Unleaded petrol mixed with Diesel in a Chrysler 2.5CRD

If it runs fine today and tomorrow and allowing for the fact that tolerances
in these systems are extremely tight, then in all probability it will have
suffered no ill effect and will last as long as it would have running purely
on normal fuel. It could fail tomorrow or it might never fail, but
whichever, in all probability it will have nothing to do with yesterdays
mishap.

Huw

 

Firstly it should be pointed out that the vehicle is a Grand Voyager,
not a PT Cruiser

It cost about £30,000 22 months ago so I'm guessing it has a value
around the £20k mark today

 

And I believe it to be wrong.

If it does fail in months, it will be nothing to do with today's mishap. My
experience is that CR systems fail with depressing regularity. Either it
will be covered by warranty within three years [if no mention is made of
petrol] or the insurance will pay. There will be no closing of any
'loophole' because it is a legitimate accident. There may be an excess and a
loading according to mileage covered by the insurance company though.
Usually something like a £500 excess on the engine damage and something like
a 25% reduction in value for every 40,000 miles covered and possibly further
adjustments for age, even to the extent of writing it off if the value of
the car is below a certain percentage of the repair cost.

I would just carry on and not even think of there being a problem. The car
manufacturer and dealer make a mint from the insurance companies by
repairing and replacing needlessly and expensively, and if any loophole is
going to be closed it is this one.

Huw

 

That is exactly my view.

Huw

 

*snort*

Halve that and you'll be a bit closer.

 

You do realise it shared some bits with the A class don't you? I just
forget which bits.

 

A three year old Subaru Outback H6, new cost about £27,000, has a trade
value around £5K. And I know which car has the better reputation.

Richard

 

Probably, but not very recently. I remember back in the 1980s, 90s when next
years models always were light year's ahead of last year's models, that
doesn't happen any longer. All the tricks they have left now are gizmos such
as SATNAV, MP3, F1-gears, rain sensors, parking sensors, distance sensors,
etc. etc. all of which you don't really need to drive the car.

 

What ?

You made me look at autotrader !

The closest to our 2003 Limited xs costs £17k and has more than twice
the mileage of ours !

These things do hold their value quite well

 

Probably, after all a lot of part sharing is going on in the group. Can't
pin anything down on that pair though - it's not a platform share.

 

Quite a philosophical entry. Reminds me of "Smoking is bad for you". It probably
is, but not today and not tomorrow...

 

Yeah, shame the only decent ones have single figure consumption. I really
love the V6...

 

Just doing a quick, national search on a CRD produces a couple of pages
of them going for between £10.5k and £13k.

 

I wasn't really thinking of that kind of technology but the engine
technology which has indeed leapt ahead over recent years, especially in
relation to diesel engines. CR high pressure injection, variable vane
turbo's with water cooling, cooled exhaust gas recirculation and exhaust gas
aftertreatment both by catalyst and physical soot reduction are driven by
legislation.

Huw

 

Except that this is a heap of inert metal and plastic with a few electronics
we are talking about, not a frail human body prone to disease.

Huw

 

I regularly drive my diesel Focus with a 10:1 diesel/petrol mix in the Alps
to control waxing. Never had a problem. Just make sure that you top it off
after a quarter tank gone (with diesel naturally.... ) to dilute out the
petrol.

 

I've done three winters in the Alps on 10:1 dieseletrol mixes in a modern
diesel. Is that OK? My pump hasn't shat itself yet.

 

You could actually claim on fully comp insurance for this? Never realised
that....

 

Apparently on date Sat, 03 Dec 2005 21:36:55 +0000, RichardK

Mixes readily, and these types of diesel run a high pressure injection system.
And, like injection cars, the fuel circulates round rather than just being
pumped through like my carb box does.

I don't know for sure, but I suspect any petrol in the mix would be pumped into
the relevant areas in seconds - it's not a problem with reaching the carbs,
it's the actual pump that has issues.

I'd run as is, filling up with diesel a few times earlier than usual just to be
on the safe side. As the solution to the problem is to replace a whole shedload
of bits to be on the safe side, I'd replace them when they fail earlier.

It's the same thing as with leaded heads. The solution to VSR is to put new
heads onto the engine with hardened exhaust valve seats. But since that's also
the way to repair it if it all goes wrong when you don't bother, you might as
well wait until then.

 

But the longer time it takes for the breakdown, the more clouded the cause
of the breakdown would be; the insurers would reasonable be able to claim
that the breakdown was unrelated. They could possibly also argue that the
keeper was negligent by not having the car towed to a garage immediately
after the 'mishap'.