Hi,

I was told by a few people that some fuel (like Sunoco - people in Canada should be familar with the brand - not sure about US) contains a high concentration of methane and it can cause damage to the turbo engine.

I just want to receive some feedback on this. Thanks.

Sam
99 1.8T Quattro

All gasoline producers use additives to add to the octane levels of their fuels. Some producers also use an alcohol blend (up to 10%) in their premium fuels. The alcohol does not inherently add to the octane (as lead did many years ago), but the alcohol has favoable traits for transportation and consistency when mixed. The downside to the alcohol is extreme hot weather characteristics (alcohol evaporates faster than gasoline), and some believe that it is more corrosive for soft rubber seals and gaskets within the fuel system. I have a 96 Porsche C2, that does not like alcohol blends. Stateside, Shell and Amoco used to be 100% gasoline, now I can only find pure gasoline at certain stations. Within the city of Chicago I can only find the alcohol and oxygenated blends. As far as using these blends in a turbo 1.8, there is unlikely to be any problem. I have a 1.8TSM and never had a problem with name brand gasolines. Yes we do have Sunoco (mostly west coast). Where in Canada are you at?

I have used Sunoco Ultra 94 here without problems. If you look carefully near the pump, you will probably see information about alcohol content. The Sunoco staitons I have seen have posted that the fuel (Ultra 94) may contain up to 10% ethanol.

If you take a look at the owner's manual, I believe it says you can use gasolines with up to 10% alcohol. So, you should be fine using the Sunoco provided the fuel is no more than 10% ethanol.

Wayne
99 1.8TQMS

Roy,

Thanks for your reply.

I used to fill up my Honda with Sunoco for the last 6 years without major problems. But recently I heard someone mentioning that I should not use it for my Audi. That's when I used
Shell Gold. I guess since there is not much price difference, I am not going to run a risk. However I am just curious as to see what people are using.

I am in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Sam
1999 1.8T Quattro