Jerusalem ( CNN ) -- The official limousine awaiting President Barack Obama 's arrival in Israel malfunctioned after its driver refueled it using gasoline rather than diesel fuel , an official said Wednesday . The limo failed to start , and required towing in Jerusalem at 10 a.m. local time . Obama , who landed in Tel Aviv around noon , was not in the country at the time the limo was towed . A second presidential limo was brought to transport Obama . `` We experienced mechanical trouble with one of the cars , '' Edwin Donovan , a spokesman for the Secret Service , told a pool reporter traveling with Obama . `` We do n't know the cause . '' Donovan could n't confirm reports the limo was refueled using gasoline rather than diesel . `` That 's why we bring different multiple vehicles , '' Donovan said . The tow truck company owner who picked up the limo said the U.S. consulate called him to tow the vehicle in Jerusalem because it would n't start . Multiple official vehicles are typically flown ahead of time to destinations where Obama is visiting . On his trip to the Mideast , Obama will stop in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem in Israel , Ramallah in the West Bank , and will visit with Jordan 's King Abdullah in that nation . The presidential limousine , known as the `` Beast , '' is a specially built Cadillac that 's estimated to weigh 8 tons . There are multiple , identical copies that are used to transport Obama around Washington and on his trips out of town . The Secret Service is tight-lipped about the specifics of the vehicle , but the car reportedly features inches of armor and bulletproof glass , doors and windows that seal shut in the event of a gas attack , and special shocks to absorb blasts . It 's said to be built on a medium-grade truck chassis , the Chevrolet Kodiak , which runs on diesel fuel . Diesel engines differ from gas engines in the way the internal combustions are created to drive the pistons . Diesel engines utilize compressed air to generate heat that causes the fuel to ignite . Gas engines ignite fuel using spark plugs . Using gas instead of diesel could cause major damage to the pistons , wrist pins and connecting rods , which would be destroyed if the fuel is ignited at the wrong time . Gasoline is also less viscous than diesel , which acts as a lubricant for the fuel pump and fuel delivery systems . Those parts could also be destroyed if gasoline is pumped into a diesel engine . CNN 's Kevin Liptak contributed to this report .
Barack Obama 's official limousine in Israel failed to start . The driver refueled it using gasoline instead of diesel fuel . The limo had to be towed and a second limo brought in for Obama .