AdBlue in the Diesel Tank in Ratho, and What to Do Next
What to do about AdBlue in a diesel tank comes down to one thing more than any other: whether the engine has been run since it got in. Over in Newbridge or here in Ratho, an unrun engine must stay that way. Ring 0333 366 0103 with your key and motor still off. Across Ratho, that is typically emptied and cleaned where it stands. When your engine has run, pull in somewhere safe first, then switch the vehicle off. Stage one remains the same, even though the work is bigger.
Below: the situations our engineers meet, anywhere around City of Edinburgh. Pick yours.
At the pump around Ratho: AdBlue in a diesel
The cap you unscrewed was the wrong one — and you just spot it as you are stood at the pump, bottle or nozzle in hand. Somewhere around Ratho, then — BP, another forecourt nearby, or somewhere else nearby.
What it means: this is the ideal spot to find out. The AdBlue is inside the tank and nowhere else. Nothing has drawn it in.
Next: avoid the temptation to fire it up just to free up the petrol pump. Get the staff to help rolling it into a space, save the receipt, then ring us from there. Draining it right at the pump is possible when it can't be shifted, since the equipment is explosion-proof.
AdBlue in the diesel tank at home in Ratho
The warning light had been on for days. A bottle bought at the garage, emptied in on the drive — and it's just by the recycling that the cap caught your eye. Drives close to Dalmahoy Road see it as much as any other street.
In short: if the car hasn't moved since, it's almost as good as finding out at the forecourt. On the floor of your tank sits where AdBlue waits, since it will not mix with diesel — and a night going by makes no difference.
Put your keys indoors tonight — or a person may take it away at breakfast — then call us. Ratho Station or Ratho: whichever your driveway sits, that's where it gets cleared. The equipment works quiet enough that it won't wake the neighbours at night.
AdBlue in a diesel and already driving around Ratho?
Topped up, drove away, and soon the engine was running unevenly, blowing smoke, down on power, or flashing up the dash. Maybe driving for Edinburgh, under 10 miles away, or simply down Main Street.
What it means: the system has drawn the AdBlue in. It's been through the filter and your lines and, the further you went, into the high-pressure pump and your injectors. More driving, more restarts: deeper it travels.
What to do: pull over where it's safe to do so then switch off. Ratho sits under a mile from the M8; on it, pull off at the next junction rather than pushing on to the services. No trial restarts: clearing itself is not something AdBlue does. Call us and say how far you went.
Hire, lease or company car with AdBlue in the wrong tank
You have had the car hardly a week. The AdBlue filler sits right next to the diesel filler, which you didn't know, because your own car either has no AdBlue or keeps it somewhere else. Anyone, anywhere in City of Edinburgh, might make it.
The point: exactly as above, divided by if it ran, but with an added stage. Plenty of hire and company agreements need the owner's approval for work.
Your move: rental firm or your fleet manager first, us next, because settling it early saves time. Leave it off while the reply arrives, even if you are parked at Edinburgh Gateway or near Ratho Library.
Ratho: unsure if it was AdBlue in your diesel tank?
At times, "I think so" is the most you can truthfully say. A faint ammonia whiff hangs near your filler, the bottle feels too light, and which cap came off is hard to recall. A hurried top-up by the gates of the local primary school, or a visit to a friend in Ingliston: both fit.
What it means: a little spilled round your filler does no harm to your motor. Once it is inside your diesel tank, though, it does. If there is AdBlue in the tank, firing up the vehicle will draw it in, and it wouldn't tell you which either.
Next: act as though it went in, and leave the engine off. Tell us what you saw on the phone. A clean tank looked at is a happier result than an already-run one emptied.
What each AdBlue drain around Ratho has in common
The job begins the same way, whichever the case. We come to the vehicle, whether it's at a forecourt, a drive, the car park at The Bridge Inn or a side street close to Ratho Community Centre, and ask three things: what was put in, about how much, and if your motor has been run. On the phone, ahead of anything else, you hear the quote, and those replies shape the job too.
A thorough flush follows the drain. With petrol it's standard; with AdBlue it's crucial, since crystals build up and some metals corrode, and none of it rinses out unaided. Last are the fuel filter, flushed or replaced as needed; clean diesel; and a check of the vehicle. Where your motor hasn't been started, expect about half an hour on site, in most cases.
Starting it comes at the end. Our check that it runs correctly on clean diesel comes before our technicians head off. If it is caught early, the vehicle very rarely has long-term damage, and the entire job takes place where it is. You pay on the day, with nothing upfront, and get a VAT invoice and an engineer report for your insurer. Plenty of insurance policies include misfuelling, so look at yours as we head over.
About Ratho
Ratho is a village situated on the Union Canal, near the Water of Leith, in the City of Edinburgh, with a mix of semi-detached housing and other residential properties. Ratho sits at an elevation of 89 metres, close to the Pentland Hills and the nearby villages of Bonnington and Burnwynd. Ratho has a population of around 1489 people and is located near Ratho Station, providing transport links to Edinburgh and other surrounding areas. Ratho is also close to the city of Edinburgh, which is approximately 7.7 miles away.
AdBlue drains across City of Edinburgh, Ratho included
Throughout EH postcodes, the vans serving Ratho — a village — work surrounding towns as well, Bonnington and Burnwynd among them. Your location comes quickest from a postcode that starts EH28 8.
Parked heading to Alder Wood, or bang in the heart of Ratho, the car stays put — there's no need to shift it at all. Our technicians drain the vehicle where it is. Assuming won't help near War Memorial, close to a border or somewhere awkward to pin down; phone and check.
In one line: your situation
Not run yet: keep it off and ring. Started by now? Stop, turn off, ring. Petrol in Diesel takes over the rest whatever it is, across Ratho and City of Edinburgh, on 0333 366 0103.