Fuel Angel Blog

Taken from Autocar:

Audi has developed a new fuel filler cap to stop owners accidently filling their diesel models with petrol.

Audi A4, A5 and Q5 TDI models for the 2011 model year will be the first to benefit from the new system.

The fuel filler neck has been redesigned to incorporate contact points that open an internal fuel flap only when the larger diesel pump nozzle applies pressure on them.

The smaller diameter petrol nozzles do not make contact, ensuring that the filler flap remains closed to prevent access to the reservoir.

Instances of misfuelling have risen significantly in recent years creating inconvenient and potentially expensive consequences.

Audi believes this is due to the increased refinement of diesel models which has seen them run nearly as smoothly and quietly as their petrol counterparts.

If you can’t wait until then why not check out our range of misfuelling prevention devices or fuel angels which are simple to fit, cheap to buy and have no moving parts.

According to a recent study by the British Insurance Brokers’ Association (BIBA), there are more than 150,000 misfuelling cases each year, in which the driver puts the wrong type of fuel into their vehicle.

This type of mistake occurs about once every 3.5 minutes in the UK, according to BIBA, and repairs can cost anything from £300 to well over £5,000.

The association’s research also shows that 95% of misfuelling cases are caused by drivers putting petrol into a diesel vehicle.

According to the AA, drivers who have filled their car with the wrong type of fuel should not turn on the ignition or start the vehicle.

Repairs become more expensive if the fuel has circulated through the system and, in the most severe cases, it may even be cheaper to fit a new engine.

This article was taken form compareandsave.com

To avoid being one of these statistics and having an expensive repair bill, why not buy a Misfuelling Prevention Device today.

During 2009, rapid breakdown cover experts Green Flag received over 3,000 rescue calls related to fuel. With petrol prices hitting a record high, some motorists are leaving it until the last minute to fill up and often run out before they reach the pump.

Another fuel related incident on the increase is mis-fuelling. Motorists are facing expensive repair bills if they drive off the forecourt with petrol instead of diesel.

Dan Robinson, head of breakdown cover experts Green Flag, said: “Mis-fuelling can be expensive. If you have a diesel and a petrol vehicle in your household, be extra vigilant. Filling up on autopilot could be costly. Diesel used to be the cheaper option for motorists, but recently the cost of diesel has risen above petrol, so work out which would be better for your individual situation.

This article was taken from here

The best way of stopping your self or someone else putting petrol in your diesel car is by buying a Fuel Angel Misfuelling Preventation Device here

The Motor Industry Research Association (MIRA) has just completed testing of the Fuel Angel Misfuelling Prevention Device, The Fuel Angel is supplied by DDN ltd and the only Misfuelling Prevention Device that meets the component test specification.

Result summary

Fuel Flow Test – Two identical tanks were filled with fuel, one with the Fuel angel and one without the Fuel Angel, both filled at the same rate.

Vibration Test – The Fuel Angel was fitted to a vibration test rig and was subjected to the same inputs as an accelerated vehicle durability test with additional thermal cycling. The Fuel Angel survived the test with no problems

Freefall Test – The packaged Fuel Angel was dropped 20 times from the height of 1m on to a concrete floor and survived the test with no problems

Overload Test – An unleaded nozzle was pushed into The Fuel Angel with a force of 500N to simulate a determined misfueller. The Fuel Angel was not damaged by this excessive load.

Pressure Test – The Fuel Angel vented at 0.1 bar and withstood a pressure of 2 bar without and problems.

Mechanical Integrity Test – A diesel nozzle was pushed in and out of The Fuel Angel 5000 times and the device survived with no problems.

Cap Removal Test – The cap on The Fuel Angel was opened and closed 5000 times and survived the test with no problems.

Over Turn Tests – After the vibration test, overload test, pressure test, mechanical integrity test and cap removal test The Fuel Angel was subjected to a simulated vehicle roll over test and passed with no problems.

According to a recent survey conducted by AA Ireland, 10 per cent of Irish Motorists have accidently put the wrong fuel in their engine.

The AA Fuel Assist team reports attending to up to 200 incidents to date in 2010, the majority a result of petrol into a diesel engine.

