AdBlue in the Diesel Tank in Western Town: What Now?
One thing counts above all when AdBlue is in a diesel tank, and that is whether the motor has been started afterwards. Over in New Town or here in Western Town, an unstarted motor should stay that way. Leave your engine and your ignition off then call 0333 366 0103; it is normally a drain and a thorough flush, done where the vehicle is around Western Town. Where the motor has been run, stop somewhere safe straight away, then switch the vehicle off. It is a bigger job, though stage one doesn't change.
Below: the situations we see, wherever in Devon. Choose the one that fits.
Western Town forecourt: AdBlue in a diesel at the pump
Only at this point, nozzle yet in your hand, it dawns on you that the cap you took off was the wrong one, right at the pump. It could be the the nearest petrol station, or perhaps the East Budleigh Garage, or a different station around Western Town.
The upshot: of every spot to notice, this is the best. Only the tank has AdBlue; not one part past it has taken any in.
Next: resist the urge to start it just to free up the petrol pump. Three things: a shove into a space with the attendants assisting, the bottle saved, and a call to us from the forecourt. Can't move the vehicle beside the pump? Our explosion-proof equipment makes a busy forecourt safe, so we can drain the car where it is.
Western Town, at home: AdBlue in your diesel tank
On the dash, a warning had been lit for days. You bought a bottle, poured it in on the drive, and only when you put the empty bottle in the recycling did you look once more at the cap. Right off Station Road is no less likely from any other place.
What it means: if you have not driven since, this is nearly as good as the forecourt. Being unable to blend, AdBlue drops to the base in your tank and waits. A night parked alters none of that.
Next: stop any early move by keeping the keys in the house, then phone us. Our technicians drain the vehicle on your drive, whether that's around Western Town or out in Eastern Town. The equipment runs quietly enough that it won't wake the street at night.
AdBlue in a diesel and already driving around Western Town?
A short way beyond topping up, the engine started misbehaving: roughness, smoke, less power, warnings on your dash. Possibly it was on Fortfield Terrace, maybe on the way out towards Exeter, under 15 miles away.
Meaning? Your pump has taken the AdBlue up. The high-pressure pump and each injector get it as well on a bigger run, after the filter and pipework have had it. Each mile and each restart takes it further.
Do this: stop anywhere sensible, then switch the engine off. Services farther on are too far: from the M5, under 15 miles out of Western Town, take the next junction. It will not have cleared, and so there's no sense starting it again to find out. Let us know the distance driven as you ring.
AdBlue in the wrong tank: hire, lease and company cars
It is a vehicle you have had for a week. Your own vehicle either does without AdBlue or keeps it elsewhere, so no one told you the AdBlue cap was just beside the diesel. Anyone, wherever in Devon, might make the same.
What it means: the same as the situations above, depending on whether it has run, with one more stage. Many hire and company agreements want the owner to approve work on the car.
Your move: hire firm or your fleet manager to begin with, us next, because settling it early cuts time. Stranded by Tudor Cottage or at Feniton until someone answers, your car remains switched off throughout.
Western Town: unsure whether it was AdBlue in the diesel tank?
At times, "I think so" is the most anyone can honestly say. The bottle is lighter than it should be, there's a faint smell of ammonia round the filler, and you cannot remember which cap you took off. A rushed stop by the gates of Sidmouth Church of England (VA) Primary School, or a call to a friend in Land Part: both fit.
Meaning? Drips around the inlet never reach the motor at all. AdBlue inside your diesel tank does. If there is AdBlue in your tank, starting the vehicle will suck it in, and it would not tell you which either.
Next: assume it got in, then keep your engine off. Inspecting a tank that proves free of AdBlue is better than emptying one after it has been run — so phone and tell us what you noticed.
The common ground in each Western Town AdBlue drain
Whatever the case, a single opening is used. Wherever your vehicle is — Dukes's car park, a street by Sidmouth Museum, a driveway, a forecourt — our van gets there and asks for the liquid, the quantity, and if the engine has turned over. Your price comes over the phone, ahead of anyone setting off, and the answers shape the job.
Emptying your tank comes first, then a full flush — more important after urea than after petrol, because crystals and corrosion will not go by themselves, however long it sits. Your filter is cleaned, or replaced where it needs to be; fresh diesel goes in; and the car is tested. If the motor hasn't run, most jobs take about half an hour once we're there.
Lastly, our technicians start the car. With new diesel in, it runs while our technicians confirm it is running smoothly, and then we go. The whole job is done where the vehicle is, and when it's caught quickly, long-term damage is very rare. For your insurer: the engineer's report and the VAT invoice. For you: payment that day, no money in advance. Many insurance policies cover misfuelling, and so check yours while the van travels.
About Western Town itself
Western Town is a coastal suburban area in Devon, situated near the cities of Exeter and the towns of Sidmouth and Eastern Town. Western Town has a relatively low elevation of 9 metres and is home to a population of around 2241 people, predominantly residing in flats. Western Town is located approximately 13 miles from Exeter and 147 miles from London, making it a commuter-friendly location.
AdBlue drains around Western Town and across Devon
Throughout EX postcodes, the vans covering Western Town — a residential suburb — work nearby towns as well, Sidmouth and Cotmaton among them. Fastest of all: a EX10 8 postcode for your location.
Stopped heading to Cricket & Hockey, or right in the centre of Western Town, the vehicle stays where it is — there's no need to move it at all. Wherever it stands, that's where it gets drained. Phone and ask instead of guessing when you are close to Sidmouth Toy and Model Museum, near a boundary, or anywhere tricky to pin down.
In one line: your scenario
If it hasn't run, phone and keep it off. Already run: stop, switch off then call. Either way, Petrol in Diesel takes it from there around Western Town and anywhere in Devon on 0333 366 0103.