oohpapi44

iTrader: (1)

Believe the Sunoco by the Port Authority Tunnel plazas is where you can get 91 (Sunoco or Shell, can't think off the top of my head).

I've seen a noticeable drop in mpg when switching to lower octane. Possible because the rest of the county doesn't have to deal with stop and go and almost every corner like we do in the metro areas. In the end, save a couple of pennies at the pump, lose effeciency so why bother.

My V8 GS gets between 11-13 mpg in the city so getting double that or more is all gravy to me anyway. Still having a hard time adusting to twice a month fill ups versus once a week, but learning to love it.

kitlz

Fugheddaboudit with all that crawling traffic. Plus I have two Shell stations diagonal from each other in town. I think you're right about Sunoco. IIRC, they sold 87, 89, 91 and 93. Haven't been to one in a long time.

A dear friend told me years ago 'with quality you only cry once.' It happened to be after I purchased my first RX. I think it can apply to many other things including gas. But quality doesn't always have to equate most expensive. Do your homework and shop around. I've had great luck with Shell which is the main reason I've stuck with the brand.

CBarr31

As someone noted in an earlier post the debate continues, lol. Many many people out there run 87 octane and their cars run fine, just as many run 93 octance and get better gas mileage than they do when running 87. Remember the old saying "your mileage may vary".

I will add this however if you have the ability and it is not completely cost prohibitive run NON-ETHANOL gas whenever you can. There is an immediate 4-5% bump in MPG from the pure gas due to its chemical nature and almost everyone I know sees more than that. Personally I sometimes see as much a s 20% increase in my Ema (2006 Prius, 366K Miles). Plus most people report much quieter engines with more power as well.

It is true that all gas contains additives to keep fuel injectors and that in general "top tier" gas may contian more but none of these additives are for adequate ethanol stabilization or buildup control, IMO. That can only be control by running pure gas or after market products like Lucas Oil Ethanol Fuel Stabilizer. I use an app called Pure Gas that allowes me to find local pure gas stations. It isn't as good as Gas Buddy but does an adequate job.

Happy driving,
Chris

bring

[QUOTE=CBarr31;8400757. I use an app called Pure Gas that allowes me to find local pure gas stations.

Happy driving,
Chris[/QUOTE]



Thanks for that info. I downloaded the app and found the nearest "pure" gas to me is 20 miles away - bust. Never knew that diluting it gave worse mileage....

Aptosuser

There is a grand total of 10 (ten!) pure gas stations in California, according to Pure Gas. The closest ones to us are more than 100 miles away. And they're not near the freeway, Highway 101; they're at boat marinas on a couple of big out-of-the-way reservoirs. I'll have to pass.

razo168

iTrader: (1)

I've been using 91 - I used to use 87 on my non-hybrid..

mtmendez

I have been using regular unleaded (87) in my RX450h with no issues. I had asked a Lexus mechanic about this and was told this would not be a problem.

Read an earlier post asking about Costco gas. I purchase gas at BJs and Costco without hesitation and again have had no issues.

I heard at one point that if at all possible one should stick with a brand as much as possible vs. mixing brands all the time. Has anyone else heard that before?

Cruiter

The best advice I can offer you is to 1), use a quality top tier gas such as COSTCO for example. BJ's is not a top tier. 2) Adhere to using gas that meets the specs the engineers designed the engine to use (91 Octane). It's true the ECU will try to compensate and may be successful for a while but your performance and mileage will suffer in time. As the weather heats up it will have a harder time making the compensation. It's also possible it could harm your emission system w/o proper detonation due to a lower octane.

I can pretty much assure you the tech that told you regular won't hurt won't offer to pay for your troubles if any occur due to too low an octane rating. And even though there will be a difference, it may be one you won't notice (for some time).

jrfiero

"It's also possible it could harm your emission system w/o proper detonation due to a lower octane."

I'm sorry, but I call nonsense. Do you have any references for such a statement?

