Traction Incredible - No damage resulting from putting gas into my Kioti Diesel Engine

[rademamj1]

Last Thursday, in a moment of significant lost focus, I grabbed the yellow gas can instead of the red diesel can sitting right next to it, and proceeded to fill up my Kioti CK4010 tractor with gas. I started up the tractor and got only about 20 seconds down the gravel road when tractor started losing power. Moving the throttle lever had no effect on loss of power. Worse yet, the engine started pinging and popping, and with strong sulphur smell, i turned tractor off and tried to figure out what was going on. That's when I remember all this started problem started with a fuel up, and realized that I foolishly filled up with gas. First time I ever did this, and it will be the last. Looks like I was running on mix of 10% diesel/90% gas for about a minute.

I disconnected the fuel line from fuel filter, and totally drained the entire fuel tank of all gas into a bucket. I then got a new fuel filter, and fully primed the new filter with diesel prior to replacement. I then reattached the fuel line and filled the tank with diesel. Up startup, tractor blew white smoke and sounded horrible for 10 seconds, before the diesel fuel hit the injectors, and everything seemed back to normal. I let it run at 1600rpm idle for 15 minutes, then worked 1 hour with the tractor at higher RPM's. So far no problems. Even injectors appear to be ok. Nothing on the dash is showing any issues.

Has anyone heard of this happenin before, and can I expect any long term problems with the tractor in the future?

 

[cjoffutt]

They make yellow cans marked for gas and red ones marked for diesel?

I've always thought yellow was exclusively for diesel, red for gas, blue for kerosene.....?

 

[fried1765]

They make yellow cans marked for gas and red ones marked for diesel?

I've always thought yellow was exclusively for diesel, red for gas, blue for kerosene.....?

Yellow is ALWAYS for diesel, red is ALWAYS for gasoline!
NO EXCEPTIONS!

 

[4570Man]

Yellow is ALWAYS for diesel, red is ALWAYS for gasoline!
NO EXCEPTIONS!

I’ve always put whatever fuel I want in whatever can I have. Apparently some people can’t see and smell the difference in gas and diesel.

 

[JimR]

Yellow is for diesel, red for gas and blue for kerosene. If you are going to pick and choose you need to make sure what is in them before you fill your tank.

 

[cjoffutt]

Yellow is ALWAYS for diesel, red is ALWAYS for gasoline!
NO EXCEPTIONS!

Exactly.

Well....one exception, we commonly use old hydraulic oil 5 gallon buckets for diesel. But they're HEAVILY labeled as such.

But never have we (wife and myself) put diesel/gas in the incorrect color coded cans. That's just asking for issues.

Luckily for the OP it was gas into a diesel and not the other way around. The higher burn temp required for gas saved his butt massively.

 

[ritcheyvs]

Mechanical-injection Diesels run OK on 20% gasoline and some manufacturers recommend this as a winter fix when only summer Diesel is available. On the other hand, these engines won't run on 100% gasoline, at least not at idle; I think the viscosity is too low for the injection system. But there is a danger zone in the middle where the engine will run too hot and damage the engine, maybe destroy the pre-chamber, injector, and eventfully the pistons and valves.

 

[Hilbilly]

The yellow cans I have are stamped "Diesel" on them the red cans are stamped "Gasoline". That is the way they come from the manufacturer and that is what I use them for. Why take chances.

 

[rademamj1]

Mechanical-injection Diesels run OK on 20% gasoline and some manufacturers recommend this as a winter fix when only summer Diesel is available. On the other hand, these engines won't run on 100% gasoline, at least not at idle; I think the viscosity is too low for the injection system. But there is a danger zone in the middle where the engine will run too hot and damage the engine, maybe destroy the pre-chamber, injector, and eventfully the pistons and valves.

The tractor engine on 100% diesel appears to be running fine for now. I know gas fuel acts as a solvent, and is not expected to do diesel engines any good. I did talk to a diesel mechanic at our local Kubota dealer, and he recommended to monitor the tractor gauges and diesel engine sounds for the next 5 hours of usage. This because the brief fuel mishap, could have affected timing, sensors and especially the tier-4 emission system.

 

[mrmikey]

I don't go thru that much diesel and can't find a 10L yellow can so I painted a red one, that's how **** I am about the color representing fuel type. For my mixed gas I wrote in blue paint marker 'MIXED FUEL 50:1' on every surface. Person doesn't have to be stupid to grab the wrong one, just a moment of inattention........Mike

 

[Diggin It]

OK, after all the tongue lashings are done, can somebody answer the OP's question?

can I expect any long term problems with the tractor in the future?

