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  #1  
Old 10-30-2015, 03:02 AM
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Unhappy BMW X5 Diesel Water Separator?

Long story short, I filled up my 2010 BMW X5 Diesel at gas station and went through the car wash forgetting closing my fuel cap. The car runs fine after the wash.

I am really worried. Is there a diesel water separator built in our SUVs? Please instruct me what my next step should be.

Thank you.
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  #2  
Old 10-30-2015, 06:14 AM
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I doubt much water was sprayed inside the tank as I assume you topped it of to begin with. The worst case scenario, you probably have one pint of water which is mixed with 20 gallons of fuel. That's something like 2% water 98% fuel. I would fill it up every day for a few days to cut down the overal percentage of water in the tank.
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Old 10-30-2015, 08:20 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by youry View Post
[ ... ] I would fill it up every day for a few days to cut down the overal percentage of water in the tank.
?? It is not a serial dilution problem. Diesel and water are immiscible. Once water is in the diesel fuel tank I don't believe that there is anyway to preferentially remove the water.

OPie, consult your favorite service adviser on the use of a drying agent. I used PS White in my VW TDI without issue for more than a decade. I have a couple of gallons of PS Red Diesel 911 primarily for my tractor.
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Last edited by Doug Huffman; 10-30-2015 at 09:16 AM. Reason: Emphasis for the hard of reading
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Old 10-30-2015, 08:41 AM
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Originally Posted by Doug Huffman View Post
?? It is not a serial dilution problem. Diesel and water are immiscible. Once water is in the diesel fuel tank I don't believe that there is anyway to preferentially remove the water.

OPie, consult your favorite service adviser on the use of a drying agent. I used PS White in my VW TDI without issue for more than a decade. I have a couple of gallons of PS Red Diesel 911 primarily for my tractor.
What I meant to say is to add a couple gallons every day (or whatever he uses on his daily routine) to cut down the percentage of water from 2% to almost no water.
I remember back in the days, in the eastern part of Europe, gas owners would add 10-15% water in the main gas stations' tanks to rip off people. At that time I had a 318Diesel that was used with water in the tank and never ran into a problem. And I'm talking years of running on diesel fuel mixed with water.
Seriously, how much water can he get in the tank, at a power wash considering that he already top it off? Better yet OP, ask your dealer but I guess you'll get the same answer.
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Old 10-30-2015, 08:43 AM
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Didn't your check engine light turn on?
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Old 10-30-2015, 09:13 AM
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Am not familiar with the fuel filler orifice on a diesel, but on my E53 it has a round moveable flap/portal that needs to be pushed back/down in by the gas pump handle filler tube...the flap on mine isn't liquid tight, but it isn't like a gaping hole down into the tank, either.

OP may have got away with one. I would drive it and see how it runs, and no CEL is a good thing. The topping up idea is pretty good to, logically.
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Old 10-30-2015, 09:19 AM
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Originally Posted by youry View Post
[ ... ] diesel fuel mixed with water. [ ... ]
Sorry, I did not know that American English is not your preferred language.

Immiscible means UN-MIXABLE
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/immiscible
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Old 10-30-2015, 09:52 AM
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Originally Posted by motordavid View Post
Am not familiar with the fuel filler orifice on a diesel, but on my E53 it has a round moveable flap/portal that needs to be pushed back/down in by the gas pump handle filler tube...the flap on mine isn't liquid tight, but it isn't like a gaping hole down into the tank, either.

OP may have got away with one. I would drive it and see how it runs, and no CEL is a good thing. The topping up idea is pretty good to, logically.
GL, mD
Haven't heard back from OP, so I'm assuming that the X didn't go through it's cycle and find the fault, therefore the CEL stayed off...I agree, I would also want to drive to see how long it takes for the CEL to turn on...
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Old 10-30-2015, 10:27 AM
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Originally Posted by Pierce330 View Post
Haven't heard back from OP, so I'm assuming that the X didn't go through it's cycle and find the fault, therefore the CEL stayed off...I agree, I would also want to drive to see how long it takes for the CEL to turn on...
What CEL, and its cause, would you expect?

Diesels do not pressurize the fuel tank as gasoline tanks for evaporative emissions control.

I do not recall an error/alarm for an open filler door.
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Old 10-30-2015, 10:31 AM
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Ok, that is what I was not sure of. I have little experience with diesel motors and systems
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