PSA - make sure you check the fuel you’re putting in a rental car.. lol

In Portugal especially, the Gaseolo/Gasolina designations can make you second guess yourself. I always found myself double and triple checking before I pumped.

Also different, in the US the "spout" on the pump handle is larger for diesel, and will not physically fit in a gasoline fuel tank. I do not recall much, if any, difference there.

Or just look at the symbols.

• Square = Diesel
• Circle = Petrol
• Diamond = Gas

https://www.fleeteurope.com/en/new-energies/europe/features/new-fuel-pump-labels-across-europe

and different even between station to station.

This may be true in the European countries you have visited, but it's does not work this way all over Europe. The diesel pump was always Black in all stations and in all the - few - European countries I visited by car.

Today in Portugal, at a BP which I hadn’t filled up at yet

Diesel in black and Yellow, Gasoline in Blue and Green lol.. so definitely differing even station to station here, and I’m pretty sure in France as well.

In terms of the symbols on the pump.. thanks for that.. not like I was already tricked by the Color and the language used.. *sarcasm lol

Many seasons ago on the Amazing Race, this happened during a leg through Portugal. Three different teams chose the wrong fuel. I’m sure this was a setup by the producers as the cameramen were very careful to photograph the refueling in great detail. One team immediately threw in the towel and quit. Another team wasn’t able to communicate with the rental company and needed police assistance to translate; they fell so far behind they were eliminated. A member of the third team spectacularly walked to a nearby gas station, bought a cheap siphon thingy, small wrench, and a gallon can of diesel. He then literally sucked the gas out of the fuel tank, opened the fuel line and drained it completely (all from the side of a highway). He was back on the road within two hours, and stayed in the race.

Tyler, thanks for sharing your experience. Did pumping the tank prevent motor problems? My hubby who drives a 1-ton diesel van, reminds me that damage to the engine can happen quickly.

Badger, thanks for the website link; I bookmarked it.

I doubt if I ever drive in Europe again but it’s all good to know.

Did pumping the tank prevent motor problems? My hubby who drives a 1-ton diesel van, reminds me that damage to the engine can happen quickly.

I believe the OP put Diesel into a car designed for gasoline. While it will prevent the car from running, other than some mucky spark plugs, and maybe some issues with sensors, no mechanical damage would occur (the effect of the diesel will be pretty quick after it gets through the lines)

Putting Gasoline though in a Diesel engine is another story. That can cause pre-detonation, literally tearing the engine apart in the worst case, bad knocking and stalling in the best case.

I'm sure it was incredibly stressful at the time, but I'm just so darned impressed with how you kept your cool, used your skills and handled the situation! And thanks for the specific heads up, as I do occasionally rent cars in Europe.

Badger’s post in North American English:

Square = Diesel
Circle = Gas
Diamond = LPG

Often in the US diesel (if even available for sale) is dispensed in separate pumps, sometimes even in another location away from the gas pumps.

Thanks.. I’m pretty good at dealing with tough situations as they arise but even with this one.. my hopes were getting pretty low as I went garage to garage and tried to explain what I needed lol.. to say im happy with how it turned out would be a huge understatement

We still have the car actually and it’s got quite a few KM’s on it (38,000 or so) and it does feel like it’s been running a little rougher but we’ve been filling it up at half tank to just make sure there’s no bad fuel at the bottom. We’ve also put on about 1100kms since the incident

So between the RS forum and I, it’s always run like this! Lol 😂

Edit * I wasn’t trying to be a dick regarding the shapes on the pump handles etc. but honestly, unless you are double checking that symbolism with your phone etc. I don’t think that’s exactly a fool proof way of avoiding this either.

You handled it very well, I would say.

I recall a post in the Fodors travel forum a few years back by someone who made the same mistake in a rental car ( or maybe in reverse, gasoline in a diesel car) in Spain. He was not as clever in handling the problem, and had to pay $$$$ to repair the damage to the engine. He thought it was terribly unfair, but did not get much sympathy. People in that forum can be tough.

I don’t think that’s exactly a fool proof way of avoiding this either.

Electric cars are getting more and more common, even as rental cars. Or you can take the train…

It is confusing sometimes when fueling. I added gasoline when filing up, but realized it quickly. Stopped and immediately added diesel. Drove for a distance and added more diesel continually diluting the gasoline. After three quick fill ups I was in the clear. No problems with the car. I was lucky.

It is confusing at times which pump to chose.

Always pay attention.

You are correct Badger. Our last rental in Croatia was a hybrid.

As a previous owner of a diesel vehicle, I always found that the diesel pump handle was oilier, dirty, smelly than a gasoline pump handle. That was always my clue -- if the pump was not messy, it was gas.