Running in my new Golf 2.0 TDI

[Transporter]

I read the manual about running in, and nowhere is it mentioned to do any of the things mentioned in the discussion threads on running in.

For the most part, the manual merely advises driving in a gentle manner for the first 1000km in order to reduce oil consumption. (There is certainly no mention to rev your car to 2500rpm when cold! That can't be good for the engine!)

I've run in several new cars in my lifetime, admittedly none of them were diesel. But I did impress my mechanic with the unusually low oil consumption of my Starfire engined Mitsubishi, so I must have been doing something right!

I think modern engines nowadays are built to very tight tolerances, and provided one drives with care during the initial 1500km, one should be okay as far as oil consumption goes.

It is interesting to mention a note in the manual that the engine "beds" down only after a few hours. While I take that advice with some scepticism, I am equally sceptical of some of the other advice on running in given in this forum.

What did your manual say about cruise control than?
It is good that you can sort out good informations from cr*p.

[Guest212]

my GTI is my first new car but not the first car i've broken in.

For the golf, I just drove it and made sure i used all of the rev range and gave it plenty of blats to 80ish or so nd plenty of compression braking.

Also did a couple of long (600km +) highway runs where i varied the revs alot and gave it heaps of **** when overtaking (like you want to be in no-man's land for very long...christ i love overtaking in the GTI haha).

Anyway 8100km on the odometer and i have had to top it up a bit, but hasn't used more than a litre yet. Still have 400ml or so left in the 1L bottle I bought when I saw it was using oil!

I'm amazed VW expect these things to be broken in properly running synthetic oil. It just doesn't allow enough friction apparently!



Personal opinion and experiences only...! Results are enough for me to continue what I do.

[brentondm]

going back to the OP.... I know its a bit old.

I don't understand how you're chirping tires, in my GT sport with 1400 on her, I find its quite difficult to chirp tires or get any sort of wheel spin.

presently running the stock continental rubber wrapped on the 17" rims.

I'm looking forward to dropping her onto the dyno to see what she's putting out on the front wheels.

[CatonaPC©]

What did your manual say about cruise control than?
It is good that you can sort out good informations from cr*p.

Sorry mate, I don't understand the reason for your question or your comment.

[Maverick]

going back to the OP.... I know its a bit old.

I don't understand how you're chirping tires, in my GT sport with 1400 on her, I find its quite difficult to chirp tires or get any sort of wheel spin.

presently running the stock continental rubber wrapped on the 17" rims.

Chirping/smoking the tyres is easy on the GT Sport Diesel! You need to push your right foot down harder!

[brentondm]

Chirping/smoking the tyres is easy on the GT Sport Diesel! You need to push your right foot down harder!

that's partly my concern......

I've given it some stick, and laying down the power with the 17" continentals....
http://www.tyre-shopper.co.uk/articl...port-Contact-2
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....SportContact+2

the car just sticks to the road and grips without traction loss in the dry.

in the wet I can get it to break traction, in the dry I have lightly launched it and got a little bit of a chirp, but nothing when shifting to second....

I guess with only 1400 on her, it may still be a little early to be seeing peak torque+power. I've been putting it under a fair bit of load, it eats hills for breakfast so I know its got some grunt in her.

it seems some people have reported an increase in output after their first service, does VW ship these road monsters detuned or with a break in tune from the factory?

[CatonaPC©]

I am not sure this has been brought up before but I will post this here anyway.

This is from MyTurboDiesel.com and it covers a few topics including running in a turbodiesel.

It is interesting to note the folliwing:

"Run it hard from hour 0" is wrong - here's why
The "run it hard" opinion hit a resurgence with a website from an air cooled motorcycle mechanic who did no engineering study or large scale sampling. Plainly put, roughly honed 2-stroke dirt bike engines that see a lot of expansion due to being air cooled are not the same as the micro finished water cooled car engines which see more regular heat cycles and expansion. Short life race engine and motorcycle engines are not the same as Volkswagen TDI diesel engines designed to last 300,000 miles and more.

