What Now? AdBlue in the Diesel Tank in Redbourn
Has your engine turned over since the AdBlue went in? That single point decides nearly everything else from here. Not started yet? Then keep the car that way, wherever your car sits — Redbourn or Harpenden Common. Usually this is emptying and thoroughly rinsing it on the spot around Redbourn — so leave the ignition and engine off then call 0333 366 0103. Where your engine has been run, pull in somewhere safe straight away, then turn the car off. The job is bigger, yet the first stage is the same.
Find the scenario below that matches yours, wherever around Hertfordshire it happened.
Redbourn forecourt: AdBlue in a diesel at the pump
Picture it: standing by the pump, gripping the nozzle, you realise the filler you took off was not the right one. Anywhere around Redbourn, then — Shell, another forecourt nearby, or anywhere else close by.
What it means: this is the ideal place to find out. The AdBlue is in your tank and nowhere else. Nothing has drawn it in.
Next: resist the urge to start it only to move away from the pump. Ring us from the forecourt after the car is in a space — the staff will lend a hand to roll it — and keep the receipt. If it cannot be shifted, it can be emptied at the petrol pump: the equipment is explosion-proof and safe on a working forecourt.
At home in Redbourn with AdBlue in the diesel tank
On the dash, a reminder had been lit for days. A bottle from the garage, emptied in on the drive — and it was just at the bin that the cap got a second look. It takes place on driveways just off Lamb Lane as commonly as anywhere.
What it means: if you have not driven since, this is nearly as good as the forecourt. Diesel and AdBlue stay separate: the AdBlue drops to the base of your tank and remains there, no matter how long it waits.
Put your keys indoors overnight — otherwise someone may take it off first thing — and phone us. Church End or Redbourn: wherever your driveway is, that is where it is cleared. Night-time empties beside a house are no problem: the pumps are low-noise.
AdBlue in a diesel and already driving in Redbourn?
Topped up, drove away, and before long the engine was running roughly, smoking, losing power, or lighting up the dash. Anywhere on High Street or else heading to St Albans — under 5 miles away.
In short: the AdBlue has been sucked through the fuel system. Through your filter, through the lines, and — the further the mileage — deeper into the injection pump and each injector. It goes further with every extra mile driven and each restart.
Next: find a safe place, pull in, then turn the engine off. Redbourn lies under a mile from the M1; there, pull off at the next junction instead of pressing on for the services. Starting it again to test achieves nothing — AdBlue never clears on its own. Tell us hear the mileage covered as you ring.
Hire, lease or company car with AdBlue in the wrong tank
Seven days ago, the car was new to you. On your own vehicle, AdBlue is absent or elsewhere. On this one, the inlet is just next to the diesel inlet — news to you. It can happen to anyone, anywhere around Hertfordshire.
What it means: the same as the scenarios above, depending on whether it's run, with one more step. Any work on the car frequently needs the owner's approval under rental or fleet agreements.
What to do: call the hire firm or your fleet manager first, then us. That is quicker settled before our engineers arrive than after. Stranded near Redbourn Methodist Church or at Harpenden until someone replies, the car stays switched off the whole time.
Redbourn: unsure if it was AdBlue in the diesel tank?
At times, "I think so" is all anyone can truthfully say. A slight ammonia-like whiff hangs near your filler, the bottle seems too light, and which cap came off is a blur. Maybe at a friend's drive in Kinsbourne Green, or rushing outside Redbourn Primary School on the school run.
The point: the motor isn't harmed by a little AdBlue spilled on the filler. The diesel tank with AdBlue in it is a different matter. Firing up the vehicle will not tell you which, and if there is AdBlue in that tank it will draw it in.
Next: act as though it got in, and leave the motor off. Call us and explain what you saw; we would rather check a tank that turns out clean than drain one that has already been run.
What each AdBlue drain in Redbourn has in common
Each situation gets the same start to the work. Forecourt, driveway, The George's car park or a street by Christchurch Redbourn — our van comes to the vehicle, and three answers follow: which fluid, what amount, and whether it has run. The price is given on the call, ahead of anyone setting off, and the answers set the job.
Draining your tank comes next, followed by a full flush — more important with urea than after petrol, because crystals and corrosion will not go by themselves, however long it sits. The filter is cleaned, or replaced where it needs to be; clean diesel goes in; and the car is tested. If the motor has not run, most jobs take about half an hour once we're there.
Starting the car comes at the end. Our check that it runs correctly on fresh diesel comes before our engineers head off. Permanent damage is very rare if it is spotted soon, and the whole job is done where the vehicle is. Paying is that day, never upfront. For the insurer, you get a VAT invoice plus a written report from the engineer. Many insurance policies include misfuelling cover, and so it is worth checking yours while we are on the way.
About Redbourn itself
Redbourn is a village situated in the valley of the River Ver in Hertfordshire, with a mix of old and new buildings, including many detached homes. Redbourn sits near the larger city of St Albans, and its residents are within commuting distance of London. Redbourn has a number of nearby hamlets, including Church End and Redbournbury, and is surrounded by countryside. Redbourn is home to around 2634 people, according to recent estimates.
AdBlue drains in Redbourn, and across Hertfordshire too
Redbourn is a village, and the same vans that cover it work the towns around it too, Redbournbury and Hatching Green among them, across the AL postcode area. A postcode starting AL3 7 is the quickest way to tell us where you are.
No towing is required, whether parked in the centre of Redbourn or on a layby heading to Redbourn Common, and so keep it put. Wherever it stands, that's where it gets emptied. Ring and ask rather than guess when you are by Redbourn War Memorial, near a boundary, or somewhere awkward to explain.
Your scenario, summed up
If it hasn't started, phone then keep it that way. Already run: stop, switch off and ring. Either way, Petrol in Diesel takes it from there around Redbourn and anywhere across Hertfordshire on 0333 366 0103.