AdBlue in the Diesel Tank in Dartmouth Park: What Now?
What to do about AdBlue in a diesel tank comes down to one thing more than any other: whether your motor has run since it went in. Wherever your vehicle stands — Maitland Park, Dartmouth Park — don't start an engine that hasn't run yet. Usually that is draining and properly rinsing it on the spot in Dartmouth Park — so keep your ignition and engine off and ring 0333 366 0103. If it's run, stop as soon as it is safe then switch off. It's a bigger job, yet stage one doesn't change.
Below: the cases we see, anywhere in Greater London. Pick the one that fits.
AdBlue in a diesel on a Dartmouth Park forecourt
You are at the petrol pump, the nozzle or the bottle still in your hand, and you have just noticed the cap you opened was the wrong one. Whether Gulf, BP or somewhere else around Dartmouth Park, the situation is identical.
What it means: this is the ideal spot to find out. Nothing has drawn it through, and so the AdBlue sits only in the tank.
Your move: stay out of the driver's seat, however much the queue wants freeing. Have the staff to lend a hand rolling it into a space, save the bottle, then phone us from there. Draining it right at the petrol pump is possible if it cannot be moved, since the equipment is explosion-proof.
AdBlue in the diesel tank on a Dartmouth Park drive?
On your dash, a reminder had shown all week. Picked up a bottle, tipped it in at home, binned the empty — and at that point looked at the cap again, after the fact. It happens on driveways just off Highgate West Hill as commonly as anywhere.
What it means: if you have not driven since, this is nearly as good as the forecourt. Diesel and AdBlue stay separate: the AdBlue settles to the base of the tank and stays put, no matter how long it waits.
Next: keys indoors, so no one drives your car off at breakfast. Then, phone. Our engineers drain the vehicle on your driveway, whether that's in Dartmouth Park or out in Parliament Hill. Even at night, the pumps are quiet enough for a driveway.
Dartmouth Park: drove off with AdBlue in a diesel?
You filled up, set off, and a mile or two later your motor began to run unevenly, smoke, lose power or light up the dashboard. Somewhere along Boris Nemtsov Place or else heading to London — under 5 miles away.
What it means: your fuel system has drawn the AdBlue in. It's been through the filter and the fuel lines and, the further you went, into your high-pressure pump and the fuel injectors. More driving, more starts: further it goes.
Do this: pull up somewhere sensible, then turn your motor off. Service stations further on can wait: from the M1, under 5 miles out of Dartmouth Park, use the next junction. It will not have cleared, and so there is no point restarting to check. Roughly how far did it gone? Say so as you phone.
Hire, lease or company car with AdBlue in the wrong tank
Seven days back, the car was unknown to you. The AdBlue filler sits right alongside the diesel filler, which you didn't know, since your own vehicle either has no AdBlue or keeps it somewhere else. Across Greater London, no one is safe from it.
Put simply: one extra stage on top of the situations above, which depend on if it has run. Plenty of hire and company contracts want the owner to approve work on the car.
Do this: hire firm or your fleet manager first, us second, since settling it early saves time. Hanging on for a reply at the car park outside Gospel Oak, or beside St Anne's? Keep the engine off meanwhile.
AdBlue in the diesel tank? Not sure, around Dartmouth Park
Now and then, "I think so" is the most you can honestly say. What cap came off, you cannot say; meanwhile the bottle weighs lighter than it ought to, and a whiff of ammonia lingers by your filler. Maybe on a friend's drive in Kentish Town, or rushing by Brookfield Primary School on the school run.
The upshot: your engine isn't harmed by some AdBlue spilled on the outside. If it is inside your diesel tank, though, it does. Any AdBlue in your tank will be sucked in by firing up the car, and the start would not settle which it is in any case.
Next: assume it got in, and leave your motor off. Checking a tank that proves free of AdBlue beats emptying one after it's been run — so phone and describe to us what you saw.
Dartmouth Park: what each AdBlue drain has in common
The work begins identically, whichever the case. Three questions come when we reach your car — on a filling station, a drive, a street beside Parliament Hill Farmers' Market or the car park outside Duke of St. Albans: the liquid, the amount, and whether the motor has run. The price is given over the phone, ahead of anyone setting off, and the answers set the work.
AdBlue forms crystals and eats at certain metals used in fuel systems, so it won't wash out on its own; that is why a full flush, after this drain, counts much more with AdBlue than with petrol. Your filter is cleaned, or replaced where it needs to be; fresh diesel goes in; and the car is tested. If your motor hasn't run, the majority of jobs take about half an hour once we are there.
Last, we start the car. With new diesel in, it runs while we make sure it is running correctly, and then we leave. If it's noticed quickly, the car very rarely has permanent damage, and the entire job happens where it is. For your insurer: the engineer's report and the VAT invoice. For you: payment that day, no money upfront. Worth remembering: many insurers include misfuelling cover, and so a check of your documents while you wait is worthwhile.
About Dartmouth Park
Dartmouth Park is a suburban area in north London, situated near the River Fleet and close to Parliament Hill. Dartmouth Park sits at an elevation of around 60 metres, with many of its residents enjoying views of the surrounding cityscape. Dartmouth Park is predominantly composed of flat dwellings, catering to a population of approximately 7755 people. Dartmouth Park is located near several other notable areas, including Gospel Oak and Archway.
Dartmouth Park and Greater London: AdBlue drains across the area
Gospel Oak and Archway have the identical vans as Dartmouth Park, a residential suburb, along with other towns throughout N postcodes. Fastest of all: a N6 6 postcode for your location.
No towing is needed, whether stopped in the centre of Dartmouth Park or in a lay-by heading to Parliament Hill Cricket Pitches, so keep it put. The van empties it in place. Awkward to explain? Close to Stone of Free Speech or a border? Asking is better than assuming, so phone.
In one line: your situation
Still unrun? Keep the car off and phone. Already run: stop, switch off then ring. Either way, Petrol in Diesel takes it from there around Dartmouth Park and anywhere in Greater London on 0333 366 0103.