Running In

[Andy Poulter]

Any advice on what is good practice for running in new car. I pick up my new vrs TDI on Friday (sorry to say goodbye to the Elegance TDI which has proved 100% reliable) and was proposing to drive to Wales (125 miles) within a few hours.

[bahnstormer vrs]

Pretty sound advice is in the handbook!


Don't take it too easy though - ENJOY the tsunami of torque from the TDi

[Harry_vRS]

Rag the sh!te out of it, once 500 'gentle' miles are on the clock.

[NeilS]

Drive it positively, don't be rev shy but don't allow it to labour in a high gear and don't over rev it (it's a diesel so you won't ever need to!), don't welly it until it reaches normal op temperature. ALWAYS allow the engine to tick over for a minute to simmer it after a fast drive or burst of motorway (feeds fresh oil to the turbo as it cools down) and don't change the oil until 10K miles or the first service to allow the engine to bed in and then think about doing it every 5K miles to spoil it!

[vRSLen]

There are 2 thoughts on running in a new car: thrash it from new for more power
or treat it gentle for more oil consumtion.

Me, I would run it in gentle for the first 1K, and then increase the load.

Also, keep an eye on the oil level

[bahnstormer vrs]

Originally Posted by vRSLen

Me, I would run it in gentle for the first 1K, and then increase the load.

As per the handbook then. Progressively increase the revs, load & throttle opening over 1,000 miles (1500km in the h'book) - then enjoy.

Usual requirements for 'mechanical sympathy' (on any car at any time) apply naturally; warm the car up (coolant/oil temperatures etc) before driving hard and let it cool down after a run. Just like an Ahtlete!

[FocusZtec]

Originally Posted by NeilS

don't change the oil until 10K miles or the first service to allow the engine to bed in and then think about doing it every 5K miles to spoil it!

Hi Neil, can I ask you why you wouldnt change the oil after 1500 or so miles? Its something Ive always done to remove any factory fresh engine debris (usually at 1500, then every 5k after that point actually) but this is the second time ive seen someone (who obviously knows what they are talking about) say NOT to change the oil until 10k

Thanks,

Lee

[Toneboy]

Unless you are a constant red line driver, just drive the thing as normal and somewhere around the 10000 mile mark you will find the engine seems to run easier.

It has worked for me over many years and the gods know how many miles and I have never had any problems with an overstressed engine or gearbox, just the opposite.

[dilly]

Try this. You didn't say whether it was diesel or petrol. This is diesel but there's one on petrol just after this.

The dill

Honestjohn: Frequently Asked Questions

[Fluffmeister]

Originally Posted by Harry_vRS

Rag the sh!te out of it, once 500 'gentle' miles are on the clock.

What he said

[WoodieGuthrie]

Drive it like you stole it, and claim anything that breaks on warrenty!

[sharkrider]

I'd drive it 'as normal' from day one.......

[apd007]

I've driven both my last new cars as I would do normally. Key thing, as has been mentioned above repeatedly, is to not boot it from cold and to let the engine cool down after a run, which is sound advice on any engine whether with 10 miles or 100 000 miles on it.

[NeilS]

Originally Posted by FocusZtec

Hi Neil, can I ask you why you wouldnt change the oil after 1500 or so miles? Its something Ive always done to remove any factory fresh engine debris (usually at 1500, then every 5k after that point actually) but this is the second time ive seen someone (who obviously knows what they are talking about) say NOT to change the oil until 10k

Thanks,

Lee

Hi Lee, lots of informed opinion I've come across is that with modern cars and oils if you change the oil too early on especially with fully synthetic it provides too much lubrication and doesn't let the metal parts bed in. Even with a modern engine there is still a rbenefit to running it in positively and leaving the original oil in is an important part. I swapped the oil early in my new MK3 Golf GTi in the 90s and was given a stern lecture by a VW tuning company who removed the brand new synthetic, flushed it and refilled with the factory oil. Leaving the first change to 10,000 facilitates the bedding in process. Leaving it to 18K or 20K is up for debate. And running it in pretty hard not gently helps "build" a fast engine.

Some cars now come ex factory with a different oil to the one that the car will get when serviced. Modern engines and manufacturing techniques and engineering tolerances mean there isn't the engine debris (swarf in the good old days!) that there used to be in engines built 20+ years ago. Today, with a properly run in engine and tight tolerances coupled often with powerful turbos that get "quite" hot (hands up vRS owners ) a modern oil has to work quite hard. Modern oils are technically brilliant and will last 18K but many people feel this is a sop to the fleets to reduce ownership costs over the first 3 years and 60K (VAG shifted from recommending 40K cambelt changes to 60K plus ....) and that potential problems loom for the second (private) owner of a car that is by then out of warranty.

I'd never feel totally comfortable running mine on long life to 18,000 between changes, I'd be OK every 10K but much prefer every 5K.

[Toneboy]

At least you will be helping with the profits of my oil shares and funds so who I am to stop you being happy.

[FocusZtec]

Originally Posted by NeilS

Hi Lee, lots of informed opinion I've come across is that with modern cars and oils if you change the oil too early on especially with fully synthetic it provides too much lubrication and doesn't let the metal parts bed in. Even with a modern engine there is still a rbenefit to running it in positively and leaving the original oil in is an important part. I swapped the oil early in my new MK3 Golf GTi in the 90s and was given a stern lecture by a VW tuning company who removed the brand new synthetic, flushed it and refilled with the factory oil. Leaving the first change to 10,000 facilitates the bedding in process. Leaving it to 18K or 20K is up for debate. And running it in pretty hard not gently helps "build" a fast engine.

Some cars now come ex factory with a different oil to the one that the car will get when serviced. Modern engines and manufacturing techniques and engineering tolerances mean there isn't the engine debris (swarf in the good old days!) that there used to be in engines built 20+ years ago. Today, with a properly run in engine and tight tolerances coupled often with powerful turbos that get "quite" hot (hands up vRS owners ) a modern oil has to work quite hard. Modern oils are technically brilliant and will last 18K but many people feel this is a sop to the fleets to reduce ownership costs over the first 3 years and 60K (VAG shifted from recommending 40K cambelt changes to 60K plus ....) and that potential problems loom for the second (private) owner of a car that is by then out of warranty.

I'd never feel totally comfortable running mine on long life to 18,000 between changes, I'd be OK every 10K but much prefer every 5K.

Brilliant - thanks for the detailed explanation First service at 10k it is then (or 12 months!)

[nickrees]

If you are gentle with it then you will probably get permanent oil consumption problems. It's good practice anyway to keep the revs down until it reaches normal operating temperature. Remember that the tyres and brakes need 50-100 miles to bed in too. Then as the mileage increases, increase the revs steadily and don't labour the engine. It may well use a litre of oil in the first 1000 miles or so while it beds in, after that oil consumption should be zero.