Hi,

I've read in this forum and all over the net different opinions on how engine should be run in. Some claim you should give it death from the start claiming it produces better mpg and power in the long run and some claim you should treat it with gloves for the first few thousand Km. Octavia's manual says not to push it in the first 1000 Km and in the next 500 Km gradually increase the load on it.

I was wondering how you ran your engines in and how it's been for you since?

krko

Drove it fairly normally once the engine was up to temperature, didn't rag it (much) after the engine was up to temperature, but didn't nurse it either...

I didn't have to put any oil in between buying the car and it's first service at 18400 miles... A further 5000 miles on and still not needed to top up the oil, not bad for a diesel

I followed manual recommendations for all my new cars & never had any engine misfortunes , limit to 3/4 of max revs( to redline) for the 1st 800 miles, then gradually raised.

There is a link to Honest John site somewhere here, about diesel engine running in which is worth looking at and maybe thinking about.

Generally, Be Sensible

Edited 24 November, 201015 yr by lfc958

I tend to drive normally, which means let the engine fully warm up (ie don't do lots of low mileage trips where the engine is always still getting up to temperature), don't over rev the engine BUT it's just as important that you don't labour the engine either.

Check your oil levels very regularly (every few hundred miles) as it is not un-common for them to burn a bit when they are new.

Also don't just sit on the motorway at a steady speed with the CC on - can't see that doing any good either.

Took delivery, the showroom was in a built up area, drove at 30 & 40 until the car was warmed up, which was coincidentally at the start of the Motorway, 80 odd for the next 50 or so miles.

And repeat, i.e. just drive her as normal, but for me normal does not include excessive revving.

only got just over 2000 miles on the clock, but as far as I can discern , No oil used.

After warm up, shortly go to 5000-5500 rpm once or twice a week to bed in the engine components.

Hi,

I was wondering how you ran your engines in and how it's been for you since?

krko

I had company cars for over 12 years at a time when they were changed every 2 years.

From the first turn of the ignition key I revved the nuts of them. The cars only had two speeds

flat out and stop. I was a car manufacturers nightmare. The cars were driven always at the

fastest possible speed and fully loaded with sales kit.

All the cars were bottom of the range Vaux's, Ford, Citroen etc and I never had a single fault

due to engine/gearbox failure. Sometimes the cars were never serviced during the time they

were in my "care".

Far as I can remember none of them ever used a drop of oil or water, probably wouldn't

have got it even if it was wanted. In those days I regularly got 20mpg on long runs.

However, I must say that as I how have to pay myself for all the costs of motoring, I drive

and treat my cars in a completely different manner. As a result I have had more faults and

failures than you could throw a spanner at.

Hopes this helps you decide

I just take it easy initially for the first few hundred then slowly build it up, by the time Im around 1000 miles. I assume its run in & celebrate with a "how fast will it go run" Worse thing you can do IMO is keep revs down but labour the engine, let it rev freely.

If a Diesel it may use a bit of oil at first so carry a bottle to top up

Our Mk1 Octy was sold at 165000 & still fine, The Superb at about 85K & again ok

I had company cars for over 12 years at a time when they were changed every 2 years.

From the first turn of the ignition key I revved the nuts of them. The cars only had two speeds

flat out and stop. I was a car manufacturers nightmare. The cars were driven always at the

fastest possible speed and fully loaded with sales kit.

All the cars were bottom of the range Vaux's, Ford, Citroen etc and I never had a single fault

due to engine/gearbox failure. Sometimes the cars were never serviced during the time they

were in my "care".

Far as I can remember none of them ever used a drop of oil or water, probably wouldn't

have got it even if it was wanted. In those days I regularly got 20mpg on long runs.

However, I must say that as I how have to pay myself for all the costs of motoring, I drive

and treat my cars in a completely different manner. As a result I have had more faults and

failures than you could throw a spanner at.

Hopes this helps you decide

As per this post I too had company cars for 10 years (new one every 2 years due to high miles) and I used this principle too, only difference was I let the oil get up to temperature before going to the redline.....

Follow the instructions in the manual......?

Up to 1 000 kilometres

– Do not drive faster than 3/4 of the maximum speed of the gear in use, that is 3/4 of

the maximum permissible engine speed.

– Do not use full throttle.

– Avoid high engine revolutions.

– Do not tow a trailer.

From 1 000 up to 1 500 kilometres

– Increase the power output of the engine gradually up to the full speed of the gear

engaged, that is up to the maximum permissible engine revolutions.

