• Welcome, Guest! We hope you enjoy the excellent technical knowledge, event information and discussions that the BMW MOA forum provides. Some forum content will be hidden from you if you remain logged out. If you want to view all content, please click the 'Log in' button above and enter your BMW MOA username and password.

    If you are not an MOA member, why not take the time to join the club, so you can enjoy posting on the forum, the BMW Owners News magazine, and all of the discounts and benefits the BMW MOA offers?

  • Beginning April 1st, and running through April 30th, there is a new 2024 BMW MOA Election discussion area within The Club section of the forum. Within this forum area is also a sticky post that provides the ground rules for participating in the Election forum area. Also, the candidates statements are provided. Please read before joining the conversation, because the rules are very specific to maintain civility.

    The Election forum is here: Election Forum

Yes, I put diesel fuel into my 2013 GTL

J

jcb1218

New member
What can I say? My BMW SUV is a diesel and I zoned out at the pump while filling up my bike. Three miles later the bike coughed and quit. I've called myself every name in the book but that isn't getting my bike running again. Have siphoned all the diesel I can out of tank and put back in a gallon of fresh premium gas - but I can't get the engine to turn over.
How screwed am I? I realize I'm likely to end up at the dealership to address the fallout from my mistake, but would rather ride there to face the music than have the bike towed. Any useful "how-to" advice would be appreciated.
 
How could this happen? The nozzle on diesel pumps is supposed to be larger so that it cannot fit into the filler pipe on a tank designed for gasoline.
If the filling station changed the nozzle, you may have some recourse.

Anyway.
Does the starter engage?
Did you run the battery down?
Does the fuel pump come on?
Any weird lights coming on the dash?
Do you have a GS911 diagnostic tool?

Just basic troubleshooting at this point.

Joe
 
Semantics count.
By “turn over” do you mean it won’t start or do you mean the starter is not turning over the engine?

Normal procedure for diesel in a FI gasoline vehicle is to drain and flush the entire fuel system. That means the tank, of course, but also includes the fuel rail and injectors. Draining the rail will likely require disconnecting the injectors from the fuel rail so the rail and lines can be flushed. Injectors will probably be ok once the rail is cleared. The bike still may not start after all that, due to possibly having fouled sparkplugs so they should be replaced as well. If you’re not comfortable doing all that it’s likely worth a tow or haul to the dealership. And don’t feel bad about having mis-fueled the vehicle—it’s all too easy to do when stations have incorrect nozzles fitted or you’re at places like BP where sometimes all the pump handles are the same color.

Just be glad you didn’t add any DEF! :)

Good luck,
DG
 
61996 said:
How could this happen? The nozzle on diesel pumps is supposed to be larger so that it cannot fit into the filler pipe on a tank designed for gasoline.
If the filling station changed the nozzle, you may have some recourse.

Anyway.
Does the starter engage?
Did you run the battery down?
Does the fuel pump come on?
Any weird lights coming on the dash?
Do you have a GS911 diagnostic tool?

Just basic troubleshooting at this point.

Joe
Click to expand...
The diesel nozzles I use in my Jetta diesel at all the automotive stations are all the same size as the gas nozzles. They do have a green cover on the handle.
 
Yeah, “turn over” and “start” are two different things. Diesel isn’t bunker oil- it’s closer to gas or kerosene. Your remedy sounds good to me, right down to only putting a gallon back in the tank. I might think of putting a bottle of octane booster in as well.
I think you can work through this. Your starting attempts will require patience and enough time to keep from overheating the starter.
Diesel is just oil on it’s way to being “refined” to the thinner, more volatile, gasoline.
Let us know how you make out.
I think it’s a bit scary........but not anywhere near terminal.
Gary
 
Diesel bad

Feel your pain, the auto diesel nozzle is small and the nozzle not always green, one of our local stations changed, different brand, new pumps all nozzles black, local car repair shop about a mile and a 1/2 down road was about where the wrongly field cars died.
Could be a octane sensor, or some other sensor fouled causing starting issues.
I could see same thing happening if bike filled with E85 might shut down everything including cranking to prevent damage.
 
Clarification of bike's status

Thanks for the comments and questions. To be more clear - the bike does crank, but it will not fire. Will not start. It's come close a few times, but just can't quite get there. I have run the battery down trying many times to get the bike going. When the battery wears down, I recharge it and start again. I agree the plugs may be a big part of the problem but have never accessed them before and cannot find any step-by-step resources online for how to get to them and change them out... Someone asked if there were any ominous warning lights on the dash? No. Not yet anyway. Again, thanks in advance for any useful suggestions.
 
The thing to do is to remove the spark plugs so you can crank the engine without trying to fire it up. This way you'll purge the diesel fuel out of the system. Keep cranking until you smell gasoline, put new plugs in and fire it up. Diesel is not nearly as bad as people think. You just lubricated your injectors and fuel pump...
 
saddleman said:
The diesel nozzles I use in my Jetta diesel at all the automotive stations are all the same size as the gas nozzles. They do have a green cover on the handle.
Click to expand...

