Long outback drive, no premium, what to do?

[h100vw]

perhaps before you go on the trip, fill your tank with 91 and try some booster.

Make sure your'e happy with the outcome before you try it for real

I'd try this without the booster and see what it does. Get someone with VAG-COM to log it and see if/how much timing is being pulled out by the ECU.

Personally I think it'll run without incident

Gavin

[Treza360]

Best bet would be to get into contact with Blitzen. He drove his Polo GTI from Darwin to Brisbane when he moved down here. I think he's got a thread with his road trip somewhere.
Cheers,
Trent

[Blitzen]

Hey Guys.

Im planning a big roadtrip next year for my wife and I that will involve crossing northern QLD and into the NT in our Polo GTI. After searching the various BP, Caltex etc sites theres not enough sites that stock Premium 95+ fuel for a good stretch of the road (like 1600kays). Im planning on bringing 40L of 98 premium in jerry cans with me but I dont think that will be enough.

So, what are my options? Does the 1.8T run on regular 91? I wouldnt think its advisable to do any long distance on it. Could I use an Octane booster additive if neccesary? Could I mix half regular 91 half 98 octane fuel to double to amount im carrying. As in when the tanks half empty with 98 fill it up with 91 and itll balance out OK?

Has anyone else done this sorta thing? I realise that theres much better cars (diesel golf would be good) to do a big country road trip on but we need to clock up some kays (lease car) and we want to see Australia so it makes sense.

Any pointers or ideas would be great. Thanks.

Hey mate.
Mine is a lease car too, but as in reagional NT there is a distinct lack of BP/Caltex/Shell etc, as most of the petrol stations are road houses, you will have to dip into your own pocket to get fuel, and recoupe the money later. You will get BP at Mataranka Springs, but the next one south of that is Daly Waters, then Tennant Creek and then Alice Springs. You will get BP and Caltex in Mt Isa and Cloncurry, and alot of the other towns in QLD, but be prepared to pay out of your own pocket for fuel.You won't have any dramas getting 98 in QLD all the way up to Mt Isa. If you are going through Winton and Longreach, you can get 98 there, as well as at most BP's in Western QLD.
I took a 10L jerry can with me as emergency fuel, and that was all. I didn't take octain booster, because the minimum I put in my car was 95. It ran very well, but just watch head winds on the Barkley Hwy. Barkley Homestead is very expensive(about 20 to 30c/L above standard NT fuel prices), buy you wont have trouble getting at least 95 in the NT. Don't worry about Opal fuel, because I have olnly ever seen it at Alice Springs. You will be able to get 98 again once you hit Katherine, and in Darwin, BP is the predominant fuel supplier. I found my average fuel consumption to be about 9.1L/100 with the A/C on and sitting a few km above the limit (won't say what I was sitting on, because I will get in trouble!!).
I will warn you that the further south of Darwin you are, the more expensive fuel is, but I have driving this way going both from Darwin to Sydney(via Mt Isa, Cloncurry, Winton, Longreach, Barcldine, Roma, Brisbane, Sydney), and Darwin to Townsville via Hughendon and Charters Towers. Don't sweat it if you run into dramas, as the roads are busy enough. There is almost no mobile reception south of Katherine and then all the way to Mt Isa, but the views are amazing.
The thread that Trent mentioned has been deleted at some stage, but here are some pics from the drive. Make sure you stop at Mary Kathleen between Cloncurry and Mt Isa, and at Daly Waters Hotel (its the one off the Stuart Hwy about 3km north of Daly Waters Roadhouse.

Packing



Still Packing...



Packed...



Daly Waters Hotel Camp Site...$5 for an unpowered site and access to the showers...



3 ways, North of Tennant Creek.



95 at Barkley Homestead (I'm sure its cheaper now)



Qld/NT boarder...



Mary Kathleen

[phaeton]

Who needs offroaders

[Bluey9N]

Thanks heaps for the info mate, was planning a stop at Daly Waters as ive read the pubs worth visiting. Ive just got a caltex card but ill ask if I can get a BP card too. Its amazing what you can fit into a small car if you put enough thought into it.

$2.15 a litre is incredible! O_o

What time of year did you go?

[Bug_racer]

I will go against the norm and say dont use octane booster . The effects of the additives on the wideband lambda probe can be fatal ! The ones that say o2 sensor say have only really been tested on narrowband 02 sensors !

Either you could buy a 20l drum of 109 which will raise the octane level similar to 98 for a long journey or

Install a water injection system . This I'd recommend if you have enough time as it will make your engine run more efficiently and you'll use less fuel !

either way good luck , and look out for the roo's !

[Blitzen]

Thanks heaps for the info mate, was planning a stop at Daly Waters as ive read the pubs worth visiting. Ive just got a caltex card but ill ask if I can get a BP card too. Its amazing what you can fit into a small car if you put enough thought into it.

$2.15 a litre is incredible! O_o

What time of year did you go?

Hey man, now worries. I did the trip in mid September last year. Took 2 days between Darwin and Townsville. I'm used to small cars. My previous car was a 2004 Barina SRI, and I could fit almost as much stuff in it.
Daly Waters Hotel is an awesome pub. When I got there, I just kicked out my swag, locked the car, and walked into the pub, grabbed a beer, and sat in the pool!! The food is great there too.

[Transporter]

Hey man, now worries. I did the trip in mid September last year. Took 2 days between Darwin and Townsville. I'm used to small cars. My previous car was a 2004 Barina SRI, and I could fit almost as much stuff in it.
Daly Waters Hotel is an awesome pub. When I got there, I just kicked out my swag, locked the car, and walked into the pub, grabbed a beer, and sat in the pool!! The food is great there too.

Hey Blitzen,
that last 2pictures are realy great, you should enter ithem to some photo competition.

[Blitzen]

Hey Blitzen,
that last 2pictures are realy great, you should enter ithem to some photo competition.

Cheers for that man...I just love the scenery out there.