So don't rev the nuts of it for the first 600 miles

then drive smoothly for the next 300

I'm sure the advice about oil temp on this and other threads is valid, but I have to say my VRs is the only car I've had since 1988 with an oil temperature indicator! Surely modern oil circulates and provides protection from start up?

Edited 24 November, 201015 yr by juan27

Of my last 4 cars 1 was an ex-company car (Xantia 1.9 Turbo diesel) and 2 were ex-rental (1.6 petrol Megane, 1.9TDi Octavia).

I'm sure that the "running in" on all 3 was pretty much as described in the company car drivers' posts above. None of them ever used any oil to speak of and they all served me well for 40 or 50k miles before I moved them on.

My current car is my 1st ever new one. To run it in I have just driven it as I normally do - never let the revs drop too low especially when accelerating or going up hill - I used manual mode a few times to stop the DSG selecting gears that had it running at 1300rpm - tried to keep it over 2000; used most of the rev band when accelerating with the odd few "S" mode full throttle red line (6500rpm) overtakes. I have done 1800 miles now and haven't used a drop of oil.

Gentle till it was warm, kept the revs down and didn't labour the engine.

After it was warm I drove it pretty hard but kept the revs below 3/4 max for the first 1000 miles or so.

Engine has been faultless for 40 months.

I still avoid revving it until it's warm.

I read a guide around the time I got mine which advocated full throttle from new but to watch the revs.

http://www.mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm

I've no idea if it's right.

If you have an oil gauge wait for it to get about 80C then take it through to gears as much to the redline as the road will permit. This will bed the piston rings in better meaning less oil burnt. Basically after it has warmed drive it however you want but don't Granny it. Mine is now on 9500 and no oil used. On the other hand... My dad's 02 Polo 1.4 petrol which was owned by a granny before he had it used nearly a litre of oil every 1000miles.

This car and my last car, Focus ST, were run in as follows

1. Pick car up from garage with less than 3 miles on the clock.

2. Gentle run down the road for 2 to 3 miles to warm it up

3. Now rev it (foot to the floor) in every gear to the red line, slow down and repeat

4. Do this for about 20 miles

5. Take car back to garage and get them to change the oil.

Job done

I've taken on board the practice and theories from MotortuneUSA as posted above in post 12.

The Focus ST I had for 40,000 miles and never used a drop of oil and ran beautifully.

My new VRS has also not used any oil in 12,000 miles

Edited 24 November, 201015 yr by PowerMalc

I've taken on board the practice and theories from MotortuneUSA as posted above in post 12.

The Focus ST I had for 40,000 miles and never used a drop of oil and ran beautifully.

My new VRS has also not used any oil in 12,000 miles

Apart from the bit in bolt that states:

3 more words on break- in:

NO SYNTHETIC OIL !!

Which creates a problem with VAG engines fitted with a DPF as VW507.00 (which is the required spec for a DPF) is fully synthetic!

I've got the CR140 TDi, done 1000 miles.

How often do you guys actually rev the nuts off them anyway i.e to redline. Seems to me that after about 3700rpm it's a waste of time as it drops out of the torque band so changing gear then is the best way to go?

I find the big differance is how hard you push the accelrator in gear at +1700 revs is the main way to be rapid. It's just got push there that the petrol version can't equal but just for a shorter range as you can't hold the gear all the way out to 6000revs+.

Have I got this wrong and are you supposed to drive these just the same as a petrol powered car then becasue it doesn't feel like that to me? Or are you just meaning when new to free the thing up.

Edited 25 November, 201015 yr by snala

Surely the 20 mile break in stuff can't apply?

If they guy is telling the truth the engine will have had that in the factory - the engine is tested before you get it, it's not like it really has 0 miles on the clock.

I suggest the manufacturers - the people who actually make the engine - might just know what they are talking about, and so listening to them not some random bloke on the internet makes sense.

Edited 25 November, 201015 yr by DbD

As background, I used to design the software on engine test systems, much of which was testing the engines until components failed. The engineers always told me to treat an engine gently until the oil is up to temperature. Apart from that, I'd say follow the manual!

Not sure if it helps or not, but I used to visit around 10-12 dealerships daily as part of my job & most brand new cars were thrashed around the place by staff when stony cold-steam & condensation still dripping from the exhausts, even before they were registered!

Apart from the bit in bolt that states:

3 more words on break- in:

NO SYNTHETIC OIL !!

Which creates a problem with VAG engines fitted with a DPF as VW507.00 (which is the required spec for a DPF) is fully synthetic!

