AdBlue in the Diesel Tank in Dosthill: What Now?
Everything turns on a single detail: if your motor has been run since the AdBlue went in — far more than anything else. Wherever the vehicle stands — Wilnecote, Dosthill — never run a motor that has not been started yet. Phone 0333 366 0103 with the ignition and engine both off. In Dosthill, such a case is generally drained and flushed where it stands. Where the engine has been run, stop somewhere safe straight away, then switch the vehicle off. The job is bigger, but the first stage is the same.
Further down: the cases we see, anywhere around Staffordshire. Choose the one that fits.
AdBlue in a diesel on a Dosthill forecourt
The cap you unscrewed was the wrong one — and you just spot it while you are stood at the petrol pump, bottle or nozzle in your hand. It could be the Esso, or the Texaco, or a different forecourt around Dosthill.
The upshot: of all places to notice, the forecourt is the best. Just that tank holds AdBlue; not one component past it has taken it in.
Clearing the pump is no excuse to run it — and so do not get back in. Have the staff to help rolling it into a space, save the bottle, then ring us from there. If it cannot be moved, it can be cleared at the pump: the equipment is explosion-proof and safe on a busy forecourt.
At home around Dosthill with AdBlue in your diesel tank
On your dash, a warning had shown for days. Picked up a bottle, tipped it in at home, recycled the empty — and only then checked the cap again, after the fact. It occurs on driveways just off Cadogan Road as commonly as anywhere.
In short: if your car has not been driven since, it's almost equal to finding out at the pump. Being reluctant to blend, AdBlue drops low inside your tank and stays. One night parked changes nothing.
Keep your keys indoors overnight — otherwise someone might drive it off at breakfast — and phone us. Our technicians drain it on your driveway, whether that's around Dosthill or out in Two Gates. Even at night, the pumps are quiet enough for a residential street.
AdBlue in a diesel and already driving in Dosthill?
Lumpy running, smoke, lost power or a lit dashboard started a short way beyond the fill. Possibly it was on Houting, possibly on the way out towards Lichfield, under 10 miles away.
Put simply: the AdBlue has been sucked into the system. The high-pressure pump and every injector see it as well on a bigger trip, once your filter and pipework have it. Every restart, like each mile, pushes it deeper.
Next: pick a sensible spot, stop, then turn the motor off. Dosthill sits under 3 miles from the M42; on it, come off at the first junction rather than pushing on for the services. It will not have cleared, so there is no sense restarting to check. Tell us hear the distance covered when you ring.
A hire or company car with AdBlue in the wrong tank?
You've had this vehicle hardly a week. Unbeknown to you, the two inlets are side by side here — not like your own car, which has none or keeps it in another spot. It can happen to anyone, anywhere around Staffordshire.
The upshot: just as above, split by whether it ran, but with an added stage. Many hire and fleet agreements require the owner's approval for repairs.
What to do: call the hire firm or your fleet manager first, then us. That is quicker settled before we get there than after. Hanging on for an answer at the car park outside Wilnecote, or near Claymore Gym? Keep the engine off throughout.
Unsure about AdBlue in the diesel tank in Dosthill?
Now and then, "I think so" is all you can truthfully say. A slight ammonia smell hangs around your filler, the bottle seems too light, and which cap came off is a blur. The gates of Dosthill Primary School in a hurry, perhaps, or a friend's drive out in Fazeley.
Meaning? Spills around the inlet don't reach the motor at all. Once it is inside your diesel tank, though, it does. Firing up the car will not tell you which, and if there is AdBlue in your tank it would draw it in.
What to do: treat it as if it got in. Do not start it. Checking a tank that proves clean is better than draining one after it's been run — so ring and tell us what you saw.
What each AdBlue drain around Dosthill has in common
Whichever situation you are in, the job starts the same way. Filling station, driveway, The Fox Inn's car park or a road beside St Paul's Church — the van comes to your car, and three questions follow: which liquid, which quantity, and if it has run. The price is given on the call, before a van leaves, and those answers set the work.
A thorough flush comes after the drain. With petrol it's routine; with AdBlue it's essential, because crystals build up and certain metals are attacked, and neither rinses away unaided. Next comes the fuel filter — flushed, or replaced when needed — followed by fresh diesel, and a test of your car. The majority of unstarted cars are a half-hour job after the moment our technicians arrive.
The final step is firing it up. Before our technicians head off, it is tested to be sure it runs correctly on fresh diesel. Permanent damage is very uncommon when it is noticed quickly, and the whole job is done where the vehicle is. For your insurer: an engineer's report and the VAT invoice. For you: payment that day, nothing in advance. Many insurance policies include misfuelling cover, and so it's worth checking yours while we are on the way.
About Dosthill, for a moment
Dosthill is a suburban area in Staffordshire, situated on the riverside at an elevation of 69 metres, with semi-detached housing being the predominant type of accommodation. Dosthill lies approximately 8.4 miles from the city of Lichfield and is close to nearby places such as Two Gates, Hockley, and Whateley. Dosthill has a population of around 4665 residents and is located about 100.3 miles northwest of London. Dosthill forms part of the wider West Midlands region, with its riverside setting providing a distinctive character to the area.
AdBlue drains about Dosthill and across Staffordshire
Over B postcodes, the vans covering Dosthill — a residential suburb — reach surrounding places as well, Hockley and Whateley among them. Your whereabouts comes clearest from a postcode beginning B77 1.
No moving is needed, be it stopped in the centre of Dosthill or in a layby heading to Dosthill Boys Club, and so keep it put. Draining is done on the spot. Ring and ask instead of guessing when you are close to Town Wall Stones, on a boundary, or somewhere tricky to explain.
Your situation, in one line
Not run yet: keep it off and ring. Run by now: stop, power down, ring 0333 366 0103. Petrol in Diesel handles the rest, within Dosthill or wherever in Staffordshire.