54 What gas (petrol) should I use?
Description
This article is from the Watercooled VWs General FAQ, by Jan Vandenbrande with numerous contributions by others.
54 What gas (petrol) should I use?
A: Very tough to answer! Generally stick with the better brands because they
take better care of the quality of the gas, keep their tanks cleaner, etc.
Note however that many brands share gas in rural areas to reduce
transportation costs (though they may add different additives).
It's also recommended to stick with one brand. Apparently the additives
are not always compatible (varnish).
Convenience stores switch brands often to reduce cost ==> not recommended.
I have a VW brochure from '87? that recommends Shell, Chevron & AMOCO
BY NAME (Publication W42-002-920-0). Texaco seems ok too (IMHO).
That brochure talks about additives that reduce carbon build-up.
I have had rough idle problems with ARCO EC gas in CA.
Whether you need "super" or high octane gas remains debatable.
Some brands add more detergent in their high octane gasses which will
keep your engine cleaner.
Gas formulas change over time and per geographic region.
In the winter a more volatile gas, or oxygenated gas is sold to improve
cold starting and reduce emissions (which may increase gas consumption
between 3% and 15%).
Cars with knocks sensors can derive more power with higher octane gas.
And, yes, all watercooled VWs can run on unleaded fuel.
Basically, if your car runs well with the brand you are using, stick to it.
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