What Now? AdBlue in the Diesel Tank in St Francis Court
Has the motor run since the AdBlue got in? That one point settles almost everything about what comes next. Not started so far? Then leave it like that, whether the car is — St Francis Court or Tipner. Normally that means draining and properly flushing it on the spot in St Francis Court — so leave your key and engine off then ring 0333 366 0103. Pull over the minute you safely can then turn off, if it has been run. Stage one stays the same, even though the work is bigger.
Anywhere around Hampshire it took place, one of the cases below matches yours.
St Francis Court forecourt: AdBlue in a diesel at the pump
The cap you opened was the wrong one — and you just notice it while you're standing at the pump, bottle or nozzle in hand. Be it Shell, Esso or somewhere else in St Francis Court, the situation is identical.
What it means: this is the ideal location to find out. The AdBlue is in that tank and nowhere else. Nothing has pulled it in.
Clearing the petrol pump is no excuse to run it — and so don't get back in. Ask the attendants to help you push the vehicle into a parking bay, keep the till receipt or the bottle, then ring us from the forecourt. If it cannot be shifted, it can be drained at the pump: the equipment is explosion-proof and fine on a busy forecourt.
St Francis Court, at home: AdBlue in your diesel tank
The warning light had been on for days. Picked up a container, tipped it in at home, binned the empty — and at that point checked the cap again, too late. Driveways close to Phoenix Square get it as much as any other street.
Meaning? Provided the car has not been driven since, it is close to the forecourt case. Diesel and AdBlue keep apart: the AdBlue drops to the base of your tank and stays put, no matter how long it waits.
What to do: leave the keys inside the house so no one moves the vehicle in the morning. Then ring. Out in Vicarage Row or right here in St Francis Court, the drain is done on your drive. The pumps are quiet enough to use outside a house after dark.
St Francis Court: set off with AdBlue in a diesel?
A short way after filling up, your engine started playing up: rough running, smoke, less power, lights on the dash. Somewhere along Northwood Road or on the road towards Portsmouth — under 3 miles away.
Meaning? Your fuel pump has sucked the AdBlue up. The injection pump and every injector get it as well on a bigger trip, once your filter and pipework have it. It travels deeper with each mile covered and every restart.
Next: find a safe spot, pull in, then turn your engine off. Services further along are too far: on the M27, under a mile out of St Francis Court, take the first junction. It will not have cleared, and so there's no sense restarting to find out. Phone, and say what distance the car went.
Hire, lease or company car with AdBlue in the wrong tank
You have just driven this vehicle a week. Unknown to you, the AdBlue and diesel fillers sit side by side here — unlike your own car, which has no AdBlue or keeps it elsewhere. It can happen to anyone, anywhere around Hampshire.
Meaning? Whichever case above counts too — run or not — and one extra stage. Any work on the car often needs the owner's approval under hire or fleet terms.
What to do: call the hire firm or your fleet manager first, then us. That's faster settled before our technicians get there than after. Stranded by St Francis' Church or outside Hilsea till the firm answers, your car remains turned off the whole time.
Not sure it was AdBlue in your diesel tank, St Francis Court?
Truthfully, the only answer may be that you think so. A slight ammonia smell lingers near your filler, the bottle seems too light, and the cap you took off is a blur. Maybe it happened in a hurry at the school gates at King's Academy Northern Parade (Junior), or on a friend's drive in North End.
What it means: a little spilled round your filler does no harm to the motor. If it is inside your diesel tank, though, it does. You can't tell which by turning the ignition, and doing so would pull in any AdBlue that is in the tank.
Assume it went in, and never turn the key. Ring and give the details: we'd rather find a tank free of AdBlue than drain one after your motor has run.
Each AdBlue drain in St Francis Court shares these steps
No matter the case, one opening is used. We come to the car, whether it is at a forecourt, a drive, the car park outside The Coach and Horses or a side street near Howard Road Community Centre, and ask three things: what got in, roughly how much, and whether your motor has run. On the phone, ahead of anything else, you hear the quote, and those answers decide the work too.
A thorough flush follows the drain. With petrol it is routine; with AdBlue it is essential, because deposits form and certain metals corrode, and none of that washes out unaided. Clean diesel goes in once your filter has been cleaned or changed, and your car is then tested. If the motor has not run, the majority of jobs take about half an hour once we're there.
We fire it up last. Our engineers confirm it runs smoothly on clean diesel before leaving. The whole job is done where the car is, and when it is spotted soon, permanent damage is very uncommon. Payment comes on the day, never upfront. For the insurer, you get a VAT invoice and a written report from the engineer. Dig out your insurance before we're en route: cover for misfuelling comes included in plenty of policies.
About St Francis Court, briefly
St Francis Court is a coastal locality in Hampshire, situated near the city of Portsmouth and close to other nearby places such as Vicarage Row, Hilsea, and Highbury. St Francis Court is characterized by its predominantly flat housing stock, with many residents living in flats. St Francis Court sits at a low elevation of around 2 metres above sea level, reflecting its coastal setting.
AdBlue drains in St Francis Court, and across Hampshire too
Hilsea and Highbury have the same vans as St Francis Court, a coastal area, plus further places over PO postcodes. A postcode starting PO2 9 is the quickest way to tell us where you are.
Whether the vehicle is on a lay-by on the way to Portsmouth Grammar School Playing Fields or in a car park in the middle of St Francis Court, it does not need to shift. We drain the car where it sits. Guessing won't help beside Bastion 1 Hilsea Lines, close to a border or anywhere awkward to pin down; phone and check.
The one-line version
Motor never started: ring, leaving it switched off. Run by now: pull over, switch down, phone 0333 366 0103. Petrol in Diesel handles the remainder, in St Francis Court or wherever across Hampshire.