FYI, I was a petroleum inspector and went around testing the octane levels at gas stations. I never had a mid grade test below 90 octane, and you have a 50/50 chance of actually getting 93 out of the mid grade tank. If not it will be 90, 91, or 92. I always recommend if you want premium, just buy mid grade, and you’ll be close enough for less money.
That explains my Acura we had that did require higher grade to not have valve chatter and premature detonation. We just ran mid grade and did fine but couldn’t run 87 at all.
This is really really good information to know. Would have never guessed and wouldn’t have even thought to look that up, actual levels. Also, I didn’t know the gas was regularly tested at stations.
@@SkyBehind it’s for 2 reasons, to make sure they’re getting what they paid for, and to comply with consumer standards to avoid fines. Fines are huge if they get caught selling gas that is under the octane promised.
Curious what states you inspected in? I’ve personally heard from my tuner that CA/AZ/NV has especially crappy 91 octane. Wonder what octane I actually get as I see decreases in knock running half or a full can of Quality octane boosters like VP octanium unleaded/boostane/torco unleaded.
@@diydaddy5092 go to hear that. I just picked up a 2007 also. Just trying to zero in on why a 2007 4Runner/tundra with the same 4.7 can run regular but the GX470 needs premium 🤷
@@tylervankampen6160 @@tylervankampen6160 just bought my 06 GX470 and been trying to do so some research on why also. Didn't make sense because it's the same motor. Fill my first tank with 93 but I'm thinking about going to 87. What did you end up going with?
@@tylervankampen6160 maybe it was just sales prank for the big ego! for the thick wallet Anything is Possible when you're dealing with Rich Elites :-) what do you think?
Lucky because the 2007-2009 have a 10.0:1 compression ratio. This is why the manual requires premium for those years. Whereas 2004-2006 runs on regular because of the 9.6:1 compression ratio.
I drove a 1998 LX470 that also "recommended" premium fuel. All the engine parts right down to the part numbers, as well as compression ratio, were 100% identical to the tundra and landcruiser engine. Same same same all around. I bought it at 140k miles and put 100k miles on it from there - all on regular gas. Never put in premium - Never had any issue. Nothing. No discernable difference in power/performance even while towing. Now we're buying a Lexus LX570 (used 2008 model) with 90k miles. Literally every engine part (practically) including all internals match, including compression ratio match the landcruiser which recommends only 87 octane regular gas. So no, won't be using premium, and I'll put money on never having an issue with it. Premium is a waste of money for these vehicles. But I'm not speaking for other brands, it's important to check that.
@@MissouriAdventures Yes, I'm aware of that. He's a great mechanic, and in general, I agree with him. It's been over 2 years now since I've been running regular in my LX570, and it runs awesome. The main reasoning in my comment comes down to compression ratio and the very low strung nature of these engines. In most other vehicles I'd likely just follow manufacturers recommendation on that part... But the 5.7 isn't really tuned much different, if at all. Perhaps one day, many years from now, I may find out I'm wrong on that lol - I hope not... But I do doubt it :)
@@rjhein my comment was in regards to the Land Cruiser & Tundra engine being the same CCN disagrees. But yes, I run mine on regular too with zero problems. Many have for hundreds of thousands of miles. We’re not breaking any new ground here. I let a guy last weekend that doesn’t change his oil for 12-15k miles. Said these engines are just different. I’m sure there’s a whole thread on it on Mud I just haven’t looked yet.
@@MissouriAdventures afaik the land cruiser also requires only regular fuel, according to the owners manual... So regarding the Land cruiser and LX engine, what are the meaningful differences that would result in long-term damage from the usage of regular fuel? The last time I checked the compression ratio was the same... These engines are extremely low strung... I'm also not recommending anybody else do what I'm doing... As far as I'm concerned people can go ahead and put orange juice into their tank lol
Started to run 87 early last year in my 05’. Started popping emissions codes. Thought it was an issue with the gas cap but decided to run 93 on a couple of fill ups. Haven’t thrown another code since going back to 93.
FYI.... Premium fuel does not burn any cleaner than regular. I'm an engineer for Marathon Petroleum and I can tell you that the fuels, additives... etc are exactly the same. The only difference is the octane added to the fuel. There is ZERO advantage to running premium unless your engine is designed for it.
Agreed. In layman’s terms “cleaner” makes sense for most people. The GX engines tune doesn’t require the higher octane to burn/run efficiently. I just wanted to physically show something to the people buying them that it doesn’t help. Knock sensors would go nuts if you used fuel with too low of an octane and the engine needed else.
@@nicholash8021 Great question... The extra costs have more to do with the fuel being made in smaller batches rather than the cost of the octane. If premium were made on the same scale as regular it would only cost a few cents more. Of all the fuel we make only about 10% is premium.
This was the best video i have seen on this debate. The presentation was simple and "country" the way i needed, but i am sure your wife approved of your scientific method. Thanks.
