What Now? AdBlue in the Diesel Tank in Rickards Down
What to do about AdBlue in a diesel tank depends on one thing more than any other: whether the engine has been run since it got in. Wherever the vehicle stands — Westward Ho!, Rickards Down — don't run a motor that has not run yet. Normally that means draining and properly cleaning it on the spot around Rickards Down — and so keep the key and motor off then call 0333 366 0103. Already run? Stop once you safely can, then turn it off. Step one remains unchanged, even if the work is bigger.
Anywhere in Devon it took place, one of the cases below fits yours.
On a Rickards Down forecourt with AdBlue in a diesel
Picture it: standing by the pump, gripping the nozzle, you spot the filler you took off wasn't the right one. Maybe you're at the Asda, perhaps at the BP, maybe somewhere else in Rickards Down.
Meaning? Spotting it on the forecourt is as good as it can be. Nothing has drawn it through, so the AdBlue sits just in that tank.
What to do: don't get back in and start the vehicle to clear the pump. Ask the attendants to help you roll your car into a parking spot, keep the till receipt or the bottle, and call us from the forecourt. Stuck beside the pump? Explosion-proof equipment makes a live forecourt safe, so we can drain the car where it is.
AdBlue in your diesel tank at home in Rickards Down
On your dash, a warning had been lit all week. Bought a bottle, poured it in at home, recycled the empty — and only then checked the cap again, too late. Homes just off Pusehill Road get caught out as often as anywhere else.
The point: zero miles since leaves it nearly equal to finding it at the pump. At the floor of the tank is where AdBlue waits, since it will not blend with diesel — and a night passing changes no difference.
What to do: leave the keys inside the house so nobody moves your car in the morning. Then call. Our technicians drain it on your drive, whether that's around Rickards Down or out in Abbotsham. The pumps are quiet enough to use outside a house after dark.
Rickards Down: drove off with AdBlue in a diesel?
You filled up, set off, and a mile or two later the motor began to run roughly, smoke, lose power or light up the dashboard. Rickards Green, say, or the route towards Exeter — a run of under 50 miles.
Put simply: the AdBlue has been sucked through your fuel system. It's been through the fuel filter and the lines and, the further you went, into the high-pressure pump and the injectors. Every restart, like each mile, pushes it on.
Your move: stop somewhere sensible, then switch the motor off. Leave by the first junction — not the services beyond — if you're on the M5, under 50 miles from Rickards Down. Restarting it to check achieves nothing — AdBlue never clears on its own. Call, and say what distance the car went.
AdBlue in the wrong tank of a hire, lease or company car
Seven days ago, it was unknown to you. On your own car, AdBlue is absent or elsewhere. On this one, its inlet is just next to the diesel inlet — news to you. It can happen to anyone, anywhere around Devon.
The point: exactly as above, divided by whether it ran, but with one added stage. Any work on the car frequently requires the owner's approval under rental or company agreements.
Settling it before the van turn up is quicker, so phone the hire company or your fleet manager, then us. Keep the car switched off while the reply arrives, even if you're waiting outside Barnstaple or near The Ultimate High.
Not sure it was AdBlue in the diesel tank, Rickards Down?
Honestly, the best answer may be that you think it did. Lighter, that bottle; a hint of ammonia near your filler; a hazy memory of the cap. Sound familiar? A rushed stop by the gates of St Helen's Church of England School, or a call to a friend in Raleigh Estate: either fit.
The point: your engine is not harmed by some AdBlue splashed around the filler. AdBlue inside your diesel tank does. You can't tell which by turning the ignition, and doing so will pull in any AdBlue that is in that tank.
What to do: treat it as if it was put in. Don't start the vehicle. Inspecting a tank that turns out free of AdBlue beats draining one once it's been run — so ring and tell us what you saw.
Rickards Down: what every AdBlue drain has in common
Each case gets the same start to the job. Three things come when we arrive — on a filling station, a drive, a street beside Abbotsham Baptist Church or the car park outside Pig On The Hill: the liquid, the quantity, and whether it has run. Over the phone, ahead of anything else, you are told our price, and those replies decide the job too.
AdBlue forms crystals and eats at some metals used in fuel systems, and so it won't wash out on its own; that is why the flush, after the drain, counts much more here than with petrol. Last are the filter, cleaned or replaced if necessary; clean diesel; and a check of your car. The majority of unrun cars are a half-hour job from the moment our technicians turn up.
Our technicians fire it up at the end. Our technicians make sure it runs properly on clean diesel before leaving. The whole job is done where the car is, and if it's caught quickly, permanent damage is very rare. Paying is that day, never upfront. For your insurer, you get a VAT invoice and a report from the engineer. Worth remembering: many insurers include misfuelling cover, and so a check of your policy as you wait is worthwhile.
About Rickards Down itself
Rickards Down is a coastal locality in Devon, situated near the towns of Abbotsham and Buckleigh, with Silford also nearby. Rickards Down has a population of around 519 people and is characterised by detached housing. Rickards Down sits at an elevation of 34 metres, close to the sea, and is approximately 37.5 miles from Exeter. Rickards Down is located in the South West region, about 181.2 miles from London.
AdBlue drains across Devon, Rickards Down included
Throughout EX postcodes, the teams covering Rickards Down — a coastal area — work nearby places as well, Buckleigh and Silford included. Fastest of all: a EX39 5 postcode to show your location.
Whether your car is on a lay-by on the way to Badgershill Wood or in a car park in the middle of Rickards Down, it doesn't need to move. Draining happens on the spot. Phone and check rather than guess if you are close to St Helen's Church, on a border, or somewhere awkward to pin down.
The one-line version
Still unrun? Keep it off and phone. Whatever line applies, Petrol in Diesel takes over the rest on 0333 366 0103, throughout Devon and in Rickards Down — once you pull over, switch off then ring, if it's run.