Premium Gas

[mortis]

My 2003 Audi TT 1.8 liter and the 2007 VW Passat 2.0t was fed premium. My FAST said to feed the 2010 VW GTI nothing but the best.

 

[daihard]

Skip the latte at Starbucks, buy the premium.

I do. I stated a couple of times above that I only feed my GTI with premium gas.

Knock sensors sense knock after it happens, they're not precognitive as far as I know. Unburned fuel gunks stuff, you lose performance and economy over time. Who among us knows just how the car is mapped, just how frequent or to what level the knocking occurs before the ecu backs off, just how much unburnt crap will wind up in the valve train, fouling the catalyst, what have you? Sure, it might be perfectly all right, but isnt the extra $.20 a gallon reasonable insurance against the potential problems? Do want you want, but to me this is extremely penny wise and pound foolish.

Isn't it safe to assume that VW engineers know what they are talking about when they imply that regular gas is acceptable as long as you don't need to get the maximum performance out of the GTI? If they could not guarantee the car works reasonably well with regular gas, I would imagine they'd say "premium required" to avoid trouble.

 

[ame519]

damn...way to make me feel bad....hahaha....

 

[Diego Armando]

Once more... with feeling.

 

[c0wsp0ts]

if you're spending 25-30k for a car
you can afford a couple dollars extra per tank !!!!
brown bag ur lunch once a week, drink 1 less beer at the bar, etc

 

[Tailwagger]

Isn't it safe to assume that VW engineers know what they are talking about when they imply that regular gas is acceptable as long as you don't need to get the maximum performance out of the GTI? If they could not guarantee the car works reasonably well with regular gas, I would imagine they'd say "premium required" to avoid trouble.

Maybe. If its -20 in Canada or 110 in Arizona? If you live at altitude? If you regularly load the car going up and down hills? And what do they consider an acceptable level of extra wear and tear? If you constantly run regular, is life expectancy of the motor cut by .15% or by 15%? All other things being equal, if the motor lasts an extra 5000 miles @ $.28/mile value you just made back $1400! Its just not clear to me that the min requirement is considered something you can do all the time or if they are simply saying that in a pinch occasionally you can do it.

Perhaps you are 100% right and there absolutely is no problem. But @ a cost differential of $257 over 36,000 miles ($.20 gallon, assuming both deliver 28MPG), I'll leave it to others to test the theory if they must. And I'd add that if there's a 1.5 MPG difference over the same period, you save a whopping $53. Drop any option from the build sheet and you'll save a ton more. Just doesn't seem at all a sane way to save money.

 

[ame519]

Hahaha I was just asking....I wasn't insisting on using on regular gas. I just wanted to know what effects of not using premium were. Well whatever, I use premium anyway and I'm 16 so my beers aren't at the bar.

 

[Antero128]

16 and you already have a GTI? Nice.

Anyways, let's just keep this simple. If you want to run 87, buy a 2.5l golf.

 

[Mk6golfer]

lol this thread is ridiculous...

anything less than premium in a GTI doesn't make sense

Premium, while more expensive, will yield you higher mileage and performance

Lower octanes, while cheaper, will yield you lower mileage and performance, with the added bonus of possible engine problems

Your yearly fuel costs will be roughly the same no matter what fuel you use

2+2=4

/thread

 

[Antero128]

bingo.

 

[MK05-HJ09]

I just see no defensible position as to why they'd do this (unless premium is unavailable at some gas station and they're out of gas). The only answer I can think of is that they want to save some (very small amount of) money... in which case, they would have been far better served either buying a used car and using premium gas on that, or buying a lower model that doesn't require premium gas. If "saving money" is the only priority, then downgrading gas is the least effective means of doing so possible.

Skip the latte at Starbucks, buy the premium. Knock sensors sense knock after it happens, they're not precognitive as far as I know. Unburned fuel gunks stuff, you lose performance and economy over time. Who among us knows just how the car is mapped, just how frequent or to what level the knocking occurs before the ecu backs off, just how much unburnt crap will wind up in the valve train, fouling the catalyst, what have you? Sure, it might be perfectly all right, but isnt the extra $.20 a gallon reasonable insurance against the potential problems? Do want you want, but to me this is extremely penny wise and pound foolish.

Sound advice as always gentlemen, speaking the truth. /thread

 

[kalel]

lol this thread is ridiculous...

anything less than premium in a GTI doesn't make sense

Premium, while more expensive, will yield you higher mileage and performance

Lower octanes, while cheaper, will yield you lower mileage and performance, with the added bonus of possible engine problems

Your yearly fuel costs will be roughly the same no matter what fuel you use

2+2=4

/thread

People keep saying that the mpg is better with higher octane gas, but I have searched and searched and can't find any real evidence supporting that claim.

The more "legitimate" sources tend to suggest that any real difference is likely immeasurable.

 

[MSchott]

Maybe. If its -20 in Canada or 110 in Arizona? If you live at altitude? If you regularly load the car going up and down hills? And what do they consider an acceptable level of extra wear and tear? If you constantly run regular, is life expectancy of the motor cut by .15% or by 15%? All other things being equal, if the motor lasts an extra 5000 miles @ $.28/mile value you just made back $1400! Its just not clear to me that the min requirement is considered something you can do all the time or if they are simply saying that in a pinch occasionally you can do it.

Perhaps you are 100% right and there absolutely is no problem. But @ a cost differential of $257 over 36,000 miles ($.20 gallon, assuming both deliver 28MPG), I'll leave it to others to test the theory if they must. And I'd add that if there's a 1.5 MPG difference over the same period, you save a whopping $53. Drop any option from the build sheet and you'll save a ton more. Just doesn't seem at all a sane way to save money.

I agree with your logic but I also think that automobile electronics are very smart these days and if there is any damage based on the first pings it's infinitesimal. BMW also recommends premium (91 US octane) in my 328 but 91 is hard to find in Michigan (we have mainly 87, 89 and then 93) so I often use 89. If mileage and power on the street is lower it's hard to measure. Also, these days the difference in price between 87 and 93 is often closer to 50 cents which in a 12 gallon tank is $6.00 and in weekly fill ups is $312.00 in this worst case scenario.

In the big picture that's not a lot of money but to some it's significant.

 

[Antero128]

I agree with your logic but I also think that automobile electronics are very smart these days and if there is any damage based on the first pings it's infinitesimal. BMW also recommends premium (91 US octane) in my 328 but 91 is hard to find in Michigan (we have mainly 87, 89 and then 93) so I often use 89. If mileage and power on the street is lower it's hard to measure. Also, these days the difference in price between 87 and 93 is often closer to 50 cents which in a 12 gallon tank is $6.00 and in weekly fill ups is $312.00 in this worst case scenario.

In the big picture that's not a lot of money but to some it's significant.

You dont have 91 so you put 89 in your BMW instead of 93?? :lol::lol::lol:


:clap:

Sigh...

 

[Mk6golfer]

People keep saying that the mpg is better with higher octane gas, but I have searched and searched and can't find any real evidence supporting that claim.

The more "legitimate" sources tend to suggest that any real difference is likely immeasurable.

I've read that the engine will run slightly richer with a lower octane gas to help prevent pinging/detonation, in conjunction with lower boost and timing changes