AdBlue in the Diesel Tank in Drumnacanvy: What Now?
Has your motor run since the AdBlue went in? That one question decides almost everything else from here. If it hasn't, keep it that way, whether the car is around Drumnacanvy itself or out in Gibsons Hill. Switch nothing on, ring 0333 366 0103, and expect a thorough flush plus a drain, done right where the car sits around Drumnacanvy. Already run? Pull over once safe, then switch everything off. It is a bigger job, though step one does not change.
Below: the cases our engineers meet, wherever across County Down. Pick yours.
Drumnacanvy forecourt: AdBlue in a diesel at the pump
Only at this point, nozzle still in hand, it dawns on you that the cap you took off was the wrong one, right at the pump. Maybe you're at the the nearest petrol station, perhaps at the another forecourt nearby, perhaps somewhere else around Drumnacanvy.
The point: of all places to find out, this is the best. The AdBlue is in the tank and nowhere else. Nothing has pulled it in.
What to do: don't get back in and crank it to clear the pump. Get the staff to help rolling it to a bay, hold on to the bottle, then phone us from there. Our equipment is explosion-proof and safe on a live forecourt, so a vehicle that cannot be pushed clear is drained where it is at the petrol pump.
AdBlue in the diesel tank on a Drumnacanvy drive?
The warning light had been on for days. A bottle bought at the shop, emptied in at the drive — and it was only at the recycling that the cap got your eye. Right off South Crescent is no different from any other place.
The point: no miles since makes this almost as good to spotting it at the pump. On the bottom of that tank is exactly where AdBlue waits, because it will not mix with diesel — and a night going by makes nothing of the difference.
Next: keys in the house, so nobody takes your vehicle off first thing. Then, ring. Portadown or Drumnacanvy: whichever your driveway is, that's where it gets emptied. Even at night, our pumps stay quiet enough for a residential street.
Drove off with AdBlue in a diesel around Drumnacanvy?
A short way after topping up, your engine began misbehaving: roughness, smoke, lost power, lights on the dash. Anywhere along Dunskey Street or heading to Armagh — under 15 miles away.
Put simply: the AdBlue has been pulled into your fuel system. It's been through your filter and your lines and, the further you went, into the high-pressure pump and the fuel injectors. It travels deeper with each mile covered and each restart.
Your move: stop somewhere sensible, then turn your motor off. Leave by the next junction — not the services further along — if you are on the M77, over 50 miles from Drumnacanvy. Don't restart the vehicle to see if it has cleared; it will not have. Phone, and say how far the vehicle was driven.
A hire or company car with AdBlue in the wrong tank?
You've just had the car for days. The AdBlue filler sits right alongside the diesel one, which you did not know, because your own motor either has no AdBlue or keeps it somewhere else. Anyone, anywhere across County Down, might make it.
The point: exactly as above, divided by if it ran, but with an added stage. Any work on the car frequently needs the owner's go-ahead under rental or fleet agreements.
What to do: call the hire firm or your fleet manager first, then us. That's faster settled before our engineers turn up than after. If you are stranded in the car park at the nearest station, or by the centre, while you wait for an answer, leave the car off.
Not sure it was AdBlue in the diesel tank, Drumnacanvy?
Truthfully, the best answer may be that you think it did. A faint ammonia-like smell lingers around your filler, the bottle seems too light, and which cap came off is hard to recall. The gates of the local primary school in a hurry, say, or someone's drive out in Gilford.
The point: your motor isn't hurt by a little AdBlue splashed on the filler. The diesel tank with AdBlue in it is another matter. If there is AdBlue in your tank, turning on the car will draw it in, and it would not tell you which either.
Next: assume it got in, and leave your engine off. Describe what you noticed on your phone. A clean tank looked at counts as a better result than a run one emptied.
Every AdBlue drain around Drumnacanvy shares these stages
Every situation gets the same start to the job. Three questions are asked once our technicians arrive — on a filling station, a driveway, a street by a street just off the centre or the car park outside the pub in the village: the liquid, the amount, and if it has been started. Answers set the work; the price follows by phone while nobody has left yet.
Draining that tank comes first, followed by a careful flush — more vital with urea than with petrol, because crystals and corrosion will not go on their own, no matter how long it sits. Clean diesel goes in once the filter is flushed or changed, and the car is finally tested. Most unrun vehicles are a half-hour visit after the moment our technicians get there.
Lastly, we fire it up. Our test that it runs properly on new diesel comes before our engineers leave. The entire job is done where the car is, and when it is caught early, long-term damage is very rare. For your insurer: an engineer's report and the VAT invoice. For you: payment on the day, nothing upfront. It is worth knowing: lots of insurers include misfuelling cover, so a check of your documents while we travel is worthwhile.
About Drumnacanvy
Drumnacanvy is a small locality in County Down, situated inland at an elevation of 39 metres, approximately 11 miles from Armagh. Drumnacanvy lies near the settlements of Portadown, Bleary, and Craigavon, and is characterized by predominantly detached housing. Drumnacanvy has a population of around 648 residents, and is located about 329 miles northwest of London.
Drumnacanvy and County Down: AdBlue drains across the area
Bleary and Craigavon get the same teams as Drumnacanvy, a small village, along with further towns over BT postcodes. A postcode starting BT63 5 is the quickest way to tell us where you are.
No towing is needed, be it stopped centrally in Drumnacanvy or on a lay-by heading to the green space at the edge of the village, so leave it put. Our van drains it where it stands. Ring and check instead of guessing when you are close to the far end of the built-up part, near a border, or anywhere awkward to pin down.
Your situation, in one line
Motor never started: phone, leaving it alone. Run by now: stop, power down, ring 0333 366 0103. Petrol in Diesel takes over the remainder, in Drumnacanvy or wherever across County Down.