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RAPID FUEL ASSIST

Wrong Fuel? Emergency Mobile Service 1300 692 469

1300 692 469

RAPID FUEL ASSIST

1300 692 469
Rapid Fuel Assist mobile wrong fuel rescue ute at a Melbourne petrol station

AdBlue in diesel tank Melbourne

AdBlue in Your Diesel Tank? Don't Start the Engine

Call us now. We come to you and assess it on the spot.

AdBlue in the fuel tank is one of the most serious misfuelling mistakes we attend, but if the engine has not been started it is usually a straightforward fix. We drain and decontaminate the fuel system wherever you are, at the servo, the worksite or at home. We aim to reach you within 30 to 60 minutes across Melbourne, 7 days a week.

Call 1300 692 469
How we fix it
  • Rated 5.0 from 180+ Google reviews
  • 1,000+ jobs every year
  • Honest assessment before we start
  • EPA Victoria permitted

First things first

Put AdBlue in Your Diesel? Do This Right Now

1

Don't start the engine

Not even to move off the pump.

2

Stay with your vehicle

Wait somewhere safe nearby.

3

Turn on your hazard lights

Stay visible at the pump.

4

Call us on 1300 692 469

Tap to call. We come straight to you.

What you need to know

What Is AdBlue and Why Is It So Dangerous in a Diesel Tank?

AdBlue wrong fuel Melbourne — AdBlue pump nozzle commonly misfuelled into diesel tank

AdBlue is not a fuel. It is 32.5% urea and 67.5% deionised water, made only for the exhaust (SCR) system of modern diesels, and it has its own tank and filler. In the fuel tank it crystallises, corrodes metal parts and strips the lubrication your fuel pump and injectors rely on.

Engine not started? The best case

If you caught it at the bowser and did not start the engine, the AdBlue stays in the tank. We drain it, decontaminate the tank and the fuel pump assembly on the spot, and most of these jobs are relatively straightforward.

Already started it? Still call us

Switch it off straight away and do not restart it. We have recovered trucks that were started with AdBlue in the tank, with a full extraction, multi-stage flush and test drive at the roadside. We will tell you honestly what is possible before we start.

Why it is different

Why AdBlue Is Worse Than Standard Wrong Fuel

Petrol in diesel is mostly a lubrication problem. AdBlue attacks the fuel system in four ways at once.

Crystallisation

It forms hard crystals that block filters and score the fuel pump and injectors.

Fast shutdown

AdBlue doesn’t mix with diesel, it stays separate. It easily overflows the water separator and reaches the engine very quickly.

Corrosion

It attacks copper, zinc, aluminium and bearing metals inside the fuel system.

Limp mode

Some vehicles need dealer software to clear fault codes, even after a full flush.

What happens inside

What Happens When AdBlue Gets Into Your Diesel Fuel System

How far the AdBlue gets decides how big the job is. In every case we have to do the process to find out, and we test drive every single vehicle we fix.

Stage 1: In the tank

AdBlue doesn’t mix with diesel, it stays separate in the tank. If the engine hasn’t been primed or started, it usually stays here.
Our fix: multiple drains of the tank and a full decontamination, usually including the fuel pump assembly inside the tank, which nearly always gets AdBlue on it too.

Stage 2: Into the fuel lines

Once the ignition primes the fuel pump or the engine is started, AdBlue is drawn out of the tank into the fuel lines and filter, and overflows the water separator.
Our fix: everything in Stage 1, plus flushing the fuel lines and low pressure system.

Stage 3: Engine shutdown

The engine stutters and stalls, and usually won’t restart. AdBlue has now been through the whole low pressure side.
Our fix: the complete clean of the tank, pump assembly, lines and filter, a multi-stage flush, bleeding the system and a fault code scan.

Stage 4: High pressure system

If it keeps running, AdBlue can reach the high pressure pump and injectors. That doesn’t automatically mean they need replacing. Any damage from corrosion shows up after the clean.
Our fix: we do the full process first, then check how it runs and use diagnostic tools to read fuel pressure and test the injectors. We tell you honestly if anything needs a workshop.

Our process

How We Handle AdBlue in a Diesel Tank, Case by Case

No two AdBlue jobs are the same. It depends on how much went in, whether the engine was started and how your fuel system is built. We assess it over the phone first, then on site we:

Step 1

Drain the tank

We drain all the contaminated fuel and AdBlue with specialist equipment, and dispose of it under EPA Victoria rules.

Step 2

Decontaminate and flush

We clean the tank system and, where it can be reached on site, flush the lines and low pressure system.

Step 3

Restart and test drive

We bleed the system, restart the engine, check everything over and test drive it. We do that on every single fix.

Step 4

Honest advice

We recommend a new fuel filter straight after, and tell you if any fault codes need a dealer to clear.

AdBlue jobs are quoted case by case, so they aren’t automatically covered by our no fix, no fee guarantee. If we’re confident from your call that we can fix it, we’ll tell you so upfront. If a workshop or dealer visit might be needed, we’ll tell you that too.

Real AdBlue jobs

Recent AdBlue Rescues We Have Done

Real AdBlue jobs from across Melbourne and Victoria, from engines never started to engines that had been running.

