AdBlue in a Diesel Tank: Mobile AdBlue Removal
If AdBlue has gone into your diesel tank, don't turn the key, not even to move the car. Turning the ignition on draws AdBlue towards the pump and the injectors. With the engine off, it is still in the tank, and we come out and drain it where the car is.
What AdBlue does in a diesel tank
AdBlue is mostly water with urea dissolved in it. It is not a fuel, and it belongs in its own tank, where some diesel cars use it to clean up their exhaust.
In the diesel tank it does not burn and it does not lubricate, so the high-pressure pump runs dry on it. It does not mix with diesel either. It sinks to the bottom of the tank, which is where the pump draws from, so even a small amount is drawn into the fuel line. As the water evaporates, the urea crystallises hard in the lines, the filter and the injectors, and it is corrosive to the metals in the fuel system.
On a lot of vehicles the AdBlue and diesel fillers sit side by side under the same flap, which is how AdBlue ends up in the wrong tank. The AdBlue cap is usually blue and takes a much smaller nozzle.
AdBlue in the diesel tank: what to do now
- Don't turn the key, not even to move the car.
- Don't top up with diesel over it.
- Note how much went in, and whether the engine has run at all.
- If it has run, stop the engine and don't restart it.
- Call 0333 366 0103, and check your insurance policy for misfuelling cover while you wait.
AdBlue removal: what happens when we come out
An AdBlue drain starts on the phone. We ask what went in, whether the engine has run and where you are, and you get the price before anyone sets off. When we arrive we check how far it has gone, drain the tank, flush the lines and the filter, refill with clean diesel and test the car. In some cases the fuel filter needs replacing after the flush, and we do that there too.
If the engine has not run, most jobs take about half an hour once we are there. The work is done at the roadside, on a forecourt, in a yard or depot, or outside your house, with explosion-proof pumps that are safe on a working forecourt and quiet enough to use outside a house at night.
Paying, and the paperwork
You pay on the day, by card or over the phone, with nothing upfront. You get a VAT invoice and an engineer report afterwards, which is what insurers ask for.
AdBlue in a diesel near you
Each town we have a page for has its own AdBlue in a diesel page. The counties are listed at the foot of this page, and each one leads to its towns. If yours is not listed, ring anyway.
Questions about AdBlue in the diesel tank
What if I put diesel in the AdBlue tank instead?
The first answer is the same: don't turn the key. The dash will warn, and most vehicles drop into limp mode if they are run like that. Tell us which way round it happened when you ring.
Is this the same as removing the AdBlue system?
No. This is taking AdBlue out of the diesel tank after it has gone in the wrong filler. It is not removing or switching off the AdBlue system on the car.
Will my car be all right?
It is very likely to be. Lasting damage is rare when the car is stopped soon and the fuel system is drained and cleaned, and that is what we do where you are.