“There has been a growing trend in motorists shifting to diesel fuelled cars since the government’s rise in carbon taxes and VRT changes as motorists switch to more energy efficient cars,” says Conor Faughnan, Director of Policy.

According to recent CSO figures on new car sales, 34.2 per cent were petrol and 62.1per cent were diesel.  However, one of the consequences of switching engines is a mis-fuel at the pumps. Old habits die hard. Many motorists admitted to filling up with petrol in error after changing engines when concentration levels were low.

The research showed motorists were most likely to inject the wrong fuel while using a rented or borrowed car. Motorists have reported a number of distractions at the pumps for personal reasons, haste, advertisements, poor lighting, distracted attendants and unclear markings of fuel.

There are cases where motorists mistake bio-diesel for diesel. Nozzle restrictors are not always in force at all stations. Motorists must remain alert as colours and procedures are not consistent across all stations, another reported cause of error.

Overall results convey men were 5 per cent more likely to misfuel than females. Only 5 per cent of motorists under the age of 25 have accidentally misfuelled. This is in contrast to 15 per cent of over 65 year olds.

Why take the chance of putting the wrong fuel in your car, buy a Fuel Angel misfuelling prevention device today.

Taken from here

POLICE officers in Hounslow have cost tax payers more than £5,000 since 2007 by putting the wrong type of fuel in patrol cars.

An FOI by The Chronicle can reveal that since 2007 there have been 14 filling station faux-pas by officers – and local residents are footing the repair bills.

Over the last three years, Hounslow police cars have guzzled 550,194 litres of fuel.

There are currently 41 police vehicles being operated by Hounslow Borough.

In 2007/08, of the 4,731 tanks filled, there were seven instances of the cars being wrongly fuelled costing a whopping £2,810 to fix.

This was followed by six incidents in 2008/09 of the 4,574 tanks filled, setting the force back by £2,095.

So far this year, just one car has been damaged by the mistake costing £295 to rectify.

The total bill comes in at £5,200.

The news has been met with outrage from The TaxPayers’ Alliance.

Chief executive, Matthew Elliott, said: “This is an unacceptable bill for taxpayers to be left with for what is an easily preventable mistake. If someone puts the wrong fuel in a police force car then they should pay for their mistake, not pass the cost on to the public.

“Most companies that have cars used by their staff simply put a sticker on the fuel-cap directing which fuel to use, this is a simple and effective way to reduce the number of mix ups and it’s hard to believe the MET haven’t done this.”

Steve Godbald, from Chris M Motor Co based Hounslow Gardens, said: “I would have thought the police would be more informed than that but they are jumping from car to car and you know how it is when your mind is wandering. It’s easily done, but I can’t say I have ever drained a police car.”

“We used to be situated in Brentford right next to a petrol garage and we used to get more of it then. It all depends on which way round it has been done and whether or not the car has been started. A lot of the garages didn’t stick to green and black and started using other colours and I think that has confused people.”

Police spokesman Manpreet Bains said: “Hounslow Police have taken a number of steps to reduce these incidents, these include regular reminder and training for staff and better labelling of fuel caps on vehicles.

“Due to the unique demand placed on us, Police operate a mixed fleet of vehicles. There were seven instances of incorrect fuelling in 2007/2008 and this was reduced to only one incident in 2009/2010. This represent 0.001% of visits during the year.”

Taken from Hanworth Chronicle

The number of celebrities putting petrol in their diesel car has risen over the past few months, below are examples of just two such incidents, why not prevent yourself from making the same mistake by investing in a fuel angel misfuelling prevention device.

WAYNE and COLEEN ROONEY had to be rescued from a motorway — after the soccer ace filled up with the wrong fuel.

The Manchester United striker was driving her supercharged Range Rover Sport V8 — but when they stopped to fill up, he forgot it took diesel.

Coleen, 22, failed to spot her hubby using the UNLEADED pump and nipped inside to pay.

The £90,000 4×4 came shuddering to a halt within minutes along the M62 during rush-hour in Cheshire.

Wayne parked on the hard-shoulder near Warrington and they waited for the car to be towed away.

The blunder leaves the England hitman facing a bill of up to £6,000.

A Range Rover engineer said: “Putting petrol in a highly-tuned diesel engine can be catastrophic. It can cause extensive damage and the engine can seize up.”

