AdBlue in the Diesel Tank in Listooder, and What to Do Next
What to do about AdBlue in a diesel tank comes down to one thing more than any other: whether your motor has run since it got in. If it hasn't, keep it that way, whether the car is around Listooder itself or out in Ballynahinch. Switch nothing on, ring 0333 366 0103, then expect a thorough flush after a drain, done right where the car sits around Listooder. If it has run, stop as soon as it is safe and switch off. Stage one remains the same, even though the work is bigger.
Match what happened to one of the ones below, anywhere in County Down you happen to be.
AdBlue in a diesel on a Listooder forecourt
The cap you unscrewed was the wrong one — and you just notice it as you are stood at the pump, bottle or nozzle in hand. Possibly you're at the the nearest petrol station, possibly at the another forecourt nearby, maybe somewhere else around Listooder.
The point: of every spot to find out, this is the best. Just your tank holds AdBlue; not one component beyond it has taken any in.
What to do: don't get back in and fire it up to clear the petrol pump. Ring us from the forecourt after your vehicle sits in a space — the attendants will help push it — then keep the receipt. If it cannot be moved, it can be cleared at the petrol pump: the equipment is explosion-proof and fine on a busy forecourt.
At home in Listooder with AdBlue in your diesel tank
The warning light had been on for days. Only by the recycling, the empty bottle in your hand, did you look back at the cap you had used on the drive. Drives near High Row see it as much as any other street.
Meaning? As long as your vehicle hasn't been driven since, it is second to the pump case. AdBlue does not mix with diesel; it sinks to the bottom of your tank and waits there. Overnight doesn't change that.
Next: prevent an early-morning move by keeping your keys in the house, then phone us. Out in Kilmore or here around Listooder, the draining is done at your driveway. Even at night, our pumps stay quiet enough for a residential street.
Drove off with AdBlue in a diesel in Listooder?
Lumpy running, smoke, falling power or a glowing dashboard started a mile or two beyond the fill. B7065, say, or the way towards Lisburn — a run of under 15 miles.
Put simply: the AdBlue has been sucked through the system. It has been through your filter and the lines and, the further you went, into the high-pressure fuel pump and your injectors. It goes further with every mile covered and every restart.
What to do: pull over where it's safe and switch off. Leave at the first junction — not the services beyond — if you're on the M77, over 50 miles from Listooder. Restarting it to check achieves nothing — AdBlue doesn't clear on its own. Call, saying what distance your car was driven.
Hire, lease or company car with AdBlue in the wrong tank
You have just driven the car a week. Unknown to you, the AdBlue and diesel inlets sit next to each other here — not like your own vehicle, which has none or keeps it elsewhere. It can happen to anyone, anywhere in County Down.
Meaning? Whichever case above counts too — run or not — and one further stage. Many hire and company agreements want the owner to approve work on the car.
What to do: ring the hire firm or your fleet manager first, then us. That's quicker settled before we arrive than after. Waiting for a reply in the car park outside the nearest station, or near the centre? Keep your car off throughout.
Listooder: unsure whether it was AdBlue in the diesel tank?
"I think so" is often as honest as it gets. What cap was taken off, you can't say; meanwhile the bottle feels lighter than expected, and a whiff of ammonia hangs by your filler. A hurried stop by the gates of the local primary school, or a visit to a friend in Saintfield: both fit.
Meaning? Drips around the filler don't reach your motor at all. AdBlue inside your diesel tank does. You can't tell which by turning the ignition, and doing so will draw in any AdBlue that is in your tank.
What to do: treat it as if it was put in. Don't crank it. Ring us and describe what you saw; we would rather check a tank that turns out clean than drain one that has already been run.
What every AdBlue drain in Listooder has in common
The job begins identically, whichever your case. We come to your car, whether it is at a forecourt, a driveway, the car park at the pub in the village or a side street close to a street just off the centre, and ask three things: what got in, about how much, and whether your engine has been run. Replies shape the work; the quote comes on the call whilst no one has left yet.
AdBlue forms crystals and eats at certain metals used in fuel systems, and so it does not rinse out on its own; that's why a full flush, after the drain, counts far more here than with petrol. Finally are the filter, cleaned or renewed as needed; fresh diesel; and a check of the vehicle. Where your engine hasn't run, expect about half an hour on site, in most jobs.
The final step is firing it up. Our check that it runs correctly on fresh diesel comes before we go. Our technicians do the whole job where the vehicle is, and permanent damage is very uncommon when it has been noticed early. For your insurer: an engineer's report and the VAT invoice. For you: payment that day, no money upfront. Many insurance policies include misfuelling cover, and so it is worth checking yours while we're on the way.
About Listooder, for a moment
Listooder is a small locality in County Down, situated inland at an elevation of 37 metres, approximately 11.5 miles from Lisburn. Listooder is characterised by its predominantly detached housing stock, reflecting the area's residential nature. Listooder lies near other localities such as Kilmore, Crossgar, and Drumaness, and is home to around 639 people.
AdBlue drains in Listooder, and across County Down too
Crossgar and Drumaness get the same teams as Listooder, a small village, along with further places over BT postcodes. Giving us your BT30 9 postcode pins you quickest of all.
Parked heading to the green space at the edge of the village, or right in the heart of Listooder, your vehicle remains where it is — there is no need to move it anywhere. Our technicians drain the car where it sits. Awkward to explain? Close to the far end of the built-up part or a county line? Asking is better than assuming, so phone.
The one-line version
Not run yet: keep it off then ring. Already run: stop, switch off then call. Either way, Petrol in Diesel takes it from there in Listooder and anywhere across County Down on 0333 366 0103.