AdBlue in the Diesel Tank in Kiltarlity, and What to Do Next
Has the engine turned over since the AdBlue got in? This single point settles almost everything about what comes next. Out in Lonbuie or here in Kiltarlity, an unstarted motor should remain that way. Usually that means emptying and thoroughly cleaning it right there around Kiltarlity — so keep the ignition and motor off then call 0333 366 0103. If it's run, stop as soon as it is safe and switch off. Stage one stays the same, even if the job is bigger.
Find the scenario below that matches yours, wherever across Highland it happened.
Kiltarlity forecourt: AdBlue in a diesel at the pump
You are at the petrol pump, the nozzle or the bottle still in your hand, and you have just noticed the cap you opened was the wrong one. Somewhere around Kiltarlity, then — Gulf, another forecourt nearby, or anywhere else close by.
The point: of all places to notice, the forecourt is the best. Still in that tank, and no fuel drawn through: that's where the AdBlue sits.
What to do: do not get back in and start it to clear the pump. A few jobs: a push into a bay with the staff helping, the bottle saved, and a call to us from the forecourt. Emptying it right at the petrol pump is possible when it can't be shifted, since the equipment is explosion-proof.
At home around Kiltarlity with AdBlue in your diesel tank
For days the dash had been warning you. Only at the recycling bin, the empty bottle in your hand, did you glance back at the cap you'd used at the drive. Drives near Post Office Brae see it as much as anywhere.
What it means: if you have not driven since, this is almost as good as the forecourt. AdBlue doesn't mix with diesel; it sinks to the bottom of that 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. Out in Camault Muir or here in Kiltarlity, the drain is done on your drive. Night-time drains outside a house are no problem: the pumps are low-noise.
AdBlue in a diesel and already driving in Kiltarlity?
Rough running, smoke, falling power or a glowing dashboard started a mile or two beyond the top-up. Allarburn Park, perhaps, or the route towards Inverness — a run of under 15 miles.
Meaning? Your fuel pump has taken the AdBlue up. It has been through the filter and the fuel lines and, the further you went, into the high-pressure pump and the fuel injectors. More driving, more starts: deeper it goes.
What to do: pull over where it's safe to do so then switch off. Exit at the next junction — not the services beyond — if you're on the M90, over 50 miles from Kiltarlity. No test starts: clearing itself isn't something AdBlue does. Tell us hear the distance covered as you call.
Hire, lease or company car with AdBlue in the wrong tank
It is a vehicle you have had for a week. Unbeknown to you, the AdBlue and diesel inlets sit side by side here — unlike your own car, which has no AdBlue or stores it elsewhere. Wherever you are in Highland, any driver could be caught.
Meaning? Whichever case above applies here — run or unrun — and one further step. Many rental and fleet contracts need the owner's approval before repairs.
What to do: ring the hire firm or your fleet manager first, then us. That is quicker settled before our technicians turn up than after. Stuck near Kiltarlity Free Church or outside Beauly until the firm answers, the vehicle remains turned off the whole time.
Unsure about AdBlue in your diesel tank in Kiltarlity?
Now and then, "I think so" is the most you can honestly say. The bottle is lighter than it should be, there is a faint smell of ammonia round the filler, and you can't remember which cap you took off. A hurried stop by the gates of the local primary school, or a visit to a friend in Glaichbea: both fit.
What it means: a little spilled about your filler does no harm to your engine. The diesel tank with AdBlue inside is another matter. You can't tell which by turning the key, and doing so will suck in any AdBlue that is in that tank.
What to do: treat it as if it was put in. Do not fire it up. Describe what you saw on your phone. A clear tank looked at is a better result than an already-run one drained.
Kiltarlity: what each AdBlue drain has in common
Whichever scenario you are in, the job starts the same way. Three things come when our engineers reach the car — on a forecourt, a drive, a road beside Kiltarlity War Memorial or the car park at Brockies Bar: the fluid, the amount, and if it has been started. Those answers settle this work, and you hear the price on the phone, before anyone sets off.
AdBlue crystallises and eats at certain metals used in fuel systems, and so it does not wash out unaided; that's why the flush, after the drain, counts much more here than with petrol. Next comes the filter — cleaned, or replaced where necessary — followed by clean diesel, and a test of the car. Never started? Then about half an hour once we are there covers most jobs.
Firing it up comes last. With fresh diesel in, it runs while our technicians check it is running smoothly, and then we leave. When it is noticed early, the vehicle very seldom has lasting damage, and the whole job takes place where it is. Paying comes that day, never in advance. For your insurer, you get a VAT invoice and a written report from the engineer. Dig out your insurance while we're en route: cover for misfuelling is included in many policies.
About Kiltarlity, for a moment
Kiltarlity is a small village situated on the riverside in the Scottish Highlands, with a population of around 520 people. Kiltarlity sits at an elevation of approximately 30 metres, close to the nearby settlements of Camault Muir, Tomnacross, and Loaneckheim. Kiltarlity is located near the city of Inverness, which is about 10 miles away, and Kiltarlity's housing stock is predominantly semi-detached homes.
AdBlue drains across Highland, Kiltarlity included
Kiltarlity is a village, and the same teams that cover it work the towns around it too, Tomnacross and Loaneckheim among them, across the IV postcode area. A postcode starting IV4 7 is the quickest way to tell us where you are.
No moving is required, be it parked in the centre of Kiltarlity or in a layby en route to Balgate Park, and so leave it where it is. The drain happens on the spot. Ring and check instead of guessing when you are close to Kiltarlity Community Hall, on a border, or anywhere awkward to pin down.
In one line: your situation
Unstarted? Leave it off and ring. Whichever line fits, Petrol in Diesel handles from there on 0333 366 0103, throughout Highland and in Kiltarlity — once you stop, turn off then ring, if it has run.