VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Drivers are still faced with high gas prices, but now some will have to shell out some cash over a costly mistake.
At the BP station on Laskin Road and at Blackwater Trading Post, fuel delivery drivers swapped diesel fuel for gasoline.
"It’s very disheartening. We’ve worked with them for over four years and we’ve never had this issue. So, we were very taken aback," said Blackwater Trading Post Manager Jamie Hackett.
She said so far, 16 people have called saying they were affected.
So, what exactly happens to your car if diesel gets in the tank?
According to Gary Mugavero with Carmasters Automotive, you won’t know until it’s too late.
"During it, there would be no way to know that you were putting diesel in it," Mugavero said.
He said there are some telltale signs you’ll see as you drive off, if the car even starts.
"It would start to slow down, it would start to lose power, it would start to run really bad, start misfiring," he said.
Mugavero said depending on how much diesel you actually put in your car, it could cost anywhere between $500 and $1,800 to get it fixed. He said at a minimum, they’d have to drain the gas tank and flush the lines. But if the damage is more severe, you’re looking at more extensive repairs.
"Different chemical, different gas would definitely -- can do some damage to the fuel injection system, the catalytic converter," he said.
Mugavero has been a mechanic for over 30 years, so he knows a thing or two about cars. He said thankfully, this isn’t a problem they see too often.
"Which is good because it’s not an inexpensive repair," Mugavero said.
He said he’s not sure how the mix up could have happened because each tank is color-coded.
Blackwater Trading Post said the fuel delivery company is working with customers to cover repair costs.
13News Now has reached out to BP and World Fuels multiple times, but have not received a response on how they plan to help the drivers affected.