Petrol Peugeot won't start after filling it with diesel

[Joel Leufstedt]

Hi, my sister filled up her Peugeot Break 2004 2,2 litre petrol (125k miles) with diesel to about 1/4 tank when it was almost empty, the car ran fine for a bit before it started thumping and shortly after gave up. The car does not have a fuel filter.

After towing it home we tried:

1. Drained the diesel out of it and put in a full tank of petrol
2. Took off the fuel line right before it goes to the injectors and petrol gushed out of it when cranking
3. Took the fuel injectors out to inspect them and after cleaning them they spray well, even when we connected it to the fuel line and cranking it.
4. Tried starting it with starting fluid and then it started and seemed to run fine while we kept spraying starting fluid in the air intake which we did for a minutre or two with the engine running, but as soon as we stopped it dies shortly after.

I’m stumped as it seems to me like a fuel delivery issue but like I said the injectors spray nicely when they are taken out of the engine and cranking it.

Could it be a problem with dirty spark plugs even though it idles fine on starting fluid? I tried removing them to have a look at them but I don’t have a socket long enough to reach them.

When cranking it without the starting fluid it first seems to almost start and the headlights turn on for a second but then after it’s just the starter spinning. Any help is appreciated.

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[Richard Kirshy]

Depending on how long the engine was ran with diesel …
There possibility may be engine damage.
I would suggest R&R the spark plugs and perform both a compression and leak down test on all cylinders.
As to the injectors …you state they spray well …. spray well compared to what?
Did you test them to factory specs? of just going by visibly seeing fuel spray.
Did you test and confirm the fuel pump is within factory specs?

• This reply was modified 2 years, 9 months ago by Richard Kirshy.

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