The State’s peak motoring body has encouraged drivers to take care when they fuelled up, after it was revealed RACQ had helped more than 400 south east Queensland motorists who had put the wrong fuel in their tanks in the last six months.
RACQ spokesperson Lucinda Ross said misfuelling could seriously damage your car but the common mistake could be easily avoided.
“Misfuelling often happens when drivers look for a certain coloured nozzle at the pump, because that’s what they’re used to at their local. Often, they don’t double check the label first but that could be a costly mistake,” Ms Ross said.
“A common misconception is that diesel nozzles don’t fit in petrol cars, but anyone who’s made the error will tell you that’s not always the case, so don’t rely on that.
“While accidently putting diesel in a petrol car is serious, putting petrol in a diesel vehicle is even worse, so it’s really important you pay attention at the bowser.”
Ms Ross said the first steps for drivers who had incorrectly fuelled their tanks were the same for all vehicles, no matter if they ran on diesel or petrol.
“First and foremost, do not start the car. If you already have, stop immediately and call us on 13 1905 right away so we can send one of our Fuel Assist crews to help you,” she said.
“Only a small amount of the wrong fuel can cause significant damage to your engine. Even just turning the key will circulate the fuel and lead to a costly repair.”
Extracted from RACQ