Gents,

I have just found this forum and registered because I have a big problem. My brother was driving my 1992 300D Estate and inadvertently put petrol/gasoline in my car. He drove as far as he could and only realised when the car cut out. He checked the fuel receipt and guess what….

Now that I have got the car back home, how do I go about draining out the diesel and getting the car started again?

Any help would be hugely appreciated.

Did he fill it up?

Sounds like you really should drain the tank, fuel lines to, and bleed the IP lines to get good fluel going to them.

Thats going to be a fun messy project.

He probably didn't hurt anything.

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1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

just drain the tank old boy and fill it with diesel then all should be right as rain...

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1984 300D Turbo - 231k....totalled 11/30/07 RIP

Since it stalled out he'll probably have to purge it out though, at the very least by draining the tank, putting in diesel, then priming the lines....that model doesn't have a manual primer pump....hmmm....cracking the injector lines and cranking a ton till it got good fuel might work, you'd probaby drain/have to recharge the battery a few times though. There's probably a better way, a little facet pump hooked up to the line from the tank would work to pull diesel up to that point, then reconnecting it and cranking a while would probably do it once it got some diesel...

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-diesel is not just a fuel, its a way of life-
'15 GLK250 Bluetec 118k - mine - (OC-123,800)
'17 Metris(VITO!) - 37k - wifes (OC-41k)
'09 Sprinter 3500 Winnebago View - 62k (OC - 67k)
'13 ML350 Bluetec - 95k - dad's (OC-98k)
'01 SL500 - 103k(km) - dad's (OC-110,000km)
'16 E400 4matic Sedan - 148k - Brothers (OC-155k)

Isn't the tank in the front wall of the trunk of that model. If so, gravity should do a lot of the work for you. Just temporarily disconnect the fuel line at the in-line filter in the engine compartment until you see a flow of fuel. Drain and fill the spin-on filter with fresh fuel and it shouldn't be too bad.

(Did you give him a lecture on that red "diesel" label at the fuel door? )

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Sam

84 300SD 350K+ miles ( Blue Belle )

If the engine dies after gas (petrol) was put in, it indicates that the fuel inhibits combustion. I bet he didn't get far after putting in the gas. It's unlikely to cause any damage as others have said. Here, unless you do it yourself, the draining of the tank, cleaning the fuel lines, and purging the air out is going to cost about $350 or more .

Just drain the tank from the bottom. Change the fuel filters. Disconnect the fuel lines at the supply and return and hook up a purge bottle and prime the IP from that. You will get most of the gas out that way. Then crank her up and get her idling again. You should be fine.

Very common problem on diesel cars.

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1981 300D 147k
1998 VW Jetta Tdi 320k
2001 Dodge Ram 2500 141k
1979 300D 234k (sold)
1984 300D "Astor" 262k(sold)
Mercedes How-To and Repair Pictorials
I love the smell of diesel smoke in my hair

Gents,

I went ahead and drained the tank (got a little messy), put in some diesel and it fired up instantly!!!

Thanks so much for the advice and encouragement. I really appreciate it