You only gain any use of higher octane when engine is under highest load. Full throttle and during hill climb is time when higher octane provides the needed pre ignition protection. The higher octane actually has less heat output for same mass flow but higher volume of fuel and air is possible when higher octane fuel is used. The WWII P 51’s Roll’s Royce Packard fighter engine required 150 octane fuel at peak power.
I ran premium on my 470 for years because cost saving was maybe 200 bucks annually. Now premium is $18 a tank higher, so I go regular with zero difference.
this is exactly 💯 same 4.7 that's in other yotas! I never ran anything but regular in mine. I meticulously run a bottle of royal purple cleaner through every oil change
I run mid grade all the time. I don't care what people say, running in the mid tier has always been good for my engines (fuel mileage aside). The lower grades are hit and miss especially in weird fuel brands.
And that works as well. I’ve got multiple 200 and 300,000 mile vehicles with running low-grade so I haven’t seen shit to pay the extra. Hard to argue that it’s not a better fuel tho
My sister used to own a 2002 LX470 she mainly ran on 87 octane never had any issues and pulled very strongly same thing with my GX470 I pumped 87 Costco fuel and ran like a champ. Usually for my performance cars I’ll do with premium I mean the 2UZ is a low rev torque machine that really won’t benefit much from 91.
Got a ‘23 GX 460 Luxury and I use premium fuel only. My area has 93 grade and I use Top tier gas. MPG is better for me but more important is the additives to clean the engine and valves. Top Tier does a better job of cleaning the engine.
When comparing octanes and vehicle performance, If I don’t get any knocking or pre-detonation, I don’t care what mpg I get! Yes I typed correctly. I only care what miles per DOLLAR I get. You hinted at it here early in your video. Of course I check my plugs to SEE what’s going on if I have any question.
I have a 2008 GX 470. I put premium in it because long term matters. I have 201K on it. Runs like it’s new! I would rather be safe than sorry. For a couple of cents more it pays. Period. ❤️🙌🏼🇺🇸💪🏼👍🏼
My fuel station doesn't offer a mid-grade octane, just 87 and 93. I was filling up my 2007 GX 470 with half and half for the first 30k miles but the filling station was originally selling 93 octane at about 40¢ a gallon more than the 87. They changed the difference to 90¢ a gallon, so I started using 87 octane 100%. I have seen zero change in performance. I don't change filling stations because I buy all of my fuel from a big box warehouse store, which shall remain nameless. Between their significantly lower prices, and 4% cash back I usually pay between 30¢ and 50¢ a gallon less than anywhere else. I do maintain a strict oil change regimen of 5,000 miles on synthetic oil.
I don't see any data or information that premium is any cleaner than 87. The octane rating, or the pressure at which it detonates, is the only thing guaranteed.
my fiancé drives a 2010 mitsubishi outlander GT, it recommends premium, however, we've always ran regular just over 135k miles later and never a single issue!
My sequoia doesn’t recommend premium and has the same engine. Iv ran premium in all my Lexus vehicle and I still will. It’s just odd they specify a difference between the same motor between the Toyota and Lexus. I figured it was just that the Lexus was tuned for 91
Just bought a 06 GX470 with 221k miles. Put 89 Oct in it for the first time and a couple days later, check engine light. I can tell the last owner changed out the gas cap. Maybe that's the issue or do I really need to run premium? From the comments, sounds like I don't maybe it's a coincidence
I did the same test after thinking 91 would get better mileage. Both tanks running through Nevada at high speed. I got slightly better mpg, about 1 mpg, but passing at 80mph was noticeably slower. Different brands of gas though so who really knows. Maybe do the test with summer blend as well, could be a bigger difference?
If your Gx has VVTI then premium is optimal for your engine due to the vvti adjust the cams accordingly but the 1uz without vvti runs regular fuel 2003-2004
I don't think you'll find harm either way. Here is a pretty good take on the issue forum.ih8mud.com/threads/gx470-octane-just-some-research-is-all-talk-among-yourselves.996468/
That’s just my experience with them, no valve chatter and no issues with any I’ve had running regular. Everyone I personally know with one runs regular as well.
I run my GX about 100 miles a day and have tried both 89 and 93 with the 10% ethanol mix. The mid grade works fine in mine with a 17.4 mpg average on standard size AT tires. I do put in a half tank of 93 every couple of weeks to be sure my octane is over 90.
Is it recommended or required? Look like newer Lexus line stated required premium. If it’s recommended I would use regular. Unless you want to race in hot humid conditions, then you might will see little difference. I’m personally can’t see
Premium was not even $0.05 more than regular when moved to Houston in 2013. We should just stop having premium subsidize the ethanol crap and whatever else.
