AdBlue in the Diesel Tank in Cockfield, and What to Do Next
One thing counts above all when AdBlue is in a diesel tank, and that is whether your engine has been started since. If it has not, keep it that way, whether the car is around Cockfield itself or out in Raby. Usually this means draining and thoroughly rinsing it right there in Cockfield — so keep the ignition and motor off then call 0333 366 0103. Already run? Stop when safe, then turn it off. It is a bigger job, yet step one does not change.
Compare your case to one of the ones below, anywhere across Durham you are.
On a Cockfield forecourt with AdBlue in a diesel
Imagine it: stood by the pump, holding the bottle, you realise the cap you took off wasn't the correct one. It could be the the nearest petrol station, or the Simpson Fuels, or another station around Cockfield.
The upshot: of all places to notice, this is the best. The AdBlue is in your tank and nowhere else. Nothing has sucked it in.
Next: avoid the urge to fire it up just to free up the pump. Get the attendants to lend a hand rolling it into a bay, hold on to the bottle, then phone us right there. If it cannot be moved, it can be emptied at the pump: the equipment is explosion-proof and fine on a busy forecourt.
Cockfield, at home: AdBlue in the diesel tank
The warning light had been on for days. Picked up a bottle, tipped it in outside the house, recycled the empty — and only then looked at the cap again, after the fact. Driveways close to Staindrop Road get it as much as any other street.
What it means: if you have not driven since, this is nearly as good as the forecourt. Diesel and AdBlue stay apart: the AdBlue drops to the floor of that tank and stays put, however long it waits.
What to do: leave the keys inside the house so no one moves the vehicle in the morning. Then ring. Our engineers drain it on your driveway, whether that's around Cockfield or out in Esperley Lane Ends. The equipment runs quiet enough not to disturb the neighbours at night.
Drove off with AdBlue in a diesel in Cockfield?
Rough running, smoke, falling power or a lit dashboard started a mile or two beyond the fill. Somewhere on Front Street or heading towards Durham — under 15 miles away.
The point: the system has pulled AdBlue through by now. Distance decides how deep it gets: filter and lines to begin with, then the injection pump and every injector. More miles, more starts: deeper it travels.
Pull in somewhere safe — that's the first step — then turn everything off. Service stations farther on can wait: from the A1(M), under 10 miles out of Cockfield, take the first junction. It won't have cleared, so there is no point restarting to check. Let us hear the mileage driven as you ring.
AdBlue in the wrong tank: hire, lease and company cars
You've had this vehicle hardly a week. The AdBlue filler is right next to the diesel filler, which you did not know, because your own vehicle either has no AdBlue or keeps it somewhere else. Across Durham, no one is immune.
What it means: the same as the scenarios above, depending on whether it's run, with one more stage. Any work on the car often requires the owner's approval under rental or fleet agreements.
Settling it before we arrives is quicker, so phone the hire company or your fleet manager, and then us. If you're stuck in the car park outside Bishop Auckland, or by Cockfield Community Centre, whilst you wait for an answer, leave your car off.
AdBlue in your diesel tank? Not sure, in Cockfield
"I think so" is often the most honest answer there is. A slight ammonia-like smell lingers around your filler, the bottle feels too light, and the cap you took off is a blur. Possibly it happened in a hurry at the school gates at Cockfield Primary School, or on a friend's drive in Butterknowle.
In short: a spill round the filler leaves your motor no harm. The diesel tank with AdBlue in it is another matter. Turning on your car cannot tell you which, and if there is AdBlue in that tank it will suck it in.
Next: assume it went in, then keep the engine off. Tell us what you noticed on the phone. A clear tank checked counts as a happier outcome than an already-run one emptied.
Every AdBlue drain around Cockfield shares these stages
Whichever scenario you are in, this job starts the same way. Our engineers come to the car, whether it's on a forecourt, a drive, the car park outside Queen's Head or a side street near Cockfield War Memorial, and ask three things: what went in, about how much, and if the engine has run. Those answers settle this work, and you hear our quote by phone, before anybody sets off.
A thorough flush follows the drain. With petrol it's routine; with AdBlue it's essential, because crystals form and certain metals corrode, and neither washes away unaided. Clean diesel goes in once your filter has been cleaned or replaced, and the car is then tested. Not started? In that case about half an hour once we are there is most jobs.
Finally, we fire it up. With fresh diesel in, it runs while our engineers check it's running properly, and then we leave. Our technicians do the entire job where the car is, and lasting damage is very rare if it has been noticed early. For your insurer: an engineer's report and the VAT invoice. For you: payment on the day, no money upfront. Many insurance policies include misfuelling cover, so it's worth checking yours whilst we are on the way.
About Cockfield
Cockfield is a village in County Durham, situated on the riverside at an elevation of 214 metres, with terraced housing being the predominant type of accommodation. Cockfield lies approximately 14.5 miles from the city of Durham and 225.6 miles from London, making it a rural community with a strong sense of local identity. Cockfield is surrounded by nearby places such as Esperley Lane Ends, Low Lands, and High Lands, which are all part of the wider rural landscape. Cockfield has a population of around 1507 people, according to recent estimates.
AdBlue drains across Durham, Cockfield included
Low Lands and High Lands get the identical teams as Cockfield, a village, plus other towns over DL postcodes. The location is quickest from a postcode that starts DL13 5.
No moving is required, be it parked in the centre of Cockfield or on a lay-by heading to Cockfield Glebe Memorial Garden, so keep it put. Draining is done right there. Guessing won't help near Cockfield Lipscomb Hall, on a county line or somewhere awkward to pin down; ring and check.
The one-line version
Not run yet: keep it off then ring. Run already: pull over, switch down, phone 0333 366 0103. Petrol in Diesel takes over the rest, in Cockfield or anywhere in Durham.