I know this is going to start more arguments but as the author of the above says:

There are many opposing opinions on how to break in an engine. Some people say to run it hard to get the engine piston rings to seat, some people say to keep turbo engine under boost to get the rings to seat, other people say to baby the engine when new. The opinion you will find on this page is the same advice you will receive from automotive engineers and the same instructions that are in your owner's manual from the people who built your car. It is ultimately your engine and your car, so like any other internet advice, take it with a grain of salt and figure it out for yourself.

And I think that pretty much sums it up. To each - their own.

[Greg Roles]

This endless run in debate is nearly as bad as chip tuning! I am sold on the run it in HARD concept, but in a way to minimise stress on transmissions, brakes, tyres etc.

My last car, a BA GT was put on Redcliffe dyno, on two seperate occasions, a very well respected and Ford aware dyno, and put out a good 15-20 HP over what it should. I ran it in extremely specifically, on Penrite run in oil, and HARD! The owner asked how I ran it in, and he said that was the secret. Was very fast for what it was in auto form, and used little if any oil.

Mt TDI doesn't use any oil, seems to upset some pretty darn fast cars, and I love the way it performs. Luck? Mabey, but I wasn't leaving the run in to chance. Having to run it in on syn oil was BAD enough!

Do what you're comfortable with, all you're talking about is a little bit more power in a 2.0L at best.

[Greg Roles]

that's partly my concern......

I've given it some stick, and laying down the power with the 17" continentals....
http://www.tyre-shopper.co.uk/articl...port-Contact-2
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....SportContact+2

the car just sticks to the road and grips without traction loss in the dry.

in the wet I can get it to break traction, in the dry I have lightly launched it and got a little bit of a chirp, but nothing when shifting to second....

I guess with only 1400 on her, it may still be a little early to be seeing peak torque+power. I've been putting it under a fair bit of load, it eats hills for breakfast so I know its got some grunt in her.

it seems some people have reported an increase in output after their first service, does VW ship these road monsters detuned or with a break in tune from the factory?

Don't fret man, I've found, as the tyres wear, there are periods of squealies, and periods of grip. I'm actually happier to leave traction on, as you'll find with the grunt your tyres will be looking decidedly stuffed after 15-20k's. Just because you can't hear it doesn't mean all that torque is putting a load on the poor tyres! I worry less about the noise these days, and more about how the XR8 is doing in comparison.

[CatonaPC©]

This endless run in debate is nearly as bad as chip tuning! I am sold on the run it in HARD concept, but in a way to minimise stress on transmissions, brakes, tyres etc.

My last car, a BA GT was put on Redcliffe dyno, on two seperate occasions, a very well respected and Ford aware dyno, and put out a good 15-20 HP over what it should. I ran it in extremely specifically, on Penrite run in oil, and HARD! The owner asked how I ran it in, and he said that was the secret. Was very fast for what it was in auto form, and used little if any oil.

Mt TDI doesn't use any oil, seems to upset some pretty darn fast cars, and I love the way it performs. Luck? Mabey, but I wasn't leaving the run in to chance. Having to run it in on syn oil was BAD enough!

Do what you're comfortable with, all you're talking about is a little bit more power in a 2.0L at best.

I don't doubt you. I once owned a Mitsubishi Express 4WD with the Starfire engine, notorious for using oil. Yet, mine didn't. My mechanic was dumbfounded, because he had one and he had to top his up every so often, yet, I never had to. I never ran it hard when running it in. So, either I was doing something right or as you say, maybe I was just lucky.

[Logzy]

This endless run in debate is nearly as bad as chip tuning! I am sold on the run it in HARD concept, but in a way to minimise stress on transmissions, brakes, tyres etc.

My last car, a BA GT was put on Redcliffe dyno, on two seperate occasions, a very well respected and Ford aware dyno, and put out a good 15-20 HP over what it should. I ran it in extremely specifically, on Penrite run in oil, and HARD! The owner asked how I ran it in, and he said that was the secret. Was very fast for what it was in auto form, and used little if any oil.

Mt TDI doesn't use any oil, seems to upset some pretty darn fast cars, and I love the way it performs. Luck? Mabey, but I wasn't leaving the run in to chance. Having to run it in on syn oil was BAD enough!

Do what you're comfortable with, all you're talking about is a little bit more power in a 2.0L at best.

+1 with everything there.
The only differece is that i had a VXII Clubsport before the GT Sport but same methods, same results nonetheless.