Went I took my Rx in for the recall, my service advisor recommended to never use lower tier gas, like Arco. I am wondering is there any truth to this or not? I always that all gas stations bought from the same refinery, so it shouldn't matter where I purchase gasoline from? Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

 

<flame on>

Your service advisor is full of it.

As long as you use the appropriate octane fuel for your vehicle you are fine. This BS about top tier gas is as much about marketing as science.

http://www.toptiergas.com/

If you feel the need, drop a bottle of Chevron Techron in your tank twice a year.

<flame off>

Sorry, but I tire of these snake oil sellers.

 

What makes each brand of gasoline different are the additives they put in just before it is delivered to the stations. Some have more or better additives than others and if you do not use a top tier fuel they say you will have a problem with engine deposits over time.

Premium grade gas also is said to contain more additives than lower grades in some brands.

Still, in all my experiences and working with engines of various types in the current age and with the current fuels being dispensed, there is not a huge difference between ARCO, Getty, Texaco/Shell, AMOCO/BP, Mobil/Exxon or any other of the major players in this regard.

I use BP exclusively, which is not on the list, in my vehicles and I will wager they are as clean internally as similar vehicles using fuel brands on the list.

 

Gas from a reputable gas station should be good. As a regular maintenance item, I use a fuel system cleaner every 4~5K miles.

 

What fuel system cleaners would you recommend?

 

You don't need fuel additives (cleaners), simply use "Premium Fuel" per the Lexus manual.

 

perfect, since I only use premium gas in my car than I should be good to go

No more paying an additional 18-20 cents for Mobile, over Arco for me

thanks for the feedback.

 

I concur. Most stations have had to replace their tanks due to new regulations, but one never knows what has accumulated in the tanks over the years as sediment, etc. A good station with lots of traffic is your best bet.

Here is a link from the ARCO web site. Scroll down a bit to find the part on their gasoline and additives:

http://www.arco.com/sectiongenericar...tentId=7023062

 

While I will get on my soapbox when it comes to Top Tier gas, I do have a different opinion when it comes to how well the fuels perform in different vehicles. Some vehicles will prefer one brand over another. Perhaps this is true across a a model line or engine type. Perhaps it is more specific to just that particular engine.

Run three full tanks of premium fuel, as an example, of one particular brand and keep track of your mileage and any problems noted. Afterwards, try another brand the same way. You may find that one brand gives you much better MPG. Maybe not.

I stick with BP/AMOCO for several reasons. My cars like the gas and I have a credit card which gives me a discount when I get the bill. However, I have several antiques and for those I have to run Marathon gas as I am able to obtain that without ethanol. Sourced for marine use, I have a pickup with a large capacity fuel storage tank in the rear which I fill to service the older vehicles and the farm tractor.

 

When I do feel the need to run a fuel system cleaner I usually go with Chevron Techron. Their large bottle usually goes for about $10, but you can find it on sale from time-to-time via BOGO or rebates.

http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/web...7CGRP2030C____

This is some of the same stuff that Chevron puts in their pump premium.

 

I also run BP and for the most part I get slightly better depending on the time of year, but agree most don't have much difference. I do run a cleaner once every other month or so, have for many years.

 

For the 2nd gen RX engines (3.3 and 3.5) just use whatever is recommended in the manual. On engine(s) that get foul up more easily like the one on the IS250 (direct injection) only, it's MAYBE better to use the top tier brand as the cheaper gas MAY cause carbon build up - There's a thread on the IS forum of this issue. If nothing else it's a cheap insurance. As for me, my 3 cars run like a champ on SAM's club gas.

 

RX330 can run on 87 octane but the RX350 must use at least 91 octane.

 

Premium only hurts at the pump, after that its the cost of a candy bar as I fill up at 3/4 tank most of the time. The engine really needs it with the compression ratio.

 

Should I be using Chevron fuel cleaner every 3,000 miles, 4,000 miles or etc?