???

[asavage]

Actually, finding a way of disposing of the contaminated gas/diesel mixture is a larger problem than it first appears. In my case (the G30), I had about 30 gals. of unleaded with about three gallons of diesel. The dealership insisted that I haul the fuel away! So I bought six or seven cheap plastic fuel cans, and gave them to the dealership, and the next day I picked them up, full.

In my case, I poured them into the rental car

On the Rabbit, it was only eight or nine gallons, and I forget what I did with it, but I think I rationed it into a couple of tanks of fuel in some car I had at the time.

I'm pretty sure I wouldn't try that trick on a gasser with FI. Too much chance of crapping up both the injectors and the intake valve stems.

[philip]

SNIP- I'm pretty sure I wouldn't try that trick on a gasser with FI. Too much chance of crapping up both the injectors and the intake valve stems.

A gasoline car's intake valve stems and fuel injectors would be the least of the problems.

1) Exhaust oxygen sensors .... both before and after the primary catalyst
2) The catalyst(s)
3) The ECM will catch it and trip a MIL light. Your State smog renewal is going you to fix it all.

About two years ago, a PepBoys manager told me that disposal oil must be engine oil only. Coolant had to be separate and that brake fluid had to be separate. When the "pick-up" tank shows up, then use an electronic / dip stick to tell what is truely there. Bad mixed costs the station.

The official State of California Hazard Waste stations check too. But they'd rather take a mixed mess barrel than turn it away. ... obviously.

South Carolina ....
http://www.scdhec.net/recycle/html/oil.html

[asavage]

1) Exhaust oxygen sensors .... both before and after the primary catalyst
2) The catalyst(s)

I doubt that even heavy concentrations of diesel would seriously affect either of those in the long run.

3) The ECM will catch it and trip a MIL light. Your State smog renewal is going you to fix it all.

On modern cars, yeah that's a real possibility. But on anything I'm likely to be driving (ie ten years old or more), it would probably go right on through.

About two years ago, a PepBoys manager told me that disposal oil must be engine oil only. Coolant had to be separate and that brake fluid had to be separate. When the "pick-up" tank shows up, then use an electronic / dip stick to tell what is truely there. Bad mixed costs the station.

Our garage's tank was pumped on about a monthly schedule. The driver aways sampled the gunk. He didn't care about brake fluid or glycols, but if there was any trace of cholinated hydrocarbons (ie some aerosol brake cleaners), we were charged double or triple. That got our attention fast! We swapped out and got rid of all our "old" aerosol cleaners and started buying only cases of the non-clorinated stuff, and the problem (WRT waste oil disposal) went away.

[asavage]

We ended up putting the gas in a barrel and used it to light fires for a long time.

That's what I would have done, if'n I had still been living out in rural, but both times I was living in the city where you can't just light stuff off anymore. I could have transported it out to a friend's farm, but it was dumped in various fuel tanks and mixed down and that worked out OK for me.

I think you've been very fortunate WRT your PSD. I was not fortunate, either time. I got several more years of service from the G30, until I sold it in 2000. It was a very good rig, for what it was.

The '82 Rabbit was a very good car, and got the usual 45 MPG (I had had an '80 Rabbit diesel before that one), looked very good and had a flawless dark blue interiour, but the engine was getting tired -- low compression -- and I was ready to sell it off anyway, so the unleaded fill just hastened that departure. The fellow I sold it to bought it to put in a gasser engine, but ended up driving it through at least the summer. I assume in the Fall it wouldn't be able to be started unless you parked it on a long hill.

[davehoos]

I worked on a near new mazda MPV unleaded 3 liter 6cyl in a dealership for a new car warranty problem.the engine made oil,lots.easy litre of oil in a half hour drive.the oil drained out did not have an unusual smell or apearance.spark plugs eventually fowled when the oil over flowed.
It was my job replace the ecu and other basic electrics that was sent away for intermitant fault testing.the vehicle had been road tested with test equipment by the rep who was eger to discover potential fault with a first release model.the car was checked several time without showing any unusual performance issues and it was decided to give the owner a loaner and replace the engine if needed..

about 2 days later the owner found that an over head farm fuel tank had been refilled with diesel.I drained and checked the fuel system but it was nt obvious that diesel was pressent..a simple fuel economy test would have picked this up,it was decided that the car was heavy on fuel due to its type and use.the use of an overhead storage tank with a fuel meter may have helped.

this is not possible now to occure as new models are using OBDII,this has a second O2 sencor after the main cat to confirm its operation.due to the unburnt fuel pressent the cat would rarley fire up.australian spec cars rarely have pre cats,it may be possible with a precat and thermal reactor[air injection] to fire a main cat with a petrol/diesel mix.

if the combustion in the chamber was hot enough and the diesel was burnt then i guess that the owner may not notice any problems.i would guess that perfomance would suffer.
in an old type carby engine i would expect to see smoke of some type.

good quality diesel shouldnt effect injectors and hoses.
I have 2 1989 falcon sedans at home,one has all the rubber melted on the intank fuel pump and the steel is rusted,the sender unit white plastic looks to have started to bio-degrade.the other is like new.they are both used the same and use fuel from same source.

[philip]

1) Exhaust oxygen sensors .... both before and after the primary catalyst
2) The catalyst(s)

I doubt that even heavy concentrations of diesel would seriously affect either of those in the long run.

Al ... it's a new day for you. The ECM is much more stringent about the two TWC catalysts exhaust (TWC=Ultra Thin Wall High Cell Density Substrate) than the State Of California tests for. There's two different exhaust sensors. Ahead the first catalyst is a "Air Sensor" and behind the first catalyst, a "Oxygen Sensor." Not the same ... anymore.

