system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5:What exactly happens if you put diesel into a regular engine and vice versa?
gpt
In ELI5 terms... this...

What we call "Gasoline", that we put in our cars at the Gas Station, is a highly flammable and potentially explosive substance.  Diesel fuel, while definitely flammable and potentially explosive, is not nearly as much so as gasoline.  Jet Fuel, or kerosene, is another substance, like diesel fuel, that can be hard to ignite.  In fact, some grades of jet fuel simply won't burn even if you drop a lit match into a barrel of the stuff.

So, if you put diesel fuel into a gasoline engine, the engine will just eventually quit running.  If you start with a dry tank, then fill it with diesel, the engine will probably never start.  The engine itself will probably not be damaged, but the fuel injectors and other components may need to be overhauled or replaced.

On the other hand, if you put gas into a diesel engine, stand by for fireworks.  The high volatility of gasoline will most likely blow your engine apart if you don't shut it off in time.