We all know that putting a diesel fuel on a gasoline car and vice versa, pretty much wrecks it... well as long as you start the engine that is... but I'm wondering if anyone can tell me why...

I work in a gasstation and I asked some of the people if they know what happens it's very funny but no one knew how it wrecks it and I'm kind of curious... any car mechanics here? [img]smile.gif[/img]

the break down of the fuel chemicals are diferent, a car requires finer break downs, while a deisel has more or less the waste of what the car did not get

What Stormy said but if you didn't start the car you still gotta flush out the gas tank about abajillion times for the diesel not to wreck it. :D

Part of the difference as well is that gas (or petrol) requires a spark to light. Diesel uses compression instead.

Years ago, a business colleague found out the hard way that there are service stations around Paris that make a living out of fixing cars that have had diesel put in them instead of gasoline. That was around the time he learned that the French word for "gasoline" was "essence", and not "gazole". [img]smile.gif[/img]

Fortunately, manufacturers have been getting smarter and diesel gas tanks now have a wider opening (and diesel pumps have a wider nozzle). It won't fit into a regular gas tank hole.

Ermmm... okay, keep any following comments clean, please. Just realized what kind of shaky ground those comments are on :D

Bungleau gave a good explanation, and the hole sizes are different...

The way it was explained to me (when I was fueling aircraft with JP5) is that diesel is like a low refined fuel. JP5 or other jet fuel is more refined. Much higher refinement is for gasoline. Like the difference between coal and diamonds.

From what I understand, you can even use jet fuel in a diesel truck (when you are desperate) and your truck will run funny for a bit till you get it out of the system. Gasoline is way too refined to let the engine run correctly - but it might try for a short time until it seizes.

Basically, don't mix them up and you will be fine. ;)

I know... definatly don't mix them... the trouble is at the gasstation I work the pumps are side by side and lot of people... at least 2 every week, grab a wrong pump... one even blamed me for it...

and one got brave and just filled the tank up with diesel fuel and drove of... with lots of black smoke coming from the back... [img]smile.gif[/img]

But thanks for the explanation...