What Now? AdBlue in the Diesel Tank in Endon Bank
What to do about AdBlue in a diesel tank comes down to one thing more than any other: if the engine has run since it was put in. Over in Longsdon or right around Endon Bank, an unrun engine should stay unrun. Ring 0333 366 0103 with the key and engine still off. Across Endon Bank, such a case is generally emptied and cleaned on the spot. Pull over the minute you safely can then turn off, if it has already run. Stage one stays the same, even though the work is bigger.
Find the scenario below that matches yours, wherever in Staffordshire it happened.
AdBlue in a diesel on a Endon Bank forecourt
The cap you unscrewed was the wrong one — and you just spot it while you are standing at the pump, bottle or the nozzle in hand. Whether Esso, Shell or somewhere else in Endon Bank, the situation is identical.
Meaning? Finding out on the forecourt is the best it can be. The AdBlue is inside your tank and nowhere else. Nothing has drawn it in.
Clearing the pump is no excuse to run it — and so do not get back in. Get the attendants to lend a hand rolling it into a space, save the bottle, then phone us from there. Draining it there at the petrol pump is fine if it can't be moved, because the equipment is explosion-proof.
Endon Bank, at home: AdBlue in the diesel tank
On your dash, a reminder had been lit all week. Only by the recycling, the empty container in hand, did you look back at the cap you'd used on the driveway. It happens on drives just off Gratton Lane as commonly as anywhere.
Meaning? As long as the car has not moved since, it's close to the forecourt case. AdBlue does not mix with diesel; it sinks to the bottom of your tank and waits there. Overnight does not change that.
Next: prevent an early-morning drive by putting your keys indoors, then phone us. Our engineers drain the car on your drive, whether that's in Endon Bank or out in Endon. The pumps are quiet enough to use outside a house at night.
AdBlue in a diesel and already driving around Endon Bank?
Rough running, smoke, falling power or a glowing dashboard arrived a mile or two after the fill. Somewhere on Brook Lane or else heading to Stoke-on-Trent — under 10 miles away.
The upshot: the system has drawn AdBlue in already. Distance decides how far it goes: filter and lines to begin with, then the high-pressure pump and every injector. More driving, more starts: deeper it travels.
Your move: pull up somewhere safe, then switch your motor off. Endon Bank sits under 10 miles from the M6; there, pull off at the first junction instead of pressing on for the services. Restarting it to check achieves nothing — AdBlue doesn't clear itself. About how far did it go? Tell us when you phone.
Hire, lease or company car with AdBlue in the wrong tank
You have only had this vehicle a week. Your own car either has no AdBlue or puts it elsewhere, and so no one told you the AdBlue inlet was right beside your diesel. Wherever you are in Staffordshire, every driver can slip up.
In short: one extra step on top of the cases above, and those depend on if it has run. Many hire and company agreements require the owner's approval for repairs.
Sorting it before the van turn up is faster, so ring the hire company or your fleet manager, and then us. If you're stranded in the car park outside Longport, or by Endon Saint Luke's, while you wait for an answer, leave the vehicle off.
Endon Bank: unsure whether it was AdBlue in your diesel tank?
Sometimes the honest answer is "I think so". Too light, that bottle; a trace of ammonia round the filler; no clear recollection of which cap. Sound familiar? A rushed stop by the gates of Endon Hall Primary School, or a visit to a friend in Stanley Moor: either fits.
The upshot: your engine isn't harmed by some AdBlue spilled on the outside. The diesel tank with AdBlue inside is a different matter. If there is AdBlue in that tank, turning on your car will draw it in, and it would not tell you which either.
Take it that it went in, and never start the key. Call us and describe what you saw; we'd rather check a tank that turns out clean than drain one that has already been run.
What each AdBlue drain around Endon Bank has in common
Whichever scenario you are in, the job starts the same way. Our engineers come to your car, whether it's at a forecourt, a drive, the car park outside The Black Horse or a side street near Endon Methodist Church, and ask three things: what got in, about how much, and whether the motor has been run. Replies set the work; the quote follows by phone whilst nobody has left yet.
AdBlue crystallises and is corrosive to some metals in fuel systems, so it does not rinse out unaided; that's why a full flush, after the drain, matters far more here than with petrol. Your filter is cleaned, or replaced where it needs to be; fresh diesel goes in; and the vehicle is tested. Where the engine hasn't been started, expect about half an hour once we arrive, in most cases.
Our engineers fire it up at the end. Before we head off, it is tested to be sure it runs smoothly on clean diesel. Long-term damage is very rare when it's spotted early, and the whole job is done where the car is. Nothing is paid upfront, settlement is made on the day, and you get what the insurer wants: an engineer report and a VAT invoice. Plenty of insurance policies cover misfuelling, so check yours as we head over.
About Endon Bank and where it is
Endon Bank is a suburban area situated on the riverside in Staffordshire, with a mix of detached housing and a relatively small population of around 566 residents. Endon Bank sits at an elevation of approximately 150 metres, close to the nearby village of Endon and the city of Stoke-on-Trent, which is about 5 miles away. Endon Bank is located in a region that is characterised by its industrial heritage, with the nearby city of Stoke-on-Trent being a major centre for ceramics and manufacturing. Endon Bank remains a quiet residential area, with easy access to the amenities of Stoke-on-Trent and the surrounding countryside.
AdBlue drains around Endon Bank and across Staffordshire
Stanley Moss and Stanley have the same teams as Endon Bank, a residential suburb, along with further places over ST postcodes. A postcode starting ST9 9 is the quickest way to tell us where you are.
Stopped heading to Endon Cricket Club, or right in the heart of Endon Bank, your car remains put — there's no need to move it anywhere. Our van empties it where it stands. Guessing won't help near Railway Bridge Pivot, close to a border or somewhere awkward to describe; ring and ask.
In one line: your situation
Motor never started: ring, and leave it alone. Run already: stop, power down, phone 0333 366 0103. Petrol in Diesel takes over the rest, in Endon Bank or anywhere in Staffordshire.