Volkswagen Crafter van with AdBlue in the diesel tank at the 7-Eleven on Flemington Road, North MelbourneNorth Melbourne

Volkswagen Crafter: AdBlue in the fuel tank, North Melbourne

A Crafter van was filled with AdBlue at the 7-Eleven on Flemington Road. The crew were working on a site nearby, so they called us and went back to work while we came to the van.

Read the full story

The engine had not been started, so the AdBlue was contained to the tank and the lines around it. We cleaned and decontaminated the whole tank system on site.

When the crew finished their job they met us back at the van. We restarted it, tested and checked everything, and they were on their way.

Isuzu NNR removal truck at BP Barnawartha North after AdBlue was added to the diesel tankBarnawartha North

Isuzu NNR truck: AdBlue in diesel, engine started, Barnawartha North

An interstate removal truck had AdBlue added to the diesel tank and the engine was started before anyone noticed. The truck was stranded on the Hume, about 300 km from Melbourne, with a family's belongings on board.

Read the full story

We did a full fuel extraction, a six-stage flush, bled the system, checked it with an OBD2 scanner and took it for a 9 km test drive. The truck was back on the road the same day.

Read the full truck rescue story

Rapid Fuel Assist technician cleaning the fuel tank of a Toyota Camry Hybrid after AdBlue was put in it at BP WallanWallan

Toyota Camry Hybrid: AdBlue in the fuel tank, Wallan

A Camry Hybrid pulled into the truck bay at BP Wallan outbound and the driver filled up from the blue nozzle, thinking it was petrol. They then drove around to the car park before they realised what they had done.

Read the full story

Luckily the car had moved only on its electric motor, so the engine never ran on AdBlue. Hybrid fuel systems are particularly sensitive, so as an extra precaution we cleaned and flushed the entire fuel system: the tank, the fuel lines, everything.

We took our time to do it properly, then started the car, tested and checked everything, and took it for a test drive. Everything was spot on.

All we do is wrong fuel

Melbourne's AdBlue Contamination Specialists

Not tyre changes, not jump starts, not general roadside work. Every single callout is a wrong fuel job, and the equipment, technique and speed all come from doing this exact job day in, day out across Melbourne.

1,000+

wrong fuel jobs every year

On the spot

no tow truck and no workshop

Fixed price

quoted over the phone before we dispatch

AdBlue jobs we see

Work vans filled at the servo before the morning run. Utes and trucks that pick up the wrong nozzle at a truck stop. Fleet vehicles where a driver topped up the wrong filler. We see AdBlue in the diesel tank across Melbourne and regional Victoria, and the earlier we get there, the simpler the job.

When you call, you speak directly to the technician attending your job. We tell you honestly what we find, and we can provide paperwork for warranty, insurance or fleet records.

Our AdBlue services include

We come to you

AdBlue Help Across Melbourne and Victoria

Inner city and CBD →
Northern suburbs →
Eastern suburbs →
Southern suburbs →
Western suburbs →
Geelong and regional Victoria →

Trusted. Licensed. Transparent.

Why Choose Rapid Fuel Assist

1000+

1000+

cars fixed every year

EPAVIC

EPA

EPA permitted, all waste is handled responsibly

$

Upfront

honest quote before we start

$0

card fees ever
no surcharges,
no surprises

Insured

fully licensed and insured

100%

Australian owned
proudly local

Got a question?

AdBlue in Diesel Tank Questions Answered

What is the difference between AdBlue in the diesel tank and diesel in the AdBlue tank?

Both are serious but cause different types of damage. AdBlue in the diesel fuel tank contaminates the entire fuel system causing crystallisation, corrosion and potentially catastrophic damage to the fuel pump and injectors if the engine is started. Diesel in the AdBlue tank contaminates the SCR emissions system — damaging AdBlue injectors and the catalytic converter. Both situations require immediate professional attention and neither vehicle should be started under any circumstances.

Switch it off and don’t restart it. Starting the engine pulls AdBlue into the lines and filter, but it is often still recoverable. We have brought trucks back after the engine was started, with a full extraction, multi-stage flush and test drive. Call 1300 692 469 and we will tell you honestly what we can do.

In most cases where the engine has not been started and we reach you quickly a complete drain and flush resolves the issue. However some vehicles may have residual fault codes requiring dealer software to clear limp mode. In cases where the engine was started and run for any period of time there is a risk of damage to the high pressure fuel pump and injectors — which are expensive components. We assess every job individually and advise you honestly on the expected outcome before we start.

During an AdBlue contamination event the fuel filter captures significant amounts of crystal deposits formed by the AdBlue as it moves through the system. Even after a complete drain and flush these crystals remain trapped in the filter. If the filter is not replaced these deposits can re-enter the fuel system when the vehicle is used causing ongoing damage. We strongly recommend replacing the fuel filter immediately after our service as a priority.

Many AdBlue contamination jobs can be resolved in a mobile setting — particularly where the engine has not been started. However some vehicles have complex fuel system designs where adequate flushing and cleaning is difficult to achieve roadside. In these cases we will advise you during quoting and may recommend a workshop visit for a more thorough repair. We will always be upfront about what we can and cannot achieve at your location.

Still have questions? View our full FAQ

NEED WRONG FUEL ASSISTANCE NOW?

AdBlue in Your Tank? We're Ready When You Are

One call is all it takes. We handle everything from there, 7 days a week.

1300 692 469
Call 1300 692 469