Most standard policies treat misfuelling as driver error.
We give you an itemised invoice, in case you do claim.
Often the drain costs less than your insurance excess.
One call and we handle the car. Most wrong fuel jobs are done in under two hours, start to finish.
Tell us your vehicle type and where you are.
Quick ETA confirmation, usually within the hour.
Drain, flush the lines, refill with the right fuel.
Running cleanly, report emailed, you drive away.
The short version, then the detail worth knowing before you claim.
Here is the short version. Most standard comprehensive car insurance treats putting the wrong fuel in as driver error, not an accident, so plenty of policies simply do not cover it. Some do, either as accidental damage or a specific misfuelling benefit. The only way to know for sure is to read your policy's product disclosure statement, or ring your insurer and ask.
Even when it is covered, there is usually an excess to pay, and on most policies that excess is around the same as a straightforward drain, sometimes more. A claim can also affect your no claim rating next year. So for a simple wrong fuel drain, a lot of people are better off just paying for the job and skipping the claim altogether.
Roadside cover like RAA is a bit different. It generally will not drain your tank, but depending on your membership it may tow you home or to a workshop. If you would rather go that way, get towed home and we will come and do the drain and flush there, no problem. Either way, the car gets sorted.
The one thing worth knowing: the big bills come from driving on the wrong fuel, not from it sitting in the tank, and that damage is the hardest of all to get an insurer to pay for. Draining it early, before you drive, is the cheap and certain path. Whatever you decide on the insurance side, sort the car first. See our petrol in a diesel and diesel in a petrol pages for the mechanical detail.
We get asked about insurance on a fair few jobs, usually while we are draining the tank. The honest answer we give is the same every time: check your policy, but do not hold the car hostage waiting on it. Most standard cover treats wrong fuel as driver error, so plenty of people find it is not covered anyway.
If your policy does cover it, good. We give you a proper itemised invoice with our EPA licence, the service and the time on site, which is exactly what an insurer asks for. Keep it, lodge it, and see what they say. But we will have you back on the road long before the claim is sorted.
The thing we always point out: the excess on most policies is about what the drain costs anyway, sometimes more, and claiming can nudge your premium next year. For a straightforward job, a lot of our customers just pay for the drain and move on. Your call, we give you the invoice either way.
And if you would sooner not deal with any of it at the roadside, some roadside memberships will tow you home. Get the car back to your place, ring us, and we will do the whole drain and flush in your driveway. Wrong fuel in? Call (08) 7083 9699 and we will sort the car, you can sort the paperwork after.
Straight answers about wrong fuel and insurance. If yours is not here, call and ask.
Often not. Most standard comprehensive policies treat misfuelling as driver error rather than an accident, so it is commonly excluded. Some policies do cover it, as accidental damage or a specific misfuelling benefit. The only way to be sure is to check your product disclosure statement or ring your insurer and ask. Whatever the answer, do not wait on it before you get the car drained.
It depends entirely on the policy. Some comprehensive policies include wrong fuel or accidental damage cover, many exclude driver error like putting in the wrong fuel. There is no single answer across insurers, so read your PDS or call and ask them directly. We cannot tell you what your policy says, but we can get the car sorted while you find out.
For a straightforward wrong fuel drain, a lot of people are better off just paying for the job. The excess on most policies is around the same as a drain, sometimes more, and a claim can affect your no claim rating next year. If the car has been driven and there is bigger damage, that is when a claim may be worth looking at. We give you an itemised invoice either way.
Roadside cover like RAA generally will not drain your tank, but depending on your membership it may tow you home or to a workshop. If that suits you better, get towed home and we will come and do the drain and flush in your driveway. Check your membership for what your tier includes.
Yes. Every job comes with an itemised tax invoice showing the service, the time on site and our EPA Licence 52359. That is the paperwork an insurer asks for if you do decide to claim. Keep it on file whether you lodge it or not.
Damage from driving on the wrong fuel is the hardest thing to get an insurer to pay for, since it usually traces back to driver error. It varies by policy, so ask your insurer. The takeaway for next time: the big bills come from driving on wrong fuel, so draining it early, before you drive, is the cheap and certain path. Stop driving and call us.
In a rental it is almost always the driver's responsibility under the hire agreement, and the depot will charge their own callout and draining fee if you hand it back misfuelled, usually more than we charge. Getting it drained before you return the car is normally cheaper. See our Adelaide Airport hire car page for the detail.
Don't start the car, and call us before you drive. A mobile drain from $400 is almost always cheaper than the alternatives: a tow plus workshop time, or the repair bill if you run the engine on the wrong fuel. No fix no fee, no card surcharge, and you get an invoice for your insurer if you want one.