Drivers panicked about stations running out of gas after the ransomware attack on the Colonial Pipeline got a not-so-friendly tip from a widely shared social media post.
“Remember if the station is out of gas you can put diesel in your car as long as you water it down,” the May 11 Facebook post read.
The post was shared about 1,800 times and generated a few comments that pointed out the absurdity of putting a diesel-water mix in a gasoline engine. But others worried that an unsuspecting person might take it seriously.
“This is dangerous,” one commenter wrote. “People believe what they read on Facebook.”
In this case, they shouldn’t believe it – even if it was meant to be a joke. Diesel fuel is thicker than gasoline and can damage components in a gas-powered vehicle. Adding water doesn’t help, though, and can do its own harm.
Read moere: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/factcheck/2021/05/14/fact-check-watered-down-diesel-damage-gas-powered-engine/5076315001/