Audi is taking action to stop drivers mis-fuelling their cars, potentially saving thousands on repair bills and reducing lost working hours.
It is introducing a new neck filler design on 2011 model year A4, A5 and Q5 TDI diesel models which prevents a driver from filling the vehicle with petrol. The vehicles are available to order now.
Mis-fuelling incidents affect around 100,000 drivers a year, and the cost to rectify the problem varies hugely.
If the driver recognises he or she has put the wrong fuel in the tank and hasn't turned the engine on, the solution is quick and relatively inexpensive. It involves draining the tank and flushing it through. This can be done by mobile technicians and costs around £100.
However, if the driver starts the engine after putting the wrong fuel in, the costs are much more, with some bills hitting the £7,000 mark once all the engine internals and catalytic converter parts have been cleaned or replaced.
With the new system, the 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 thinner petrol nozzle will not make contact with the pressure points, so will not be able to open the internal flap.
Audi will be rolling out the technology to other diesel models in its line up 'in the near future'.