Hi guys
hell of a first post, but the rest of the internet is not providing a description of the issue or a real solution.
Basically a friend of mine has placed unleaded fuel in the tank of her mazda 3 turbo diesel (unbeknownst to her at the time) 2007 MZR-CD, in turn it went down the road for a bit then died out, requiring towing to the dealership.
Long story short, she's looking at a $10,000 repair bill (quote from mazda dealership), any ideas on where I can get hold of a second hand engine from one of these things to drop in there as it seems like a cheaper option.
I'm not too sure you would require a rebuild. Technically, a diesel engine has a much higher compression and no spark plug. I would be surprised if a mechanic could not empty the tank, bleed the fuel line, replace with proper diesel fuel and then try to start the motor.
I guess it depends if the motor has been damaged, but usually diesels are a much tougher and simpler engine that a petrol 4 stroke.
There may be problems clearing out the diesel injectors, but again they can be removed, cleaned and or replaced.
I really doubt you would need a new or reco engine.
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It could be easy to do at some servos. To get them mixed up. Had to put fuel in hubbies Craptiva diesel at a servo in newcastle and they have unleaded and premium on the same pump. The hoses coming down from the top were all tangled. The hose in the diesel slot could have been anything. Had to untangle the hoses before I was sure which was which. I did put diesel in by the way.
I reckon that you should get a second opinion as well. $10000 sounds like a lot. Jugs 12a rotary was $2000 supplied and installed. Even if you did have to get a new engine it wouldn't be that much to buy and install. A panel beater friend of mine buys write offs and does them up and so does his mechanic mate. The panel beater got himself a top of the range 6 for next to nothing and did it up and his mate supplied him another engine for it out of another write off because the engine in his was broke in the accident that it was in but they didnt know at the time. It was nowhere near that to supply and install. Couple of thou tops.
So yeah. Def get a second opinion. And a third. And fourth if necessary.
"Fuel is injected into a diesel engine before "Top Dead Centre" - the number of degrees at which this occurs varys from engine to engine. The temperature inside the combustion chamber (read 'above the piston') is hot enough to instantaneously iginite the diesel fuel IN A CONTROLLED MANNER know as"the flame front". It doesn't "explode" or detonate. In spite of the speed at which things happen in a combustion chamber, it is a controlled burn.
When petrol is released along with the diesel it will instantaneously explode - not burn. It does not perform a controlled burn or flame front. It just goes "BANG" like dynamite. It's like a the ball end of ball pein hammer hitting the piston many times a minute. And all this occurs as the piston is still yet to reach "Top Dead Centre". Hence it eventually chew tiny pieces off the piston crown. These resemble small pitting of the metal particularly at the edges of the piston where the heat cannot be absorbed by the piston metal. Slowly, the piston edge disintegrates.
In many ways the effect is similar to using low octane petrol fuel in a high compression petrol engine. It "knocks" and you can hear it as a slight rattle or "pinging" under load. That noise is the sound of prematurely exploding (detonating) fuel."
If the dealer is quoting a rebuild, then $10K is probably right.
i have quoted for supply of diesel particulate filters to insurance companies becuase mechanics have used the wrong oil in these Mazda diesels so using the wrong fuel should be the same.
Worth the investigation $500.00 excess vs. $10k repair.
90% sure this is covered by insurance. If people can drive into houses by accident and still get a payoff I'm sure that insurance would cover something like this... It was accidental damage after all.
Problem is that it's a diesel engine. Parts aren't all that common so it might take a while and/or cost that much to get fixed.
I would take the car to somewhere else for a second opinion. If the car only ran for a short amount of time and there is no "unusual" noise before it "died" the issue maybe not be so bad.
I would drain and flush the fuel system, replace the fuel filter and see if the car will run. If not the next thing will be the fuel pump. The fuel pump in these new oil burners run very high pressure and the thinner petrol may have "kill" it.
I doubt there would be much mechanical damage to the internal of the engine itself.
I highly doubt insurance would pay out something like this.
a couple of years ago there was a member on here who drove her car thru a flooded road and the CAI sucked water into the engine thus resulting in killing the engine and her insurance paid out on the claim, so i cant see why this accident could be declined
Putting the wrong fuel in a car is not an accident (according to insurance companies)... even if you didnt know at the time. Driving through flood water isnt (at least in my eyes) as its something caused by natural disaster.
If the insurer wont pay out, get it towed to the top of a hill, get in, and roll it down into a tree, writing it off (you'll probably want to wear a crash helmet :P).. You destroy the evidence (the motor will be cactus) and you'll get monies!
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