Diesel Truck Nightmare. I was returning from New Orleans and stopped at this station near Hammond La and filled up at the green "Diesel Pump." About thirty miles later I noticed the motor was real quiet but still getting down the road. It was two quiet and started to loose the pedal. I pulled over at a rest stop and popped the hood. Everything seemed ok. It was still running but I had my wife touch the excel. and boy it sounded horrible. I thought it was a blocked airfilter but it was ok. Then I thought it was bad fuel and had blocked the filter. I opened the water sep. and to my horror, the familiar smell of gas! "Oh Sh....!" I shut her down. Well, to my suprise and $130 of gas cans, electric fuel pump, wire, new fuel filter and five gallons of DIESEL, I emptied the the water sep. ,refilled it with the real stuff and put the five gallons of diesel in the only empty tank I had and fired it up. The familiar sound of the Powerstroke had returned. When I got home, two hundred miles later I started wondering if I had hurt the motor some how or will the high pressure pump and injectors let loose at a later time. I really don't know what to look for or have checked. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks.
Oh by the way, I looked at the reciept I got from the station it did say 24 gallons of Diesel!

 

As embarrased as I to admit it, I did the same thing. The local Mobil station has green premium gas and green diesel pumps covers on their pumps.
Anyway, as soon as my PSD started to idle rough, (about 2 miles from the station) I immediately pulled it over and called AAA for a tow. (The tow truck driver even asked me if I got my "fuel" at Mobil", he said this happens a lot).
The Ford dealership hit me with a $600.00 fuel disposal fee, flushed the fuel system and replaced the fuel filter.
(I even stuck signs on the window not to start the truck when pulling into the shop. I woke up at 6 am to be at the Ford Dealer to make sure one of their car jockey's wouldn't start it with the gas in it. Guess what, got there just in time to watch a 65 year old man fire up the truck and drive it in the shop. The car jockey and service manager know me a lot better now the freakin a--holes!)
That was 20,000 miles ago and my PSD still runs great.
Fuel pumps are typical to go out if run a long time on gas instead of diesel.
Not sure of any other potential damage. Perhaps a Ford or Internatinal tech can provide more technical input.

2002 F250 4x2 PSD
Diablo Chip, 4" Exhaust, Gauges

 

I do not mean this to "rub salt into a wound" but there is no color code standard on fuel pump colors in the USA. Europe has a color code std. So you got to read the labels. Glad to hear you did not need a tow. As far as long term damage,,,,only time will tell. But I would worry too much. The most susceptible part would be the fuel pump due to loss of lubrication, I think the Inj. will be fine.

 

I got into a routine of buying diesel at this Mobil and got complacent. I didn't even know they offered premium gas on the same pump with the same color handle.
I was in a hurry, cranking the stereo, Friday night, etc.
As soon as the truck began idling rough I knew instantly what I had done, because I made a mental note to myself that the pump handle sure was clean and I did not have the sweet smell of diesel on my fingers.
Yeah, I only had about 6K miles on it when I did it. Scary mistake at the time.

 

I think you guys missed the last part of his post.

He wrote that the receipt said "Diesel".

It is not uncommon for a tanker truck to pour the wrong type of gas in the fill ports at a station or to forget which compartment of his tanker is holding which type of fuel. It is a scary thought, but remember the system is only as intelligent as the driver of the tanker truck.

If you have all your paperwork on the event in order then it should be presented to the DOT of Louisiana. If they test the pump and detect Gas in the diesel then the station or distributor are liable for your damages. With DOT backing the company can't even make a court case of it.

I used to work for Eagle distributers down in Florida when I was 16. I ususally rode along with the delivery trucks as a way to make a little more cash. And I will admit that I accidently mixed the wrong types of gas (premium w/ regular, regular w/ premium, etc. ) I did catch myself both times before completing the delivery. I was never complacent enough to mix it with the diesel though. Most of the other delivery tankers told similar horror stories. You learn fast when you have to pump out the station tanks and then take it back with you to the fuel yards (The management didn't like that).

While I have you though I'll leave you with an interesting fact. All gas is the same! There is a national fuel pipeline running underground through out the U.S. and parts of Canada. It is one system operated by many oil companies. For instance if Shell puts 100,000 gallons in the pipeline in Texas City, TX, Then a 100,000 gal credit is given to Shell oil. The credit could then be redeemed by opening the valve in Detroit and pulling out 100,000 gallons that could have been put in by Phillips Petrolem in Ft. Lauderdale. To blow you mind a little further premium will travel down the pipe right next to the regular gas. The area of fuel were the two grades meet and mix will be sent to a different tank and then become your midgrade gas.

To confuse the issue a little more even though all gas is the same, Each company sells different gas! When the distibutor in your area pulls from the pipeline it is sent to individual company tanks in the fuel tank yard. It is then up to the distributors like Mobil, Shell, or Exxon to put in thier addatives. So all gas is the same, but different. Just so long as the fuel meets the fuel grade criteria all is well. In out lying areas with little infrastructure fuel is usually delivered to many different companies by one distributer using the same trucks.


This system is the same for diesel as well. The diesel pipe just runs parallel to the gas pipes.

 

I am glad to hear everything worked out in your favor. One thing I have noticed here in Connecticut is most gas stations have the diesel pumps way away from the gas pumps I can only think of one station that has the diesel in the same box as the gas. But this story make me want to look twice...

 

I've been to Lexington KY twice, with and without the horse trailer but 'ol gray keeps on going. The guy who works on my truck told if it still running, don't worry about it. He put an additive in the fuel to lubricate the injectors and sent me on my way. He gave me a bit of info that I found interesting though. Some of the big rig guys put a gallon or two in their fuel give their motors a little kick. He also told me I did the right thing to get down the road. Thanks for the input guys.

 

The fuel we get get here in Kelowna B.C. Canada all comes out of the same pipe in Kamloops (2 hrs away) gas & diesel !!! Chevrons premium is the only one that isnt. I think its trucked in from the coast. It doesnt seem right but thats the way it is.

 

i had the came thing happen to me twice
the first time i had fan out of fuel at the top of my driveway and my dad had put 2cycle mix in the diesel can. luckly it was only about 2 and a half gallons
the second timne was when i had to take my old cummins in the shop to get it rebuilt after it blew up, and the tech there said that the tank was full of gas, well i had the truck trailered there and i hadnt filled it up. so the only waay that it could have happened was if they had done it.