Filling your car with wrong fuel can cost £3,000 to repair and 150,000 do it every year
A COMMON mistake that hundreds of thousands of drivers are making with their car every year could cost £3,000 to repair. Here’s what it is and how to avoid it happening to you.
Hundreds of thousands of drivers are making a massive fuel blunder every year which could see them fork out a hefty repair bill to rectify.
A new report has stated that 150,000 put the wrong fuel in their car every year - which could not only be a costly error but also damage the car.
With everyone being so busy these days a person puts the wrong fuel in their car every three minutes in Britain, it was revealed by the AA.
Solving this problem can cost between £500 and £3,000 and it may not be covered by a motorists’ insurance premium.
In addition to this if the tank is not immediately drained and cleaned it could lead to further damage.
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Drivers are being warned that they should not switch their engine on if it happens as this could circulate it around the car making it harder to fix.
A spokesperson for scrapcarcomparison.co.uk said drivers should take a minute while they are at the pump to think before refuelling.
“Complacency is one of the biggest reasons that can cause this huge problem.
“Re-fuelling is one of those mundane tasks we do every week, and most of us do it without thinking. Many people make the mistake without even realising until it’s too late. If in doubt, stop and think.”
“Many families have two cars these days so it’s easy to make a silly mistake without thinking.
Taking a second to think could save you hundreds of pounds!
"Taking a second to think could save you hundreds of pounds!
“If you drive a diesel car and are worried you may one day make a mistake, you can buy a device that fits into your filler neck to prevent you from using the wrong fuel.”
Such a device to prevent motorists from filling their car ups with the wrong fuel is something like the Fuel Angel.
The device, once fitted, prevents drivers from putting a petrol nozzle into a diesel filler neck and costs just £40.
FUEL ANGEL
Alternatively, the owner of the car could also just add a number of labels to the fuel cap and around the area where the car is refuelled to act as a constant visual reminder.
A Freedom of Information request has revealed Britain’s police force made a staggering 540 refuelling mishaps in the past three years – a tax payer bill of £120,000.
In England and Wales 25 police forced had responded to a request about a driver putting the wrong fuel in their car’s tank.
The Met Police alone has been forced to shell out almost £50,000 since 2015 after the force used the wrong pumps 157 times in three years.
