Gasoline Problems

[smokinwrench]

I have a 92 Lexus sc400 that I drive as a work car. It requires 91 octane, runs great all winter then in the heat of the summer it starts acting up, spitting, sputtering, cutting out, dying at stoplights. When it does that I have to put heat in and octane booster for a couple tanks and it will clear up and run good again.

I suspect where I fill up might be putting 87 octane in the 91 tanks. Because it runs the same as when I fill it with 87. Seems like anytime my car even gets a whiff of ethenal and it starts running like crap. Car never had any problems until the government invested in ethenal plants and required everyone to run at least 10%.

Anyone else having this trouble?

[oldskool83]

i have not heard of this in cars but in streetbikes yes its been a royal pain with carbed motorcyles.

i would try and put 91 in from a dif station, if it cleans up some maybe you can have that gas station investigated. it wouldnt suprize me for somthing to sell somthing its really not these days.

[3wheelmecca]

Every Shovelhead I built got 91 or higher, and it would have similar problems. I ended up running Sinclair stuff. They had a hot fuel tank :)

[Mr_RPM]

http://www.sunocoinc.com/site/Consumer/RaceFuels/260GT100Locations/
street legal high octane gas, that shouldn't have ethanol either.
i have it right in my area, look into it. maybe running 50/50 with 91 would work good for you

[smokinwrench]

I have filled from a few different stations, always about the same result this mornings fill up was horrible, it will take a couple bottles of heat to get this mess cleaned up. We don't have sunoco around here. Just blows my mind that the government can subsidize (sp?) the entire ethenal industry then force everyone to run at least 10% of the crap. What a business plan invest in it then force everyone to buy it, wish I could do that.

[brapp]

what do you think heat is iyts methanol iceline antifreaze????????? prolly just moisture in the gas and the heat/ methanol absorbes a percentage of it to make it burnable/.

[smokinwrench]

Yes and this new gas has to much water in it with all the ethenal crap.

[brapp]

i think its allowed up to 16% water in pa

[brapp]

go figure they used water to control detonation from the teens all the way up until the 50's

[dcreel]

My 1992 Acura Integra GSR was specified to run 91 octane, you could run 87 0r 89 octane. But the ecu would retard the timing via the knock sensor.

[smokinwrench]

Mine ran good on 87 until last year until all gas started getting 10% ethenal mix, ever since then I have fought this problem off and on, thought it was fixed for good by running 91 until a few weeks ago when it started missing again. I drive 92 miles per day to and from work so I hate to spend $10 per week in heat and octane booster. This Lexus is a great car to drive and I would like to run it up to 3-4 hundred thousand miles but if this keeps up I will be buying some crap box new cheap car and never be able to pass again.

[oldskool83]

have you tried higher like 93...just to for shitz and giggles at all? also do you know how the plugs are? maybe you could just take it to a lexis dealer and ask them if they have seen anything like it. maybe there is somthing they could recoment and or do to help you out. im sure you cant be theonly one experiancing this.

[JayBone]

Change your fuel filter in the car. If it's never been changed I'd start there.

[puggerton03]

Do they have any kwik fills around you? They dont have any Ethanol in their gas and it's American oil/gas. If the gas station has Ethanol in the fuel it has to be marked on the pumps, look for a place that doesnt use Ethanol. When was the last time the car had a tune-up? Oxygen sensors ever been replaced? If this car has a Mass Airflow Sensor when was the last time it was cleaned? Also sounds like crappy gas, I'd start filling up somewhere different.

[topless]

I live in Kansas too. I love boosted cars and have for many years and about 5 years ago we lost all of our 93 octane pump gas. At the time I had an Eclipse GSX that was not stock. I spent a while with my data logger trying 91 octane from different stations to see if there was a difference. Since then I know other guys have done the same thing to confirm my findings. I now have a OBD2 scan tool that will do live readings on any '96 or newer car (they must have knock sensors to get this reading) and recently checked 91 again in my turbo wagon. I found the 91 at Quik Shops and Dillons stores caused the least amount of detonation. Quick Trip gas is the worst, it has a lot of detergents, but detergents are solvents and not gasoline and don't help with detonation.
However, it sounds to me that your car may have a problem with vapor lock. I had a VW that would just die on hot days and after getting stranded a few times I traded it off, then found out later they had a recall on the fuel injection for vapor locking.

[smokinwrench]

Less then 10k on plugs, wires, rotors, caps, filters and what ever else I put in it last summer.

Since January 1st last year the government said they don't have to state if it contains 10% ethenal anymore.

91 octane is they highest they sell in this area.

I might try out Dillon/quickshop, but I hate both of them, I don't like savings cards and other BS like that just make the price cheaper and it is 10 miles out of my work route to go to one.

Its not vapor locking diagnosed all that crap last summer.

[smokinwrench]

4 gas stations later finally got everything cleared out and running good. Actually getting better gas mileage then I have ever gotten. Its a Conoco station and the one I normally fill up at is also Conoco.

I have a hard time buying the fact that all gas is different, I have done lots of work at fuel depots. I have seen Texaco, Conoco, Phillips 66, trucks in line behind each other pulling fuel out of the same bulk tank. Maybe they all have there own little additives that go in when truck is loading. I think it all comes down to how clean the tanks are at the gas station. Old stations probably more likely the tank has tons of sediment and water at the bottom, fuel up right after the tanker leaves and all that is stirred into the gas.

[2Tim215]

Okay, first thing is Ethanol is an alcohol, Heet has alcolhol as most other, "Gas Treatment" products. Alcohol attracts water, not good! Also many states are mandating 10% Ethanol and now all NY fuel stations have it, even if they don't post it on the their pumps. It is true to my knowledge that Kwik Fill and Valero stations are using american petroleum products for their fuel but even they have all added the 10% ethanol. I am trying to find a solution as the 10% alcohol content does a lot of damage. It isn't good for aluminum, some plastics, rubber, etc. In Florida I believe their is currently a Class action law suit for the multi damaged marine motors, fiberglass tanks, etc. We are having problems with our vehicles now and some of my three wheelers are starting hard and won't stay running. I am very concerned as I recently bought several projects and no where to get regular unleaded. An important fact to my understanding, (and a sample can be viewed at Lanes Yamaha in Watkins Glen, NY), is that the ethanol is compressed into the fuel. This compressed fuel only has a 90 day shelf life then separates. So far my Van with a 4.3 6 cyl with only 36,000 miles on it has been stalling at nearly every stop, bogs at times when climbing hills, our 300 6 cyl inline Ford motor has about quit, and my 2007 Yamaha Grizzly with about 3 tanks of fuel through it since new has now changed the color of the stainless steel muffler probably because of running hotter with the ethanol. I am still under warranty for a few more days but quite concerned. I have been told to run 93 octane, keep my tank full so there is no room for the condensation, but with the 90 day shelf life that isn't possible unless driving everyday all vehicles, ATV's, etc. ANYONE have any solutions? I would love to hear some input. I am also wondering about the two stroke motors vs the fours. Which will handle this new forced fuel the best if not driven frequently?