afternoon of a very long day, with an annoying cold wind. I was driving the office's 04. 5 W3500, and had close to 3/4 tank remaining. The one-pump gas station in this small town dates to the 1920s, and also serves as the post office, general store and coffee shop. Someone had parked under the canopy, so I had to squeeze into the outer space, and avoid hitting the black and white Crown Victoria parked along the road. Squeezing in, I opened the door so that it blocked the wind, but the edge of the door landed between the unleaded and diesel nozzles. I used the pay-at-the-pump slot, and idly noted through my fatigue-driven mental fog that it seemed that California now was requiring those elephant trunk vapor nozzles for diesel. (You can feel this coming, can't you? Well, it was California . . . )
Soon thereafter, I noticed that something didn't smell quite right. Right about then, my brain caught up with events and I shut off the unleaded nozzle that had just flowed eight gallons into the tank.
After calling myself just about every nasty thing I could think of, I walked into the general store and bought a bottle of diesel fuel lubricity improver (I don't recall the brand) and a quart of motor oil. I dumped both into the tank, and topped it off with three more gallons of diesel. At this point, it was very full.
My coworker came out of the biffy right about then, and I explained what I had done. He's a long-time VW diesel driver, and he told me not to worry--much. It was in the upper 20s, and I hadn't put in that much gasoline. So I started it up, and we headed up the grade.
Apart from it running slightly rough, and running a bit higher EGTs, it was fine. Over the next few days, I ran through several more tanks of diesel, and all was well. Should I expect long term damage to anything except my ego? #@$%!
Soon thereafter, I noticed that something didn't smell quite right. Right about then, my brain caught up with events and I shut off the unleaded nozzle that had just flowed eight gallons into the tank.
After calling myself just about every nasty thing I could think of, I walked into the general store and bought a bottle of diesel fuel lubricity improver (I don't recall the brand) and a quart of motor oil. I dumped both into the tank, and topped it off with three more gallons of diesel. At this point, it was very full.
My coworker came out of the biffy right about then, and I explained what I had done. He's a long-time VW diesel driver, and he told me not to worry--much. It was in the upper 20s, and I hadn't put in that much gasoline. So I started it up, and we headed up the grade.
Apart from it running slightly rough, and running a bit higher EGTs, it was fine. Over the next few days, I ran through several more tanks of diesel, and all was well. Should I expect long term damage to anything except my ego? #@$%!