Hey , i need help , i have gx470 and my rear air suspension not going up much , compressor working, when i hit height control button compressor start light blinking compressor run and stop and light stop high , but car still low just light bit above from wheel almost 2” , when i start driving go again low all the way and during drive hit wheel that’s scary
@@crutchfieldautomotive7936 yes sir right airbag sound hissing air , means air leak , I don’t wanna conversion because i wanna sale and noboday gonna buy conversion
@@crutchfieldautomotive7936 it’s started today not even going up , one side all the way down , so today i start inspection and heard hissing sound , compressor working when i move height switch but after lit bit time stop and and car still down just lit bit up and height control switch stop working not going up and down , no engine code , 145k mileage, 2004 , i just changed shocks
I’m really enjoying my GX 470. I have a 2006 with 179k. Do you know how much a new dash is for one of these? Mine has the original dash and it appears the previous owner tried to stop the crack from progressing by cutting a square in the dash on the passengers side. They also clearly used some heavy duty armor all type of stuff on the dash and now it’s so damn shiny that I get a terrible reflection off of it on sunny days. It would be cool to get a replacement. Thanks
I tried running premium in my 04 GX and didn't see improvement over mid in mpg or power. I did notice it was rougher running and got worse mileage running low grade so that was the only tank of low I ran through it. Mid grade every tank and only top tier fuel
I’ve never had any of those that I’ve owned to show any difference between grades, but mid grade is typically just is high octane as the supreme according to one of the commenters who checks fuel for a living 😬
@@crutchfieldautomotive7936 Yeah I can definitely tell a difference in the low grade but not mid and high. I've had several vehicles that didn't like low grade as well, some of my older civics got 3-5 more mpg on mid and ran much smoother vs low. Why I've always run mid unless it called for premium
One of my battalion chiefs has a 2007 his wife drives 4 450,000 miles on it now. Pretty sure they use regular gas but I’ll have to check. The compression rate is actually exactly the same and the tune Lexus puts on this engine call only get 3 hp more than the V8 4Runner
Valve chatter? Where did this guy hear that term? There's no such thing. When a higher compression ratio engine needs premium fuel (higer octane rating), and you burn regular fuel in it, the engine can produce pre-ignition detonation, or "pinging ." THAT'S the sound you're hearing. Modern vehicle's have ECM's that will prevent that by retarding the ignition timing.
It’s truly a term used with gas line pressure relief valves, but it gets used interchangeably with pinging, knocking or spark knock, at least in my experience it’s been called all of the above
Retarding the ignition timing does not stop premature ignition, it would need to change the pressures to stop premature ignition. But when the engines are the same…
Ah. I was hoping closer to middle TN! I'm in the market for one of these. Could we have a private chat to discuss some details and maybe I can go pick one up from you one of these days :)
It’s a huge argument on a lot of forums so I wanted to test it out and document. I don’t think I got as much in city driving with the premium which would account for the tiny difference
I think the guy I purchased my Gx from burn 87 for the last 5 years. 😬. I have a LS 400 and Ed 330 only use premium fuel. I just want to be safe. The GX 470 the premium gas is going to kill me. Ha ha
I run premium because there isn't any ethanol added to it. Ethanal, as I understand it, robs some power and efficiency. It also attracts water. I'd wonder if there is a significant difference between fuel with ethanol and fuel with out.
I never use premium on my 08 gx470. This is not a high revving high HP engine ao regular should be fine. My '15 GS350 F sport and other high HP cars on the other hand premium is a must
Read your owner manual. I always use Shell, it is a Top Tier gasoline. Top Tier gasoline has a different additive package than a Non-Top Tier gasoline. Buy gas for the cheapest price is not good for your engine, the price is less for a reason. I have always had high performance cars and never get any valve knock with Shell Premium gas. If you do not like Shell, find other Top Tier brands and use them. Buy a car that is supposed to run on 87, problem solved.
I also run top end cars that need 91-93. They get it. This Lexus engine runs fine on 87 with no knock or need for the higher octane. I’ve had corvettes and mustangs and CTSV’s etc that all needed 93. They all got it. This one doesn’t
I should elaborate. We have two of these. One with 103,000. One with 340,000 neither has been in a shop and neither has ever had anything but regular run in them. These aren't as "sexy" as some suv's. I get that but for plain old drive everyday, abuse the maintenance schedule and still never have a problem they can't be beat. We call ours the new third gen 4runner.
- From my personal experience I believe that it can affect the emission parts of the vehicle in the long run. - I've owned a 98 es300 from 2016-2018, totalled it by hitting a deer) that recommended premium fuel. The previous owner used cheap 87 for the entire time he owned it (since 2001) and the knock sensors and evap canister needed replacing. - being mechanically inclined and understanding of different octane, I can tell you that the lower octane caused emissions systems to fail during my ownership (I always used 93 octane).
Right and if you’re getting valve chatter you 100% need the higher octane. We’ve got a local GX running 87 with near 600k and no emissions issues. Some of these like the ES are definitely going to need it, some like the GX IMO don’t require
The UZ engine is the same engine as the 4.7 in the 4Runner. They both make 10:1 compression. The only difference Lexus can tell you if you call them is the tune gives you 3 more HP and about 15 or so ft/lb of torque. The engine is designed to recognize the fuel and not end up knocking. The tune is not significant enough to cause long term damage to any component in my opinion
@@crutchfieldautomotive7936 No worries. I just figured it’s typical toyota: regular fuel for the mass vehicle, premium for the luxury vehicle. But it’s the same exact engine.
