Do you "have to" put high grade gas in this car?

[halik]

Originally posted by: MotionMan
I know what the manual says. I do not believe everything they say in the manual.

MotionMan

hahah you're one of those "smart" people, I see...


Engines with high compression ratio (~10.2:1 and up ) require high octane gasoline to prevent precombustion. Or in other word, keep putting in 87 and you're bound to fvck ****** up.

 

[MotionMan]

OK, everyone calm down for a minute. Number One: I never said I bought anything. Number Two: I know enough about cars that I know to have them serviced, check the oil, keep the tires at the right pressure, etc. I just do not know anything about what the real difference is between the different types of gas - that is why I asked. I now get that, apparently, there IS a difference and, when it comes to the LS 430, high grade is the only way to go.

Thanks for the heads up.

MotionMan

 

[fuzzybabybunny]

Originally posted by: Shawn

Originally posted by: MotionMan
Geez. And you guys follow every direction in the manual, I suppose?

MotionMan

High performance cars make more power by increasing the internal compression. Cheap low grade gas cannot withstand those increased pressures and it explodes. If you want gas exploding in your engine then keep putting low grade gas in your expensive lexus.

http://www.hastingsmfg.com/Service%20Tips/detonation_and_preignition.htm

Correct, but I was wondering:

If you drive your car with a feather foot, ie. very gently, never accelerating quickly, etc. would the engine have a lower internal compression during these instances? If so, wouldn't mid-grade gas be ok if one drives in this manner? I'm thinking the only time the engine would really knock is if you try to accelerate abruptly with lower grade gas.

 

[CombatChuk]

You could put cheap gas, the knock sensor would detect the rampant cheapness of the gas and retard the ignition. Giving you less power and worse gas mileage. So you'd be better off putting what is recommended.

 

[halik]

Originally posted by: fuzzybabybunny

Originally posted by: Shawn

Originally posted by: MotionMan
Geez. And you guys follow every direction in the manual, I suppose?

MotionMan

High performance cars make more power by increasing the internal compression. Cheap low grade gas cannot withstand those increased pressures and it explodes. If you want gas exploding in your engine then keep putting low grade gas in your expensive lexus.

http://www.hastingsmfg.com/Service%20Tips/detonation_and_preignition.htm

Correct, but I was wondering:

If you drive your car with a feather foot, ie. very gently, never accelerating quickly, etc. would the engine have a lower internal compression during these instances? If so, wouldn't mid-grade gas be ok if one drives in this manner? I'm thinking the only time the engine would really knock is if you try to accelerate abruptly with lower grade gas.

Unless you drive a crazy experimental saab, your compression ratio is the same. I doubt that the miniscule amount of gasline injected to the cylinder (even at full throtthe) would make much difference in the total compression.

 

[jagec]

Originally posted by: nsafreak
Using anything less than premium gas in an 8 cylinder engine is typically not a good idea. You might get away with it but there's a chance you will see a decrease in performance and gas mileage as well.

It has nothing to do with the number of cylinders. Compression ratio, and whether or not it uses some type of forced induction, are the two biggest factors.

Originally posted by: MotionMan

Originally posted by: waggy
you buy a lexus and want to put cheap gas in it? sheesh.

but put whatever the manual says sheesh.

I do not want to put cheap gas in it, but, at the same time, I do not want to pay for expensive gas if I do not have to.

Pardon me for trying to save a few bucks a week.

MotionMan

So you buy a brand-new high-end luxury car with a high-performance engine, and you want to compromise all that for a lousy ten cents a gallon or so.

The answer you want to hear: Yes, you CAN run pretty much any modern NA engine on regular unleaded. The knock sensor will retard the timing to prevent knocking/pinging and, thus, forestall engine damage.

But the timing isn't the only thing that's retarded when running a performance engine on cheap gas. If you find yourself tempted to do that, you bought the wrong car in the first place.

 

[RGUN]

Originally posted by: nsafreak
Using anything less than premium gas in an 8 cylinder engine is typically not a good idea. You might get away with it but there's a chance you will see a decrease in performance and gas mileage as well.

