A woman tried to fill up her husband’s Ram truck but made a costly mistake. She put diesel fuel into the gasoline engine by accident. The dealership later told them it would cost $4,000 to fix the truck. This mistake shows how one simple error at the gas pump can become very expensive.
According to Motor1, the truck owners took their vehicle to mechanic Mike Pfeffer after hearing the dealership’s huge price estimate. Pfeffer shared the story on TikTok under the name @autotechmike. The wife had put about a quarter tank of diesel into the gas-powered truck. She drove it for four or five miles before the engine stopped working completely.
Many people think this kind of mistake won’t cause serious damage, but they’re wrong. When diesel goes into a gas engine, it creates big problems right away. The engine starts making knocking sounds and doesn’t run smoothly. In bad cases, the engine can fail completely and important parts can get damaged.
The dealership’s repair plan seemed too expensive
The dealership said they needed to replace the fuel pump, injectors, and other major parts to fix the truck. That’s why their price was so high. Pfeffer said those repairs might be needed, but he wanted to try cheaper options first. He thought he could do the same work for $1,200 less than what the dealership wanted.
Pfeffer hoped to fix the truck by draining the fuel tank, adding regular gas, and cleaning the system. That would save the owners a lot of money. Truck owners sometimes face unexpected repair challenges, like when mechanics refused to work on one vehicle due to its condition. The real problem was how the wife put diesel in the truck at all.
Pfeffer checked the fuel door and found that the hole was deep enough to fit the larger diesel nozzle. He called this a design flaw. Most gas-powered cars today are built so diesel nozzles can’t fit inside. This stops people from making this exact mistake. Pfeffer also noticed the truck had no warning label saying “unleaded fuel only” on the dashboard or fuel door.
To drain the tank, Pfeffer had to remove it completely from under the truck. The truck’s anti-rollover valve made it impossible to siphon the fuel out the easy way. Some viewers suggested other methods, but Pfeffer said he was already planning to try simpler and cheaper fixes first.
If this ever happens to you, don’t panic. But never start the engine after putting in wrong fuel. If you already started driving and the car stops, don’t try to restart it. Vehicle malfunctions can be dangerous, especially when brakes suddenly fail while driving. Get the vehicle towed to a repair shop right away. A mechanic can drain the tank, clean the fuel system, replace the filter, and add the right gas. Acting fast can help you avoid a $4,000 repair bill.
