What Now? AdBlue in the Diesel Tank in Sidmouth
One thing counts above all when AdBlue is in a diesel tank, and that is whether the engine has been started afterwards. If it hasn't, keep it that way, whether the vehicle is in Sidmouth itself or out in Land Part. Ring 0333 366 0103 with your ignition and motor still off. In Sidmouth, that is typically drained and flushed on the spot. If it has run, stop as soon as it is safe then switch off. Stage one remains the same, even if the work is bigger.
Find the scenario below that matches yours, wherever in Devon it happened.
AdBlue in a diesel on a Sidmouth forecourt
Imagine it: standing by the petrol pump, holding the bottle, you spot the cap you took off was not the right one. Maybe you are at the the nearest petrol station, possibly at the East Budleigh Garage, maybe somewhere else around Sidmouth.
Meaning? Finding out on the forecourt is the best it gets. No pump has pulled it in, and so the AdBlue stays just in that tank.
Next: avoid the temptation to fire it up just to free up the pump. A few things: a shove into a space with the staff assisting, the bottle kept, and a call to us from where you stand. If it can't be shifted, it can be emptied at the pump: the equipment is explosion-proof and safe on a working forecourt.
Sidmouth, at home: AdBlue in the diesel tank
The warning light had been on for days. Picked up a container, poured it in at home, recycled the empty — and at that point looked at the cap again, after the fact. Just off All Saints Road is not different from any other place.
In short: if your vehicle hasn't moved since, it is almost as good as spotting it at the forecourt. AdBlue doesn't mix with diesel; it sinks to the bottom of your tank and waits there. Overnight doesn't change that.
What to do: leave your keys inside the house so no one moves your car in the morning. Then ring. Your drive is where it gets emptied, whether around Sidmouth or New Town. Night-time drains outside a house are no problem: the pumps are quiet.
Set off with AdBlue in a diesel in Sidmouth?
Topped up, drove away, and before long your motor was turning roughly, blowing smoke, down on power, or lighting up your dash. Maybe driving for Exeter, under 15 miles away, or simply down Newtown.
In short: the AdBlue has been sucked through the system. The high-pressure pump and each injector get it too on a bigger run, once the filter and lines have it. Each mile and each restart takes it further.
Do this: stop somewhere safe, then switch your engine off. Leave at the first junction — not the services further along — if you are on the M5, under 15 miles from Sidmouth. No test starts: clearing itself is not something AdBlue does. Roughly what distance did it go? Tell us as you phone.
Hire, lease or company car with AdBlue in the wrong tank
You've just had the vehicle for days. On your own vehicle, AdBlue is missing or somewhere else. On this one, its cap is right next to your diesel inlet — news to you. Wherever you happen to be across Devon, every driver can be caught.
What it means: the same as the situations above, depending on whether it's run, with one more step. Any work on the car often requires the owner's approval under hire or fleet agreements.
Your move: rental firm or your fleet manager to begin with, us next, since sorting it beforehand saves time. Waiting for a reply in the car park outside Feniton, or beside Scott Cinemas? Keep your engine off throughout.
AdBlue in your diesel tank? Not sure, around Sidmouth
At times, "I think so" is all you can truthfully say. A slight ammonia-like smell hangs near your filler, the bottle feels too light, and which cap came off is a blur. A rushed stop by the gates of Sidmouth Church of England (VA) Primary School, or a call to a friend in Cotmaton: both fit.
What it means: a little spilled about the filler does no damage to your motor. AdBlue inside your diesel tank does. You can't tell which by turning the key, and doing so will pull in any AdBlue that is in the tank.
What to do: treat it as if it went in. Don't fire it up. Call us and describe what you saw; we'd rather check a tank that turns out free of AdBlue than drain one that has already been run.
The common ground in each Sidmouth AdBlue drain
No matter the situation, a single start applies. Filling station, drive, Swan Inn's car park or a road beside All Saints’ — our van reaches your vehicle, and three answers follow: what fluid, what quantity, and if it has run. Answers shape the job; the quote follows by phone while nobody has left yet.
Then that tank is emptied and the system flushed thoroughly, which counts more with AdBlue than with petrol: AdBlue crystallises and is corrosive to some of the metals in a fuel system, so it doesn't rinse out on its own. The fuel filter is cleaned, or replaced where it needs to be; fresh diesel goes in; and the vehicle is tested. Most unstarted cars are a half-hour visit after the moment our technicians turn up.
Starting it comes at the end. Our engineers confirm it runs correctly on clean diesel before we leave. Long-term damage is very rare when it is spotted quickly, and the whole job is done where your car is. Nothing is taken upfront, settlement is made on the day, and you receive what your insurer wants: an engineer report plus a VAT invoice. Check your insurance while we arrive: misfuelling cover is built into plenty of policies.
About Sidmouth
Sidmouth is a coastal town in Devon, situated on the English Channel. It is located near the city of Exeter and serves as an entry point to a notable stretch of coastline. The town has a significant area protected for its historic and architectural importance. Sidmouth attracts visitors due to its natural surroundings and proximity to a world-renowned heritage site.
AdBlue drains across Devon, Sidmouth included
Throughout EX postcodes, the teams serving Sidmouth — a coastal town — work nearby places as well, Eastern Town and Western Town included. A postcode starting EX10 8 is the quickest way to tell us where you are.
Stopped heading to Blackmore Gardens, or right in the centre of Sidmouth, the vehicle stays put — there's no need to move it anywhere. The van empties it where it stands. If you're somewhere hard to explain, close to Sidmouth Library or close to a boundary, ring and ask instead of guessing.
Your situation, summed up
Not run yet: keep the vehicle off then call. Run by now? Stop, switch off, ring. Petrol in Diesel takes over the remainder whatever case, in Sidmouth and Devon, on 0333 366 0103.