What Now? AdBlue in the Diesel Tank in Dartington
Has your motor run since the AdBlue went in? That one question settles nearly everything about what comes next. Not run yet? Then keep it like that, whether the vehicle sits — Dartington or Swallowfields. Ring 0333 366 0103 with the key and engine both off. In Dartington, such a case is generally drained and flushed where it stands. If it's run, stop as soon as it is safe then switch off. A larger job, then, but the identical opening move.
Below: the situations our technicians see, anywhere across Devon. Pick the one that fits.
AdBlue in a diesel on a Dartington forecourt
You're at the pump, the nozzle or the bottle still in your hand, and you have just noticed the cap you opened was the wrong one. It could be the Texaco, or the Morrisons, or another station around Dartington.
Meaning? Spotting it on the forecourt is as good as it gets. Still in your tank, with nothing pulled through: that is where the AdBlue sits.
What to do: do not get back in and crank it to clear the pump. Ring us from the forecourt after your vehicle sits in a space — the staff will help push it — and save the bottle. Draining it there at the pump is possible when it can't be shifted, because the equipment is explosion-proof.
At home around Dartington with AdBlue in your diesel tank
For days the dash had been nagging you. Picked up a bottle, tipped it in at home, binned the empty — and only then checked the cap again, after the fact. It takes place on drives just off Vineyard Hill as often as anywhere.
The upshot: zero miles since makes this almost as good to spotting it at the pump. AdBlue doesn't mix with diesel; it sinks to the bottom of the tank and waits there. Overnight does not change that.
What to do: leave the keys inside the house so no one moves the vehicle in the morning. Then call. Cott or Dartington: whichever your driveway is, that is where it is cleared. The pumps are quiet enough to use outside a house after dark.
AdBlue in a diesel and already driving around Dartington?
Lumpy running, smoke, lost power or a glowing dashboard arrived a short way after the fill. Somewhere on Cott Lane or else heading to Plymouth — under 25 miles away.
The point: your system has drawn AdBlue through already. The high-pressure pump and each injector get it too on a bigger trip, after your filter and lines have it. It goes deeper with each extra mile driven and every restart.
Next: find a safe spot, pull in, then switch the motor off. Dartington sits under 25 miles from the M5; there, pull off at the next junction rather than pressing on to the services. No test starts: clearing is not something AdBlue does. Ring us and say how far you travelled.
A hire or company car with AdBlue in the wrong tank?
Seven days back, it was new to you. Your own car either does without AdBlue or puts it elsewhere, so no one warned you the AdBlue cap sits right next to the diesel. Across Devon, no one is safe from it.
The upshot: just as above, divided by whether it ran, only with an added stage. Many hire and company contracts want the owner to approve work on the car.
Sorting it before the van turn up is quicker, and so phone the rental company or your fleet manager, then us. Keep the car off while the reply comes, whether you're parked at Totnes or near Dartington Cider Press.
Unsure about AdBlue in the diesel tank around Dartington?
Honestly, the best answer might be that you think it did. Lighter, the bottle; a hint of ammonia near your filler; no clear recollection of which cap. Sound familiar? Possibly it happened in a hurry at the school gates at Dartington Church of England Academy, or on a friend's drive in Shinners Bridge.
The upshot: your engine is not harmed by a little AdBlue spilled on the outside. AdBlue inside your diesel tank does. You can't tell which by turning the ignition, and doing so would pull in any AdBlue that is in the tank.
Take it that it was put in, and never turn your key. Ring with what you saw: we would rather confirm a clean tank than empty one after your engine has been run.
Dartington: what every AdBlue drain has in common
No matter the situation, one opening is used. Anywhere the car is — The Cott Inn's car park, a street by Follaton Village Hall, a driveway, a forecourt — the van gets there and we ask about the liquid, the amount, plus whether the motor has been run. Replies shape the job; the price comes on the call whilst no one has left yet.
A thorough flush comes after the drain. With petrol it is standard; with AdBlue it is essential, because deposits build up and some metals are attacked, and none of that rinses away unaided. Then comes the filter — flushed, or replaced where necessary — then fresh diesel, and a test of your car. Where your motor has not run, allow roughly half an hour on site, in most jobs.
The last step is firing it up. With fresh diesel in, it runs while our engineers make sure it is running smoothly, and then we go. We do the entire job where the vehicle is, and long-term damage is very uncommon if it has been spotted quickly. Paying is that day, never upfront. For your insurer, you get a VAT invoice and a written report from the engineer. Plenty of insurance policies include misfuelling cover, so it's worth checking yours while we're on the way.
About Dartington itself
Dartington is a village situated on the banks of a river in Devon, with a relatively low elevation of 36 metres. Dartington lies near several smaller settlements, including Cott, Puddaven, and Longcause, and is located approximately 19.8 miles from Plymouth. Dartington has a population of around 924 people, predominantly living in detached houses. Dartington is also some distance from major urban centres, with London being around 172.2 miles away.
AdBlue drains about Dartington and across Devon
Puddaven and Longcause have the same teams as Dartington, a village, plus further towns throughout TQ postcodes. Your whereabouts is quickest from a postcode beginning TQ9 6.
Whether the vehicle is on a lay-by on the way to Cricket / Sports Pitch or in a car park in the middle of Dartington, it does not need to move. Our van empties it in place. Tricky to explain? By St Mary's Church or a border? Asking is better than assuming, and so ring.
Your situation, in one line
Not run yet: keep it off and call. Already run: stop, switch off then call. Either way, Petrol in Diesel takes it from there in Dartington and anywhere around Devon on 0333 366 0103.