A motorist who witnessed the breakdown on Monday said: “The hazard lights were flashing on the car and Wayne was standing talking to a Highways Agency patrol driver. He looked pretty sheepish.”

The car-mad star, 23, bought the customised Overfinch Range Rover for Coleen at Christmas.

He keeps a £1million fleet of luxury motors — including a Lamborghini, Bentley and Aston Martin Vanquish.  (Taken from The Sun)

And another

For more information and a full description of the story please see

http://www.officialphillipschofield.com/2009/07/06/a-sunday-to-forget/

The story also made the news with the mirror writing the following:

Phillip Schofield’s car broke down yesterday after he filled it with unleaded petrol instead of diesel.

The TV star, 47, had to be rescued by the AA. He revealed his blunder on social website Twitter.

He said on the net:” Note to self, don’t put unleaded in a diesel, it REALLY screws up your Sunday!!!

“Just forgot which car I was in as I tried to decide whether I wanted wine gums or crisps. ARRR!”

He added: “Sitting in the sun as I wait for the AA to take me home.”

(source)

So why not prevent yourself from making the same mistake by investing in a fuel angel misfuelling prevention device.

New research has shown that 150,000 drivers are putting their car insurance premiums at risk every year in the UK by mis-fuelling their vehicles.

According to the British Insurance Brokers’ Association (Biba), putting the wrong fuel in a car can cost up to £5,000 to repair and nearly one-third (30 per cent) of insurers said that they would not pay out for mis-fuelling claims on their breakdown car cover plans.

Diesel drivers are reportedly most at risk of damaging their cars, with 95 per cent of the 150,000 cases last year being caused by people with diesel cars putting unleaded petrol into their vehicle due to the wider diesel filler neck and narrower unleaded nozzle.

In the event of mis-fuelling at home or abroad, Biba advises that drivers should not start the car to avoid further damage and should also notify their British insurance company immediately.

Biba insurance broker Michael Edwards said: “Mis-fuelling often occurs on a Monday morning and Friday evening when drivers are preoccupied thinking about the week ahead or rushing home for the weekend.”

Why not protect your self against putting petrol in your diesel car buy purchasing a Fuel Angel Misfuel Prevention Device

Article was taken from which 4 u

Taken from the Irish Times

Instances of motorists putting the wrong fuel into their car engines has increased as people switch to diesel cars to save money, AA Ireland has said.

AA Ireland has dealt with 200 incidents of drivers putting the wrong fuel into their engines this year. They were most likely to inject the wrong fuel while using a borrowed or rented car, an AA Ireland online survey of 7,000 people found.

Men were 5 per cent more likely to get the wrong fuel than women. The mistake can do thousands of euro worth of damage to the car. AA Ireland advises motorists who make this mistake not to start the engine.

Don’t let your self become part of these statistics, buy a fuel angel misfulleing prevention device now.

This story was taken from Insurance Daily

Complectus has launched a misfuelling insurance product for motor fleets operators, in a joint venture with AXA Assistance.

According to the claims management firm, around 150,000 UK drivers make the mistake of misfuelling every year and the new policy covers the cost of draining and flushing the fuel tank, plus replenishing it.

With the typical cost for draining and flushing alone in excess of £200, Complectus claims the cover can provide fleet operators with a cost effective way of managing their exposure to this risk.

“With modern engines running quieter, mixed fleets and with multi-car ownership, it’s easy to see how in a momentary lapse of concentration this happens” explains Complectus’ managing director, Peter Powell.

Policies are available on an annual basis, or at discounted rates for three years’ cover.

Earlier this year, Complectus and AXA Assistance launched a new end of lease insurance product to cover the costs of refurbishing a returned vehicle, within reasonable wear and tear standards.

Lease Guard has been designed specifically for leased vehicles where defects are the responsibility of the person hiring the vehicle.

A simpler and more cost effective way to prevent misfuelling would be to invest in a Fuel Angel Misfuelling Prevention Device, they are easy to fit, have no moving parts and prevent drivers from putting petrol in their diesel car and save you the time and effort of making an insurance claim.

If you would like to buy a misfuelling prevention device then please visit our shop, alternatively please contact us for fleet enquiries