Im in the proccess of buying a used 04 TL. When I test drove it, I liked it so much. To get a feel for the power, I went WOT to feel how fast it runs. When I did the CEL started blinking. When I took it back to the guy whos selling it, he told me that its because he put 87 octane and that makes it detonate. He told me I shouldnt have floored it but I had to feel how it ran. Does this sound legit or is he full of it?? Thanks

 

This sounds like a legit explanation, but it could just as easily be BS. If you are buying it from an individual, have the car taken to a reputable shop or dealer and have a pre-purchase inspection done. In particular you need to have the OBD codes read from the computer and you should get what their meanings are. Only then will you know what really happened.

BTW, TL's are supposed to run on 91 octane premium. If they individual you are buying the car from skimps on fuel, he probably has skimped on other stuff too (like maintenance).