Red diesel in tank in Portishead? Drained where it stands
If the engine has not run, red diesel in the tank in Portishead is usually a clean drain with no lasting harm. Keep it that way — don't start it — and ring 01295 380724. The call-out is £89, the drainer brings everything, and most jobs are done in 1 to 2 hours.
Mechanically red diesel runs, but in a road vehicle it is a duty offence; the tank is drained, flushed and the fuel disposed of under licence. That is why the ignition is the one thing not to touch.
Red diesel in the tank in Portishead at a glance
| Place | Portishead |
|---|---|
| Area | Bristol |
| Postcodes | BS20 |
| Job | Red diesel or agricultural fuel in a road vehicle |
| Price | Call-out from £89, full price quoted first |
| Time on site | 1–2 hours |
| Who attends | A local drainer with a pump and sealed tank |
| Phone | 01295 380724, 24 hours |
What to expect from the drainer in Portishead
A good drainer asks three questions before touching anything: what fuel went in, how full the tank is, and whether the engine was started. The answers decide whether it is a straight drain or a drain plus a flush of the filter and pump. Either way it happens where the vehicle is parked.
Questions worth asking before you book a drain in Portishead
Most bad experiences with a fuel drain come from not asking these up front. Ask them all.
- Do you bring clean fuel, and is it included?
- Can you work on the forecourt, or does the car need to be moved?
- What is the total, not just the call-out, if it is a straight drain?
- How long until you reach me in Portishead?
- Do you take card payment at the roadside?
What to do right now
- Leave the key out of the ignition and do not unlock the steering to push the car.
- If you are at the pump, tell the cashier; most forecourts will let the car stay in a bay.
- Call 01295 380724. Say what fuel went in, roughly how much, and where you are.
- Agree the price on the phone. Nobody travels until you have.
- The drainer pumps out the tank, flushes the lines and adds clean fuel.
- They start the engine, check it runs cleanly and take the old fuel away.
Which Portishead postcodes we cover
Drainers cover postcode district BS20, and the roads either side of them, across Bristol.
Forecourt, roadside or drive: where we drain in Portishead
Anywhere with safe access. That covers filling stations, services, supermarket car parks, business parks and private drives across Portishead, Bristol. Busy pump lanes are the one place the drainer may ask to move the vehicle a few metres first, by hand.
How much it costs in Portishead
| What happened | What the drainer does | Price | Time on site |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spotted at the pump, key never turned | Drain, flush, refuel, test start | From £89 call-out | Under 90 mins |
| Ignition on, or started briefly | Drain and filter flush | Quoted before travel | Around 1–2 hours |
| Drove off the forecourt | Drain, flush and a check of the pump | Quoted before travel | Up to 3 hours |
| Lost power or cut out | Drain, flush and diagnosis on site | Quoted before travel | Depends on findings |
| AdBlue went in the diesel | Tank and lines drained and flushed | Quoted per vehicle | Up to 3 hours |
| Price ranges | The call-out, then the drain | Call-out £89–£199 · drain £199–£1,999 | — |
Other drains in Portishead
Drainers nearby
More of Bristol
From the drainer's notebook
Fuel Fixer, the company behind Wrong Fuel Drain, holds a rating of 4.8 out of 5 from 2,190 reviews on Trustpilot, on a profile claimed since 2017.
Across recent reviews, the themes customers raise most often are staff who stay polite, professional and reassuring during what is a stressful situation, and how quickly a technician arrives and gets the vehicle back on the road in Portishead.
The most common criticism is price. Some customers have felt the cost of an emergency drain was steep for a job that takes under two hours, and that is fair comment on an emergency call-out. It is why the misfuel call-out fee now starts at just £89 and why the full figure is quoted on the phone before a technician sets off — so nothing about the cost is a surprise at the roadside.
Common questions
Do I need to stay with the car?
Ideally yes, so the drainer can confirm what happened and hand the keys back. If not, agree access on the phone.
Will the car need a service afterwards?
Not after a straight drain. If the engine ran on the wrong fuel, the drainer will tell you whether the filter should be changed.
Do you cover all of Portishead?
Yes — forecourts, roadsides, homes and workplaces across Portishead and the surrounding area.
What does it cost in Portishead?
The call-out starts at £89. The full price depends on the vehicle and how far the fuel got, and it is confirmed on 01295 380724 before anyone travels.
Can you drain a van or a lorry?
Vans, yes, routinely. Vehicles over 3.5 tonnes are quoted separately because of the volume involved.
Does insurance cover red diesel in the tank?
Many policies exclude misfuelling. Some breakdown cover and optional add-ons include it. Check your policy wording before assuming either way.
Who you are dealing with
Wrong Fuel Drain is a brand of Fuel Fixer Ltd (company number 08520551), a company of Fuel Fixer International, the multinational group behind this website. Fuel Fixer International is owned by Stockbridge Capital Holdings, a private equity group. Work is carried out by Fuel Fixer Ltd technicians under ISO 9001 and ISO 14001, with Environment Agency waste-carrier registration.
North of the border, Fuel Fixer Scotland runs the same service across every Scottish postcode.
Across the network
Fuel Fixer sites: Fuel Fixer · Misfuel Doctor · UK Wrong Fuel Repository · Fuel Fixer Scotland
Forecourt Assist sites: Forecourt Assist · AdBlue in Fuel · Wrong Fuel Cumbria · Wrong Fuel Teesside · Wrong Fuel Carlisle · Wrong Fuel Penrith · Wrong Fuel Keswick · Wrong Fuel Kendal · Wrong Fuel Workington · Wrong Fuel Maryport · Wrong Fuel Whitehaven · Wrong Fuel Newcastle · Wrong Fuel Gateshead · Wrong Fuel Sunderland · Wrong Fuel Durham · Wrong Fuel Darlington · Wrong Fuel Middlesbrough · Wrong Fuel Dumfries
Also in the group: Motor Servicing
Background reading: HMRC rebated fuel guidance. Service operated by Fuel Fixer, alongside Wrong Fuel, Fuel Fixer Scotland and Motor Servicing, part of Fuel Fixer International and owned by Stockbridge Capital Holdings.