AdBlue in the Diesel Tank in West Hill: What Now?
What to do about AdBlue in a diesel tank comes down to one thing more than any other: whether the engine has been run since it got in. Out in Metcombe or right in West Hill, an unstarted engine should remain that way. Normally that means draining and thoroughly flushing it right there in West Hill — so keep your key and engine off and phone 0333 366 0103. Pull over the minute it is safe and switch off, if it has been run. The job is bigger, but the first step is the same.
Further down: the situations our technicians see, wherever in Devon. Choose the one that fits.
West Hill forecourt: AdBlue in a diesel at the pump
Imagine it: standing by the petrol pump, holding the nozzle, you spot the filler you opened was not the correct one. Anywhere in West Hill, then — Esso, Texaco, or somewhere else close by.
The point: of every spot to find out, the forecourt is the best. The AdBlue is in your tank and nowhere else. Nothing has drawn it in.
Do this: stay out of the car, however much the queue wants clearing. A few things: a push into a bay with the attendants assisting, the bottle kept, and a ring to us from where you stand. Stuck by the petrol pump? Explosion-proof equipment keeps a live forecourt safe, and so we can drain it where it is.
AdBlue in your diesel tank at home in West Hill
On the dash, a warning had shown for days. Bought a container, tipped it in at home, recycled the empty — and only then looked at the cap a second time, too late. It takes place on drives just off Beech Park as regularly as anywhere.
What it means: if you haven't driven since, this is nearly as good as the forecourt. Being reluctant to blend, AdBlue drops to the base inside that tank and waits. One night standing alters nothing.
What to do: leave the keys inside the house so no one moves the vehicle in the morning. Then ring. Higher Metcombe or West Hill: wherever your drive sits, that's where it gets cleared. Our equipment works quietly enough not to disturb the neighbours at night.
AdBlue in a diesel and already driving in West Hill?
A mile or two beyond topping up, the motor started misbehaving: rough running, smoke, lost power, lights on the dash. Possibly it was on Elsdon Lane, maybe on the way out towards Exeter, under 10 miles away.
Meaning? Your fuel pump has sucked the AdBlue in. Mileage decides how far it gets: filter and pipework to begin with, then the high-pressure pump and every injector. More driving, more starts: deeper it goes.
Pull in safely — that is the next step — then turn everything off. Exit at the next junction — not the services beyond — if you are on the M5, under 10 miles from West Hill. It will not have cleared, and so there's no point starting it again to find out. Phone, saying how far the car went.
AdBlue in the wrong tank: hire, lease and company motors
You have just driven this car a week. The AdBlue filler sits right next to the diesel filler, which you did not know, because your own vehicle either has no AdBlue or keeps it somewhere else. Anyone, anywhere in Devon, might do the same.
What it means: the same as the scenarios above, depending on whether it's run, with one more step. Many rental and company agreements require the owner's approval before repairs.
Next: ring the rental company or the fleet manager first, and then us — sorting it before our arrival is faster. Leave it off while the answer comes, even if you're parked at Whimple or near West Hill Village Hall.
Not sure it was AdBlue in the diesel tank, West Hill?
Sometimes the honest answer is "I think so". What cap was taken off, you cannot say; but the bottle weighs lighter than expected, and a whiff of ammonia hangs by your filler. It might have been at a friend's drive in Marsh Green, or in a rush outside West Hill Primary School at the school run.
Meaning? Drips around the filler never reach the motor at all. Once it is inside the diesel tank, though, it does. Turning on the car will not tell you which, and if there is AdBlue in that tank it would suck it in.
Do this: behave as though it did, and don't start your engine. Tell us what you saw on the phone. A clean tank looked at is a better result than an already-run one emptied.
Every AdBlue drain in West Hill shares these steps
The job begins identically, whatever the situation. Filling station, driveway, the pub in the village's car park or a street beside West Hill Cross — our van comes to your car, and three questions come next: what fluid, which amount, and whether it ran. Answers set the job; the price follows by phone while nobody has left yet.
A thorough flush comes after the drain. With petrol it is standard; with AdBlue it is essential, because deposits form and some metals corrode, and none of it washes out unaided. The filter is flushed, or replaced where it needs to be; clean diesel goes in; and your car is tested. Where the engine hasn't run, expect roughly half an hour on site, in most jobs.
The last step is starting the car. With fresh diesel in, it runs while we confirm it's running properly, and then we leave. When it's caught early, the car very seldom has lasting 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. Worth remembering: lots of insurers include misfuelling cover, so a quick look at your policy while we travel is worthwhile.
About West Hill itself
West Hill is a rural village in Devon, situated inland at an elevation of around 105 metres, approximately 9 miles from Exeter. West Hill has a population of around 955 people and is characterised by predominantly detached housing. West Hill is close to nearby places such as Higher Metcombe, Fluxton, and Allercombe, and is located in the South West region of England, about 148 miles from London.
AdBlue drains around West Hill and across Devon
Fluxton and Allercombe get the same vans as West Hill, a rural village, plus other towns over EX postcodes. Giving us a EX11 1 postcode pins you quickest of all.
No towing is needed, be it stopped centrally in West Hill or in a layby heading to Prickly Pear Blossoms Park, and so keep it where it is. Our engineers drain the car where it sits. Ring and ask rather than guess when you're close to Belbury Castle, near a border, or somewhere tricky to pin down.
Your scenario, summed up
Where it hasn't run, ring and keep it that way. Run by now? Stop, switch off, ring. Petrol in Diesel takes over the rest whichever it is, across West Hill and Devon, on 0333 366 0103.