Regular Car Insurance Won't Cover Damage From a Common Fueling Mistake
Andrew Koole
· 3 min read
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Car insurance will cover nearly every situation you could get into with a vehicle, from
crashing into the roof of a house
to unlikely scenarios involving fast food.But damage caused by filling your engine with the wrong fuel is another story. Although it’s a common mistake, it’s one that isn’t usually covered by your insurance policy. And depending on your vehicle, choosing the wrong fuel could cost you thousands, so avoiding the error should be your top priority at the gas station.
Learn what can happen if you pick the wrong pump, what it could cost you, and the few types of insurance that you could claim under should you make this mistake.
The consequences of choosing the wrong fuel
It’s important that everyone who uses your car knows what fuel it uses. The damage the wrong fuel can make to an engine depends on the type of car and the fuel it needs.
Deciding between regular or premium will only have minor effects, but the choice between gasoline and diesel is a whole other ball game.
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Choosing diesel instead of gas
If your vehicle takes gasoline, accidentally filling it with diesel is not easy. The nozzles on diesel pumps are larger than they are on gas pumps, so fitting them into your gas tank will be harder than expected. You’ll probably catch yourself before you pull the trigger.
If diesel does somehow end up in your tank, make sure to deal with it as soon as possible. Try to avoid turning your car on, and have it towed to a mechanic who can empty the tank for you.
State Farm
says the charge for this fix ranges between $500-$1,000, plus the cost of the tow.Choosing gas instead of diesel
Choosing gasoline instead of diesel is a much easier mistake to make, and the consequences can get ugly. Because gas nozzles are smaller, they can easily fit in a diesel tank. Diesel vehicles often indicate the type of fuel they need on the gas cap, but warnings like this can easily be missed, especially if the person filling up isn’t used to driving a diesel.
Because diesel fuel also acts as a lubricant, it’s even more important that you avoid starting the engine once this mistake has been made. Running the engine with gas in it could damage the fuel pump, filter, and injectors.
Finding car insurance to cover misfuelling fumbles
With the potential cost of repairing the damage from using the wrong fuel running so high, you’d be wise to look for insurance to cover you from fuel mishaps. Unfortunately, your options are pretty limited.
Most car insurance policies do not kick in for this type of loss, since the damage is self-inflicted. But having mechanical breakdown insurance could cover at least some of the expenses related to the error.
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