# Is Leaded Gasoline Still Available? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 10, 2005, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-leaded-gasoline-still-available/289335 "2005-02-10T03:30:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2005, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-leaded-gasoline-still-available/289335/21 "2005-02-10T16:04:04Z")
> [@malden](#): > > I don’t know if it’s still being sold today, but I did encounter leaded gas as recently as 1995 on the Navajo Reservation in Arizona. Honest-to-goodness leaded gasoline was still available at many gas stations in Las Cruces, New Mexico in 1993. When I moved there in 1989, I thought the availabilty of leaded gas was very unusual; leaded gas stopped being sold in New York in the early 1980s IIRC. To this day, I hear a lot of old people refer to premium gasoline as “ethel” or “high test.” ---
**Author:** ![cornflakes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@cornflakes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cornflakes)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2005, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-leaded-gasoline-still-available/289335/22 "2005-02-10T16:27:02Z")
In 1987, I was told in my mechanics training that the leaded gas sold had virtually no tetraethyl lead. Leaded gas was completely phased out at the end of that year. If any pump gas in the U.S. has lead in it then it was added in violation of EPA regulations. More likely, the owner just never bothered with replacing the sticker on the pump. Lead was added to gasoline for two reasons, to [reduce detonation](http://www.progl.com/General/detonation.htm) (i.e. to increase octane) and to protect the engines’ exhaust valves. As the exhaust valves of an engine open and close, they’re alternately heated by the exhaust gases that blow past and then pressed against the iron of the heads. The valves in older engines were made of untreated steel and the heads were iron alloy. Without tetraethyl lead, the valves would weld themselves to the head much in the same way that a blacksmith welds steel by heating it in a furnace then hammering it together. Over time this destroys the valves and seating areas. Lead was added to gas to perform a chemical vapor deposition. The lead is vaporized during combustion, is deposited on the valves, and the softer lead creates a barrier layer that keeps the valves and head from bonding together. Lead in pump gas was phased out for two reasons. First, lead was released into the general environment. Second, besides coating the exhaust valves the lead also coated the pellets in catalytic convertors and (in later models of cars) it coated oxygen sensors, so not only was lead sent out the tailpipe, the emissions controls in a car were destroyed. Other additives have replaced lead as octane enhancers (I think that MTBE has been banned as well.) The exhaust valves and seats are now made out of harder materials. ---
**Author:** ![cornflakes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@cornflakes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cornflakes)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2005, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-leaded-gasoline-still-available/289335/23 "2005-02-10T16:45:25Z")
[Link](http://www.uwsp.edu/geo/courses/geog100/Lead-Science.htm) > [@](#): > > -In 1973, EPA initiated incremental reduction of TEL in gas. > In 1982, leaded gasoline contained 1.25 gram/gal (& accounted for 86% of the lead in the atmosphere). > > -By 1986, down to 0.1 gram/gal. But by then, lead used in U.S. gasoline since 1920s totaled 7 million metric tons (15.4 billion pounds)! > > -Since 31 December 1995 it has been illegal to sell for use in on-road vehicles any gasoline which contains lead or lead additives. (But in 1999 leaded gasoline still is produced in the U.S. and is being used in nonroad vehicles-- primarily as aviation fuel, but also in farm machinery and race cars.) Admittedly, this is a biased source, but I don’t think that they would fudge facts that were this easily refuted. ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2005, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-leaded-gasoline-still-available/289335/24 "2005-02-10T17:07:17Z")
I guess I was wrong about the nozzels. But like I said, it’s been years and years and years since I’ve seen a pump for leaded gas. (I think it was phased out in the early 80’s around here.) On a technical note, does anyone know how leaded gas ruins a catalytic converter? Does the lead react with the catalyst and spoil it, or is it more a matter of lead deposits gunking up the works? To use engineering jargon, does lead poison the catalyst or foul it? ---
**Author:** ![cornflakes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@cornflakes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cornflakes)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2005, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-leaded-gasoline-still-available/289335/25 "2005-02-10T17:15:07Z")
It coats the catalyst. ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2005, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-leaded-gasoline-still-available/289335/26 "2005-02-10T17:25:45Z")
The low down on leaded gas from the EPA [http://www.epa.gov/history/topics/lead/02.htm](http://www.epa.gov/history/topics/lead/02.htm) ---
**Author:** ![John\_Kentzel-Griffin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ccd318/32.png) [@John\_Kentzel-Griffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Kentzel-Griffin)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2005, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-leaded-gasoline-still-available/289335/27 "2005-02-10T23:29:04Z")
**teleute12** , BANNED members are not allowed to post. We do not allow members to post for them by proxy, either. Do NOT do this again. **DrMatrix** - GQ Moderator [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-leaded-gasoline-still-available/289335.md?page=1)