What Now? AdBlue in the Diesel Tank in Fort William
Has the engine run since the AdBlue got in? That single point settles almost everything else from here. Over in Upper Auchintore or right in Fort William, an unrun motor must remain that way. Leave the engine and the ignition off then phone 0333 366 0103; it's usually a drain and a thorough flush, done where the vehicle is in Fort William. Already run? Pull over when safe, then switch everything off. The job is bigger, yet the first stage is the same.
Match your case to one of the ones below, wherever in Highland you are.
At the petrol pump in Fort William: AdBlue in a diesel
The cap you opened was the wrong one — and you just notice it while you're stood at the pump, bottle or the nozzle in your hand. It could be the Morrisons, or perhaps the Gleaner, or a different station around Fort William.
The upshot: of every spot to notice, the forecourt is the best. The AdBlue is in that tank and nowhere else. Nothing has drawn it in.
Clearing the pump is no excuse to start it — so don't get back in. Ring us from the forecourt once the vehicle sits in a space — the staff will help push it — then save the bottle. Stuck beside the pump? Explosion-proof equipment makes a live forecourt safe, so we can drain it in place.
AdBlue in the diesel tank at home around Fort William
Days had passed with the warning light on. Only by the recycling, the empty container in your hand, did you glance back at the cap you had opened at the driveway. It occurs on driveways just off Middle Street as regularly as anywhere.
Put simply: if your vehicle has not been driven since, it's almost equal to spotting it at the pump. As it is reluctant to mix, AdBlue settles to the base in your tank and waits. A night standing changes nothing.
Your move: keys in the house, and so no one takes your car off at breakfast. Then, phone. Inverlochy or Fort William: whichever your driveway sits, that is where it is emptied. Our equipment runs quiet enough not to disturb the street at night.
On the road around Fort William with AdBlue in a diesel
A short way beyond filling up, your engine began misbehaving: rough running, smoke, lost power, lights on the dash. Somewhere on Fassifern Road or heading to Inverness — over 50 miles away.
What it means: the system has drawn the AdBlue in. Through your filter, along the lines, and — the more the distance — on into the injection pump and every injector. Every restart, like each mile, carries it on.
Next: pick a sensible spot, stop, and turn the engine off. Exit by the first junction — not the services further along — if you are on the M9, over 50 miles from Fort William. It won't have cleared, and so there is no sense starting it again to check. Roughly what distance had it go? Tell us as you call.
Hire, lease or company car with AdBlue in the wrong tank
A week back, the car was unknown to you. Your own motor either has no AdBlue or puts it elsewhere, and so no one warned you the AdBlue inlet sits just beside the diesel. Throughout Highland, no one is immune.
In short: an extra step on top of the situations above, and those depend on whether it has run. Plenty of rental and company agreements require the owner's approval for repairs.
Next: phone the rental company or the fleet manager first, and then us — sorting it before we arrive is faster. Hanging on for an answer in the car park at the nearest station, or near Bedford Hospital 1863 Memorial? Keep your engine off meanwhile.
AdBlue in the diesel tank? Not sure, in Fort William
Now and then, "I think so" is the most you can truthfully say. Too light, that bottle; a hint of ammonia near the filler; no clear recollection of which cap. Look familiar? A rushed stop by the gates of the local primary school, or a call to a friend in Trislaig: either fit.
What it means: a little spilled around your filler does no harm to your motor. The diesel tank with AdBlue inside is a different matter. If there is AdBlue in the tank, firing up the vehicle will suck it in, and it would not tell you which either.
Next: act as though it went in, and keep your motor off. Inspecting a tank that proves clean beats emptying one once it's been run — so phone and tell us what you noticed.
Fort William: what every AdBlue drain has in common
Whichever situation you are in, this job starts the same way. Forecourt, drive, The Crofter's car park or a street beside Duncansburgh MacIntosh Church — the van comes to the car, and three answers follow: what liquid, what amount, and whether it has run. Your price comes over the phone, before a van leaves, and those replies set the work.
A thorough flush comes after this drain. With petrol it is standard; with AdBlue it's crucial, because crystals form and some metals corrode, and none of that rinses out unaided. Last are your filter, flushed or renewed if necessary; clean diesel; and a test of your vehicle. Most unrun cars are a half-hour visit after the moment our engineers arrive.
Our engineers fire it up last. Our test that it runs properly on clean diesel comes before our engineers go. If it is noticed quickly, the vehicle very seldom has permanent damage, and the whole job takes place where it is. Payment is on the day, never in advance. For your insurer, you get a VAT invoice and a written report from the engineer. Plenty of insurance policies include misfuelling cover, so it is worth checking yours whilst we're on the way.
About Fort William
Fort William is a coastal town in the Scottish Highlands, situated near the southern end of the Great Glen Way. Fort William sits at the mouth of the River Nevis, with nearby settlements including Inverlochy and Claggan. Fort William is a popular base for outdoor activities, with its proximity to Ben Nevis and other natural attractions. Fort William has a relatively small population of around 5132 people, with a predominance of flat-type housing.
AdBlue drains across Highland, Fort William included
Fort William is a coastal town, and the same vans that cover it work the towns near it too, Claggan and Camusnagaul among them, across the PH postcode area. A postcode starting PH33 6 is the quickest way to tell us where you are.
Stopped en route to Parade Gardens, or right in the heart of Fort William, the car stays put — there is no need to shift it anywhere. Our van empties it where it stands. Assuming doesn't help near War Memorial, on a county line or anywhere awkward to pin down; phone and ask.
In one line: your scenario
Not run yet: keep it off then call. Already run: stop, switch off then ring. Either way, Petrol in Diesel takes it from there around Fort William and anywhere in Highland on 0333 366 0103.