So when the MIL light turns ON (O2 registers the primary catalyst's 50% loss over time), the catalyst may still be lower than State but .... you'll get failed anyway because the ECM says "NO good".

3) The ECM will catch it and trip a MIL light. Your State smog renewal is going you to fix it all.

On modern cars, yeah that's a real possibility. But on anything I'm likely to be driving (ie ten years old or more), it would probably go right on through.

You "doubt" and "probably." The OBD-II started in 1996 and the States have had tightened exhaust limits ever since.

I have a 2003 Corolla and in southern California ... which gets the most stringent emissions. You should see this Corolla's exhaust system. It's so HOT that the exhaust pipe color is dark purple starting after the primary catalyst ... clear back to the muffler (aft the rear axle). Even the muffler is gold colored!

this is not possible now to occure as new models are using OBDII, this has a second O2 sencor after the main cat to confirm its operation. Due to the unburnt fuel present the cat would rarley fire up. Australian spec cars rarely have pre cats,it may be possible with a precat and thermal reactor[air injection] to fire a main cat with a petrol/diesel mix.

People have failed 4yr and older cars (State assumes it's not necessary for the first 4 yrs). I have been heard by aToyota mech that a few fairly new cars triped a MIL needing a new catalyst because ... they used diesel fuel. DUMB. $$$.

[davehoos]

I never recomend adding diesel to a running unleaded car.it would clean out the system.diesel often used to flush fuel and oil systems when servicing as it is not as ignitable as KERO.the waxes can be an issue.

obd-II has only started here in last year or so.i am thinking that we will see the data log portion used to confirm emision operation for road worthyness.it was intended that rolling road test would be carried out.this hes been talked about for 10+ years.

we dont have a MIL light on our domestic cars.i have seen iit on small volume imports..I believe this is the modern version of the flag on the dash we see on old US imports??.a device used to rip off car owners.if the system isnt working it should be fixed but why fix it before its needed.

when visiting a merc dealer i saw engine pipes being replace on a V8,they fitted it with genune pipes as the ECU shut down the power output to limp home with he good quality non genuine pipes as they gave different emision levels.the cost was more than the purchase price of my car and they are short lived due to australian fuel quality.a fact known to the dealer.i think this is what you are refering to with cat failure with new modern cars. its like the us made honda we get,the o2 sencor sets a light on code if you use a non genuine o2 sencor.the code is set because the heater element has different resistance to other types.

here in OZ the engine light only mostly comes on if the car is unsafe to drive.nissan N13 pulsar and other cars with GM engine using delco system late 80's put the light on for a range of problems.these are the first type a common modern efi units sold in australia.lessons learned from these cchanged the way new models are now sold.with these early ULP units fuel mixtures triggered the light when you coasted downhill if there was a miss or back fire or over heat etc etc.customers complained.later gm products the engine was almost un startable when the light came on.

ECU reprograming is popular with vehicles not used in a standard trim.
i saw german language sight recently selling a CHECKSUM chips.i guess from the add that it solves obd-II issues.preventing the ecu from crashing when times get hard.

[philip]

-SNIP- OBD-II has only started here in last year or so.i am thinking that we will see the data log portion used to confirm emision operation for road worthyness.it was intended that rolling road test would be carried out.this hes been talked about for 10+ years.

Good grief! Talk about WAY behind the times.

We dont have a MIL light on our domestic cars. i have seen it on small volume imports. I believe this is the modern version of the flag on the dash we see on old US imports?? A device used to rip off car owners. If the system isnt working it should be fixed but why fix it before its needed.

Dave ... let me tell you. YOU mechanics have a LOT to know with OBD-II on these OBD-II systems which started early 1995 in California. Of course ... the hard die mechanics blame on everything but LEARNING themselves. Times move on.

-When visiting a merc dealer i saw engine pipes being replace on a V8,they fitted it with genune pipes as the ECU shut down the power output to limp home with he good quality non genuine pipes as they gave different emision levels.the cost was more than the purchase price of my car and they are short lived due to australian fuel quality.a fact known to the dealer.i think this is what you are refering to with cat failure with new modern cars. its like the us made honda we get,the o2 sencor sets a light on code if you use a non genuine o2 sencor.the code is set because the heater element has different resistance to other types.

When I bought my new 2003 Corolla in Sept of 2002 .... the 'new' "UltraLow" gasoline was in California and most of the other States. All Toyotas had already designed catalysts for that new UltraLow. No exhaust smell at all ! But many USA cars designed were sent to Canada ... and Canadian petroleums still had stronger sulphur which made these UL catalysts STINK like hell. People complained. I heard there were many catalysts replaced under warranty. Who's to blame?

-SNIP- ECU reprograming is popular with vehicles not used in a standard trim.
i saw german language sight recently selling a CHECKSUM chips.i guess from the add that it solves obd-II issues.preventing the ecu from crashing when times get hard.

I drove a 1996 Dodge truck with a V8. It had one of those ECM add-on modules to hot-up the engine. I drove it to Arizona and back ... 750miles round trip. I tried it ON and OFF the module. BIG difference in h/p and the MPG was about the same (17.8 mpg).

BUT that was then and ... a Dodge V8 (318 cu in). Now the Dodge's "HEMI" trucks are WORSE mpg !! Not unusual to get 10 mpg on a short truck.

[HowlerMonkey]

I used to fix one a month like this at the lexus dealership.

Most, if driven any distance before being brought in, had holes burnt through the catalytic converters with the chunks collecting in the rear muffler.