Graham Hill’s Gadget Prevents Miss-fuelling
Sunday, 6. November 2011
My gadget of the week is the latest solution to an old problem. It’s a fuel cap that prevents you from misfuelling a diesel car with petrol. The clever gadget replaces the standard filler cap and prevents the narrower petrol nozzle from entering the tank. The unit, called the Diesel Head is easy to fit, simply unscrew the factory fitted unit and place the Diesel Head over the filler neck then fasten by tightening 3 screws. Some earlier models didn’t work if you had a filler flap but this one does. The cap works on a system of spring loaded clips.
When the widest points of the fuel nozzle touch the first two spring loaded clips (opposite each other), the other two open up allowing you to fuel the car. Once fuelling has been completed, remove the nozzle and the clips spring shut.
The unit isn’t cheap at £34.99 (standard) or £39.99 (lockable) but the cost of repairs can run into thousands of pounds and many insurers will not cover misfuelling now. By Graham Hill
