How did you break-in your vRS

[The Speedfighter]

Hi all,

I'm wondering, how did you break-in the vRS when you first picked it up from the dealership??

Lex

[Transporter]

This question had been posted a 1,000,000 times here. Anyway here is the thread http://www.vwwatercooled.org.au/foru...ine-42450.html if you use google search this forum it will bring you manymore threads to read through.

[K1W1]

I've always found that the best way to run in a car or motorcycle is to get out and drive or ride it. Leaving them sitting shiny in the garage does nothing.

[woofy]

Read the manual it's pretty specific....

[Mysticality]

I just drove it like I do every day!!

Didn't start really throwing it around until it was about the 5,000km mark, though.

[BottomScratcher]

Read the manual it's pretty specific....

Whether petrol or diesel, woofy has nailed it.

Forget what other people on the forum, Google, the local pub, or anywhere else think might be a good idea. This is one time to do it by the book - the one that came with your brand new car.

[woofy]

I asked the sales guy on delivery and he said nothing needed to be done. I then read the manual, it's got quite clear break in instructions that fit with the spectrum of what people say. Except the person who said to redline it...not sure what they were smoking, but that's pretty much universally the worst thing to do.

[K1W1]

. Except the person who said to redline it...not sure what they were smoking, but that's pretty much universally the worst thing to do.

It's an accepted break in procedure and is widely used in the racing scene. It has a name but I can't remember what it is.
Over the years I have seen vehicles being run in in virtually every manner you could conceive but the only method that seems to have long term issues is when vehicles are babied. You are far better long term to be rougher and use more revs and more load than you are being gentle.

[Tigger]

I agree with driving it normally...ie a bit of a thrash never hurts it, and just vary it.

Also, ensure that the ECU learns the correct driving style!

I drove a GTI the other day that had been owned by an older lady all its 50,000 kms life.
It was GUTLESS...as it had never been opened up or given the chance to learn the correct way.

It will prob take that car ages to learn again if a new driver takes ownership of it. In the meantime, it seemed like a corolla!

[woofy]

It's an accepted break in procedure and is widely used in the racing scene. It has a name but I can't remember what it is.
Over the years I have seen vehicles being run in in virtually every manner you could conceive but the only method that seems to have long term issues is when vehicles are babied. You are far better long term to be rougher and use more revs and more load than you are being gentle.

Revs and load are consistent with all engines, but not red lining. From memory the gist was don't rev over a certain amount until xkms, then push the revs higher after that until you get to redline. After about 2000kms it's as per normal. Also the usual don't use cruise control and vary revs where possible.

At the end of the day most engines are pre run in at factory because the owners couldnt be relied on to do it anymore.

[BottomScratcher]

Apologies in advance for the techobabble, but there's no other way to hopefully explain it. The main purpose of running in, or breaking in an engine is to bed the piston rings to the combustion chamber cylinder walls. New cylinder walls have very fine valleys from machining and honing. These microscopic grooves fill with oil between the peaks of each groove. It's not a great graphic, but imagine that ">" is one of thousands of cylinder grooves and "l" is part of the outer face of a piston ring, so, l>. This excess oil is burnt in the cylinder along with the fuel mixture, so marginally reduces the efficiency of the engine. Cylinder compression forces the rings out from the pistons against the cylinder walls.The piston ring must travel up and down over this grooved surface for the duration of the running in period. The higher the revs the more the outward force of the rings against the walls. Once rings are bedded in correctly they then hydroplane over a thin film of oil between the now two smooth surfaces (ll), and the fuel/air mixture is no longer contaminated by the excess oil.

The running in time and method of an engine can greatly effect its volumetric efficiency, and so its long term power output, oil consumption, and overall life of the engine. Poorly bedded rings will allow compression blow-by, which pressurises the crankcase with oil and uncombusted fuel/air mixture that dilutes engine oil with fuel and water once the engine cools down and the gas condenses. This might sound all doom and gloom, but they're things that someone who has just forked out a fair chunk of cash for a brand new pride and joy ought be aware of.

Racing engines are another beast entirely. Racers haven't got time to trundle around for a break in period. The idea of redlining a racing car or bike engine, particularly a two-stroke, is to get the rings as fully seated to the cylinder walls as possible as soon as possible, but it is done with zero regard to the long term oil consumption, length of life of the piston rings, or even the engine itself. Unlike the car you plan on keeping even say three years a racing engine has a short, hard life, and may be rebuilt several times over the course of it. The idea of running in your new car - as per instructed by the manufacturer - is to ensure that, unlike a racing engine, you'll retain higher power output, better fuel consumption, and lower oil consumption for longer over the life of an engine that you should still be able to get acceptable compression test figures after having driven 200,000 kms, and so never have to rebuild. Redlining a brand new road car or bike isn't the smartest thing you'll ever do.

I agree with KIWI that "babying" a new car is not good for it, but I wouldn't say as bad as over revving it. Neither is using gears that are too low, and cause the engine to labour. The key to running in is keeping the engine mid-range until the rings are bedded in enough to be able to increase the revs to full range without any long term adverse consequences. As woofy says, the manual is specific. Instructions are given for 0-1000 kms, then 1000-1500. There should be a distinct difference in driving a new car either a) like you own it, or b) like you hired it.

[K1W1]

Neither is using gears that are too low, and cause the engine to labour.

I think you mean gears that are too high not too low.

There should be a distinct difference in driving a new car either a) like you own it, or b) like you hired it.

The standard response in motorcycle cycles is to "ride it like you stole it".

[Mysticality]

I think you mean gears that are too high not too low.

No, gears too low.

Example; doing 70km/h in 6th with your foot to the floor.

[K1W1]

No, gears too low.

Example; doing 70km/h in 6th with your foot to the floor.

It's a case of definition then. Most people would say that in that situation you are in too higher gear and you should change down. What you are describing is labouring the engine by having in to higher gear ratio for the speed you are doing. Too low a gear is when you are driving at the red line and don't change up which means the gear ratio is too low for the speed you are doing.

[BottomScratcher]

I think you mean gears that are too high not too low.

The standard response in motorcycle cycles is to "ride it like you stole it".

Yep, I meant to say gears too high (revs too low). KIWI's right Mysticality, the scenario you described, 70kph in 6th with the foot to the floor is labouring, but it's doing it because the gear is too high and the revs too low. I got it ^r$e backwards. I'm sure you'll have seen "Trucks and buses use low gears" signs on some of the descents around your way. Low gears - high torque for pulling, and higher engine braking from cylinder compression. Low gears do have the highest ratios though. A first gear might be close to 3:1, and in a 6 speed box 5th gear might be just over 1:1, and 6th will be an overdrive ratio of about 0.6:1. Don't even start me on diff ratios.

I was going to say, "There should be a distinct difference in driving a new car either a) like you own it, or b) like you stole it", but didn't want to upset the mods