Unleaded gas was delivered to the underground diesel tanks, and vice versa, where I always buy fuel. Gas station has admitted error and will pay for all repairs... my diesel 2011 F350 Lariat 6.7 has just over 44k miles on it and I drove it 5 days with gasoline in the tank, maybe just over ¾ of the tank was the bad fill. I am beyond sick, I love my truck!

Getting repairs done and so far it seems they will replace the entire fuel system, but I'm extremely worried about unseen engine damage that won't show up until later. This is my first and only new truck, and I need it for hauling horses, hay etc. It's my only vehicle, too.

Question is, how do I protect myself against future loss of life to this engine? Require an extended warranty (how long, life of the vehicle?), a guarantee on lifetime repairs of any sort related to this incident, or do I need to demand a new engine just to be sure? Even with repairs this incident has reduced the value of my truck should I ever want to sell or trade it in.

Truck was not starting or running rough but started giving me the "cleaning exhaust" message every time I turned it on and then within seconds of clearing the message. Got it in to dealer ASAP but damage was done, and probably a lot. I haven't seen any of the parts and may not get to.

Any advice about what to ask for, what to look out for, what to expect?

 

If any other than the fuel system shows up it most likely would happen in the
the next 18 Mo (guessing). What I would be looking for is any loss of compression
do to oil being wash off the cylinder walls. But I don't think your going to see
much of that. You could have a internal inspection done to see how the tops of
the pistons look and also how the walls look. The other thing to do is when they
replace the fuel system components is have them do a leak down test and give
you a copy of the findings. You then will have two things to do. Compare it to a
truck that has the same use and miles on it to see how the numbers look. And/or
redo the test in a year to see if anything has changed drastically. But what ever you
do get them to say that they will cover any problems down the road related to the
engine plus expenses to fix it (rental truck).

One other thing to do would be to ask member m-chan68 what he thinks.
He is a good guy and used to work on the diesels for Ford.

Good luck and please report back what comes of this.


Sean

 

If it was mine I would push for an engine. It may be fine but will always be in the back of your mind, and if it does fail 2 yrs from now good luck getting help.

 

I agree with the response above re pushing for a complete replacement.

I put gas in my diesel tractor once by accident. I just emptied out the gas and never had an issue with it. It wasn't a complex $60,000+ truck engine though.

 

I really think you're overreacting a bit.

There is a protocol for this kind of situation put in place by Ford. This is the authorized repair that preserves all warranties. It involves replacing all high pressure fuel system components as well as cleaning out the low pressure components. This is between $10-15,000 depending on the dealer that does the work.

You do not need a new engine, and they're not going to pay for something that's not needed. You need a new fuel system, and unlike some unfortunate folks the responsible party is paying for the damage. This will not affect the value of your truck.

 

Thanks, everyone, for the input. I will try to keep you all updated.

Not apologizing here for being concerned and seeking advice, and don't think I'm overreacting by doing so at all. Seeking out other opinions indicates rather the opposite by trying to carefully assess the situation consequences and next steps. I cannot afford a mistake here and have little reason to trust those who do not have my best interests at stake. Unless and until someone guarantees my engine was not harmed I will remain uneasy about its future performance.

 

I think you misunderstood. This place exists for people to come, discuss their trucks and issues, ask questions, and seek advice. It's my opinion that asking for a new engine is an overreaction. I'm the 6.7L forum moderator, and we've seen lots of cases of fuel system replacement after misfueling over the last few years. I can't recall a single time engine damage resulted from the misfueling. Ford agrees with this, which is why they don't replace the engine after an event like this unless there is a reason to think the engine is compromised.

 

There has to be a standard to judge, and react, by. The responsible party isn't going to anty up an unlimited warranty, or start replacing engines (there had to be other diesel owners who pumped gas, and are seeking restitution) because an owner of a vehicle, or members of a forum, say they should. Most likely, Ford will be the ones looked to for the standard.

It isn't uncommon for gasoline to get into a diesel tank, and on older engines, it didn't do catastrophic damage. It also wasn't uncommon for some gas to be added to diesel fuel to fight gelling in cold weather. So, depending on how much and how long, some gas in the engine doesn't automatically spell disaster. It does wreak havoc on the high pressure fuel delivery systems, though, which is why that is addressed.

I can't imagine anyone here wouldn't be as concerned as you about the long term life of your engine. But, you have two choices- get educated on the situation of gas introduced to a modern high tech diesel engine, or go where the wind blows you on a forum, with some giving sound advice and others speaking out of fear and misinformation.

 

Thanks Tom and Hodge, I am trying to understand the consequences of what happened, which is why I posted here in the first place. It wasn't a small amount of gasoline and it wasn't identified as a problem for several days... so my questions are natural and my concerns are legitimate since this IS such a complex engine. I ran older diesels for many years without this magnitude of a problem... but never had gasoline in my fuel lines, either.

I appreciate both your wider knowledge and am grateful for your replies but remain uneasy about the long term picture for now.

Since this is a relatively new engine, does anyone have a "book" expected life span (mileage) for it under normal operating conditions?

 

I can't say I've ever had this happen to me, but it is something I wonder about when filling up. Better hope the trucker was on his A game.

 

Honestly if you drove at all, it couldn't have been too much gasoline in the tank. Had you had 100% gasoline, you'd have made it about 100 feet and been done. The HPFP doesn't last long with gas. Nor does anything else in the system. But the engine itself isn't going to suffer any failures from gas in the fuel system. A diesel engine block and LPO system aren't much different than a gas engine. Your engine was lubricated fine, and there will be no damage. If it was still running and driving it was minimal damage period. Nevertheless all HPF components are replaced. It's how this is handled. In no way whatsoever is the value of your truck lessened by any of this either. Get it all fixed, and be happy driving again!

 

wow, this is likely to put a big damper on THAT stations' business..
Hope all turn out well..

To help with the OP's concern, most stations get a delivery BEFORE they run out, so the gas/diesel is mixed in the ground tank, the unknown is whether it's MOSTLY diesel or MOSTLY gas - then it's mixed with your 100% diesel in your tank. So, this is isn't as 'bad news' as having 'somebody' <cough, wife, cough> FILL up with gas when you are near empty.

 

Only thing I would have done was pull the dipstick and see if it was higher than normal and if it smelled like gas. More than likely your engine is fine, once they replace the HPF system, and return, flush the fuel tank, change the oil you will be fine. there is nothing to worry about 5 days of short trips. I understand (what if) but these diesels can take a beating and that was not a beating. You will be fine. It all starts out as crude, right.

 

Sounds like a good reason for me to start saving fuel receipts. Glad the vendor in question made good on their mistake.

 

Yeah, think I might start doing the same. I never print a receipt...till reading this. I suppose a person could go through their statement (or online) and pinpoint the date of sale, but that paper receipt would make it a lot easier.