As more and more people are considering diesel fuelled cars as an alternative to their existing petrol cars Summit feels it is timely to identify a major issue that is starting to occur in the motor vehicle service and repair areas nationally.

The technology now available in diesel powered cars has come a long way in Australia in the past 5 years. Many new diesel cars now meet stringent European guidelines in relation to their Co2 outputs and fuel economy.

These technological improvements have now provided our customers with viable alternatives when considering fuel running costs and the environmental impact in running a fleet of motor vehicles.

With most diesel engines now running a lot quieter than previous engines it makes it very easy for "misfuelling" to occur at the time of refuelling the motor vehicle.

Misfuelling occurs when the driver inadvertently fills the car with the wrong type of fuel - ie petrol in a diesel car or vica-versa.

The cost to repair the damage to a car's engine and fuel system caused by misfuelling can be significant depending on the make of the vehicle and how far it has been driven with the wrong fuel.

These repair costs are not considered a part of a fully maintained lease and the costs of the repair would be charged back to our customers for payment. In some instances Summit is aware of repair bills up to $5,000 incurred to repair the damage caused by misfuelling.

Another issue associated with misfuelling is that at this point in time there is no consistency amongst the petrol station outlets in the colour coding or branding of their fuel lines nationally. This also can be quite confusing to people who have been used to only using petrol only pumps for refuelling in the past.

As such Summit recommends to all our customers that if you are considering switching to diesel powered vehicles that you undertake a training program to familiarise your staff with the implications of misfuelling and the financial costs associated with it. Summit, of course, would be more than happy to assist in any driver training / educational programs required.