|I just got my first VW - a 2002 Passat 1.8 turbo. It's got 25,000 miles on |it, and I really like it so far. My question - can I use regular gas in it? |I tried half a tank, and it seems to be running fine - no pinging. I don't |want to do damage to the engine, but I've heard that if it doesn't ping or |knock going uphill, it's OK to use regular.
Run regular all you like, you just won't get best performance or fuel economy because the engine is optimized for 90+ octane. Also, if you run regular don't drive it hard or it will rebel. We used to use regular grade on trips in our NB 1.8t, but we tend to drive fast and long. On a trip to Ohio, we were running 80 or so through some hilly terrain in Kentucky (?) when the cold temp light came on, with a chime. Backed off, light went out a few miles later. Resumed speed, light came back. Switched to premium ASAP and never another squawk. Rex in Fort Worth