Apparently every 3 seconds someone puts petrol in a diesel car - I have a solution (I think)?

Question

According to the BBC, every 3 seconds someone puts petrol into a diesel car. The costs to fix can range into hundreds of pounds - as well as a great deal of embarrassment!
Whilst the diesel pump nozzle is too big to go into the petrol hole on a car, the petrol nozzle can easily go into the diesel hole.
I had an idea for a simple, cheap attachment that might solve the problem. I think it can be easily made for different cars and cost pennies.
Think it could work? If so, then how do I get it made/sold/etc.?

Here is the idea:
http://glasgowscripts.users46.webfusion.co.uk/nopetrolindiesel.gif

I should have explained. It screws on to the car and the fuel cap screws onto it. It doesn't attached to the pump.
Oh, and yes - the simplest answer is 'put the right fuel in' but it seems not everyone pays attention...

Answer 1

Sounds and looks like a great idea. Shell looked at the problem some time ago and came up with the idea of using a square filler for petrol and a triangle shaped filler for diesel. There problem was what you do with the cars that are all ready out there.
If I was you try to find a local plastic injection firm and see if they can make some proto types for you. If they can try approaching some body like JML to see the level of intrest.

Answer 2

i don't see how you hvae got around the idea because lets say if the part breaks ok you could have a light or something to go one warning the driver, that they are putting diesel in. However for a diesil car the part would have to have a bigger opening to let the bigger diesel nossle through right? So the smaller petrol nossle can still fit into the diesel car part. Correct me if i am wrong please. I have never made this mistake but we need a simple idea such as a different shape nossle. so it fits like a key inside of the car. Only one nossle type ie petrol can fit into a petrol car and diesel into a diesel car. But its good that you are trying.

Answer 3

i would have thought the OEM's would have the fuel filler on one side of the car for petrol and the other for diesel by now, there's no standard to follow and now there's enough diesels on the road, no excuses, they could have sorted it out long ago and haven't, now i have a diesel A3 i'd better not be the 1 every 3 minutes now, boy would that be embarassing.
if you have a solution you could start a patent for it, do a search first to see if anyone else has got there first, then tout it on the internet, must be a lot of small businesses out there would start a partnership with you if it's good enough

Answer 4

Who are you going to sell it to? Petrol stations or the public? Or car manufacturers? Would you have to convince all the petrol stations to attach one to their diesel pumps? I don't really understand your concept, forgive me if I'm being stupid.

Edit : you want everyone to drive round with a big attachment hanging off their car? I don't think many people would be into it from an aesthetic point of view. Plus couldn't people get in and siphon off your fuel? Maybe I'm still being stupid....

Answer 5

how about a big neon day glow orange sign on the side of the car with 6 inch high letters that says diesel fuel only right by the gas tank door

Answer 6

I would like to think that if one buys a diesel car, then one would pay enough attention at the pump to put diesel in it, and the same goes for gasoline.

"You can't fix stupid"

Answer 7

seems like a decent idea, talk to someone about putting a patent on it and go for it, I think it would be something that the auto industry might be interested in to make standard on their diesel vehicles.

Answer 8

Easiest way is to use the right fuel in the first place!

Answer 9

when i open my cap it has a clear sticker saying diesel on it so most cars must have it

Answer 10

Good clear drawing, easy to understand!
But as Hiten says, different shapes...square hole, round peg ring a bell? :)
Mike.