Ok so you drove 100 miles with a different octane. Wow what a rigorous testing procedure. What pearl of wisdom was I supposed to glean from your anecdotal evidence regarding your ownership of an Acura again?
Would you be happier with 200 miles? The Acura was to let you know valve chatter is a bad thing if you didn’t know (as some people wouldn’t) and with that vehicle you actually had to run the higher octane because of the compression ratio. Cool flex bro?
Don't get worked up when you make a video where you contradict yourself, run a test but make no conclusions you want to stand behind, and then get called out. This video is really just your opinion, and my opinion is that it's not a good video.
The conclusion was 100% that 93 octane is unnecessary in the GX and I explained why. However, if you get valve chatter in yours (because as you said, this is limited) then up the octane for your specific vehicle. Not sure how your drew the conclusion that I won’t stand behind anything? I explained why the Acura was relevant and you decided you had to stick around and be negative after your point became null and void. Ain’t nobody got time for that 😂
It literally has the same compression ratio of 10 to 1. Again I’m not advocating for either one. The tune it has only gives you 3 hp gained and is the same engine otherwise internally. All I can give is anecdotal evidence based on use
You are assuming it is the engineers who recommended it. I am convinced it is the marketing department that recommends it. It makes the vehicle seem more premium. Been using regular for years in my lx470. No problems at all.
FYI, I was a petroleum inspector and went around testing the octane levels at gas stations. I never had a mid grade test below 90 octane, and you have a 50/50 chance of actually getting 93 out of the mid grade tank. If not it will be 90, 91, or 92. I always recommend if you want premium, just buy mid grade, and you’ll be close enough for less money.
That explains my Acura we had that did require higher grade to not have valve chatter and premature detonation. We just ran mid grade and did fine but couldn’t run 87 at all.
Thanks for the insight!
This is really really good information to know. Would have never guessed and wouldn’t have even thought to look that up, actual levels. Also, I didn’t know the gas was regularly tested at stations.
@@SkyBehind it’s for 2 reasons, to make sure they’re getting what they paid for, and to comply with consumer standards to avoid fines. Fines are huge if they get caught selling gas that is under the octane promised.
Curious what states you inspected in? I’ve personally heard from my tuner that CA/AZ/NV has especially crappy 91 octane. Wonder what octane I actually get as I see decreases in knock running half or a full can of Quality octane boosters like VP octanium unleaded/boostane/torco unleaded.
Ran Premium for the first 90k on my GX470 then been running Regular for the last 80k miles. It’s still smooth as silk and runs like a champ!
What year is your GX470?
07
@@diydaddy5092 go to hear that. I just picked up a 2007 also. Just trying to zero in on why a 2007 4Runner/tundra with the same 4.7 can run regular but the GX470 needs premium 🤷
@@tylervankampen6160 @@tylervankampen6160 just bought my 06 GX470 and been trying to do so some research on why also. Didn't make sense because it's the same motor. Fill my first tank with 93 but I'm thinking about going to 87. What did you end up going with?
@@tylervankampen6160 maybe it was just sales prank for the big ego! for the thick wallet Anything is Possible when you're dealing with Rich Elites :-) what do you think?
My 08 470 has been running 87 for 200,000 miles. Still runs smooth as silk. No issues.
if you live close enough to sea level we can run just about any gas in these, but higher up I would be inclined to at least get mid-grade
Update?? Looking at one myself
Lucky because the 2007-2009 have a 10.0:1 compression ratio. This is why the manual requires premium for those years. Whereas 2004-2006 runs on regular because of the 9.6:1 compression ratio.
@@SupramanTRDActually 03 - 04 don’t have Variable Valve Timing. They only require 87 octane. 05+ recommended 91 octane.
I drove a 1998 LX470 that also "recommended" premium fuel. All the engine parts right down to the part numbers, as well as compression ratio, were 100% identical to the tundra and landcruiser engine. Same same same all around. I bought it at 140k miles and put 100k miles on it from there - all on regular gas. Never put in premium - Never had any issue. Nothing. No discernable difference in power/performance even while towing. Now we're buying a Lexus LX570 (used 2008 model) with 90k miles. Literally every engine part (practically) including all internals match, including compression ratio match the landcruiser which recommends only 87 octane regular gas. So no, won't be using premium, and I'll put money on never having an issue with it. Premium is a waste of money for these vehicles. But I'm not speaking for other brands, it's important to check that.
Car Care Nut would disagree with you that they are the same. He has a Land Cruiser video where he talks about this.
@@MissouriAdventures Yes, I'm aware of that. He's a great mechanic, and in general, I agree with him. It's been over 2 years now since I've been running regular in my LX570, and it runs awesome. The main reasoning in my comment comes down to compression ratio and the very low strung nature of these engines. In most other vehicles I'd likely just follow manufacturers recommendation on that part... But the 5.7 isn't really tuned much different, if at all. Perhaps one day, many years from now, I may find out I'm wrong on that lol - I hope not... But I do doubt it :)
@@rjhein my comment was in regards to the Land Cruiser & Tundra engine being the same CCN disagrees. But yes, I run mine on regular too with zero problems. Many have for hundreds of thousands of miles. We’re not breaking any new ground here. I let a guy last weekend that doesn’t change his oil for 12-15k miles. Said these engines are just different. I’m sure there’s a whole thread on it on Mud I just haven’t looked yet.
