We get asked this question by many owners and thought we take the mystery out of which grade of gasoline to use in your cars.
Many owners use premium gasoline in the belief that it's better for engines than regular. That can be a costly mistake, especially during times of high fuel prices. Octane grades don't represent a "good, better, best" choice; they simply measure the resistance of fuel to knocking or pinging, a condition in which gasoline burns uncontrollably in the engine's combustion chambers. Knocking and pinging can damage an engine.
While high-octane formulations resist knocking better than lower octanes, most engines are designed to take regular gas, which has an octane rating of about 87. Engines requiring premium gas are typically the more powerful ones found in sports and luxury vehicles, which include those found in your Lexus. Lexus engines use a very high compression ratio (which is basically how tight the piston squeezes the air/fuel mixture), making them more vulnerable to knocking, so recommended fuels have octane ratings of 91 or higher.
Some engines for which premium gasoline is recommended can run on regular without problems. That's because the engine's electronic knock-sensor system detects the presence of uncontrolled burning in the combustion chambers. When it does, the engine's computer-control system retards engine timing, eliminating the knock but slightly reducing power.
If you don't mind giving up some performance, you can run these engines on less-expensive regular gasoline. To check whether your engine is capable of running on regular gas, read your owner's manual, send us an email, or give us a call at 925-224-7634. What grade of fuel do you use in your Lexus?
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