VAG fill all engines with full synthetic long life oil at build.

Any advice from USA should stay over there and be ignored. All the rubbish spouted in the USA is from the 1960's and if you were to follow their advice you'd be filling your engine with sick50 and all other manner of snakeoil. All the advice originates from daytime shopping channels......

Not sure if it helps or not, but I used to visit around 10-12 dealerships daily as part of my job & most brand new cars were thrashed around the place by staff when stony cold-steam & condensation still dripping from the exhausts, even before they were registered!

I was in a Cairo port this year on a cruse liner.

While sitting on one of the upper decks there was a very loud noise of screening car tyres coming from the key side.

On looking over the deck rail the sight to see beggars belief. There were brand new cars in the process of being delivered

to the local dealers, these were lined up 2 and 3 abreast, and were being drag raced to the transporter about half a mile away.

On stopping the cars were braked heavily and swung through 180 degrees and lined up in a straight line.

This provided much amusement to the crowd on board and the "drivers" responded to the cheers.

I had forgotten all about this until now but it does raise an interesting possibility concerning the delivery of new cars.

A previous posting from "pixor" who used to design the software on engine test systems might be able to answer this question.

Would it not be possible to, in some way, restrict the performance of a car such that the engine and other components

were not subject to unnecessary abuse.

I would suggest that cars leave the factory, after undergoing all the usual inspection tests, and are then "regulated" into

the delivery mode, and only when the vehicle is ready for final hand over to the customer does the dealer "de-regulate" it.

Ideally this would be done in front of the customer to give confidence.

I understand that a facility not to dissimilar to this is available on certain VAG cars in North America.

This is acheived by progamming the ignition key in order to control the performance of the car.

The idea being when the kids ( or wife) use the car there is some control over the performance.

Edited 26 November, 201015 yr by ramonford

Any advice from USA should stay over there and be ignored. All the rubbish spouted in the USA is from the 1960's and if you were to follow their advice you'd be filling your engine with sick50 and all other manner of snakeoil. All the advice originates from daytime shopping channels......

That's almost word by word what my brother said...

What I find problematic with the linked article is that it fails to answer the question "than why the manufacturer says different thing?"

Anyway, I was interested in how you guys did it and sure found a lot useful info.

krko

Edited 25 November, 201015 yr by krko

Hi,

I've read in this forum and all over the net different opinions on how engine should be run in. Some claim you should give it death from the start claiming it produces better mpg and power in the long run and some claim you should treat it with gloves for the first few thousand Km. Octavia's manual says not to push it in the first 1000 Km and in the next 500 Km gradually increase the load on it.

I was wondering how you ran your engines in and how it's been for you since?

krko

Show some mechanical sympathy. The 1.2 TSI warns up really quickly, excellent round town to warm up and use full performance within a couple of miles. Even the 2 litre TSi warms up quickly too and performance can be used a couple of minutes after switch on. Wiesels are a different matter, their much higher engine mass and weight of engine components take about twice as long to get up to temperature so getting to the trash point is much longer. Do not load engine accessively when still sat a sub 50C water temperature. So many engines I have seen knackered because they are driven up a steep drive or hill seconds after swiching on, terrible thing for engine to have to do.

Running in, yes gently increase load and revs, high load is worse than higher revs. If you can, in the first few hundred miles, do short to medium journeys 10-30 miles and let cool down and run again . Engines are so well tolerance manufactured these days and controlled by their EMUs that you have to be the antichrist to kill them. More engines killed by being too gentle than too hard these days I reckon ie never given a good run. Mind you how to you give a TSI VRS a good run except in Germany. Takes 25 hp to run at 75 mph and 200 hp to run at 150 mph so cannot put down more than 100 hp for more than a few seconds at a time in this country!

Edited 26 November, 201015 yr by lol

Would it not be possible to, in some way, restrict the performance of a car such that the engine and other components

were not subject to unnecessary abuse.

I would suggest that cars leave the factory, after undergoing all the usual inspection tests, and are then "regulated" into

the delivery mode, and only when the vehicle is ready for final hand over to the customer does the dealer "de-regulate" it.

Ideally this would be done in front of the customer to give confidence.

If it would reduce warranty claims surely they would have done this already?

If it would reduce warranty claims surely they would have done this already?

In general terms I would agree with you 100%

But in the real world things don't always happen like we think they should.

However, on a positive note, can anyone think of any practical good reason why something like this could

not prove on benefit to all.

I would still like to hear from "pixor" on this subject.