AdBlue in the Diesel Tank in Wood Green, and What to Do Next
What to do about AdBlue in a diesel tank depends on one thing more than any other: whether your engine has run since it went in. If it has not, keep it that way, whether the car is in Wood Green itself or out in Bowes Park. Leave the engine and the ignition off then ring 0333 366 0103; it's generally a drain and a thorough flush, done where your car is around Wood Green. If it's run, stop as soon as it is safe then switch off. The job is bigger, but the first stage is the same.
Find the scenario below that matches yours, wherever in Greater London it happened.
AdBlue in a diesel on a Wood Green forecourt
Picture it: stood by the pump, gripping the nozzle, you realise the cap you opened wasn't the right one. Whether Esso, Bounds Green Service Station or anywhere else around Wood Green, the case is the same.
Meaning? Spotting it on the forecourt is the best it gets. Only your tank has AdBlue; no part beyond it has taken any in.
Next: avoid the temptation to start it just to free up the pump. Have the attendants to help rolling it into a bay, save the bottle, then phone us from there. Can't move it by the petrol pump? Our explosion-proof kit keeps a busy forecourt sensible, and so we can drain it in place.
Wood Green, at home: AdBlue in your diesel tank
On the dash, a reminder had shown 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 again at the cap. Just off High Road is no different from any other place.
In short: if your vehicle has not moved since, it is almost as good as finding out at the pump. On the floor of that tank sits exactly where AdBlue waits, since it won't mix with diesel — and a night going by makes nothing of the difference.
Your move: the keys in the house, and so no one drives your car anywhere at breakfast. After that, phone. Our engineers drain the car on your driveway, whether that's in Wood Green or out in Noel Park. Late-night drains beside a house are no problem: the pumps are quiet.
AdBlue in a diesel and already driving in Wood Green?
A mile or two after topping up, your engine began misbehaving: roughness, smoke, lost power, lights on your dash. Maybe heading to London, under 10 miles away, or simply down Lordship Lane.
Put simply: the AdBlue has been sucked into the system. Mileage decides how far it gets: filter and lines first, then the high-pressure pump and each injector. It travels further with each extra mile driven and every restart.
Your move: stop anywhere sensible, then turn the engine off. On the M1, under 10 miles from Wood Green, that means the next junction, not the services further on. Restarting it to check gets nothing — AdBlue never clears on its own. Call, and say what distance your vehicle was driven.
A hire or company car with AdBlue in the wrong tank?
You've had the car hardly a week. On your own car, AdBlue is missing or somewhere else. On this one, its cap is just next to the diesel inlet — news to you. Wherever you are across Greater London, every motorist could slip up.
What it means: the same as the scenarios above, depending on whether it has run, with one more step. Plenty of rental and company contracts need the owner's sign-off for work.
What to do: ring the hire firm or your fleet manager first, then us. That's quicker settled before we arrive than after. Keep the vehicle off as the reply comes, whether you're waiting at Alexandra Palace or near Hollywood Green.
Not sure it was AdBlue in your diesel tank, Wood Green?
"I think so" is often the most honest as it gets. Lighter, that bottle; a hint of ammonia round your filler; a hazy recollection of the cap. Sound familiar? Maybe at a friend's drive in Bounds Green, or rushing outside St Michael's CofE Primary School at the school run.
What it means: a little spilled around your filler does no harm to your motor. The diesel tank with AdBlue inside is another matter. You can't tell which by turning the ignition, and doing so will suck in any AdBlue that is in the tank.
Next: assume it went in, then keep your engine off. Phone and give the details: we'd rather confirm a clean tank than drain one once the motor has run.
Every AdBlue drain around Wood Green shares these steps
Each case gets the same start to the job. Forecourt, driveway, The Nag's Head's car park or a road by Dominion Centre — the van reaches your vehicle, and three questions follow: which fluid, what amount, and if it has run. Those answers decide the work, and you hear our quote on the phone, before anyone sets off.
A thorough flush comes after this drain. With petrol it is routine; with AdBlue it is crucial, since crystals build up and some metals are attacked, and neither washes out unaided. Last come your filter, flushed or renewed as needed; fresh diesel; and a check of your car. If your engine hasn't run, the majority of jobs take about half an hour once we are there.
The last step is starting the engine. Before our technicians leave, it is checked to make sure it runs correctly on new diesel. Long-term damage is very rare when it is noticed quickly, and the whole job is done where the vehicle is. You pay on the day, with nothing upfront, and get a VAT invoice and an engineer report for your insurer. It is worth knowing: lots of insurers offer misfuelling cover, and so a quick look at your policy as we travel is worthwhile.
About Wood Green and where it is
Wood Green is a locality in north London, situated near the River Moselle and close to the New River, with a mix of old and new buildings. Wood Green sits at an elevation of around 31 metres, about 6 miles north of central London, and is surrounded by other localities such as Noel Park and Turnpike Lane. Wood Green has a high proportion of flat dwellings, reflecting its urban character. Wood Green is also near Hornsey, with which it shares some community facilities.
Wood Green and Greater London: AdBlue drains across the area
Wood Green is a small village, and the same vans that cover it work the places near it too, Turnpike Lane and Hornsey among them, across the N postcode area. Fastest of all: a N22 6 postcode to show where you stand.
Central Wood Green or a lay-by towards King George VI Memorial Garden: either way it is, your vehicle doesn't need to move an inch for the drain. The drain is done right there. Phone and ask instead of guessing if you're by Wood Green Central Library, on a border, or somewhere tricky to explain.
The one-line version
Still unrun? Keep it off and phone. Run already: stop, power down, ring 0333 366 0103. Petrol in Diesel handles the remainder, within Wood Green or anywhere in Greater London.