Police cars will switch
to lower-grade gas

The Honolulu Police Department is switching from premium to a lower-grade gasoline starting Oct. 1 to save money on fuel.

The department pumps 92-octane gasoline into all of its vehicles, including those owned by police officers and subsidized by the city. It will switch to 89 octane next month.

"The timing is just great for it. It's something that we have been looking at for quite a while," said Capt. Frank Fujii, HPD spokesman.

HPD uses about 125,000 gallons of gasoline a month, he said, and the switch is expected to save $101,000 during the remaining 10 months of the fiscal year. The department spent $2.89 million for gasoline last year, Fujii said. Its allocation for the current fiscal year is $2.8 million, he said.

The department is working with the State of Hawaii Organization of Police Officers to identify vehicles that might not be able to switch to the lower-grade gasoline.

"If it's a cost savings for the city, we support it," said Alex Garcia, SHOPO Oahu Chapter chairman.

The switch could wind up costing the city more money than it saves if it pumps a lower-grade gasoline into vehicles designed to use premium, said George Nitta, owner of Nitta's Auto Repair. "You're going to destroy the engine," he said.

But most of the cars in HPD's fleet are designed to use 87-octane gasoline, said Darryl Higa, HPD Vehicle Maintenance superintendent. The department is reviewing vehicle manuals to determine whether manufacturers recommend or require certain models to use premium. He said Chevrolet recommends 92 octane for the department's Camaro interceptors but says it is OK to use 89.

"Personally, I feel we shouldn't have a problem running the 89. Then again, this is why it's going to be on a trial basis," Higa said.

Nitta said running 89 octane in a vehicle designed to use 92 should not be a problem if the gasoline is indeed 89 octane. He has long maintained that gasoline in Hawaii is of a lower octane than is listed on the pumps. The state Department of Agriculture, responsible for monitoring the quality of gasoline in Hawaii, has disputed Nitta's claim.

Fujii said the HPD tried a lower grade of gasoline 10 years ago but encountered problems. Vehicle engines knocked, causing more wear and tear, diminishing performance and economy, and producing more emissions. Knocks occur when the fuel-air mixture in the cylinders ignites prematurely.

That should not be a problem today, because newer cars use fuel injection rather than carburetors and have knock sensors that can change when the spark plug fires, to adjust to the lower-grade fuel, Higa said.

HPD counts about 1,800 vehicles in its fleet, including subsidized vehicles, three-wheeled utility vehicles, motorcycles, support vehicles and 300 blue-and-white patrol cars.