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

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.