As long as you're wasting money, mind throwing some my way?

 

[Vette73]

Depends on how well the engine management system is. My Saab and Corvette get better performance with supreme, but I run regualr all the time in the Saab and run Mid-grade in the Corvette when it is cooler (but premium when it is hot/summer).

Thing to look for is does it say it requires XYZ octane or recommends XYZ octane. Requires is probable the min. and recommends is what will get the best performance.

 

[JulesMaximus]

RTFM!!!

Whatever Lexus recommends is what I would feed it. What does it say on the gas door when you go to refill? Every car I've ever owned that required premium had it printed on a label in bold letters on the gas door.

 

[Fenixgoon]

check the manual, but i imagine it will be premium fuel as opposed to regular or mid grade.. higher performance engines generally require premium

 

[jagec]

Originally posted by: halik

Originally posted by: fuzzybabybunny

If you drive your car with a feather foot, ie. very gently, never accelerating quickly, etc. would the engine have a lower internal compression during these instances? If so, wouldn't mid-grade gas be ok if one drives in this manner? I'm thinking the only time the engine would really knock is if you try to accelerate abruptly with lower grade gas.

Unless you drive a crazy experimental saab, your compression ratio is the same. I doubt that the miniscule amount of gasline injected to the cylinder (even at full throtthe) would make much difference in the total compression.

The compression ratio wouldn't change, but he's right that driving with a feather foot would probably prevent knocking on cheap gas. Once again, though, if you bought a performance car, why would you treat it like an econobox? That's as retarded as buying an SUV for the city.

 

[ballmode]

buy 92/93

 

[Baked]

Originally posted by: waggy
dont believe them! they are trying to get you to waste money. Put in the cheapest you can find. it won't hurt the car or gas mileage. Also don't worry about changing the oil every 3k miles. it should be fine every 10k (or 8 months) fricken oil company's trying to rip us off.

Stop posting the FUD, the correct interval between oil change is 100K miles. Screw the engine light, that's just a scheme created by the car and engine oil companies to rip off your hard earned money.

 

[Howard]

Modern car engines should have knock sensors that tell the ECU to retard the spark timing if knocking happens. Still probably isn't a good idea to run the cheap stuff, though.

 

[intogamer]

Buy regular gas and then resell the lexus later! win win situation!

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: MotionMan
Geez. And you guys follow every direction in the manual, I suppose?

MotionMan

I certainly do. I want my car to last for many trouble free years, so if they tell me to change the headlight fluid every 25,000 miles you can bet you're ass I'm going to do it.

 

[IHateMyJob2004]

Ping ping ping ping ping ping ping ping ping ping ping ping ping ping ping ping ping ping ping

Couldn't that happen? I heard people say higher grade fuel can solve the Ping ping ping ping ping ping ping ping ping ping ping ping ping ping problem.

Could introducing lower tan intended grade gas initiation Ping ping ping ping ping ping ping ping ping ping ping ping ping ping ping

 

[MazerRackham]

You should find some vintage leaded gasoline and put THAT in. I hear that Lexus' love that stuff!

 

[fuzzybabybunny]

Originally posted by: jagec

Originally posted by: halik

Originally posted by: fuzzybabybunny

If you drive your car with a feather foot, ie. very gently, never accelerating quickly, etc. would the engine have a lower internal compression during these instances? If so, wouldn't mid-grade gas be ok if one drives in this manner? I'm thinking the only time the engine would really knock is if you try to accelerate abruptly with lower grade gas.

Unless you drive a crazy experimental saab, your compression ratio is the same. I doubt that the miniscule amount of gasline injected to the cylinder (even at full throtthe) would make much difference in the total compression.

The compression ratio wouldn't change, but he's right that driving with a feather foot would probably prevent knocking on cheap gas. Once again, though, if you bought a performance car, why would you treat it like an econobox? That's as retarded as buying an SUV for the city.

I really don't understand SUVs in the city, but I do understand people owning luxury cars. But why do all luxury cars have to have a high performance engine? I've always thought luxury cars are just comfortable cruisers, not racers.

