AdBlue in the Diesel Tank in Trinity, and What to Do Next
Has the engine run since the AdBlue got in? This single point decides almost everything else from here. If it has not, keep it that way, whether the vehicle is around Trinity itself or out in Bonnington. Usually that is draining and properly purging it on the spot around Trinity — so keep the key and motor off then ring 0333 366 0103. If it's run, stop as soon as it is safe then switch off. It is a larger job, yet stage one does not change.
Anywhere across City of Edinburgh it took place, one of the situations below matches yours.
Trinity forecourt: AdBlue in a diesel at the pump
You're at the pump, the nozzle or the bottle still in your hand, and you have just noticed the cap you opened was the wrong one. Anywhere around Trinity, then — Asda, BP, or somewhere else nearby.
What it means: this is the ideal location to find out. Just the tank has AdBlue; no component past it has drawn any in.
Do this: stay out of the driver's seat, however much the queue wants freeing. Ask the attendants to help you push the car into a parking space, keep the receipt or the bottle, and phone us from the forecourt. Stuck beside the pump? Explosion-proof equipment makes a busy forecourt sensible, and so we can drain the vehicle in place.
At home in Trinity with AdBlue in the diesel tank
For days the dash had been warning you. Only by the recycling, the empty bottle in your hand, did you glance back at the cap you had used at the drive. Houses just off Craighall Crescent get hit as much as everywhere else.
What it means: if you have not driven since, this is almost as good as the forecourt. Being reluctant to mix, AdBlue drops low inside that tank and stays. A night parked alters none of that.
Next: prevent any early-morning drive by keeping your keys indoors, then phone us. Our technicians drain the car on your driveway, whether that is around Trinity or out in North Leith. Even at night, the pumps stay quiet enough for a residential street.
Trinity: drove off with AdBlue in a diesel?
A mile or two beyond filling up, your engine started playing up: rough running, smoke, less power, warnings on your dash. Possibly it was on East Trinity Road, maybe on the way out towards Edinburgh, under 3 miles away.
The upshot: the system has pulled AdBlue in already. It has been through the fuel filter and the lines and, the further you went, into the high-pressure pump and your injectors. More miles, more restarts: deeper it goes.
Next: pick a safe spot, pull in, then turn your motor off. Leave at the first junction — not the services further along — if you are on the M8, under 10 miles from Trinity. It won't have cleared, and so there's no point restarting to find out. Let us know the mileage covered as you call.
AdBlue in the wrong tank of a hire, lease or company car
Seven days ago, it was new to you. On your own car, AdBlue is absent or elsewhere. On this one, the inlet is right next to the diesel cap — a surprise to you. Anywhere you are across City of Edinburgh, every driver can be caught.
Meaning? Whatever case above counts here — run or unrun — and one further stage. The owner often has to approve any work, under plenty of hire and fleet agreements.
Next: phone the hire company or your fleet manager first, then us — sorting it before we arrive is quicker. Waiting for a reply in the car park at Edinburgh Waverley, or near Newhaven Church? Keep your car off throughout.
AdBlue in your diesel tank? Not sure, in Trinity
At times the fair answer is "I think so". The bottle is lighter than it should be, there is a faint smell of ammonia round your filler, and you can't remember which cap you took off. Maybe on a friend's driveway in Leith, or rushing outside the local primary school at the school run.
In short: a spill round your filler leaves your engine unharmed. Inside your diesel tank, however, AdBlue damages it. You cannot tell which by turning the ignition, and doing so will pull in any AdBlue that is in the tank.
Next: act as though it got in, then keep the engine off. Describe what you saw on your phone. A clear tank looked at counts as a better result than a run one emptied.
Each AdBlue drain in Trinity shares these stages
The work begins the same way, whichever your case. Our engineers come to your car, whether it's on a forecourt, a driveway, the car park at The Harbour Inn or a side street close to Alien Rock, and ask three things: what was put in, roughly how much, and whether the motor has been run. Your price is given over the phone, before a van leaves, and the replies set the job.
A thorough flush comes after the drain. With petrol it is standard; with AdBlue it's essential, because crystals form and some metals corrode, and neither rinses out unaided. Last come the fuel filter, cleaned or replaced as needed; clean diesel; and a check of your vehicle. The majority of unstarted vehicles are a half-hour job after the moment our engineers arrive.
The last step is firing it up. With clean diesel in, it runs while our technicians confirm it's running smoothly, and then we go. When it is caught early, the car very rarely has permanent damage, and the whole 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. It is worth remembering: many insurers include misfuelling cover, and so a quick look at your policy as we travel is worthwhile.
About Trinity itself
Trinity is a coastal suburban area in the City of Edinburgh, situated approximately 1.7 miles from Edinburgh city centre. Trinity sits at an elevation of 24 metres, overlooking the Firth of Forth, and is characterised by predominantly flat-type housing. Trinity is close to nearby places such as North Leith, Newhaven, and Hamilton Wynd, and is home to a population of around 8872 residents.
AdBlue drains around Trinity, and across City of Edinburgh too
Over EH postcodes, the teams serving Trinity — a residential suburb — work surrounding towns too, Newhaven and Hamilton Wynd among them. A postcode starting EH6 4 is the quickest way to tell us where you are.
Stopped en route to Newhaven Park, or right in the heart of Trinity, your vehicle stays where it is — there's no need to shift it at all. Wherever it stands, that is where it is cleared. Ring and ask instead of guessing when you are by King Edward VII Statue, near a border, or somewhere awkward to pin down.
Your situation, in one line
Unstarted? Leave it that way then phone. Run by now: pull over, switch down, ring 0333 366 0103. Petrol in Diesel takes over the rest, in Trinity or anywhere across City of Edinburgh.