I know the manual recommends premium. But for such a low horsepower engine? Should I really use it instead of regular?

The engine was designed for minimum 91 octane. Trust your manufacturer. HP has nothing to do with it.

If you thought it was low with premium in, just try it with 89 or 90.

here in the states it is 87 89 91 right??

in germany i used to get 91 95 98 and some have 99

why is it lower here in the states?

Have you ever seen the commercial for Techron? If you don't use premium then your engine will be full of carbon. Besides, when I use premium, I get about 60 more miles out of a tank of gas. So the price comes out about the same.

is all I ever ran in mine.

And the higher the octane rating the hotter the fuel burn is thus helping to keep the valves, injectors, and to some extent the cats clean. Thats why in states that have less than the Audi recommended 95 octane, cars tend to blow thru cats quicker than normal. Here in AL we have 93 octane and my cats are less than 2 years old and already they are going bad.

There are to methods, RON and MON. One is if the gas was made in a lab, the other is the real thing. You use RON in europe. Here we you the average (RON + MON)/2.

In the US you can get 87/89/93, except in California and some other western states you can only get 91.

Actually, premium gas requires all of those extra detergents that they brag about in their ads because it leaves MORE deposits than regular gas.

The antiknock additives in premium gasoline leave behind lots of ash and soot, so you need to add detergents to the gasoline so it can clean itself out.

Gas companies don't want to advertise this, so they claim the detergents in Premium make it somehow "better"

higher octane does NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES WHATSOEVER have any influence on how "hot" the fuel burns or the energy content being higher.

Actually, the additives and detergents in premium gasoline actually REDUCE the total number of BTUs per gallon of premium. Its not much, but it is some.

Premium fuel is NOT refined to a higher degree. It simply adds an additive package that resists the gasoline's tendency to preignite (knock). This allows you to use more spark advance and THAT is what makes the power.

I hate to yell, but I hear these Madison Avenue explanations on how "Premium" fuel works. What is a premium is the additive package in the fuel that allows you to use more spark lead, that's all.

Back in the day, 89 octane leaded was $.85, 87 octane unleaded was $.90 and premium unleaded was $.95. That is a 5 cent spread between 87 and 93 unleaded. Now its $.20. Why? They can get it.

Please don't take this personally, I just want to get the facts out.

My 92 100 with a 12V motor uses mid-grade (US 90 octane) so that is what I use. I can use unleaded 87 octane in a pinch, and lose 5 ft-lb of torque as the knock sensor will retard timing.

Follow your sticker adn you will be fine.

If knock sensor will ajust engine for regular fuel, it means, that engine will run in mode with less power output. It means, that you will need to supply more fuel to get the same power as with the premium. In other words, you will have lower MPG and I think you will end up spending same amount of money.

I have worked on the fuel system on numerous V6 Audis and on some the carbon build up is terrible. When I find this, I ask about what fuel is used even though I know the answer already. As for the mileage issue, that is proven fact. I drive my 90 about 2500 miles a month on the highway. If I use regular then I get 40-60 less miles on a tank. Might be a little red-neck science but it is not myth.

The 96 may be different, but it states on the fuel door that the min R+M method octanne is to be 91. If your says that, you can do what I do: I have a little white eraser with a drawing of a full gage on one side and a 1/2 tank gage on the other. Starting with a full tank of 93 octane, you can alternate between Super and Plus by filling with Plus at the 1/2 tank mark, then filling with Premium at empty. The eraser, which lives on the instrument panel shelf, gets turned over each time, so that I don't forget.
Anal, to be sure, but it saves a few bucks and helps to pay for all those other expensive Audi parts. You will neither damage your engine, nor loose power. And you will always be at, or above, 91 octane.

Did you also ask those folks WHERE they got their gas and not just what grade? it might be that they get their fuel from a place that sells cheap gas w/o a good additive/detergent package. It just has to pass the RON/MON numbetrs to get the Octane rating.

The additive package makes a big influence. The base stock all comes out of the same refineries. Doesn't matter who's name is on the pump. Different brands get different additive packages. Chevron gets their Techron additive package. This is a good package, and it does help keep the intake and valves clean. However, if you run Chevron Techron Premium or Chevron Techron medium grade in your car all its life, I don't honestly think you will see any difference in the deposits.

However, if you run Chevron Techron Premium in your car and you neighbor gets his from "bBilly Bob's 24/7" down the street, then chances are he will have deposits. Probably would if HE ran premium too.

back in those days, the spread was about 1-2 cents. why do they charge more now? because they can.

Because they can.

I am telling this to all of my friend. But they still think, premium is like pure fuel!