Club 80-90 Forums

Hi everyone, I have a 1984 1.9 westfalia. About 3 weeks ago a garage managed to put in €20 of diesel instead of petrol. I drained it and got it going fairly well, it now does not idle as well as it did, and there is a popping and banging from the exhaust on the overrun. How could the diesel have changed the timing? or am I missing something simple?
Regards,
Nigel.

My guess is you still have diesel in the tank and its causing poor running.
The timing wouldn't have changed, not unless a diesel gremlin carrying a toolbox moved your distributor!
Diesel is thicker than petrol and so it moves slower through the carb than petrol. The symptoms you mention are exactly what a lean mixture would give you and the fuel moving slower through the carb wouldn't be able too keep up with the flow of air and so gives you less fuel to air ratio.
Change fuel filter, if possible, empty float chamber on carb as well but, if you can live with it for a while, use almost all the fuel in the tank and the fill up with petrol again, as much as will go in the tank if possible. That should almost certainly dilute any remaining diesel so as it isn't a problem.

Cheers Mark, will fill it right up (GULP) and give it a good run. By the way pulled out the plugs just now, and they are filthy, diesel soot I suppose?
Wouldn't rule out the Diesel Gremlins, the little buggers know where I live!
Nigel.