@@MissouriAdventures afaik the land cruiser also requires only regular fuel, according to the owners manual... So regarding the Land cruiser and LX engine, what are the meaningful differences that would result in long-term damage from the usage of regular fuel? The last time I checked the compression ratio was the same... These engines are extremely low strung... I'm also not recommending anybody else do what I'm doing... As far as I'm concerned people can go ahead and put orange juice into their tank lol
Started to run 87 early last year in my 05’.
Started popping emissions codes. Thought it was an issue with the gas cap but decided to run 93 on a couple of fill ups.
Haven’t thrown another code since going back to 93.
FYI.... Premium fuel does not burn any cleaner than regular. I'm an engineer for Marathon Petroleum and I can tell you that the fuels, additives... etc are exactly the same. The only difference is the octane added to the fuel. There is ZERO advantage to running premium unless your engine is designed for it.
Agreed. In layman’s terms “cleaner” makes sense for most people. The GX engines tune doesn’t require the higher octane to burn/run efficiently. I just wanted to physically show something to the people buying them that it doesn’t help. Knock sensors would go nuts if you used fuel with too low of an octane and the engine needed else.
Web Gem, does the difference in price between grades really equal the extra cost of adding octane, or is the price difference mostly extra profit?
@@nicholash8021 Great question... The extra costs have more to do with the fuel being made in smaller batches rather than the cost of the octane. If premium were made on the same scale as regular it would only cost a few cents more. Of all the fuel we make only about 10% is premium.
Appreciate you taking the time man, many thanks
This was the best video i have seen on this debate. The presentation was simple and "country" the way i needed, but i am sure your wife approved of your scientific method. Thanks.
You only gain any use of higher octane when engine is under highest load. Full throttle and during hill climb is time when higher octane provides the needed pre ignition protection. The higher octane actually has less heat output for same mass flow but higher volume of fuel and air is possible when higher octane fuel is used.
The WWII P 51’s Roll’s Royce Packard fighter engine required 150 octane fuel at peak power.
I ran premium on my 470 for years because cost saving was maybe 200 bucks annually. Now premium is $18 a tank higher, so I go regular with zero difference.
this is exactly 💯 same 4.7 that's in other yotas! I never ran anything but regular in mine. I meticulously run a bottle of royal purple cleaner through every oil change
I run mid grade all the time. I don't care what people say, running in the mid tier has always been good for my engines (fuel mileage aside). The lower grades are hit and miss especially in weird fuel brands.
And that works as well. I’ve got multiple 200 and 300,000 mile vehicles with running low-grade so I haven’t seen shit to pay the extra. Hard to argue that it’s not a better fuel tho
Premium is not a “cleaner” fuel. I don’t know where you get that information. Some vendors add additional detergents to their premium fuel.
I explain octanes a bit more around the 7 minute mark. It’s common speak to call it a cleaner fuel, albeit incorrect as you pointed out.
My sister used to own a 2002 LX470 she mainly ran on 87 octane never had any issues and pulled very strongly same thing with my GX470 I pumped 87 Costco fuel and ran like a champ. Usually for my performance cars I’ll do with premium I mean the 2UZ is a low rev torque machine that really won’t benefit much from 91.
Got a ‘23 GX 460 Luxury and I use premium fuel only. My area has 93 grade and I use Top tier gas. MPG is better for me but more important is the additives to clean the engine and valves. Top Tier does a better job of cleaning the engine.
A waste of money. You'll realised that a year down the road. Had a 15 gx, 21 gx now
When comparing octanes and vehicle performance, If I don’t get any knocking or pre-detonation, I don’t care what mpg I get! Yes I typed correctly.
I only care what miles per DOLLAR I get. You hinted at it here early in your video.
Of course I check my plugs to SEE what’s going on if I have any question.
Thanks for this very intuitive contribution. It came quite when I needed it most.
I"m never going back to Premium again!!!!
😂🤦🏻♂️ maybe 91 😎
I use mid grade in all my premium vehicles all getting 250k-350k miles and still going
I have a 2008 GX 470. I put premium in it because long term matters. I have 201K on it. Runs like it’s new! I would rather be safe than sorry. For a couple of cents more it pays. Period. ❤️🙌🏼🇺🇸💪🏼👍🏼
My fuel station doesn't offer a mid-grade octane, just 87 and 93. I was filling up my 2007 GX 470 with half and half for the first 30k miles but the filling station was originally selling 93 octane at about 40¢ a gallon more than the 87. They changed the difference to 90¢ a gallon, so I started using 87 octane 100%. I have seen zero change in performance. I don't change filling stations because I buy all of my fuel from a big box warehouse store, which shall remain nameless. Between their significantly lower prices, and 4% cash back I usually pay between 30¢ and 50¢ a gallon less than anywhere else. I do maintain a strict oil change regimen of 5,000 miles on synthetic oil.
