Lexus Gas Type and some Consequences of bad Fuel in the Tank

Before you go to a gas pump in your new Lexus, you should know for sure which type of petrol is appropriate for your vehicle. Some Lexus cars will need premium gasoline only while some other vehicles will put up with regular or midgrade fuel types. But what should you actually buy? And what can happen if you pour the wrong type of fuel into your Lexus tank?

Fuel-related mistakes highlights

• Level of importance:Medium
• Can you drive?Usually, yes
• DIY inspection:Possible
• DIY repairs:Mostly,impossible
• Price of repair:$100 - $650
• Commonreasons:Wrong fuel, wrong repair procedures
• How to fix:Never drive the vehicle with the wrong fuel in the tank, always go for professional help

Lexus vehicle and gas types

You may guess that the majority of Lexus cars will require premium gas only. But we would say that the range of the luxury cars brand can be split into two relatively equal parts - one part needs premium gas while the other part will be OK with regular gasoline. What does it depend on? It depends mainly on the engine type and fuel supply system.

So, you should know that the regular gas is any gasoline with the octane number 87 or higher.

Then there is a midgrade gas type with the octane number 89.

And the premium gas has an octane number of 91 or higher.

And if we just have a look at the recommendations, we'll see that the premium gasoline is only needed for these vehicles:

• Lexus NX;
• Lexus RX Hybrid;
• Lexus GX;
• Lexus LX;
• Lexus IS;
• Lexus GS;
• Lexus LS;
• Lexus LS Hybrid;
• all Lexus coupe vehicles.

But it's not all cars from the Lexus range. They also offer a lot of vehicles that will go well with regular gas:

• Lexus UX
• Lexus UX Hybrid;
• Lexus NX Hybrid;
• Lexus RX;
• Lexus ES;
• Lexus ES Hybrid.

Well, this is just a rough example. While one engine in your RX may require premium gasoline only, some other engines will be satisfied with the cheaper option of regular gas. It's important to know the requirements given by the manufacturer. If you don't know them, you can just put your engine at the risk.

And still, if your vehicle has the recommendation for regular gasoline, you can still buy premium. This way, your car will work a little better and will deliver a little more power. Probably, the fuel efficiency will be higher thanks to the higher octane number.

But buying regular gasoline for vehicles with premium gas recommendations is not a very good idea. After doing that, you can find your Lexus engine struggling to work well.

What can happen if you buy regular gas instead of recommended premium?

Lexus vehicles are very demanding in terms of fuel quality. If the manufacturer says that you should only use premium gasoline for your vehicle, you shouldn't use any other option. The reason is that the fuel supply system will not be able to work well and the injectors can just get broken in some time.

Actually, the scale of the problem may be just insane. If you buy regular gasoline for your LX, for example, once, you will just see some minor problems. But if you regularly buy a cheaper option of gasoline, you will observe a much quicker death of your engine.

Here are some of the most common problems:

1. Worse fuel economy. The engine will burn much more regular gas, so your economy is going to suffer.
2. Engine shaking and vibration. When working on bad fuel, the engine will shake because not all cylinders will work smoothly during every stroke.
3. Misfires. This is a huge problem for modern Lexus engines. Misfires will lead to big engine problems and to much faster wear.
4. Injection problems. Injectors may get clogged or just fail to spray the cheaper type of gasoline. Repair may cost you a fortune.
5. Fuel pump problems. The vehicle will need more fuel, so the pressure in the system will be higher than usual and the pump may just die.
6. Black smoke from the tailpipe. In your Lexus that was designed for premium gas, not all regular gasoline will be burnt efficiently. It will then burn in the exhaust system and form black smoke.
7. Catalytic converter death. If you regularly use cheaper gasoline, you should be ready to replace one of the catalytic converters twice faster than usual.

Also, your Lexus will not be as cool to drive as usually. The vehicle may accelerate worse and lose part of its power. This will not let you have pleasure when driving your car.

The worst part is that you will not save any money because, in most cases, the engine will burn much more regular gas than it would burn premium gasoline. And this makes no sense in buying cheaper fuel for the economy.

Can you sometimes use regular gas instead of premium in a Lexus?

Yes, if you do that once a year or even once a month, the vehicle's ECU will change the timing a bit and will burn regular gas with no obvious problems. But if you start using regular gasoline in your Lexus constantly, the longevity of the vehicle will suffer.

We believe, the Lexus can lose over half of its potential lifespan. It's not only because of the engine problems but because of the fuel system problem. This will make you spend so much money that at some point, you will see that repairing the vehicle makes no sense.

Normally, an average Lexus engine can easily go over 200,000 miles and cause no big problems during this mileage. But if you experiment with cheap fuel, it may die at 120,000 miles. So, is it worth it?

What about premium gas in a Lexus with recommended regular?

If Lexus recommends regular gasoline for your vehicle, you can buy any gasoline: regular, midgrade, or premium. Using premium fuel will add some power and improve the fuel consumption a little.

But actually, we recommend keeping up with the recommendations. If the manufacturer says you can use regular gas, we see no reasons why you should buy premium. The premium will cost you more but it won't change the way your car goes really much.

So, we wouldn't waste our money if Lexus allowed us to buy regular gasoline. But your clear advantage is that you can actually buy fuel at any pump - even if it has only premium gas, your vehicle will not suffer from this at all.

How much is it to repair Lexus after the wrong fuel?

Unfortunately, when the words "repair" and "Lexus" come together, you are not likely to be happy with the prices. Dealers and even small repair shops will charge you hundreds of dollars per every labor hour. Parts are extremely expensive. Especially, when you need something connected with a fuel supply system or your engine.

So, here are some outlines of repair prices for your understanding:

• a fuel pump for your Lexus RX will cost you over $1,150 if you choose an OEM part, installing it will cost you another $200 or more;
• the set of fuel injectors for your NX, for example, will cost about $1,500 and add another $300 for labor or even more if you go to one of the dealers;
• the original Lexus fuel filter which needs to be changed whatever happens when you pour the wrong oil costs $150 and another $150 they will take for labor;
• a single catalytic converter for a V6 engine (any Lexus model) will cost over $1,100 including taxes and excluding labor which may cost another $300 per one cat to replace.

Should we continue? If you love saving up some money, you should avoid using any kind of fuel with the wrong octane number. It can be higher, but not lower. Because when you need to repair your Lexus, it will be a big problem for your budget.

If you already need some repair, check the opportunity to use aftermarket parts unless your vehicle is still covered with a warranty. Also, check labor prices in repair shops that deal with Lexus cars.

Final words

We are pretty sure that you love your Lexus even if it is not the freshest generation of the model. So, you better avoid any kinds of lower octane number fuel for your vehicle. Otherwise, some problems will eventually occur and make you pay thousands of dollars for repair and maintenance.

If you still want to experiment, have a little talk with an experienced mechanic at your Lexus dealer. This person will explain to you in detail why you shouldn't put anything questionable into your Lexus fuel tank.