Newbie questions

[Gen]

I was literally told by a salesman that the LC didn't require premium fuel (as compared to the Lexus GX which does) as a selling point between the two. I was never even able to LOOK at a non-1958 LC prior to my purchase bc they were always presold before they came in. Even if I had, I doubt that I would have looked inside the gas door that says Premium Fuel Only. Can someone with mechanical experience tell me if this is really going to make a difference in the performance or long term health of my vehicle? The premium in our area is only 2% more octane (87 vs 89) for a 30-35% markup. Is this normal? If so, it seems like a small difference to me for a big price, so I hope someone can tell me why it is beneficial. I put a LOT of miles on so the difference in cost is noticeable.

I have downsized from a full size suburban (driven suburbans since 2009) so it is a huge change. Anyone found any nice storage options that help?

Another thing I was told by the salesman is to leave it in "Normal" mode and it would automatically swap to Eco when it could. Is this correct information or should I keep it in Eco mode for most of my highway driving?

And, lastly, has anyone obtained the 25 mpg highway that it totes on the sticker? My fill up today managed a 22 mpg with mostly highway miles. That is a substantial improvement over the 18.2 and 17.2 of the two previous fill ups.

Thanks for any info you can share! My sons have been part of the LC family for years - and I am excited about the possibilities.

Gen

 

[Nuke]

The alleged requirement for premium fuel is a hotly debated subject across the forums. I can only testify there was a post, presumably removed, from a Toyota insider with access to engineering. He related that premium fuel is specified for the LC to achieve a MPG goal, and the engine is precisely the same, and tuned the same, as in the Tacoma and new 4Runner, which do not suggest the use of premium fuel.

 

[dust_trail]

Afaict- premium fuel required. Octane 91 or higher.

Normal mode vs eco mode- Im not sure but I just drive in normal mode. It sounds to me your salesperson was overselling.

I enjoy the drive and the offroading abilities when needed.

 

[dust_trail]

The alleged requirement for premium fuel is a hotly debated subject across the forums. I can only testify there was a post, presumably removed, from a Toyota insider with access to engineering. He alleged that premium fuel is specified for the LC to achieve a MPG goal, and the engine is precisely the same, and tuned the same, as in the Tacoma and new 4Runner, which do not suggest the use of premium fuel.

Interesting. Has anyone tried regular fuel? For the relatively not so $$ difference ( i.e comparing to what I paid for the car, and what people are spending on upgrades and paint protection etc. ) Im not sure I want to risk it.

 

[Gen]

Afaict- premium fuel required. Octane 91 or higher.

Normal mode vs eco mode- Im not sure but I just drive in normal mode. It sounds to me your salesperson was overselling.

I enjoy the drive and the offroading abilities when needed.

We only have the 87 vs 89 option at our station.......... no 91 unless I could find a station with no ethanol which MIGHT have that octane. I am not familiar with it so I couldn't say that it would be that high either.

 

[Gen]

The alleged requirement for premium fuel is a hotly debated subject across the forums. I can only testify there was a post, presumably removed, from a Toyota insider with access to engineering. He related that premium fuel is specified for the LC to achieve a MPG goal, and the engine is precisely the same, and tuned the same, as in the Tacoma and new 4Runner, which do not suggest the use of premium fuel.

It is interesting that the 4Runner doesn't require that as they are the same frame and engine (we looked at and considered both but I needed the rear air capability). I didn't look inside the gas cover of the 4Runner either - just didn't see anything on line on either one to suggest that premium was needed. OR what exactly qualifies as premium. If it is 91, then I am in trouble because it is not available here.

 

[EOD Guy]

I've been using 87 since new (at 9K on the ticker now) and contrary to the many on the forum have implied that the engine would blow up or be severely damaged, It hasn't and is running like a top.

 

[cvx5832LC]

34k now, a majority of it spent on regular. Nothing detrimental so far. In fact I think the girl likes slummin' it

 

[RobLS]

It’s “needed” if the motor is tuned for it.
Now a motor is set up to have wiggle room. But think of it as running regular you just increase your chances of knock. I think the 4runner and Land Cruiser may just have a different tune. I was looking at a tuning company and it looks like the vehicles have the hardware to monitor fuel live and adjust parameters based off the fuel quality. A tune with this should open it back up to allow the motor to be more flexible running varrying grades while also being safe like the stock tune. The tune would also allow other things such as adjusting throttle behaviors to different modes, like a quicker response in sport for example.

 

[D-mac]

I think we should add “should I wait until 10K miles to change my oil??!” to this thread to hit the trifecta of awesome LC250 thread topics.

 

[EOD Guy]

Most modern engines used in passenger cars/trucks/SUVs have knock sensors and O2 sensors from the factory, which the ECU uses, along with the fuel table/map to control the fuel system. I highly doubt Toyota tuned the LCs engine to a point that would damage it if 93 isn't used. There would be no way to predict the quality of fuel in each gas station and the reason the knock sensors were installed in first place. I do agree 93 will produce more power in any given engine.

A quicker throttle can be obtained using a "Throttle Commander" many, if not all, drive by wire throttle pedals are simply potentiometers telling the ECU what to do. Manufacturers purposely put "slow" (not the correct term) potentiometers, which improves MPG by keeping you from mashing the pedal to the floor each time you start moving........... The Pedal Commander (Which I have in my TACO) simply takes the input signal from the pedal and amplifies/multiplies the output signal to the ECU. It does not affect the fuel table in any way.

 

[JordanJ]

Fill it with 87. Or 91. Won’t hurt anything. Eco if ya want. Normal if ya want. Sport if you want to feel it. It’s all ok man.

 

[MSINAL]

My presumption is your salesperson (likely not a toyota powertrain engineer) didnt put any of his advice in writing. Your warranty and owner's manual are in writing, consider sticking to those if you want to play it safe.
A knock sensor detects the misfire when it happens, not before. Your timing is then retarded to prevent recurrence (for certain time period) resulting in minor loss of performance -and the misfire is logged.
Do your own academic research to understand the benefit of higher octane in forced induction engines and the complex motor/generator/ ICE engine management required for this system to work seemlessly and efficiently.
Btw I carry octane booster ($$$) in my tuned (for 93octane) vehicle for when only regular is available. The tuner told me to do this on day 1, but this is apple/oranges comparison.
Im by far no expert on the latest hybrid engine tuning, hope you find someone that is.