Petrol for 1.5lt Mk1

[BJ75]

Hey guys/experts etc.

Just bought my wife a Mk1 Golf. I have plans to make it a nice little run-around for her, without any major mods. I was planning to get it all roadworthy myself, but will probably end up handing this task over to a mechanic (any good recommendations for Melb. Metro area?). Anyway, I think it's an '80 model. It has a 1.5lt carby engine, and it's been driven so little in the past few years that it still has lead replacement petrol in the tank. I am wondering what to do once this runs out. Do I have to use premium? Do I have to use some additive?

Any help greatly appreciated.

Cheers,

Brett.

[Golf Loon]

Welcome to the forum.

Sounds like a good little car you have there.

I`d put 95 octane premium in. The germans were years ahead of Australian rules and the Mk1 Golf engine handles unleaded petrol with no modifications.

[BJ75]

Thanks Golf Loon. Yeah I've been lurking here for a while in the classifieds section looking for something for her. There were a couple I'd rather have bought her from a mechanical point of view (bigger engine etc) but she didn't like the colour, or the wheels, or some other aesthetic issue. I REALLY wanted that white GTI in Canberra that was on eBay a few weeks ago - but that was a bit excessive. Anyway, this stock standard little 1.5lt will be perfect, and hopefully friendly on the juice too being so small. It certainly drives well - just needs a W/A & balance, and a bit of TLC - then I can start doing things like stereo, door trims, new carpet, maybe rubbers etc.

Back to the petrol issue, d'you reckon just topping up what's in the tank with 95 unleaded will be OK? Or do I have to go through the hassle of draining what's in there out?

[syncro]

Just top it up is OK. If it pings on the 95, you may have to use 98.
It's probably a 1.6 as the 1.5s were not sold in Australia.

[BJ75]

Cool - I'll keep an ear out for pinging. I think rego says it's a 1.5lt, but I'll hunt down the engine numbers and specs to be sure.

Looking forward to more advice from this board in the future. Hopefully i'll have something to offer one day.

[smithy010]

Loon, were you saying that i actually don't have to use that lead replacement stuff in my engine? are the valve seats hard to suit unleaded??

BJ75- i use standard unleaded in mine and have few worries with pinging. Obviously using higher octane fuel is great if you can afford it, but living on $200 a week, one needs to economise... ;)

[Golf Loon]

You dont need the lead replacement stuff, as the valve seats are hardened for German standard petrol at the time. Only use 95 or 98, the extra couple of bucks you spend at the pump will make the car go heaps further and run better.
Try it, you will never go back to 3rd world substandard Commodore fuel.

[peedman]

I suppose it cant help to try it. Just keep the small bottle of flashlube handy just incase it starts pinging like hell. This is the official list by the AIP:

http://www.aip.com.au/health/lead_guide

There used to be a list on the BP site that had more vehicles i think but i cant find it.

[syncro]

Flashlube doesn't stop pinging. It is an additive for leaded engines running on unleaded. I won't even run my lawnmower on standard unleaded Australian third world crap!

We have a similar engine to the US spec Rabbits which were designed for unleaded in the '70s. Europe didn't have unleaded until the '80s.

[Golf Loon]

Any golf from 1975 onward can run on unleaded with no additive.

I also would not run a lawnmower on the 88 octane petrol they sell in Oz. Its the same calibre as the petrol they sell in India.

Put 95 octane in your german engineered car and enjoy the results.

[blackgti1.8]

Yes, welcome:)
If it's a '80s model, it would be one of the few around - they stopped bringing them in sometime that year. The only MkI after that were Cabriolets or private imports...

(Careful with the Commodore cracks there Loon;) )

[gldgti]

smithy010, you got it easy.... my girlfrind and i live together on $219 a week..... before rent :-(

(and yes, im job hunting like i need money for an operation.... lucky i've got my health!)


welcome BJ75! nice to have some new enthusiastic golf owners!

[Volksee77]

Hey there black gti, mate im a mechanic and have had well to say the least hundreds of dealings with broken mk1 golfs and the biggest fuel related drama's ive experienced is valves receeding into heads. Personally i use 98 octane in my mk1 but i also have installed an upper cylinder lubricant injector to prevent the valves receeding. If you don't want to fit the kit just add about 1ml per litre of upper clinder lubricant to your fuel tank and this will prevent any drama's, as for "regular" unleaded you wouldn't drink your own urine would you, so don't make your car drink it either :-)

[smithy010]

I have an apology to make to all of you people who take notice of the information on this forum (all of you, hopefully)

I went home last week (a 600km run one way).. Well, i decided to take the loon's advice and put premium in the golf. I'm happy to say that i was blown away at how much better it was. I used 95 octane fuel, and the results were that it was around 15-20% more efficient, it ran cooler, and seemed to be on song all the time. No noticeable power gains, but you take whatever you can get outta the old 1.6 stocker..

I'm a definite premium convert, and my earlier comment was unwarranted, simply because i had never tried premium in my car!

In future, i'll be using premium, as well as the fuel treatment stuff (thanks volksee77 for the advice).

So there you go.

[brackie]

Sometimes a little extra goes a long way. I had a Range Rover Vogue 5 speed in another life. Beautiful to drive on high octane but a dog on standard unleaded.