RE: Leaded fuel

[Decsi Miklos <MDecsi@pgsm.hu>]

Hi Luke!

> Can anyone offer any
>opinions about the benefits of leaded fuel to the engine?  Any reason I
>should keep using it? (There's plenty of reasons not to...)

Yes, we had the same problem here in Hungary. The last kind of leaded fuel
was banned in april this year. The difference is it caused more problem here
in Hungary because we had thousands of old car (mostly eastern made (Lada,
Skoda, etc...) and they cannot be operated with unleaded fuel.

 The reason is why leaded fuel is better for this old engines is the lead
coated the valve seats (I think it is the name) and made it soft (compared
to what it would be without lead). This is good because your valves will
live longer. 

 I your case you have to get some information about your engine. There are
basically two types of engines in this case. The old ones with a soft valve
seats, they cannot bear unleaded fuel. The newer ones with hard valve seats
can be operated with unleaded fuel.

 If your engine has soft valve seats and you use unleaded fuel then it will
turn your valves bad in some thousand miles (clicking noise).

 There is another possibility. After they banned the leaded fuels here some
kind of liquid replaced the effects of the lead. It has been rumored that
this liquid (contains potassium) is far more worse than the lead, but still
better than unleaded fuel. I am sure these liquids can be bougth in
Australia too!

 I think there are plenty of audi experts on this list, maybe someone knows
about the hardness of your valve seats... ;-)

Hope this helps.

DM