Diesel gas mix-ups at Canadian pumps costing motorists

A costly mix-up at the gas station may have you thinking twice before filling up your tank.

There are reports that unleaded gas pumps are more frequently being mistakenly filled with diesel fuel.

Putting diesel in a car that takes regular gasoline can cause all kinds of problems, including engine failure, sputtering, stalling, and black smoke.

Cars often need to be towed and have their tanks drained, as diesel can clog fuel lines, filters, and injectors.

Bruce Cran of the Consumer Association of Canada says the problem is far bigger than people realize. His association gets complaints at least once a week.

"We only see a little piece of it. There must be a lot more out there,” Cran told CTV News.

"It's a big mistake to put diesel in an unleaded tank,” said Jamie Haas, who was the victim of a mix-up at an Ottawa gas station.

"She wouldn't start, she wouldn't stay started,” Haas told CTV News of his car.

It can cost hundreds to thousands of dollars to repair damage associated with such a mix-up.

Last Boxing Day, a Calgary Co-op gas station’s supplier mistakenly filled a regular gas storage tank with diesel -- a mistake that was caught after about 500 motorists had filled up.

The gas station was forced to cover the cost of repairs.

Even U.S. President Barack Obama’s armoured limo broke down on a trip to Israel last week after being filled with the wrong fuel.

The gas stations say the fault lies with the companies that fill their fuel tanks, because containers are clearly marked yellow for diesel, white for gasoline.

"I think the gasoline distributors should be looking at this much more seriously than they appear to have done in the last year,” Cran said.

With a report from CTV’s Mercedes Stephenson