What Now? AdBlue in the Diesel Tank in Branksome Park
One fact matters above all when AdBlue is in a diesel tank, and that is if the motor has run afterwards. If it has not, keep it that way, whether the car is in Branksome Park itself or out in Branksome. Normally this means emptying and properly flushing it on the spot around Branksome Park — and so keep the ignition and engine off then call 0333 366 0103. If it's run, stop as soon as it is safe and switch off. A larger job, then, but the same opening step.
Anywhere around Dorset it took place, one of the cases below fits yours.
On a Branksome Park forecourt with AdBlue in a diesel
The cap you unscrewed was the wrong one — and you only spot it as you are stood at the petrol pump, bottle or the nozzle in hand. Whether Tesco, Shell or anywhere else around Branksome Park, the case is identical.
Meaning? Spotting it on the forecourt is as good as it gets. Still in your tank, with nothing drawn through: that's where the AdBlue is.
Next: resist the temptation to fire it up just to free up the petrol pump. Phone us from the forecourt once your vehicle is in a bay — the attendants will lend a hand to push it — and keep the receipt. Draining it there at the pump is fine if it can't be moved, since the equipment is explosion-proof.
AdBlue in the diesel tank on a Branksome Park drive?
The warning light had been on for days. A bottle bought at the shop, emptied in at the driveway — and it was just by the recycling that the cap got your eye. Homes just off Mornish Road are caught out as much as everywhere else.
The upshot: no miles since makes this nearly equal to finding it at the petrol pump. Diesel and AdBlue stay separate: the AdBlue drops to the floor of that tank and stays there, no matter how long it waits.
What to do: leave the keys inside the house so no one moves the car in the morning. Then call. Our engineers drain the car on your driveway, whether that's in Branksome Park or out in Alum Chine. Even at night, our pumps stay quiet enough for a driveway.
Drove off with AdBlue in a diesel in Branksome Park?
A mile or two beyond topping up, your engine began playing up: roughness, smoke, less power, lights on the dash. Perhaps it was on Tower Road West, maybe on the way out towards Salisbury, under 50 miles away.
What it means: the fuel system has sucked the AdBlue in. The injection pump and each injector see it as well on a bigger trip, once the filter and pipework have had it. More driving, more restarts: further it goes.
Next: find a safe spot, pull in, and switch the engine off. Branksome Park lies under 25 miles from the M27; there, pull off at the first junction rather than pressing on to the services. No test restarts: clearing is not something AdBlue will do. About how far had it gone? Say so when you call.
AdBlue in the wrong tank: hire, lease and company vehicles
It's a car you have had for a week. On your own vehicle, AdBlue is missing or somewhere else. On this one, the cap is right by your diesel cap — a surprise to you. Anywhere you happen to be around Dorset, any motorist can slip up.
Meaning? Whichever applies above counts too — run or not — plus one extra step. The owner often needs to sign off any work, under many rental and company agreements.
Your move: rental firm or fleet manager first, us next, because sorting it beforehand cuts time. Leave the car switched off while the reply comes, whether you are waiting at Branksome or near All Saints Branksome Park.
AdBlue in the diesel tank? Not sure, in Branksome Park
At times the fair answer is "I think so". A faint ammonia-like smell hangs near the filler, the bottle seems too light, and which cap came off is a blur. The gates of Lilliput Church of England Infant School in a rush, perhaps, or a friend's drive out in West Cliff.
The point: your motor isn't hurt by a little AdBlue spilled on the outside. A diesel tank with AdBlue inside is a different matter. You can't tell which by turning the key, and doing so will pull in any AdBlue that is in your tank.
Do this: act as though it did, and don't start the motor. Ring us and explain what you saw; we'd rather check a tank that turns out clean than drain one that has already been run.
What each AdBlue drain in Branksome Park has in common
Whichever situation you are in, the job starts the same way. Wherever the car stands — The Libertine's car park, a road beside Site of R L Stevenson's house, a drive, a forecourt — the van arrives and we ask for the fluid, the quantity, and if your engine has been run. Your price is given over the phone, ahead of anyone setting off, and the replies set the work.
AdBlue crystallises and eats at some metals in fuel systems, and so it won't rinse out on its own; that's why the flush, after this drain, counts far more with AdBlue than with petrol. Clean diesel is put in once your filter has been cleaned or changed, and your car is then tested. If the engine has not run, the majority of jobs take about half an hour once we are there.
Finally, we start the engine. We make sure it runs smoothly on fresh diesel before we go. The entire job is done where the vehicle is, and when it is spotted soon, lasting damage is very unusual. You pay on the day, with nothing upfront, and get a VAT invoice and an engineer report for your insurer. Many insurance policies include misfuelling, and so check yours while the van travels.
About Branksome Park, for a moment
Branksome Park is a suburban area located on the south coast of England, in Dorset, with a mix of detached housing and scenic views. Branksome Park sits near the coast, at an elevation of 32 metres, and is close to nearby places such as Alum Chine and Canford Cliffs. Branksome Park is also near the larger suburb of Westbourne, and is within commuting distance of Salisbury, which is 25 miles away. Branksome Park has a population of around 2814 people, living in predominantly detached homes.
AdBlue drains in Branksome Park, and across Dorset too
Throughout BH postcodes, the teams serving Branksome Park — a residential suburb — work surrounding towns as well, Canford Cliffs and Westbourne among them. A postcode starting BH13 7 is the quickest way to tell us where you are.
Whether the vehicle is on a lay-by on the way to Branksome Park Woods or in a car park in the middle of Branksome Park, it does not need to shift. Our technicians drain the car where it stands. Ring and check rather than guess when you're close to Christ Church, on a border, or somewhere awkward to explain.
The one-line version
Motor not started: ring, leaving it switched off. Run by now: pull over, power down, phone 0333 366 0103. Petrol in Diesel takes over the rest, in Branksome Park or anywhere across Dorset.