Running in new 77TSi motor

[Bradpalace]

Good evening folks,

I'm about to pick up my new Fabia 77TSi. It's been a long time since I've picked up a new car and the first time for a turbo, so I'm not sure if there are particular things I should or should not be doing in the first weeks/ months of ownership.

If people can offer their experience, or point me to an appropriate thread that would be much appreciated.

Thank you all in advance.

[mmmRacer]

If in doubt just do as the manufacture recommends. The 1.2 litre is a great engine with enough power for around town. A suggestion, as it is a turbo VW engine for the first 5000km just check the oil every 500km to be safe. You should be able to take it back to the dealer for a free top up if it gets low. Otherwise sit back and enjoy.

[brad]

There's probably a dozen threads on running in an engine on these forums. The range of opinion is quite broad.

My way:

• Don't "lug" the engine.
• Keep the engine somewhere between 1500-2000rpm (driving, not sitting in the driveway) until the water temp gets up to its' normal position - if you are going up a hill then 2500rpm is fine.
• Once the water temp is at normal temp (nb: the oil temp lags behind the water temp for quite some time), drive the vehicle as you intend to drive it in the future. Don't be afraid to let it spin up a bit but don't thrash the daylights out of it either. You should be able to feel the engine "not wanting to spin". This point should get higher & higher with each drive.
• Don't worry about fuel economy until at least 3000km.
• Don't use cruise control until at least 3000km
• try & drive up/down a few mountains
• check the oil level every 500km until you get a feel for how much it's using. Adjust the frequency as needed.

I'm sure somebody disagrees with all this

[Lucas_R]

I'm sure somebody disagrees with all this

^ Haha.

Load that motor up as much as you can - seal those piston rings (especially important in the first 100-200km or so). Don't flog the guts out of it but don't be afraid to give the engine a nice rev either.

The 77TSI engines seem to have very few problems.

[Bradpalace]

Hi Brad and Lucas,
Brad: I did go searching for running in threads and found nothing, hence starting the new one. I did search under "running in". Thanks for your 2 bob's worth. My technical knowledge doesn't quite cover 'lugging' engines. Can I have the dummy's definition of that. Ta.

Also curious as to why you're suggesting no cruise control for the first little while. Is it because you don't have control of how the engine is going to rev and that sudden changes are not good in the early days?

Lucas: Regarding giving the motor a nice little rev, would you suggest disengaging full DSG, picking a gear and putting some revs into the motor that way? (5th gear when on the freeway instead of 7th, for example)

Thanks for your comments. My thread had a week of nothing, then one comment then some more. It feels like a bit of an auction with a vendor's bid to set it off. It needed something for someone else to disagree with before it took off.

[Lucas_R]

The Fabia section of the forum is a bit quiet at the best of times. Don't forget the same engine/gearbox combo is also available in the Polo 77TSI so might be a good idea to look in the Polo section of the forum occasionally too. The Polo section of the forum is a fair bit more active than the Fabia section.

What Brad is saying about not using the cruise control for the first few thousand km's is because you don't want a new engine doing constant rev's without any variation (eg sitting on cruise control on the freeway for 2 hrs). So with the cruise disengaged your revs and speed will vary a bit naturally as you go up and down hills etc/traffic.

What I meant by loading the engine up is to be doing say 3rd or 4th gear low revs (say 2,000rpm) and then floor it up to ay 5,000rpm or so. Doing up a hill/incline is even better.

[brad]

Hi Brad and Lucas,
Brad: I did go searching for running in threads and found nothing, hence starting the new one. I did search under "running in". Thanks for your 2 bob's worth. My technical knowledge doesn't quite cover 'lugging' engines. Can I have the dummy's definition of that. Ta.

fair enough. Sometimes finding the right search term is a bit of a lottery. The process is pretty much the same for all the turbo engines so don't be afraid to browse the other makes/models.

As Lucas said, the 77tsi is in plenty of other VW group vehicles - maybe check there. Just don't look in the 1.4tsi twincharger oil usage thread because that will do your head in.

My mate has 77tsi DSG polo & ran it in pretty well how I said. He tends to use Sport mode or manually select a gear. It's a very brisk vehicle. Goes hard, doesn't use oil & averages 6.0L/100km

Lugging is trying to drive in too high a gear so that when you put your foot on the accelerator the engine is unwilling to accelerate. You really want the engine spinning freely so that when you try & accelerate the engine responds immediately. This reduces the risk of detonation & takes the load off the bearings & ensures there is some gas pressure behind the rings forcing them onto the cylinder wall.

Also curious as to why you're suggesting no cruise control for the first little while. Is it because you don't have control of how the engine is going to rev and that sudden changes are not good in the early days

You want the revs to vary rather than hover around the same area. CC tends to stick in the same gear & revs unless the road is a bit hilly. Where I live, I can drive 80% of the 45km commute with CC & never change gear.

When i picked my car up I drove the 45km home using mainly 3rd gear. Traffic was fairly light so i would accelerate at ahlf throttle to 100kmh then let it over-run down to 50kmh & repeat the process - all to get some pressure behind the rings.

[Pugdriver]

we ran ours in pretty simply, basicaly following 3 don'ts:
Don't flog it (rev it too fast)
don't lug it (have it straining in too high a gear)
don't hold revs steady - keep varying the engine rpm including no cruise control.

We have now done 3000 km and it hasn't used a drop of oil.

It's a very impressive little car.