AdBlue in the Diesel Tank in Derby, and What to Do Next
One fact counts above all when AdBlue is in a diesel tank, and that is if your motor has been started since. If it has not, keep it that way, whether the vehicle is in Derby itself or out in Newport. Phone 0333 366 0103 with the key and engine still off. In Derby, that is generally emptied and flushed on the spot. If it's run, stop as soon as it is safe and switch off. A larger job, then, but the same first move.
Find the scenario below that matches yours, wherever around Devon it happened.
Derby forecourt: AdBlue in a diesel at the pump
You are 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. Perhaps you're at the Esso, perhaps at the BP, maybe somewhere else around Derby.
Meaning? Finding out on the forecourt is as good as it can be. Just that tank has AdBlue; no component beyond it has taken it in.
Your move: stay out of the driver's seat, even if the queue wants clearing. Have the attendants to lend a hand rolling it to a space, save the bottle, then phone us from there. The equipment is explosion-proof and fine on a live forecourt, and so a vehicle that can't be pushed away is drained right at the pump.
AdBlue in your diesel tank on a Derby drive?
The warning light had been on for days. Picked up a bottle, tipped it in at home, binned the empty — and at that point looked at the cap again, after the fact. Homes just off Derby Road are hit as much as anywhere else.
The upshot: zero miles since leaves this almost equal to finding it at the pump. AdBlue does not mix with diesel; it sinks to the bottom of the tank and waits there. Overnight does not change that.
Keep your keys indoors overnight — otherwise someone may take it off at breakfast — and call us. We drain it on your driveway, whether that is around Derby or out in Raleigh. Our equipment works quietly enough that it won't wake the street at night.
Derby: set off with AdBlue in a diesel?
Filled up, pulled away, and before long the motor was turning unevenly, smoking, losing power, or flashing up your dash. Gorwell Road, say, or the way to Exeter — a run of under 50 miles.
The point: your system has pulled AdBlue through already. It has been through the fuel filter and the lines and, the further you went, into the high-pressure pump and your injectors. Every restart, like every mile, carries it deeper.
What to do: pull over where it's safe to do so and switch off. Derby lies under 50 miles from the M5; there, come off at the first junction rather than pressing on to the services. No trial starts: clearing is not something AdBlue will do. Let us hear the distance driven when you call.
AdBlue in the wrong tank: hire, lease and company cars
You have had this vehicle hardly a week. The AdBlue filler is right next to the diesel one, which you didn't know, because your own car either has no AdBlue or keeps it somewhere else. It can happen to anyone, anywhere around Devon.
Meaning? Whatever case above counts here — run or unrun — and one further step. Any work on the car often requires the owner's go-ahead under rental or company terms.
Do this: rental firm or your fleet manager first, us next, because settling it beforehand cuts time. If you are stranded in the car park at Barnstaple, or by Kingdom Hall, whilst you wait for an answer, leave the vehicle off.
Unsure about AdBlue in your diesel tank in Derby?
At times, "I think so" is all anyone can honestly say. A slight ammonia-like whiff lingers around your filler, the bottle seems too light, and which cap came off is a blur. A rushed stop by the gates of Our Lady's Catholic Primary School, Barnstaple, or a call to a friend in Bradiford: either fit.
Meaning? Drips outside the inlet don't touch your engine at all. A diesel tank with AdBlue inside is a different story. You can't tell which by turning the key, and doing so would suck in any AdBlue that is in the tank.
Take it that it got in, and never turn your key. Tell us what you noticed on the phone. A clear tank looked at is a happier outcome than an already-run one drained.
What each AdBlue drain around Derby has in common
No matter the case, one opening is used. Three questions come once our engineers reach the car — at a filling station, a driveway, a road by Queen's Walk or the car park at Flukey's Bar: the liquid, the amount, and whether it has run. Over the phone, ahead of dispatch, you hear our quote, and those replies decide the job too.
A thorough flush follows the drain. With petrol it's standard; with AdBlue it's crucial, because crystals build up and some metals corrode, and none of it rinses out unaided. Finally come your filter, cleaned or renewed if necessary; clean diesel; and a test of your car. The majority of unstarted cars are a half-hour job from the moment our engineers turn up.
Our technicians fire it up last. Our technicians confirm it runs correctly on new diesel before leaving. Our engineers do the entire job where the vehicle is, and long-term damage is very rare if it has been spotted early. Payment is on the day, never in advance. For the insurer, there is a VAT invoice and a written report from the engineer. Worth knowing: lots of insurers include misfuelling cover, so a quick look at your policy as we travel pays.
About Derby and where it is
Derby is a suburban area in Devon, situated on the riverside at an elevation of 39 metres, with terraced housing being the predominant type of accommodation. Derby lies near several notable towns, including Raleigh, Barnstaple, and Pilton, and is approximately 33.5 miles from the city of Exeter. Derby is home to around 5565 residents, who enjoy a relatively quiet location in the South West region. Derby benefits from its proximity to the River, which has likely influenced the local environment and ecosystem.
AdBlue drains around Derby, and across Devon too
Barnstaple and Pilton get the same vans as Derby, a residential suburb, along with other towns over EX postcodes. Quickest of all: a EX32 7 postcode to show your location.
No moving is required, be it stopped centrally in Derby or on a layby heading to Yeo Valley Woodland, and so leave it put. Our technicians drain the car where it sits. Awkward to pin down? Close to Salvation Army or a county line? Checking beats assuming, and so phone.
In one line: your situation
Engine not started: ring, leaving it switched off. Started already? Stop, switch off, phone. Petrol in Diesel handles the remainder whichever case, in Derby and Devon, on 0333 366 0103.