 

[ElFenix]

Originally posted by: jagec

Originally posted by: halik

Originally posted by: fuzzybabybunny

If you drive your car with a feather foot, ie. very gently, never accelerating quickly, etc. would the engine have a lower internal compression during these instances? If so, wouldn't mid-grade gas be ok if one drives in this manner? I'm thinking the only time the engine would really knock is if you try to accelerate abruptly with lower grade gas.

Unless you drive a crazy experimental saab, your compression ratio is the same. I doubt that the miniscule amount of gasline injected to the cylinder (even at full throtthe) would make much difference in the total compression.

The compression ratio wouldn't change, but he's right that driving with a feather foot would probably prevent knocking on cheap gas. Once again, though, if you bought a performance car, why would you treat it like an econobox? That's as retarded as buying an SUV for the city.

seems to me it'd depend on the load on the engine. if you've got a load and you're not giving it enough gas it's more likely to knock, iirc.

 

[thomsbrain]

Originally posted by: nsafreak
Using anything less than premium gas in an 8 cylinder engine is typically not a good idea. You might get away with it but there's a chance you will see a decrease in performance and gas mileage as well.

care in to impart your wisdom on why some arbitrary number of cylinders is the end-all be-all of gas grades?

BTW, plenty of engines sense the grade of gas and accommodate it. using a lower grade results in less power, but with a 4.3 liter V8, and knowing lexus drivers, he'd never notice the difference. the question of why he cares is still valid, though. he's driving an expensive car that gets crappy mileage, and he cares about a buck or two per fill-up?

 

[HamburgerBoy]

I own a Lexus LS430 and always put in the cheapest gas. Nothing's gone wrong so far.

*shrug*

 

[MotionMan]

Originally posted by: thomsbrain
the question of why he cares is still valid, though. he's driving an expensive car that gets crappy mileage, and he cares about a buck or two per fill-up?

Because the subject came up with a group of friends, and no one could adequately explain their point of view to me. I guess we all suck at car/gas knowledge.

BTW, I would want to save a buck or two per fill-up BECAUSE the car gets bad mileage.

MotionMan

 

[jagec]

Originally posted by: ElFenix
seems to me it'd depend on the load on the engine. if you've got a load and you're not giving it enough gas it's more likely to knock, iirc.

If you've got a load and you're not giving it enough gas, the car will slow down. It'll only ping if you give it more gas to try and speed up. If you carefully downshift, you should be able to maintain your speed without pinging. But once again...it's not worth it.

Originally posted by: MotionMan
Because the subject came up with a group of friends, and no one could adequately explain their point of view to me. I guess we all suck at car/gas knowledge.

BTW, I would want to save a buck or two per fill-up BECAUSE the car gets bad mileage.

MotionMan

So buy a car that gets better mileage! Really, it makes no sense to do what you're doing. It won't break the car, don't get me wrong. But neither would smearing the inside with pig feces, another act which would defeat the entire purpose of owning a new Lexus and not a 1983 Corolla.

 

[MotionMan]

Originally posted by: jagec

Originally posted by: ElFenix
seems to me it'd depend on the load on the engine. if you've got a load and you're not giving it enough gas it's more likely to knock, iirc.

If you've got a load and you're not giving it enough gas, the car will slow down. It'll only ping if you give it more gas to try and speed up. If you carefully downshift, you should be able to maintain your speed without pinging. But once again...it's not worth it.

Originally posted by: MotionMan
Because the subject came up with a group of friends, and no one could adequately explain their point of view to me. I guess we all suck at car/gas knowledge.

BTW, I would want to save a buck or two per fill-up BECAUSE the car gets bad mileage.

MotionMan

So buy a car that gets better mileage! Really, it makes no sense to do what you're doing. It won't break the car, don't get me wrong. But neither would smearing the inside with pig feces, another act which would defeat the entire purpose of owning a new Lexus and not a 1983 Corolla.

I think it is funny that everyone assumes that the car in question was or is to be bought (even though I address that in my editted OP). I think it is skewing everyones opinions because their opinons are based, at least partially, on the assumption that the car was bought.

In any event, I now get the idea that the LS 430 should be fed the good stuff.

MotionMan