My idiot kid brother borrowed my 2007 1.9tdi caddy today on his way to drop it of to me he decide to refuel, the only issue is that he put £9 of unleaded into it before realising his mistake and subsequently brimed it with diesel on the advice of the forecourt attendant. He then proceeded to drive it 20 miles to my house before telling me. Ive done a bit off googling and some suggedt that it will be fine as long as i keep topping it up with fresh diesel every 50 miles or so for the next couple of hundred miles. Other say it must be drained immediately. I could really do without the expense of having it drained as it’s my wife birthday at the end of the week but at the same time i dont want to knacker the van.

Has anyone any experience or can give sound advice?

Cheers

Legally, you’re now allowed a free spin with his wife.

I think i’ll pass on that one lol

Sister? Oh, right..

It should be fine – as your search suggested, just keep it topped up with diesel for a while, and make sure you go over some bumps to stir up the tank a bit. Diesel into a petrol engine however . . . much sadness ensues. 😯

Of course you will make him suffer with a fake invoice for the cost of parts and drainage 😉

Did it, refilled at 3/4 twice was fine (much older non turbo beast)

Had the 1.9 in an old Seat.
I managed to fill up completely and only realised when I looked at the receipt..
Pretty robust engine by all accounts. I had the petrol siphoned off and then brimmed it with super-duper diesel. It’s not a common rail engine and I think the old 1.9 would run on coming oil. Supposedly some people put a squirt of petrol in during colder months to help the diesel burn better.

“..I think the old 1.9 would run on coming oil.”

😯

Miles per grunt?

Mate did similar with a Transit a few years ago. IIRC the AA were on the forecourt dealing with another and the recovery driver had “acceptable” figures for similar mishaps, worth giving them or your garage a ring??

I did exactly the same thing with my brand new 2001 Golf Tdi 150 on a road trip from Harrogate to Tignes.

Kept on brimming it with diesel and it was absolutely fine.

Supposedly some people put a squirt of petrol in during colder months to help the diesel burn better.

Only if they live in 1982.

You’ll be fine, i’ve done it with my car, though it was only a couple of quids worth or so. I just kept diluting it over the next 100 miles or so and had no adverse effects. However one thing did cross my mind – when my car was new it was my first Diesel car, and inevitably a few weeks into ownership I brimmed it with Petrol and it cut out a few miles down the road. It cost me about £300 to get the AA chap out to sort me out (cost of the service plus two tanks of fuel). One of the things he did was to add an ‘additive’ which apparently lubricated the very expensive fuel injection pump. Apparently petrol can strip the lubricant within the pump and cause it to potentially fail, so the additive somehow puts it back. So not sure if you might want to look into this and maybe add some of this additive/snake oil/special sauce to be sure?

One of the things he did was to add an ‘additive’ which apparently lubricated the very expensive fuel injection pump

Yep, Google ‘snake oil’

I put about twenty quids worth of unleaded in my ’04 1.9 T5, so probably the same engine as your Caddy. Topped it up with diesel (about another 80 quid) and hoped for the best.

50000 miles later, and all is well.

Yep, Google ‘snake oil’

😆

Or somewhere it actually gets cold. And your car doesn’t have a fuel filter heater.

Even winter diesel starts to wax at about -8 ish.
My old car benefited from a litre or so of unleaded in the tank. And that was only built in 2002.

Petrol doesn’t strip the lube out. It just takes the diesel out, which is the lube.

Additives won’t help. Flushing/refilling it with diesel will.

Did it to a 1.5 Renault diesel a couple of years ago. Had about 1/4 tank of diesel, wife brimmed it with unleaded, then we drove about 50 miles before the engine started wheezing and chugging. Pulled in at a retail park in Solihul, called a mate who knew his stuff. Had to buy a syphon from pets at home and a couple of jerry cans. Pumped it all out from the fuel tank access under the back seat. Flushed it out with fresh diesel (hand pumped it before turning it over).
Filled her up, drove away…Bosh!

Small amount like that in a large tank won’t be a problem. Just keep topping up the tank to dilute it.
Make you brother feel guilty that can only made eased with copious amounts of premium beers.

Thanks guys well its just done another 20 miles to work and it doesn’t feel any different, so hopefully got away with it, i have also read that this snake oil substance may be 2 stroke oil, is this worth investigating

It could be 2 stroke, or paraffin, or any similar/related oil product.
I’d not worry about it, the 1.9TDi is a pretty robust lump.

i have also read that this snake oil substance may be 2 stroke oil, is this worth investigating

Just keep topping the tank up.

Even winter diesel starts to wax at about -8 ish.

Normal diesel goes to be about that winter much colder around -22

I did this in a 55 plate transit connect, full tank from empty. Was fine for 10 miles or so from the services but then started to slow and the stopped. I worked out what i’d done at this point.

Next day drained the tank, new filter and plenty of diesel and all was good. If it was only a few litres, i’d of been fine. Just keep it topped up for a few days, whats the worst that could happen??

Yup, just checked, EN590 quotes -7 and -15 for nominal summer and winter fuel. It’s the temp it won’t pass through a standard filter element (theta a special name for the test). Which, unsurprisingly is when it gets difficult to start your car, what with all the filters on the fuel system.
Cloud point is about -8 for nominal winter diesel. Which is what i was thinking of.