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FACT BRIEF

If the gas station is out of gas, can you put diesel in your car as long as you water it down?

By Alexis Tereszcuk
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NO

Amid the gas shortage on the East Coast of the U.S. due to the Colonial Pipeline shutdown, Americans are being cautioned not to water down diesel gas to replace non-diesel gas -- despite a social media post claiming that works.

"Water and internal combustion gasoline engines are not compatible," Andrew Gross, AAA spokesperson, told Lead Stories.

He added that too much water in an engine will damage the internal components. This is commonly referred to as hydrolock.

The fix will be to rebuild or replace the engine, which will cost thousands of dollars.

The Colonial Pipeline, which supplies gas for much of the East Coast, was shut down by a ransomware attack. The pipeline was restarted on May 12, 2021, with supplies expected to be back at normal levels in several days.

See a full discussion of this at Lead Stories
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
AAA Gas Prices Motorists to see relief in Southeast with restart of Colonial Pipeline
Colonial Pipeline Media Statement Update: Pipeline Disruption
ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR
Lead Stories
Lead Stories is a fact checking and debunking website at the intersection of big data and journalism that launched in 2015. It scouts for trending stories, images, videos and posts that contain false information in order to fact check them as quickly as possible. It actively monitors the fake-news ecosystem and doesn’t wait for reader tips or reports before getting started on a story.
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About fact briefs published on Gigafact
Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.