Gas Nozzle Latch Popping
11-15-13, 02:44 PM
#1
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Gas Nozzle Latch Popping
I drive a 2007 Lexus RX350. According to the manual, it requires premium fuel. The first year I had the car, I fed it premium. After that, I believed I could still make off fine with regular so that's what I've been feeding it for the last 2+ years. I figured the lower cost of gas was a reasonable trade-off for the lower MPG performance.
Today while I was filling up the tank, something unusual happened. Literally 5 seconds after I inserted the gas nozzle, the automatic shutoff latch popped up. Normally this only happens when the tank's full. However I knew that my tank was near empty, and there was no way I could've filled 10+ gallons within seconds. So I tried to reinsert the nozzle. Yet the latch kept popping within 5 seconds each time. I repeated this process for a handful of times until the gas attendant came by.
The attendant explained that the latch kept popping because I was using 87 octane (regular) on a premium tank. He stressed that I would be damaging the engine in the long run, and that the latch popping was symptomatic of such.
Is this true? Should I be concerned? I don't think it makes much of a difference, but I might add that I was at the Costco gas station which dilutes the gas by 10% ethanol.
Today while I was filling up the tank, something unusual happened. Literally 5 seconds after I inserted the gas nozzle, the automatic shutoff latch popped up. Normally this only happens when the tank's full. However I knew that my tank was near empty, and there was no way I could've filled 10+ gallons within seconds. So I tried to reinsert the nozzle. Yet the latch kept popping within 5 seconds each time. I repeated this process for a handful of times until the gas attendant came by.
The attendant explained that the latch kept popping because I was using 87 octane (regular) on a premium tank. He stressed that I would be damaging the engine in the long run, and that the latch popping was symptomatic of such.
Is this true? Should I be concerned? I don't think it makes much of a difference, but I might add that I was at the Costco gas station which dilutes the gas by 10% ethanol.
11-15-13, 03:18 PM
#2
Moderator
Welcome to Club Lexus celiothrkn. What this station attendant said is complete nonsense. Most likely it was a defect with the gas pump. This premium vs regular has been discussed here many times. Use the forum search function with the key words "premium fuel". The RX350 will run on regular fuel but you will have a decrease in fuel economy, that is why Lexus recommends premium fuel for this model. I use only premium in my 2007 having tried regular for 3 months several years ago. It works out close to the same cost.
11-15-13, 05:53 PM
#3
Lexus Test Driver
Welcome to Club Lexus celiothrkn. What this station attendant said is complete nonsense. Most likely it was a defect with the gas pump. This premium vs regular has been discussed here many times. Use the forum search function with the key words "premium fuel". The RX350 will run on regular fuel but you will have a decrease in fuel economy, that is why Lexus recommends premium fuel for this model. I use only premium in my 2007 having tried regular for 3 months several years ago. It works out close to the same cost.
11-15-13, 07:11 PM
#4
Welcome to Club Lexus, celiothrkn. In full agreement with the others here. Would like to add for you to try the following:
* use a different pump if you frequent this station. do you still have the same problem?
* try slow pumping. instead of holding the pump full open or locking it full open, try a slower rate of fill to see if that helps.
Most of the time I have seen this it was a problem with the pump and its vapor system. On a rare occasion there is an actual problem with either the EVAP canister or a roll-over valve in your gas tank which is designed to prevent the spillage of gas in case of an accident where the car is on its side or upside down. There is nothing on the pump nor in your vehicle which detects the fuel while you are dispensing to distinguish between regular and premium fuel.
In all cases this gas station attendant is completely wrong. BTW, which Costco was this? Next time you go to this Costco you should step inside and let their Customer Service know that they have someone dispensing bad information at the pumps.
BTW, most all gas stations use up to a 10% blend of ethanol in their fuels. Has nothing to do with your problem.
* use a different pump if you frequent this station. do you still have the same problem?
* try slow pumping. instead of holding the pump full open or locking it full open, try a slower rate of fill to see if that helps.
Most of the time I have seen this it was a problem with the pump and its vapor system. On a rare occasion there is an actual problem with either the EVAP canister or a roll-over valve in your gas tank which is designed to prevent the spillage of gas in case of an accident where the car is on its side or upside down. There is nothing on the pump nor in your vehicle which detects the fuel while you are dispensing to distinguish between regular and premium fuel.
In all cases this gas station attendant is completely wrong. BTW, which Costco was this? Next time you go to this Costco you should step inside and let their Customer Service know that they have someone dispensing bad information at the pumps.
BTW, most all gas stations use up to a 10% blend of ethanol in their fuels. Has nothing to do with your problem.
11-16-13, 06:29 AM
#5
http://auto.howstuffworks.com/gas-pump5.htm
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