I don't see any data or information that premium is any cleaner than 87. The octane rating, or the pressure at which it detonates, is the only thing guaranteed.
my fiancé drives a 2010 mitsubishi outlander GT, it recommends premium, however, we've always ran regular just over 135k miles later and never a single issue!
That's surprising because those are cheap ecnoboxes known for terrible build quality and bad transmissions
My sequoia doesn’t recommend premium and has the same engine. Iv ran premium in all my Lexus vehicle and I still will. It’s just odd they specify a difference between the same motor between the Toyota and Lexus. I figured it was just that the Lexus was tuned for 91
Just bought a 06 GX470 with 221k miles. Put 89 Oct in it for the first time and a couple days later, check engine light. I can tell the last owner changed out the gas cap. Maybe that's the issue or do I really need to run premium? From the comments, sounds like I don't maybe it's a coincidence
Run the codes first and let me know what ya get
I did the same test after thinking 91 would get better mileage. Both tanks running through Nevada at high speed. I got slightly better mpg, about 1 mpg, but passing at 80mph was noticeably slower. Different brands of gas though so who really knows. Maybe do the test with summer blend as well, could be a bigger difference?
Might. I’ll see which ones I have come summer blend on the lot and try it again maybe
If your Gx has VVTI then premium is optimal for your engine due to the vvti adjust the cams accordingly but the 1uz without vvti runs regular fuel 2003-2004
I don't think you'll find harm either way. Here is a pretty good take on the issue forum.ih8mud.com/threads/gx470-octane-just-some-research-is-all-talk-among-yourselves.996468/
I have a gx470, so it should be regular?
That’s just my experience with them, no valve chatter and no issues with any I’ve had running regular. Everyone I personally know with one runs regular as well.
I run my GX about 100 miles a day and have tried both 89 and 93 with the 10% ethanol mix. The mid grade works fine in mine with a 17.4 mpg average on standard size AT tires. I do put in a half tank of 93 every couple of weeks to be sure my octane is over 90.
Did you see the comment above? About mid always being over 90? Interesting.
@@SkyBehind I saw it, and that's good to know!
Is that 17.4 mixed driving? Would it be about the same on pure highway roadtrip driving?
Also, everyone should run Top Tier Gasoline whether you use either regular or premium.
What’s the name of your dealership and do you have a gx470 for sale
I’ll have more coming but all of my current ones are under contract
JLM Auto Sales
Bro how much mph can u make with a full fuel tank
Is it recommended or required? Look like newer Lexus line stated required premium. If it’s recommended I would use regular. Unless you want to race in hot humid conditions, then you might will see little difference. I’m personally can’t see
Recommended
Thanks for the info 👍!
Premium was not even $0.05 more than regular when moved to Houston in 2013. We should just stop having premium subsidize the ethanol crap and whatever else.
Hey , i need help , i have gx470 and my rear air suspension not going up much , compressor working, when i hit height control button compressor start light blinking compressor run and stop and light stop high , but car still low just light bit above from wheel almost 2” , when i start driving go again low all the way and during drive hit wheel that’s scary
Sounds like your bags are busted. Time for a replacement or coil conversion. Hard to say that 100% from here but the symptoms sound the same
Very common on this model. Mine did it a few months ago. Conversion kit to springs is what is recommended.
@@crutchfieldautomotive7936 yes sir right airbag sound hissing air , means air leak , I don’t wanna conversion because i wanna sale and noboday gonna buy conversion
All of mine are converted and I can’t keep them in stock. But you can replace the airbags too
@@crutchfieldautomotive7936 it’s started today not even going up , one side all the way down , so today i start inspection and heard hissing sound , compressor working when i move height switch but after lit bit time stop and and car still down just lit bit up and height control switch stop working not going up and down , no engine code , 145k mileage, 2004 , i just changed shocks
I’m really enjoying my GX 470. I have a 2006 with 179k. Do you know how much a new dash is for one of these? Mine has the original dash and it appears the previous owner tried to stop the crack from progressing by cutting a square in the dash on the passengers side. They also clearly used some heavy duty armor all type of stuff on the dash and now it’s so damn shiny that I get a terrible reflection off of it on sunny days. It would be cool to get a replacement. Thanks
Coverlay lays on top and glues down it’s about 375
A new dash from Lexus of Mobile is $650 for parts
@@crutchfieldautomotive7936 thanks for the info 👍🏼
Replaced under warranty on 470
@@jasonsidmore even now? I have had the truck for a few years, it’s a 2006.
@@jasonsidmoreWhen?
Premium at 3.09 a year ago now it’s 4.25 here in fl 😭😭😭
Thx for the info bro👊🏽
I tried running premium in my 04 GX and didn't see improvement over mid in mpg or power. I did notice it was rougher running and got worse mileage running low grade so that was the only tank of low I ran through it. Mid grade every tank and only top tier fuel
I’ve never had any of those that I’ve owned to show any difference between grades, but mid grade is typically just is high octane as the supreme according to one of the commenters who checks fuel for a living 😬
@@crutchfieldautomotive7936 Yeah I can definitely tell a difference in the low grade but not mid and high. I've had several vehicles that didn't like low grade as well, some of my older civics got 3-5 more mpg on mid and ran much smoother vs low. Why I've always run mid unless it called for premium
Is this the same for the 08 gx 470? Ive read some threads saying before 05 regular and after premium… but I’m guessing regular is fine..
