Trying to salvage the 110 Puma after filling up with petrol.

**MY LANDY** · 27th July 2015, 03:21 PM

It's as embarrassing posting this monumental brain melt as it is painful dealing with the wash up.

I was headed up the coast Friday arvo with my girl and the ol' Haines 445F in tow ? pretty bloody excited to be getting outta the big smoke and chasing some quality winter snapper. Stopped and filled up at one of the last petrol stations for about 100kms. Traffic was building and the station was jammed, making it difficult to manoeuvre the boat around and get at the diesel pump.

Normally fill up with a different petrol provider as I've found their fuel to be most reliable. As such, only put $60 bucks in. Had roughly 15 litres left in the tank.

Roughly 40kms later I noted the car was breathing a little heavier than normal and struggling to pull the boat. I'd had an issue recently where a bolt holding the rocker housing and injectors in place had come loose, producing a similar sound (ended up destroying all the copper washes in the injectors as they came loose). This was similar in sound. Checked said bolt. All good. EGR (I've had my turned off with BAS remap)? Fuel contamination (picked up a bad batch once before and had to remove the entire tank and scrub down with algacide)?

You all know where this is headed. Somehow grabbed the wrong pump. 40L of Premium Unleaded. Driven down the motorway for 40kms towing a boat.

Out of desperation I called Ward at Graeme Cooper, who has worked on the car for years and talked me through plenty of roadside fixes. Being late on a Friday there was little he could do.

I decided to empty the fuel by removing the filter and pressuring the tank with my air compressor. Took best part of an hour and flattened the battery, which I anticipated. I had a small jerry full of diesel and a spare fuel filter on board. Filled the filter with diesel and fitted it. Jump started the car. Started straight away but was now chugging hard. Limped it to a nearby petrol station and filled with diesel. Left it run but the chugging only got worse. Made the decision to park it and organise towing.

It's now with the team at Graeme Cooper awaiting diagnostics reports.

I'm assuming the worst. In speaking with a few parts providers and experienced LR mechanics, they reckon the Puma is one of the more sensitive common rail engines and that chances are the engine is cactus.

Obviously the diagnostics and the blokes at GC will have the final say.

What I'm reaching out to Puma owners and experts here on AULRO for is to assess the risk of ongoing problems with the car as a result of this? Do I try to replace the fuel system or not bother and take my medicine with the whole engine?

A bloody costly lesson.

n plus one · 27th July 2015, 03:59 PM

First you check to see if your insurance covers this (believe it or not I've heard of cases of it being covered).

Failing that, I'd say go the fuel system first. You might get away with just doing the injectors? Transit ones are cheap on Fleabay...

**Pickles2** · 27th July 2015, 04:15 PM

I feel for you.
I almost did the same thing myself about a year ago. We were travelling to Adelaide, pulled up at a Servo which was busy, some pumps not working etc, so was a bit frazzled when I finally got a pump, & yep, I picked a petrol one,...was very lucky Wifey was alongside & noted after only about 1.5L had gone in,....NOT a good feeling. Luckily with only 1.5L, we didn't have a worry,...but it shook me up at the time.
A friend of mine has an Ultra Tune Garage, & he said to me that it happens all the time,..people pick the wrong pump. He feels that the diesel pump should be on its own so that this sort of thing doesn't happen.
Good Luck, Pickles.

**vnx205** · 27th July 2015, 05:33 PM

Originally Posted by Pickles2

... ....
He feels that the diesel pump should be on its own so that this sort of thing doesn't happen.
Good Luck, Pickles.

They used to be back in the dark ages when only trucks and tractors had diesel engines.

In some country servos, they still are separate.

**p38arover** · 27th July 2015, 05:42 PM

I thought diesel filler nozzles were a different diameter to stop misfuelling.

This might be cheap insurance: Diesel Engine Protection Misfuelling Prevention Fuel Cap

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZXHVa9bfDo[/ame]

See also The Open Road : May June 2012, Page 21

**Disco Muppet** · 27th July 2015, 05:49 PM

You might be lucky. People have put similar amounts of ULP into pumas and survived no worries.
But the distance and towing the boat might have something to say.
Best of luck!
Time for a 3.2 perhaps?

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**Scouse** · 27th July 2015, 05:56 PM

Originally Posted by n plus one

First you check to see if your insurance covers this (believe it or not I've heard of cases of it being covered).

Had plenty of cars through at the dealership with petrol in diesel engines. When it's still under factory warranty, LR insist virtually every fuel component is replaced to maintain warranty. I've seen bills around the $15000 mark covered by insurance.

**dan007** · 27th July 2015, 07:29 PM

Most newer diesel will shut down before any major damage is done.
Wife put 60l of petrol into her 2010 pajero it had 15l of diesel in her.
Drove it 25kms it started to surge shut itself down 200mts from home.
I was away at work. Mate( ex race works mechanical monkey)
Drained the fuel out purged fuel replaced filter refilled. Started up .
Getting an extra 120 out of the tank..lol

Im expecting a reduced life from the injector pump as they need the lube from the diesel

Mate told the wife she should charge me for the engine clean

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**MY LANDY** · 28th July 2015, 10:23 AM

Update:

Looks like I might be up for replacing the pump. First quote for parts and labour is around $2700. Can get new pumps landed from eBay for around $800.

Don't anticipate the job of replacing the filter to be straight forward, but on a whim, has anyone done it on the Puma?

Also, I can confirm that neither AAMI or Budget cover for Incorrect Fuel Type. Will start a separate thread with some interesting info from the main insurance companies that I found in their respective PDS. Not only fuel, but coverage offroad and also on aftermarket parts and accessories.

**p38arover** · 28th July 2015, 02:49 PM

Originally Posted by MY LANDY

Will start a separate thread with some interesting info from the main insurance companies that I found in their respective PDS. Not only fuel, but coverage offroad and also on aftermarket parts and accessories.

I'm interested. I'm wondering if my aftermarket accessories will be covered even though they are listed on my policy with AAMI. The vehicle's agreed value* is the same as a vehicle without accessories.

* Agreed Value = what the insurance company says it's worth without any agreement from the owner

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