Tips for breaking in a brand new engine?

[Beaker]

The bit of road from Kiandra to Tumut is pretty boring, but not as bad as the highway run up the highway, if you take the mountains over to Tumbarumba and then to Tumut via Batlow, you could do a loop back to Kiandra and sat on interesting roads and add a couple of hundred km. As for winter, I drive those roads regularly, in 20 years I've needed snow chains there once, having said that you ARE required to carry them in winter in 2WD vehicles.

Don't think that the motor completely loosens up until 15,000 - 20,000km. My MKV GTI didn't start to loosen up until @ 15,000km.

My GTI is due end of May 2010.

Looking to knock up a couple of short drives (1-2 hours) from Sydney to the Gong to ensure all is initially good. After that a few day trips to the Alpine/Great Dividing Range areas.

Anyone have a good half day/day route from (1) Canberra to Cooma/Jindabyne & surrounds, and (2) Sydney to Bathurst & return.

Want to keep the motor ticking along with load with a cool temperature.

EDIT:

Any idea on this route, esp from Lake Ecumbine to Tumut. It it all bitumen roadway?

http://maps.google.com.au/maps?f=d&hl=en&geocode=&saddr=moore+street,+canberra,+act&daddr=khancoban+to:kiandra+to:cooma+to:Moore+St,+ACT&mra=pi&mrcr=3&sll=-36.16227,148.806381&sspn=0.491721,0.674973&ie=UTF8&ll=-36.165597,148.594208&spn=0.983399,1.349945&z=10

Come late May or early June, a snowy mountain run would require snow chains in some sections of roadway ... slight omission on my part.

Also looking at heading from Bathurst to Oberon & onto Goulburn - Is this roadway all bitumen? Any idea?

Cheers.
WJ

[WhiteJames]

^ Thanks for the info. Looking to put in as much cool & dry alpine B'grade touring driving in the first 20 hours as possible. Means a few day trips of 300km - 500km into the interior regions of NSW if time permits.

My MK5 GTI didn't use a drop of oil, either at beginning up to 15,000km (oil change every 5,000km for first 15,000km - then every 7,500km or 6 months) or pre-sale (47,000km) for long distance touring.

Stop/Start city use & short blasts up & down the tight twisties had the MKV GTI using around 100ml-200ml of oil every 1,000km (half litre to litre every 5,000km) which is good for a turbo motor imo.

Cheers.
WJ

[diop]

Hi guys

I have recently put it an order for a vehicle with a Melbourne dealer. I am from Adelaide, so I need to decide when it's ready for pick up (approx. Sept/Oct) whether I do this from the dealer myself and drive it back to Adelaide, otherwise I can have it transported to my home via road/rail.

Any pointers on the pros/cons of driving a brand new car (118 TSI Comfortline) +/- 100km/h for the majority of what will be roughly an 8 hour drive?

Cheers

[hooba]

Pick it up, and drive it back like you normally would. Modern engine building techniques and the bench testing done at the factory mean you don't need to baby the engine for the first 1000kms like you used to. Remember that your new car won't be scheduled to get an oil change for 15,000kms or 12 months.

If in doubt, remember the old saying "if you want it to run hard, run it in hard".

[AdamD]

Any pointers on the pros/cons of driving a brand new car (118 TSI Comfortline) +/- 100km/h for the majority of what will be roughly an 8 hour drive?

Irrespective of VW's recommendation for maintaining the initial run-in oil for 15,000km (or at least 7500km anyway), I'd advise some caution if you're going to bring your car back from Vic. Everyone has a different opinion, but the technique I'd suggest is to make sure you vary the engine revs every few minutes (so, shift between 4th, 5th and 6th on the freeway while maintaining your steady road speed), and try to take the back roads if you can, with varying speeds and throttle applications. Avoid any more than 1/2 to 3/4 throttle max during the first couple of thousand km.

I wouldn't be too paranoid about babying the car, but constant engine speeds for long periods in a brand-new engine may well do more harm than good (causing excessive friction, heat and wear in certain places, and insufficient heat and friction in others - preventing a proper 'bedding in' and 'running in' of the components).

[Corey_R]

I wouldn't be too paranoid about babying the car, but constant engine speeds for long periods in a brand-new engine may well do more harm than good (causing excessive friction, heat and wear in certain places, and insufficient heat and friction in others - preventing a proper 'bedding in' and 'running in' of the components).

Yep - this is something I consistently hear for multiple sources that I'd believe.

[Beaker]

Hi guys

I have recently put it an order for a vehicle with a Melbourne dealer. I am from Adelaide, so I need to decide when it's ready for pick up (approx. Sept/Oct) whether I do this from the dealer myself and drive it back to Adelaide, otherwise I can have it transported to my home via road/rail.

