Fuels

In the modern world, vehicles can function on a variety of different types of fuels, including petrol, diesel, and even electricity. However, what happens when a driver fills the tank of their vehicle with the wrong kind of fuel? The damage occurs to a vehicle when the car has been started with the wrong type of fuel in the tank. Therefore, if an individual realizes they have put the wrong fuel in their car before switching on the engine, they can consider themselves lucky as it is an easy fix.

The easiest solution to this problem is to push your car into a safe space and call the responsible authorities in your area to drain out and flush your car’s tank. If, however, you are not aware of the number to contact, it is as simple as making a quick search on the internet. For example, if an individual living in Scotland realizes they have put in diesel instead of petrol in their car, all they need to do is search for “Wrong Fuel In My Car Scotland” and call the helpline which comes up.

It is also a good idea to get familiar with the various types of fuels available in the market and the exact one your car’s engine runs on. Some of the most common fuel types include:

  • Gasoline: gasoline, more commonly known as petrol, is one of the most common fuels used in today’s world to run the engine of cars amongst many other uses. Most of the world’s four-stroke engine cars run on gasoline as it is well known for its ability to provide quick start and fast acceleration to the cars. The engines of cars that run on gasoline are much quieter than its counterpart, Diesel. However, gasoline-run vehicles are massive contributors to global warming and pollution in the world due to the large amounts of carbon dioxide produced by them while burning petrol into energy.
  • Diesel: Diesel is another non-renewable fuel like gasoline; however, its more common uses are to run the engines of heavier machinery and bigger vehicles such as tractor-trailers, trucks, buses, and even boats. Many trains also use diesel to run their engines, and although diesel has a smaller carbon footprint than gasoline, the nitrous oxide produced during the consumption of diesel is responsible for causing smog.
  • Liquefied Petroleum: better known as propane, it is a cleaner replacement to gasoline and is used in standard vehicles. However, the use of liquefied petroleum is not that common in the world; most applications are in hybrid cars in the UK. 
  • Compressed Natural Gas: more commonly known as CNG, it is a much cheaper alternative to using petrol or diesel. Most cars that run on gasoline or diesel can be easily converted to run on CNG, and this practice is becoming more common as the petroleum supply gets low and the prices high. Another benefit of having a vehicle that runs on CNG is being responsible for decreasing the effect of your vehicle on the ozone layer by about 80%.

Apart from these forms of fuels, few others are not that commonly known. Although, whichever kind of fuel it may be, it is important to know which kind of fuel the car you are driving runs on, so the mistake of putting in the wrong fuel can be avoided.