Same here, the main island pumps are same size, but typically green...the truck island pumps have high volume bigger nozzles.
Some Diamond Shamrock stations have green and sometimes yellow handles and have caused confusion as the E15 also has green handles:banghead

As mentioned, clear the system, change plugs and should be good to go...though smokey for a few.

It happens
 
Anyone got a link to an online "how-to" access spark plugs on K1600?

Thanks (everyone) for the encouragement. Before I start unpeeling all the plastic parts, I'd like to know where I'm headed. Has anyone run across a link in their online travels that details how to get to the spark plugs? That's my next stop...
 
No doubt pulling the plugs is the best idea.....I think you can do it with aerosol Gumout (not ether) sprayed into the air box. Once it starts, just keep it running without overheating and let it clear out.
OM
 
Last edited:
I would try it as OM said above. The Tupperware has to come off, then the radiator has to be removed, then coil packs and so on till you can get to the plugs. Try the easy way first then dive in if needed.
 
Diesel nozzle sizes are suppose to be larger than gasoline nozzles. There are nozzles for diesels at truck stops that are even larger!!! I do know that VW for the Passats and Jettas were outfitting them with mis-fuel preventers that detected the size of the nozzle to prevent filling gasoline into the TDI vehicles.

However, I have not taken notice on my 1200RT the size of the opening to see if a diesel nozzle will fit in or not. I will look the next time I fuel up. One of the reasons I think I do not notice, is I use this: http://www.mccuff.com/ whenever I fuel up and I do not that the device only allows gasoline nozzles to fit.
 
c4golf said:
The Tupperware has to come off, then the radiator has to be removed, then coil packs and so on till you can get to the plugs. .
Click to expand...

If the radiators are removed, vacuum is needed when replacing the coolant.
 
etiennelau said:
Diesel nozzle sizes are suppose to be larger than gasoline nozzles. There are nozzles for diesels at truck stops that are even larger!!! I do know that VW for the Passats and Jettas were outfitting them with mis-fuel preventers that detected the size of the nozzle to prevent filling gasoline into the TDI vehicles.

However, I have not taken notice on my 1200RT the size of the opening to see if a diesel nozzle will fit in or not. I will look the next time I fuel up. One of the reasons I think I do not notice, is I use this: http://www.mccuff.com/ whenever I fuel up and I do not that the device only allows gasoline nozzles to fit.
Click to expand...

nozzle diameter is regulated by the EPA. Diesel is biggest, then leaded (remember that) is smaller and no lead is the smallest.

Contact the state EPA and turn the offenders in.

Rod
 
Dodged a bullet? Jury is still out...

To everyone who volunteered sound advice (or just sympathy), thanks very much. After at least 75-100 failed attempts to get the K16 to start after draining the tank and refilling with the correct fuel, I'd decided to start tearing the bike down this evening. However, I had to try the ignition a few more times. To my amazement, it started and ran for a few seconds on the third try. After a few more times, it caught and kept running. And despite lots of white smoke, it ran smoothly. I let it idle for ten minutes or so - until the smoke had pretty much stopped billowing out of the exhaust. I shut it down, let it sit thirty minutes and then restarted it on the first try - just like nothing had ever happened. Except - the gas gauge says the tank is full and I know for a fact there's only about a gallon in there. That will probably be for the dealership to fix. Hopefully there's no other unseen or undetected damage done. That may become evident during tomorrow's test ride. For the moment though, am cautiously optimistic - even though I have a few more gray hairs to show for the lesson learned. I think I got very lucky this time around.
 
Your going to be fine. Diesel is just a "less" refined version of petroleum. This chart may help-

processo_refinacao.jpg


The diesel is a bit more "oily" and perhaps stick to your fuel gauge a bit. A couple of tanks of premium and you will be good to go.

Gas in a diesel......:eek a story for another day.

Enjoy your riding.

Gary
 
If you put gasoline in a diesel, you have real problems. As the other suggested, once you get the diesel purged out of the fuel lines, you will probably be fine.

To make you feel better, I have a diesel truck. Out of habit, I have grabbed the diesel pump nozzle when going to fill my motorcycle. The few times that I have done that, I stopped myself, before turning the pump on. I'm just saying!!!!

Don't be too hard on yourself......
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

B
What I want
Replies
14
Views
1K
ebell
E
R
2007 R1200 GSA no-start - fuel related diagnosis help needed (long)
Replies
7
Views
1K
dalejohn123
D
mikegalbicka
Learn from my mistake plus Platinum Roadside Assistance experience
2
Replies
32
Views
6K
mikegalbicka
mikegalbicka
G
2013 Cruise Comes On But Won't Set
Replies
0
Views
2K
GREENGO
G
J
New Member from Chicago and his New Roommate BOB
Replies
18
Views
6K
JDStheHat
J
Back
Top