Audi A4 Cab 3.0 . Optimax only recommendation by VAG???

[phlap]

Bit of advice requested from Cab owners or I guess anyone with a 3.0 V6 in their Audi. A friend has experienced rough running and associated emission warning lights on her 2003 3.0 Cab. The main dealer has looked at it repeatedly and can find no problem. The advice now being given is only to run the car on Shell Optimax. As pal lives in the back end of beyond with no Optimax garage for miles this is no good and seems to me to be a cop out.

Surely the engine management can sort out 95, 97 or 98 RON and shouldnt fart and grumble if it doesnt get Optimax. I wanted feedback from other owners to see if they have had the problem and heard of this recommendation from Audi.

[Markytop]

Used to own a S4 cab, and the recommendation was always to run it on Super Unleaded, but when visiting friends in the middle of nowhere, I had to occaisonally put 'normal' unleaded in and it ran fine without any problems, just slightly worse mpg

Appreciate the 3.0 is a different engine so may be different, but prior to the S4 I had a 2.4 cab and that used to run on 95 ron petrol all the time.

Maybe try taking to a different dealer to diagnose the problem - assume its still under warranty so shouldn't cost you anything for another opinion.

[Eddie_A]

I have a 04 3.0 Cab and I run it on 95 unleaded as a matter of course and it runs fine. Sounds like the dealer is clutching at straws.

[pbarlow003]

I had a 3.2 V6 TT, and always run that on 95 RON.

I was always of the opinion that a turbo engine benefits more from running on 98 than a naturally aspirated engine, but that may be wrong. On the other hand, i now have an A4 Cab 1.8t, and i run that on 95 ron with no problems.