Haven’t had any issue on any of ours no matter the year
@@crutchfieldautomotive7936 have you tested on a 08,07 or 09?
I have a 2004 Lexus Gx 470 do service Timing Belt
Are you asking for a video on it or are you wanting us to price that job out?
I have over 300,000 miles on my Lexus gx470 2006. Have always used premium gas.
This is interesting though
One of my battalion chiefs has a 2007 his wife drives 4 450,000 miles on it now. Pretty sure they use regular gas but I’ll have to check. The compression rate is actually exactly the same and the tune Lexus puts on this engine call only get 3 hp more than the V8 4Runner
Hopefully you can make out what I was trying to say there I’m talking to my phone trying to multitask
I get about 200miles to the tank so it’s definitely a gas guzzler
@@Pancho8091 oh wow I get 300 upwards
Same on ours, 300+
Lol 3.09 for premium. I miss those days.
Same
Thanks for the info
No problem, we are in Tuscaloosa AL
It’s just a 4.7 . Run 87 all day
I get about 12 miles to the gallon with premium.
😳
That’s about what I’m getting. 2006 gx470 300k miles
Bought mine with 20k miles and have 210k all regular gas!
Which gas do you like Exxon, Chevron, or Shell.
I find myself using Chevron the most, but I really don’t have a major preference there
Have a Highlander and seems like i get better performance and fuel mileage with Chevron first and Exxon second.
Be worth looking at and testing. No telling
Valve chatter? Where did this guy hear that term? There's no such thing. When a higher compression ratio engine needs premium fuel (higer octane rating), and you burn regular fuel in it, the engine can produce pre-ignition detonation, or "pinging ." THAT'S the sound you're hearing. Modern vehicle's have ECM's that will prevent that by retarding the ignition timing.
It’s truly a term used with gas line pressure relief valves, but it gets used interchangeably with pinging, knocking or spark knock, at least in my experience it’s been called all of the above
Retarding the ignition timing does not stop premature ignition, it would need to change the pressures to stop premature ignition. But when the engines are the same…
Yeah, I run 87 with no issue, but that might be part of the problem we have with the 09 Murano we have.
Hear a chatter?
@@crutchfieldautomotive7936 not on my Gx and I get 19ish mpg on the interstate 🙌. Lol I do every once in a while with that Murano though.
Just found your channel and it has a lot of good info! Maybe you've already said it, but where are you located?
Near Tuscaloosa AL
Ah. I was hoping closer to middle TN! I'm in the market for one of these. Could we have a private chat to discuss some details and maybe I can go pick one up from you one of these days :)
Sure 205-657-1590 I just delivered one up there recently
Hi.Sir. I added 87gas at first time. After i get the car. Is that a big problem? Thank you
My car is 2022 gx460
I haven’t dove into the 22 GX engines that far yet
How did it end up? I'm guessing it should have worked out fine as I also put regular to mid.
It's a heavy vehicle mileage will be the same
It’s a huge argument on a lot of forums so I wanted to test it out and document. I don’t think I got as much in city driving with the premium which would account for the tiny difference
Hi, Bro, try the fuel without ethanol, we all know you get much lower mpg with ethanol
That’s a good one I need to try that one
Looking at one tomorrow
Nice
Lexus Is asking for premium gas, and Toyota 4 Runner w/ same engine set up asking 87 grade fuel.
They say it’s for the “tune” but it doesn’t require it IMO
I think the guy I purchased my Gx from burn 87 for the last 5 years. 😬. I have a LS 400 and Ed 330 only use premium fuel. I just want to be safe. The GX 470 the premium gas is going to kill me. Ha ha
Run mid grade if you’re worried on it, like one guy here who was a fuel tech said most of the time mid grade tested to be 93 octane anyway
I run premium because there isn't any ethanol added to it. Ethanal, as I understand it, robs some power and efficiency. It also attracts water. I'd wonder if there is a significant difference between fuel with ethanol and fuel with out.
All grades locally to us use ethanol 🤷🏻♂️
Premium doesn’t equate to ethanol free gas…
What about the 460?
I would have to get into the 460
Engines more before making that callb
I don't believe that higher octane is necessarily cleaner. Talk like that will cause people to waste money.
Does this apply with the gx 460 as well?
I have not dove deep enough into those engines to know for sure
I imagine as the tundra used the same engine
I never use premium on my 08 gx470. This is not a high revving high HP engine ao regular should be fine. My '15 GS350 F sport and other high HP cars on the other hand premium is a must
No doubt, my hopped up CTSV and corvettes and such I’ve always ran premium on, but this tune doesn’t require it
2003-2004 Regular runs fine, 2005-2009(VVTI) premium gas gives you better MPG. :)
We couldn’t get the VVTI to get any better fuel mileage so far. Some may, but we couldn’t so far.