Any pointers on the pros/cons of driving a brand new car (118 TSI Comfortline) +/- 100km/h for the majority of what will be roughly an 8 hour drive?

Cheers

You have the perferct 'Run in Road' joining the two.

Take an extra day and take if for a squirt up the Great Ocean Road. Plenty of gear/load/rev changes in there and lots of curves to stop you getting bored!

[kennyc]

When i picked up my car i asked the dealer do i need to run it in? He no you don't, just dont red line it.
I have been testing the car a bit, done about 350k's now. But im taking it easy now.

Im taking it in on Wednesday to get the seat looked at so ill ask the service department then what the best way to run it in is.

[hooba]

It took me a while however I finally found the article I was looking for on this. From a previous car I know a world renown engine builder to subscribes to the same theory put forward in the article (he does them on a dyno), have a read and look at the pictures of the pistons and make up your own mind.

Break In Secrets--How To Break In New Motorcycle and Car Engines For More Power

This one is also worth having a read of.

New Engine Break-in Procedure

[GTi Crow]

Hi guys

I have recently put it an order for a vehicle with a Melbourne dealer. I am from Adelaide, so I need to decide when it's ready for pick up (approx. Sept/Oct) whether I do this from the dealer myself and drive it back to Adelaide, otherwise I can have it transported to my home via road/rail.

Any pointers on the pros/cons of driving a brand new car (118 TSI Comfortline) +/- 100km/h for the majority of what will be roughly an 8 hour drive?

Cheers

I did this with my Mk5 GTI. Flew to Melbourne, spent a few days sightseeing, then picked up the car and drove it home. The ideal road is the Great Ocean Highway as it forces you to constantly change your speed and revs , although you have to be more conscious of doing it once you near Mt Gambier as the roads are a lot straighter. Easy way to get a quick 1,000klm on the clock and not have to worry too much more about running the motor in.

There are some issues that are not related to the motor that you need to consider. They are: -
* You cannot register your car in Victoria except on a tempory registration of either 14 or 28 days.
* This temporary registration means you are driving around with no number plates - great for taking picture of the car.
* Drawback is the registration only gives you the right to drive directly from the dealer to a South Australian Registration Centre to register your car correctly. If caught driving around Melbourne you may be fined. Hence my car stayed in the Hotel garage for a few days and my partner was not very amused.

I drove mine to Mt Gambier and registered there - this also had the issue of having to take it to a dealer in Mt Gambier and getting them to certify the details of the car so that it could be registered. Engine number caused a problem as it is bedded down well within the engine - a copy of the number was stuck on the side of the engine (well that is the number we used anyway). Some of the other people that did this had a real issue with registration in Adelaide as the Registration Depot insisted on sighting the number within the motor or getting a VW dealer to certify as the engine number of the vehicle - I believe this could cost up to a couple of $k to have motor pulled apart by a VW dealer to check.

[prise]

My 118 TSI is my 5th new car (7th new engine if you include rebuilds on earlier cars). I've run them all in by taking several Victorian sightseeing day trips. No problems with oil consumption on any of them. I don't keep cars past 150000 km, however we've sold a couple to friends and relatives that are still going strong at 300+. My Current 118TSI has 4500 km on the clock and the oil level has barely moved (I have heard stories of them using up to 2L oil between services). If I was taking a new car interstate I'd look to do some detouring via some scenic routes and maybe add an overnight stop at a nice B&B - It may not do any better for the motor but at least you'll enjoy the new car experience a day longer!

Freeway running on cruise control at a constant speed probably isn't ideal, but its probably better than a lot of short trips in stop-start traffic which is what many of cars do.

Enjoy the trip (the RACV websit has some good touring suggestions)

[kennyc]

I was at the VW service centre today and i asked the service dude how to run in the car. He said no need to, just drive it like you stole it lol.
So i wouldn't really worry.

[Coxy09]

I was at the VW service centre today and i asked the service dude how to run in the car. He said no need to, just drive it like you stole it lol.
So i wouldn't really worry.

Again, as i have said in an earlier post, do the Australian trained VW boffins know more than VW themselves??? I'd be doing exactly what the book says to do, after all, vw have been around for a few years

[Syd118TSI]

The more I read about breaking in, the more confused I get.

Was planning on ensuring that the speed and revs are not kept constant, which may not be that easy with the DSG.

What does everyone think about running in in 'S' vs 'D'? Any merit in running in in 'S' mode as it will give more freedom for the engine to rev?

[G-rig]

Re: Tips for breaking in a brand new engine?

Just do what it says in the manual.
(and don't baby it.. And/or drive it like you stole it).