 

[seville009]

I accidentally put gas in my tractor years ago. Drained it, changed the filter, and ran great. Never had subsequent issues. Your tractor will be fine



I also started labeling my fuel containers in heavy black marker after that so that there would be no guessing as to what is actually in them

 

[fried1765]

I致e always put whatever fuel I want in whatever can I have. Apparently some people can稚 see and smell the difference in gas and diesel.

Of course you CAN.....
You COULD even use milk cans, or old motor oil jugs, etc. but it is not a good idea.
Only a matter of time, before some family member, or friend, makes the mistake!

 

[shooterdon]

I am one of those stupid people that puts gas only in red jugs. I have two yellow ones for diesel in case my little diesel fuel station runs out before I get it filled.

I use a Sharpie to mark my 50:1 mix containers...one in the pole barn...one in the garage.

Good to hear there was no damage to your tractor but a change in how you store fuel would be prudent.

 

[fidowanttobe]

I have a diesel generator that starts on gasoline and then switches over to diesel. IH designed the W-9 engine that way. The gasoline is carbed into the engine under compression release then flipped to diesel through injectors under higher compression. Sure pings and rattles during the switch over though.
I understand why gasoline in very high compression would be detrimental, but why would it hurt the injectors? Just curious.

 

[SSdoxie]

I have a diesel generator that starts on gasoline and then switches over to diesel. IH designed the W-9 engine that way. The gasoline is carbed into the engine under compression release then flipped to diesel through injectors under higher compression. Sure pings and rattles during the switch over though.
I understand why gasoline in very high compression would be detrimental, but why would it hurt the injectors? Just curious.

Potential damage to injectors and pump from gasoline would be lack of lubrication. Diesel fuel leaves an oily film which lubricates the injection system, where gasoline will wash the flim exposing risk of metal to metal galling.

 

[mrmikey]

We had a yard crane here at work that's constantly getting gas instead of diesel put in the tank at least once every two months. It still starts fine, runs fine, no problems at all, not saying I'd want to do it on one of my own ..............Mike

 

[grsthegreat]

my wife accidentally topped off the dodge diesel with unleaded gas about 4 years ago. truck drove out of the gas station and promptly died. Truck was towed to Dodge where they determined what happened. $600 later after tank was dropped and drained and cleaned, truck was refulled and has run fine ever since. The dodge mechanic wasnt worried. said hes seen it before

 

[LouNY]

If the original posters tractor is a full tier 4 with common rail injection he got of very lucky.
A mechanical pump could handle a bit of gas for a short time, the electronic common rail much less for much less time.
Gas does not have the lubricity for the injector pumps mixing with the existing diesel must have kept the pump lubricated enough to not seize and break.

As far as the older diesels that started on gas and then switched to diesel they most certainly would ping and rattle when that lever got shoved back down again.
I can still remember sitting on a TD-6 with a clorox bottle with gas in it having to pull the air filter top off pouring a trickle of gas in the breather to get her started because the carb was shot, when it was cold out a slug of gas and your hand over the air inlet to act as a choke while cranking her over, when it fired getting the bottle up to feed it and keep it running for a minute or 2 so it would stay running when you switched it over. To the "the good old days" in many ways good riddance but some of the completely accepted practices that would have people running for cover now days.

 

[Threepoint]

Mechanical-injection Diesels run OK on 20% gasoline and some manufacturers recommend this as a winter fix when only summer Diesel is available. On the other hand, these engines won't run on 100% gasoline, at least not at idle; I think the viscosity is too low for the injection system. But there is a danger zone in the middle where the engine will run too hot and damage the engine, maybe destroy the pre-chamber, injector, and eventfully the pistons and valves.

I didn't know that about the older diesels! I'm assuming it's quite different for electronic common-rail direct injection engines like that in the OP's CK4010, but it sounds like he dodged a bullet this time!

Remamj1, BTW, welcome to the forum!

All the 5-gal yellow fuel cans I've seen in recent years are labeled Diesel, and the red ones Gasoline. But perhaps there are outliers. While I haven't researched the Federal regulations myself, the fuel stations around here will not allow you to pump fuel (either diesel or gas) into any container that's not D.O.T.-approved. That might also be a requirement of their respective insurance carriers. I don't know if it matters to the attendants, though, whether the can is yellow or red, so long as it's approved by U.S. D.O.T.

Here's an interesting link on consumer storage and transport of fuel. https://legalbeagle.com/5948454-diesel-fuel-container-regulations.html