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The company said vehicles would experience performance issues mostly rather than mechanical damage. However, more than a dozen cars serviced at Calgary Honda will have repair bills averaging from $500 to $800, according to Michael Hoang, assistant service manager.

Hoang said a driver may not be able to start the vehicle when diesel fuel is put into a gas tank.

“The engine will run for a little bit, but eventually will die or won’t run properly at all,” Hoang said. “The engine definitely won’t seize up.”

Diesel fuel could clog up the fuel injector, spark plugs and even the catalytic converter, he said.

“The converter is the most expensive to fix,” he said.

In the most extreme cases, repair bills could be in the $3,500 to $4,000 range, he said.

The mechanics have to first drain the tank, and in some cases steam-clean the tanks, depending on the severity of the problem. Fuel lines must be flushed.

A driver who mistakenly fills up with diesel might not notice anything right away. However, the vehicle could start running rough after a few minutes and spew out black or blue exhaust, Hoang said.

Hoang said he’s never seen a mix-up like a fuel supplier putting diesel into the wrong storage tank. But he’s seen drivers make the mistake themselves.

“I’ve seen it happen with customers filling up with diesel,” he said. “They’re not paying attention and stick the diesel nozzle in there.”