Diesel and Gas issue - anybody know

[Northeaster]

Went to a local gas station in Liberty City on Sunday.
Filled my truck with unleaded gas from the pump.
Re-swiped my credit card and filled 3 tanks (5gal each) with diesel - from the same pump but a different (green, larger stem) nozzle.

Got home and dumped 5 gal in my diesel tractor. Used another 5 gal to light a brush pile fire. Took the last 5 gal and poured about a gallon on another pile and whoosh! I realized it was gasoline (seems like pure gasoline). Nearly singed off my eyebrows..

There was nothing in any of the tanks when I started. I have 2 separate receipts and one clearly shows diesel. I'm going to stop by the gas station today...

2 questions....
1. Anyone know how gas tanks/pumps work. is there a way this pump could've mixed my diesel with gas. Or could the station have put gas in the diesel storage tank?

2. If I put 5gals of unleaded in my tractor with about 10-15 gals of diesel - what can happen. I used it for about an hour before I realized that the last tank was gasoline - and I'm not sure if the 5gal I put in was gas, diesel or some mixture. It seemed to run OK. I guess I'll just top it off with diesel and hope if there's any gasoline it's diluted? Is there any chance they'll stratify and one will float on top of the other? I guess I probably need to drain the tank at this point.

[BrianL]

I bet you switched the cans. Shouldn't do any harm to your tractor, but I would drain the rest of it out of your tank. Your injectors will be much cleaner now.

[SirWraithe]

I bet you switched the cans. Shouldn't do any harm to your tractor, but I would drain the rest of it out of your tank. Your injectors will be much cleaner now.

agree

[tkuehn5410]

I'd get a couple more cans of diesel and just keep topping off the tank until you get it out of there.

[Swooshski]

Were you talking on the cell or texting while filling the cans? Just wondering ...

Drain your tractor tank and refill with diesel. Use the removed stuff for fires, tool cleaning, fire ants etc since you don't know what it's actual mix is.

[Atfulldraw]

Sounds like all three were filled from the diesel, right?

And drain the tank....

I bet the underground got gas put in it...happens more than you think.

Even so, it will be a mix of diesel and gas

[BrianL]

After reading your post again, I don't think the diesel is switched at the pump, it is really two pumps in one. They could have dumped a load of unleaded in the diesel tank. If so, there will be a lot of diesels going to the shop. They will start running bad, but usually no harm unless someone keeps running them. Happens fairly often from someone not used to driving diesels. If you put diesel in a gasser, get ready to put a new motor in.
About the only way to know for sure is to send the fuel off to be tested, and that isn't cheap.

[John Galt]

The first can went in the tractor. Does it smell like gasoline? Can you get a little out to see how easily it lights? If it lights very easily, then you'll know that somehow gasoline got in there.

The second can went for burning brush. How did it light? If it was normal diesel it won't go "whoosh". AND you'll know that not all the cans had gasoline and therefore was not mixed in the stations tank or at the pump.

The third can sounds like it definitely had some gasoline mixed in it. How does it smell? Also note that it doesn't take a whole lot of gasoline to serioulsy depress the flash point of diesel.

I suspect but don't know that the third can had some residual gasoline in it. If you can check the above, you'll know.

If you can get a sample to me I can check it for you.