What Now? AdBlue in the Diesel Tank in Leek
One fact matters above all when AdBlue is in a diesel tank, and that is if the motor has run since. If it hasn't, keep it that way, whether the car is in Leek itself or out in Woodcroft. Ring 0333 366 0103 with the key and engine both off. Across Leek, that is generally drained and flushed on the spot. Where the engine has run, pull in safely straight away, then turn the car off. Step one stays the same, even though the work is bigger.
Further down: the cases we meet, anywhere around Staffordshire. Choose the one that fits.
Leek forecourt: AdBlue in a diesel at the pump
Imagine it: stood by the pump, gripping the nozzle, you realise the cap you opened was not the right one. It might be the Morrisons, or the Esso, or a different forecourt in Leek.
Meaning? Finding out on the forecourt is as good as it gets. The AdBlue is inside that tank and nowhere else. Nothing has pulled it in.
Next: avoid the urge to start it just to free up the petrol pump. Three things: a shove into a space with the attendants helping, the receipt kept, and a ring to us from the forecourt. Stuck by the pump? Our explosion-proof kit makes a busy forecourt safe, and so it can be drained in place.
Leek, at home: AdBlue in your diesel tank
For days the dashboard had been nagging you. You bought a bottle, poured it in on the driveway, and only when you put the empty bottle in the recycling did you look once more at the cap. Right off Derby Street is no less likely from any other place.
The upshot: zero miles since leaves this almost as good to finding it at the petrol pump. On the floor of your tank sits where AdBlue waits, because it won't mix with diesel — and a night going by changes no difference.
Your move: the keys in the house, and so no one drives the car off first thing. Then, ring. In Ball Haye Green or here around Leek, the draining happens on your drive. The equipment runs quietly enough that it won't wake the neighbours at night.
Leek: drove off with AdBlue in a diesel?
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. Anywhere on Ball Haye Street or on the road towards Stoke-on-Trent — under 10 miles away.
The point: the system has drawn AdBlue through by now. The injection pump and each injector see it as well on a longer run, after the fuel filter and lines have had it. Each mile and each restart takes it further.
Next: find a safe spot, stop, and turn the motor off. Services further along are too far: from the M6, under 15 miles out of Leek, use the next junction. It won't have cleared, so there is no sense restarting to check. Ring us and say how far you went.
Hire, lease or company car with AdBlue in the wrong tank
It is a motor you have had for a week. On your own car, AdBlue is absent or somewhere else. On this one, its cap is right by the diesel cap — a surprise to you. Across Staffordshire, nobody is safe from it.
The point: exactly as above, divided by if it ran, but with an added step. Many hire and fleet agreements need the owner's approval before repairs.
What to do: call the hire firm or your fleet manager first, then us. That is quicker settled before our technicians turn up than after. Waiting for a reply in the car park outside Congleton, or beside Nicholson War Memorial? Leave your car off meanwhile.
AdBlue in the diesel tank? Not sure, around Leek
Truthfully, the best answer may be that you think it did. Lighter, the bottle; a hint of ammonia round the filler; a hazy recollection of which cap. Sound familiar? It might have been on a friend's drive in Haregate, or rushing by Leek First School at the school run.
In short: spillage near your filler leaves the motor unharmed. A diesel tank with AdBlue in it is a different matter. If there is AdBlue in your tank, turning on the car would draw it in, and it would not tell you which either.
Take it that it was put in, and don't turn your engine. Call 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 Leek shares these stages
No matter the case, one start applies. Filling station, drive, Cattle Market's car park or a road by @21 Young People's Place — our van comes to the vehicle, and three answers come next: which liquid, what quantity, and whether it has run. Replies shape the work; the quote comes on the call while nobody has left yet.
Emptying that tank comes next, followed by a careful flush — more important with urea than after petrol, because crystals and corrosion will not clear on their own, no matter how long it sits. The filter is cleaned, or replaced where it needs to be; fresh diesel goes in; and the vehicle is tested. Not started? In that case about half an hour on site covers most jobs.
The final step is firing it up. Before our engineers head off, it's tested to confirm it runs properly on clean diesel. If it is noticed early, the car very rarely has long-term damage, and the entire job happens where it is. Paying is that day, never in advance. For the insurer, you get a VAT invoice and a report from the engineer. Dig out your insurance before we arrive: misfuelling cover is included in many policies.
About Leek, briefly
Leek is a town situated in the heart of England, nestled within the Staffordshire Moorlands. It is positioned near the River Churnet, providing a picturesque setting. Located inland, Leek is close to Stoke-on-Trent, making it an ideal base for exploring the surrounding area. The town has a rich history and natural beauty, making it a notable destination in Staffordshire.
AdBlue drains about Leek and across Staffordshire
Over ST postcodes, the vans covering Leek — a town — reach surrounding places too, Barnfields and Bridge End included. Giving us a ST13 6 postcode finds you quickest of all.
Centre of Leek or a layby near Sparrow Park: either way it sits, your vehicle doesn't need to shift an inch for us. Our van drains it in place. Guessing won't help near Saint Luke's, on a border or anywhere hard to describe; phone and ask.
The one-line version
Not run yet: keep it off then call. Whichever case applies, Petrol in Diesel handles the rest on 0333 366 0103, across Staffordshire and in Leek — once you stop, switch off then phone, if it's run.