What Now? AdBlue in the Diesel Tank in Larkhall
All of it hinges on a single detail: whether your engine has been run since the AdBlue was added — more than anything else. If it hasn't, keep it that way, whether the car is around Larkhall itself or out in Burnhead. Normally this means draining and thoroughly rinsing it right there around Larkhall — so keep your key and motor off then phone 0333 366 0103. If it has run, stop as soon as it is safe then switch off. A bigger job, yes, but the identical opening move.
Wherever around South Lanarkshire it happened, one of the cases below matches yours.
Larkhall forecourt: AdBlue in a diesel at the pump
Imagine it: stood by the petrol pump, gripping the bottle, you spot the cap you opened was not the right one. Be it Shell, Asda or anywhere else in Larkhall, the case is identical.
Meaning? Finding out here is the best it can be. Nothing has pulled it through, so the AdBlue stays just inside the tank.
Do this: stay out of the car, however much the queue wants clearing. Have the attendants to lend a hand rolling it to a bay, hold on to the receipt, then ring us from there. The equipment is explosion-proof and safe on a live forecourt, and so a car that cannot be pushed away is cleared where it is at the petrol pump.
Larkhall, at home: AdBlue in your diesel tank
Days had gone by with the dash light on. You bought a bottle, poured it in on the drive, and only when you put the empty bottle in the recycling did you look again at the cap. It takes place on driveways just off Union Street as commonly as anywhere.
What it means: if you have not driven since, this is almost as good as the forecourt. AdBlue does not mix with diesel; it sinks to the bottom of your tank and waits there. Overnight doesn't change that.
Next: stop an early move by keeping your keys indoors, then ring us. Your driveway is where it is emptied, whether in Larkhall or Machan. Even at night, the pumps stay quiet enough for a driveway.
AdBlue in a diesel and already driving in Larkhall?
A mile or two after topping up, your engine started misbehaving: rough running, smoke, less power, warnings on your dash. Somewhere along Church Street or else heading towards Glasgow — under 15 miles away.
Put simply: the AdBlue has been sucked into your fuel system. Through the fuel filter, through the pipework, and — the more the mileage — deeper into the high-pressure pump and each injector. Every restart, like every mile, carries it on.
Do this: pull up anywhere safe, then switch the engine off. On the M74, under a mile from Larkhall, that means the next exit, not the services further on. It will not have cleared, so there is no sense starting it again to find out. About how far did it go? Tell us as you call.
A hire or company car with AdBlue in the wrong tank?
Seven days back, the car was new to you. The AdBlue filler is right beside the diesel one, which you didn't know, since your own car either has no AdBlue or keeps it somewhere else. Wherever you happen to be across South Lanarkshire, every driver could be caught.
Meaning? Whichever applies above counts too — run or not — plus one further step. Work on the vehicle often requires the owner's go-ahead under hire or company agreements.
Your move: hire firm or your fleet manager to begin with, us next, because settling it early cuts time. Waiting for a reply at the car park outside the nearest station, or beside War Memorial? Leave the car off throughout.
AdBlue in the diesel tank? Not sure, around Larkhall
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 around the filler, and you can't remember which cap you took off. Maybe on a friend's drive in Glengowan, or rushing by the local primary school at the school run.
Meaning? Spills outside the inlet never reach the motor at all. If it is inside the diesel tank, though, it does. Any AdBlue in that tank will be pulled in by firing up your 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 start it. Ring us and explain what you saw; we'd rather check a tank that turns out clean than drain one that has already been run.
Each AdBlue drain in Larkhall shares these stages
Whichever situation you are in, this job starts the same way. We come to the car, whether it is on a forecourt, a drive, the car park outside The Music room or a side street close to St Machan's Parish Church, and ask three things: what was put in, about how much, and if the engine has been run. On the phone, ahead of anything else, you hear the price, and those answers shape the job too.
Emptying your tank comes next, followed by a full flush — more important after urea than after petrol, since crystals and corrosion will not go on their own, however long you wait. Next comes the filter — cleaned, or replaced when needed — followed by fresh diesel, and a test of your vehicle. Where the engine has not run, allow roughly half an hour on site, in most jobs.
The last step is firing it up. We confirm it runs properly on new diesel before we go. Our engineers do the whole job where the vehicle is, and lasting damage is very unusual if it has been caught soon. For your insurer: the engineer's report and the VAT invoice. For you: payment that day, no money in advance. Plenty of insurance policies include misfuelling cover, and so it is worth checking yours whilst we are on the way.
About Larkhall and where it is
Larkhall is a town situated on the riverside in South Lanarkshire, with a mix of terraced housing and other residential areas. Larkhall sits at an elevation of 108 metres, near the Avon Water, and is located approximately 13.5 miles southeast of Glasgow. Larkhall is close to several smaller communities, including Machan, Meadowhill, and Raploch, and is part of the wider Glasgow urban area. Larkhall has a population of around 14712 people, making it a significant settlement in the region.
AdBlue drains around Larkhall, and across South Lanarkshire too
Larkhall is a riverside town, and the same vans that cover it work the places around it too, Meadowhill and Raploch among them, across the ML postcode area. Quickest of all: a ML9 1 postcode to show where you stand.
Stopped heading to Robert Smillie Park, or bang in the heart of Larkhall, your car remains put — there is no need to move it anywhere. Our engineers drain it where it stands. Phone and check rather than guess if you are close to Trinity Church, near a border, or somewhere tricky to pin down.
Your situation, in one line
Where it hasn't run, phone then keep it that way. Run already: stop, power down, phone 0333 366 0103. Petrol in Diesel takes over the remainder, within Larkhall or anywhere in South Lanarkshire.