AdBlue in the Diesel Tank in Irvinestown, and What to Do Next
Everything hinges on one detail: if the motor has been run after the AdBlue went in — far more than anything else. Over in Ederney or right around Irvinestown, an unstarted engine must stay unrun. Ring 0333 366 0103 with the key and engine both off. Across Irvinestown, that is typically drained and flushed where it stands. Already run? Pull over when safe, then switch it off. It's a larger job, though stage one doesn't change.
Below: the cases our technicians see, wherever across County Fermanagh. Choose yours.
On a Irvinestown forecourt with AdBlue in a diesel
Just now, nozzle still in hand, it dawns on you that the cap you took off was the wrong one, there at the pump. Possibly you are at the the nearest petrol station, possibly at the another forecourt nearby, possibly somewhere else in Irvinestown.
Put simply: there is no better spot exists to spot it. No pump has pulled it through, and so the AdBlue stays only in your tank.
Do this: keep out of the driver's seat, however much the pump needs clearing. Phone us from the forecourt once your vehicle is in a bay — the staff will help push it — and keep the bottle. Draining it there at the petrol pump is possible if it cannot be moved, since the equipment is explosion-proof.
AdBlue in the diesel tank on a Irvinestown drive?
The warning light had been on for days. You bought a bottle, poured it in on the driveway, and only when you put the empty bottle in the recycling did you look a second time at the cap. Drives close to Rock Street get it as much as anywhere.
What it means: if you haven't driven since, this is nearly as good as the forecourt. AdBlue doesn't mix with diesel; it sinks to the bottom of the tank and waits there. Overnight does not change that.
What to do: leave the keys inside the house so no one moves the vehicle in the morning. Then ring. In Lisnarick or here in Irvinestown, the draining is done at your drive. The pumps are quiet enough to use outside a house after dark.
AdBlue in a diesel and already driving around Irvinestown?
You filled up, set off, and a mile or two later the motor began to run unevenly, smoke, lose power or light up the dashboard. Perhaps it was on Crom Street, possibly on the way out towards Derry, under 50 miles away.
The upshot: the system has pulled AdBlue in by now. The injection pump and each injector see it too on a bigger run, after the filter and lines have it. Each mile and each restart takes it further.
Do this: pull up somewhere sensible, then turn your engine off. Irvinestown sits over 50 miles from the M77; there, come off at the first junction instead of pressing on for the services. Restarting it to check gets nothing — AdBlue never clears on its own. Phone us and say how far you went.
Hire, lease or company car with AdBlue in the wrong tank
Seven days ago, the car was unknown to you. 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. It can happen to anyone, anywhere across County Fermanagh.
The point: just as above, divided by if it ran, but with one added step. Many hire and fleet contracts need the owner's approval before work.
Your move: hire firm or your fleet manager first, us second, since settling it beforehand saves time. Waiting for a reply at the car park at the nearest station, or beside the centre? Keep your car off meanwhile.
Irvinestown: unsure if it was AdBlue in your diesel tank?
"I think so" is often as honest as it gets. The bottle is lighter than it should be, there is a faint smell of ammonia around the filler, and you can't remember which cap you took off. Maybe at a friend's driveway in Kilskeery, or in a rush outside the local primary school at the school run.
The point: your motor is not hurt by a little AdBlue splashed around the outside. AdBlue inside your diesel tank does. Any AdBlue in your tank will be drawn in by starting the car, and the start wouldn't settle which it is in any case.
What to do: treat it as if it was put in. Don't crank it. Ring us and explain what you saw; we'd rather check a tank that turns out free of AdBlue than drain one that has already been run.
Irvinestown: what every AdBlue drain has in common
Each case gets the same start to the work. Three things are asked when we arrive — on a filling station, a driveway, a street beside a street just off the centre or the car park at the pub in the village: the liquid, the quantity, and if the motor has been started. Your price is given over the phone, ahead of anyone setting off, and the replies set the job.
A thorough flush comes after this drain. With petrol it's standard; with AdBlue it is essential, because deposits build up and some metals corrode, and none of it washes out unaided. Finally are the filter, cleaned or replaced if necessary; fresh diesel; and a test of the car. If the engine hasn't run, most jobs take about half an hour once we're there.
We fire it up last. Before we leave, it is tested to be sure it runs correctly on clean diesel. The entire job is done where the vehicle is, and when it is noticed soon, long-term damage is very unusual. You pay on the day, with nothing upfront, and get a VAT invoice and an engineer report for your insurer. It is worth knowing: lots of insurers offer misfuelling cover, so a check of your policy while you wait is worthwhile.
About Irvinestown itself
Irvinestown is a small locality in County Fermanagh, situated inland at an elevation of 88 metres. Irvinestown lies near the villages of Lisnarick, Killadeas, and Ballinamallard, and is approximately 38 miles from Derry. Irvinestown has a population of around 973 people, with a predominance of terraced housing. Irvinestown is located in the western part of Northern Ireland, about 373 miles from London.
Irvinestown and County Fermanagh: AdBlue drains across the area
Throughout BT postcodes, the vans covering Irvinestown — a small village — reach nearby places too, Killadeas and Ballinamallard among them. A postcode starting BT94 1 is the quickest way to tell us where you are.
Parked en route to the green space at the edge of the village, or bang in the heart of Irvinestown, the vehicle stays put — there is no need to shift it at all. Wherever it stands, that is where it is emptied. If you're somewhere hard to explain, close to the far end of the built-up part or close to a boundary, ring and ask rather than assuming.
Your scenario, in one line
Motor not started: phone, and leave it switched off. Run by now: stop, switch down, phone 0333 366 0103. Petrol in Diesel handles the rest, within Irvinestown or wherever in County Fermanagh.