Former Nairobi Governor and businessman Mbuvi Gideon Kioko alias Mike Sonko expressed his frustrations online after a gas station attendant mistakenly filled his car with diesel instead of petrol.
“Huyu jamaa amenikatisia sana instead ya kueka petrol kwa gari ameniwekea diesel.” Mike Sonko wrote on his X account.
What happens if you put diesel in a petrol car or vice versa?
While some may question the issue with refueling a car with diesel or petrol, it’s crucial to understand that car engines are engineered differently and are intended to operate exclusively on either diesel or petrol, not both.
When you put diesel in a petrol car, it clogs up the fuel system and spark plugs- an electrical device used in an internal combustion engine to produce a spark which ignites the air-fuel mixture.
Typically, it’s considerably more challenging to mistakenly use the wrong fuel in a petrol car because the diesel fuel pump nozzle is significantly larger than a petrol nozzle.
But when it happens, it’s impossible to start your car and if you are lucky you’ll manage a few 10’s of meters.
On the other hand, putting petrol in a diesel car may cost you more as the damages petrol has on a diesel car may be irreversible.
Driving a diesel car with petrol in the tank will cause serious and expensive damage in fairly short order, and the potential cost of extensive repair is not worth the gamble. Even if you get away with running the engine or driving without damage, the incident will still be more expensive, this is according to auto express
What to do if you mistakenly fill your car with wrong fuel
There are no immediate solutions to this mistake since your car can’t run on the wrong fuel.
What’s left is you to bear the expenses to have your car repaired. Here are some of the ways to prevent further damage.
- Stop fuelling immediately and seek guidance.
- Don’t start you car- If you have realized the mistake early enough, it is advisable you don’t turn that key, instead consult a car expert to guide you next course of action.
Nairobi’s former governor Mike Sonko forgave the gas station attendant upon learning that it was an honest mistake. He advised him to be more cautious in future as not everyone would be as forgiving as he had been.
