What happens to a car if you accidentally put diesel engine oil in a gasoline engine?

Whether you do it yourself or have a mechanic change your engine oil, mistakes and errors can happen. Unfortunately, using the wrong type of engine oil, such as diesel engine oil in a gasoline engine or vice versa, can cause long-term damage to your vehicle.

During operation, cars need oil to lubricate and help engine parts operate smoothly. This is why when changing engine oil, users are always advised to add enough oil according to the manufacturer's requirements. So the question is, can gasoline and diesel engine oil be used together?

Mr. Nguyen Thanh Tam, owner of Thanh Tam auto garage in Bo De ward (Long Bien district, Hanoi) said: "In terms of technical factors, the lubrication capacity of these two types of engines is the same, so it is possible to use the same type of engine oil suitable for both diesel and gasoline engines."

"However, the structure and operating principles of diesel engines and gasoline engines are different. Therefore, to make the engine work better and more efficiently, using the right type of engine oil for each type of engine is very important," Mr. Tam emphasized.

Lubricant manufacturers have had to design each type of oil with different grade and viscosity standards.

When you use the wrong type of engine oil, it may not provide enough lubrication for your car’s engine. This means that friction between the engine’s internal parts will still occur, causing wear and tear on the parts. Some signs that you may notice include increased fuel consumption, a burning smell, and the car’s performance will not be as smooth as before.

Mr. Tam added that in some cases, if the wrong oil is poured in, not knowing and used for a long time, the engine may experience the phenomenon of stripping the crankshaft or also known as stripping the connecting rod. This phenomenon will be accompanied by the phenomenon of bearing binding, when the vehicle encounters the phenomenon of stripping the crankshaft, the entire engine will have to be redone, which is very costly.

One of the reasons for this phenomenon is that users use non-standard lubricants or poor quality oils.

Therefore, to avoid unwanted consequences for the car engine and costly repairs, if you notice the above signs or suspect that the car is using the wrong type of engine oil, take the car to a repair shop for inspection as soon as possible. Changing the new type of oil suitable for the car may cost a little more but still save you a lot more.