Will regular gas hurt my Lexus?
Can I Use Regular Fuel in a Lexus? We recommend always using the minimum octane rating or higher when refueling your vehicle. Choosing an octane rating lower than what is listed for your model year vehicle could lead to engine knocking, which can result in permeant damage to your engine in the long run.
If you put lower-octane fuel into your high-octane vehicle, whether by mistake or to save money on gas, you'll probably notice the effects right away: things like poor fuel economy, reduced acceleration, and spark knock, which sounds like a high-pitched pinging or rattling noise.
Putting Regular Fuel in a Car That Requires Premium
Using lower octane fuel in a vehicle that requires premium gas could cause some serious internal damage. You'll most likely notice the spark knock (a sort of high-pitched pinging or rattling noise).
However, remember this: when a premium fuel engine runs on regular fuel, there's a risk of combustion of the fuel mix before the spark plug even lights up. This causes a phenomenon called knocking, which is likely to damage the engine.
You must only use unleaded gasoline in the RX, with an octane rating of 87 or higher. This means the Lexus RX does not require premium gasoline, as the premium octane rating is 91 or higher. Of course, you are free to put premium gas in your Lexus RX, as it can provide better performance, but it is not needed.
If you mistakenly fill up with regular fuel, your car's ECU will adjust engine timing and performance to work with the lower-octane fuel. In most cases, this is ok for the times when there are no premium pumps around, but it's not ideal to run the cheapest fuel possible for extended periods of time.
- a loud knocking sound while accelerating.
- excessive smoke coming from your exhaust.
- slower than usual acceleration.
- the engine warning light illuminating.
- the engine stopping altogether.
- your car struggling to restart.
“If the octane is less than 91, the engine could be damaged and the repairs would not be covered by the vehicle warranty. If heavy knocking is heard when using gasoline rated at 93 octane, the engine needs service," the owners manual reads.
Brannon noted that most cars are equipped with sensors that can help certain vehicles run on lower-octane gas even if they're built for premium gas, but switching gas can still cause damage. "It's really not a good idea," he said. "The engine may not be able to adjust (to regular gas)."
So, do you have to put premium in a Lexus? The answer depends on the specific model you're driving. Some vehicles like the 2022 Lexus ES can utilize regular 87-octane fuel whereas other models like the 2022 Lexus GX require premium 91-octane fuel to provide you with optimal performance on the St. Petersburg roads.
Do you really need premium gas?
For most people, burning premium gas is not required, but recommended. There is a reason your carmaker recommends premium, and it's not because they are in cahoots with the oil companies. The simple facts are that testing determined your car runs at maximum efficiency on premium fuel.
You are 100% fine. Drive it normal. It will adjust back when you eventually find premium again.
If you want to continue to enjoy the outstanding power and high-level efficiency offered in new Lexus models, you'll want to utilize the recommended Lexus gas type. Some Lexus vehicles will require premium 91-octane fuel while others can use regular 87-octane fuel.
Use of unleaded gasoline with an octane rating lower than what is listed for your model year vehicle could potentially result in engine knocking. If the octane rating used is less than required, damage to the engine may occur and which could void the vehicle warranty.
Regular gasoline is fine for typical engines, but if regular gas is used when premium is required, it may cause pre-ignition, knocking, and pinging, as well as long-term engine damage.
You can mix 87 and 89 gas. However, it's a bad idea because the two fuels have different octane ratings. When you put them together in your car's tank, the engine will try to adjust to the lower octane rating of 87 and could potentially cause damage.
When you have put the wrong fuel in your car, one of our wrong fuel drain technicians will then drain the contaminated fuel from your vehicle and put the right fuel back into your car for you. Depending on your vehicle, draining the wrong fuel from your car takes an average of 35 minutes.
In some cases, using the wrong fuel is harmless. Other times, like if you accidentally put E85 fuel in a car that's not designed for it, you can void your engine warranty or cause costly damage to fuel lines. The price to fix a car from a fueling mishap can be steep, but there's no reason to panic.
The Bottom Line
Because regular has lower octane, it is more prone to detonation. Burning regular in an engine designed for premium on a long-term basis or under heavy loads can cause engine knock, and that in turn can damage the pistons, valves or spark plugs.
Adding higher octane gas to an engine designed to use lower octane gas will never be a problem. However, you'll have performance issues if you add lower-grade gas to an engine that needs premium.
Is it OK to switch gas grades?
In short, yes, you can usually switch from premium to regular gas for a short time**. But if your car requires premium gas, then your engine may start to underperform. Many people get confused about the difference between premium and regular gas, so it's hard to understand why some cars require one or the other.
So, do you have to put premium in a Lexus? The answer depends on the specific model you're driving. Some vehicles like the 2022 Lexus ES can utilize regular 87-octane fuel whereas other models like the 2022 Lexus GX require premium 91-octane fuel to provide you with optimal performance on the St. Petersburg roads.
If you discover that your Lexus vehicle requires premium gas, it means that the manufacturer built the car for its engine to operate with high octane gas. If you use regular gas, the high-compression engine may become more likely to detonate.
The Lexus NX and the IS, GS, and LS use a rating of 91 octanes, meaning premium fuel is required. Using regular fuel can result in engine damage and costly repairs.
So, if you are wondering “Can I put regular gas in my Lexus?” The answer may be yes. Some vehicles like the Lexus UX 250h can utilize regular 87-octane fuel whereas other models like the 2022 Lexus GX require premium 91-octane fuel.
Gasoline with a high octane rating is more difficult to ignite, which helps prevent pre-ignition and knocking in high performance engines. If your car requires premium gas, you can damage the engine if you consistently fill up with regular.