The electronics will compensate just fine for the life of the vehicle. The compensation for lower octane will decrease potential power, but you won't notice unless you floor it all the time. The effect on mileage is debatable, and an analysis of lower fuel cost vs mileage difference is what you should go by if you're trying to save money..

NateJG

http://drivers.lexus.com/t3Portal/do.../sec_06-01.pdf

Pgs 947 and 963

Regarding possible emissions control system effects: Per pg 965:

"...● Lexus DOES NOT recommend the use of gasoline containing methanol. ■ Lexus does not recommend gasoline containing MMT
Some gasoline contains octane enhancing additive called MMT (Methylcyclopen- tadienyl Manganese Tricarbonyl).
Lexus DOES NOT recommend the use of gasoline that contains MMT. If fuel containing MMT is used, your emission control system may be adversely affected. [emphasis added for clarity]
The malfunction indicator lamp on the instrument cluster may come on. If this happens, contact your Lexus dealer for service..."

ericsan13

I heard that the 87 octane rating does not account for the "up to 10% ethanol". Ethanol has an octane rating of 113. 10% ethanol brings the octane to 89.6, which is a little closer to the 91 needed. Thoughts?

mtmendez

Thanks for the reply. As a former two-time Toyota Highlander Hybrid owner who never had any problems after years of using regular unleaded gasoline, before upgrading to a Lexus, I read a ton of material online and talked to mechanics and owners and all confirmed what these articles all state -- that the two vehicles are "mechanically identical" and use the same engines, electronics, etc.

If you look at the 2013 Toyota Highlander Hybrid Owner's Manual online Section 1-6 Refueling (Pg 122) clearly states under Fuel Types, "Use unleaded gasoline. (Octane rating 87 [Research Octane Number 91] or higher." Link to 2013 Toyota Highlander Hybrid Online Manual: http://www.toyota.com/t3Portal/docum.../sec_01-06.pdf.

If what you are saying were true, thousands of Highlander Hybrid owners would be in a whole heap of trouble for following the recommendations on their owner manuals.

BertL

Personally, when it comes to recommendations for gasoline, maintenance routines, etc., I generally follow the directions I'm given in the owners manual of the vehicle I own.

For me, I know I'm not an engineer that has enough knowledge to out-think whatever reasons the people that created my vehicle had when they made my ride and created the Owner's Manual and labels that go on my car, and had to go through all the global testing and certifications they do before a vehicle comes into the market for sale. Like most of us, I also don't have access to any design detail for how particular common components fully operate or may be mixed-and-matched between models, suspecting things like the way vehicle computers are tweaked or tuned for different models could in some way introduce a variable I don't understand.

I also doubt Lexus/Toyota is in cahoots with the oil companies wanting to drive lower MPG or only higher-priced octane to be used when it doesn't need to be. I'm sure, their marketing/sales arm would much prefer to always be able to say their vehicles take the lowest available octane under normal situations. That would sell more cars. Since Lexus sent letters to specific early MY owners of 3rd Gen (non-hybrid) RX that stated lower octane fuel was OK to be used day-in-and-out -- as an override to the higher octane specified in their Owner's Manual -- my personal feeling is Lexus/Toyota must have their engineering reasons why they suggest what they do for particular models and MYs that come off the line.

Anyway, as I've always been, I'm happy for those that make their own choices, have good experiences, and perhaps save a few bucks along the way. That's great. Me, I'm perhaps too conservative when it comes to things like this, so I tend to follow the recommendations of the manufacturer, and then never have to worry if somewhere down the line Lexus would cry foul for a possible warranty or extended-warranty claim, and my ride will likely last well beyond my 6-8 years of probable ownership ...but that's just me.

NateJG

"...millions of Highlander Hybrid owners..."?

According to Toyota, they sold 141,900 worldwide (http://newsroom.toyota.co.jp/en/detail/4069183 ) as of Oct 14, 2014.

Dadofruth

Looking at the owner's manual for the RX450H, it seems to say that 91 is REQUIRED. If 87 is used performance may be lower and there may be engine knocking. Excessive knocking can be harmful. I'm paraphrasing, but it seems like a pretty stern warning to use 91 or greater as I read it.