KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) -- Mid-grade and premium gas runs about a dime to a quarter more than regular, if you can find it, but why does East Tennessee still have a premium on supplies of higher grade gasoline.

You can blame the tailwinds of hurricanes Gustav and Ike, which makes driving tougher, given how many more of our luxury cars or SUVs recommend premium fuel.

But ‘recommend’ is the key word.

“I need because I'm actually on empty.”

Lenoir City's Adam Smith's cruised himself out trying to find a pump that still has premium.

Smith says, “I gotta get some gas cause I gotta make it home.”

No luck at this West Knox County Weigel’s.

Don Lindsey with AAA says, “The refineries shut down in Texas because of the hurricane, the first thing they shut off was premium.”

Premium is the least-sold grade of gasoline, and Lindsey says that will make it the last to get back to full supply.

Lindsey saus. “And it's probably gonna be that way well into next week.”

Jason Carson with Lexus of Knoxville says, “Everybody wants to know the same thing, ‘Can my car run on regular fuel?’ The answer is yes.”

But Carson suggests a little help from a friend. “Like the little bottle I have in my hand. Octane booster.”

One per tank, for two or three bucks is slightly less than the price difference between a regular and premium fill-up.

Smith runs his Subaru WRX Turbo on premium and says, “I don't want to risk it. I don't know. I just put a lot of money in this car, transmission broke, I can't afford to put any more into it.”

Lindsey with AAA says, “The thing that would worry me is there possibility of damage to the valves or other engine parts.”

Carson says, “They are gonna lose some miles per gallon, they may notice some hesitation, that kind of stuff.”

You may need more fuel servicing, service manager Jason Carson says, because regular gas doesn't burn as cleanly. That’s why, given that most every car on Lexus of Knoxville's lot is recommended to run on premium gas, he tells customers that regular with octane booster “is designed basically to be a Band-Aid.”

Shirley Delozier babies her limited Edition 'Vette, but says, “It gets 32 miles per gallon, we take long trips in her. Every since we've bought it, we've regular.”

Delozier says she’s not had any problems, “So why put premium? As long as they’ve got regular, I’m good to go.”
AAA's Don Lindsey says the premium and mid-grade pumps haven't run dry, you'll simply need to look harder, which means you should start looking for premium when your fuel gauge drops to half full.