2;:60 to 3:10 Premium at Costco Ca.
That’s really not as bad as I thought
i only want to buy my next car at his dealership lol
Let me know if I can help find you something one day 👍🏼
Read your owner manual. I always use Shell, it is a Top Tier gasoline. Top Tier gasoline has a different additive package than a Non-Top Tier gasoline. Buy gas for the cheapest price is not good for your engine, the price is less for a reason. I have always had high performance cars and never get any valve knock with Shell Premium gas. If you do not like Shell, find other Top Tier brands and use them. Buy a car that is supposed to run on 87, problem solved.
I also run top end cars that need 91-93. They get it. This Lexus engine runs fine on 87 with no knock or need for the higher octane. I’ve had corvettes and mustangs and CTSV’s etc that all needed 93. They all got it. This one doesn’t
Just run regular and you will be 100% fine.
I should elaborate. We have two of these. One with 103,000. One with 340,000 neither has been in a shop and neither has ever had anything but regular run in them. These aren't as "sexy" as some suv's. I get that but for plain old drive everyday, abuse the maintenance schedule and still never have a problem they can't be beat. We call ours the new third gen 4runner.
- From my personal experience I believe that it can affect the emission parts of the vehicle in the long run.
- I've owned a 98 es300 from 2016-2018, totalled it by hitting a deer) that recommended premium fuel. The previous owner used cheap 87 for the entire time he owned it (since 2001) and the knock sensors and evap canister needed replacing.
- being mechanically inclined and understanding of different octane, I can tell you that the lower octane caused emissions systems to fail during my ownership (I always used 93 octane).
Right and if you’re getting valve chatter you 100% need the higher octane. We’ve got a local GX running 87 with near 600k and no emissions issues. Some of these like the ES are definitely going to need it, some like the GX IMO don’t require
Love your videos but your audio is so low its hard to hear what your saying.
Working on it 😬
I’d give my left….kidney for $3.09 a gallon of even regular today 😔
No doubt
How long before you need to replace your cat because of 87?
The UZ engine is the same engine as the 4.7 in the 4Runner. They both make 10:1 compression. The only difference Lexus can tell you if you call them is the tune gives you 3 more HP and about 15 or so ft/lb of torque. The engine is designed to recognize the fuel and not end up knocking. The tune is not significant enough to cause long term damage to any component in my opinion
@@crutchfieldautomotive7936 Is that the same situation with the 5.7 engine in the tundra vs the lx570? Same engine, different tune?
Should be but I’ll have to dive into that one a little more
@@crutchfieldautomotive7936 No worries. I just figured it’s typical toyota: regular fuel for the mass vehicle, premium for the luxury vehicle. But it’s the same exact engine.
every fifth tank or so I run half 87 and half diesel to clean the valves
You mix diesel in? Haven’t heard of that one
Well thats just some bullshit
Patrick - Truer words never spoken... Cracks me up what BS some people believe.
I am actually in pure shock after reading this. Are you ok? Is the car ok? Any injuries?
93 is NOT a cleaner fuel than 87.
Is that what you got from that entire video? did I say cleaner one time? I explained what octane means at the end
Pinky wave 😂
Gotta do it, like you’re drinking that Starbucks high $ coffee 😂
No
?
Ok so you drove 100 miles with a different octane. Wow what a rigorous testing procedure. What pearl of wisdom was I supposed to glean from your anecdotal evidence regarding your ownership of an Acura again?
Would you be happier with 200 miles? The Acura was to let you know valve chatter is a bad thing if you didn’t know (as some people wouldn’t) and with that vehicle you actually had to run the higher octane because of the compression ratio. Cool flex bro?
Don't get worked up when you make a video where you contradict yourself, run a test but make no conclusions you want to stand behind, and then get called out. This video is really just your opinion, and my opinion is that it's not a good video.
The conclusion was 100% that 93 octane is unnecessary in the GX and I explained why. However, if you get valve chatter in yours (because as you said, this is limited) then up the octane for your specific vehicle. Not sure how your drew the conclusion that I won’t stand behind anything? I explained why the Acura was relevant and you decided you had to stick around and be negative after your point became null and void. Ain’t nobody got time for that 😂
It’s a naturally aspirated v8 pulling a heavy suv 😂😂.
Oh I don’t expect it to get great fuel mileage at all. This is just heavily debated on the forums so I put it to the test 👍🏼
The engineers recommend premium for a reason - use it.
It literally has the same compression ratio of 10 to 1. Again I’m not advocating for either one. The tune it has only gives you 3 hp gained and is the same engine otherwise internally. All I can give is anecdotal evidence based on use
You are assuming it is the engineers who recommended it. I am convinced it is the marketing department that recommends it. It makes the vehicle seem more premium. Been using regular for years in my lx470. No problems at all.
@@WiliamShattner don’t disagree with that at all
@@WiliamShattner I agree 100% precent