Tips for breaking in a brand new engine?

[dave_r]

Warm up and drive hard. Not bouncing off the limiter or loading it up in too higher gear but giving it a good workout through the rev range/gears.

I've done all my cars the same way and they've made good power (vs same models on same dyno on the same day) and used no oil or had any issues!

[clover4studio]

Hey guys, found this link while browsing the VW facebook page "74 Car Care Tips To Keep Your Auto In Top-Notch Condition".

74 Car Care Tips To Keep Your Automobile in Top-Notch Condition: Operating Your Car | Driving | Reader's Digest

Hope it is of help!

[Mountainman]

I have now "run in" 12 new cars in my life of car ownership and have always followed the advice of the manufacturers of never putting too much load on the motor at low or high revs, varying the revs and no sustained very high revs. The last 2 cars before the Golf now have 312,000km ('98 Camry V6 man) and 208,000km ('06 Forester XT man) and neither have used any oil. The Golf used a litre every 3,000km up to the first service but in the 2,800km since then appears to have used next to none. I have wondered if this is because of the change in type of oil used since that initial lot. However what really confuses me is that my brother's Jetta 118TSI has only used a small amount up to 30,000km+ and hasn't needed topping up. I certainly know his gets driven harder than mine and gets a lot more city and short trip running. I'm just hoping that mine has now settled down to what it will be for the rest of the life that I have it.

[iamandrew]

New Car Running In?

Hi, Im new here, but ive just picked up my 118TSI today, everything went well, including the 2 hour long drive home due to massive traffic jams!

Ive only got one question which ive just done a search for but came up with a lot of results....

The dealer said to me that the cars "dont need to be run in", now ofcourse ive ignored this compleatly and took it veryyyyy easy on the way home.

Was just wondering other peoples thoughts on this.

Also, with that MDI cable, mine runs into the glove box, If i get an IPOD, does it just need to be plugged in to that, and ill be able to access everything on it through the steering wheel??


Thanks!!!!

[Corey_R]

Hey mate, welcome to the forums.

I've merged your thread to this. There is lots of tips, discussion, and debate about the subject.
Some range from follow take it easy, to follow the manual, to vary the loads, the drive it like you stole it.

I personally believe that you just need to make sure that the engine and running gear is warm, and then drive it how you expect to be able to drive it!
When I say make sure that it's warm, I don't mean stand idle for a long period (or at all) as that doesn't warm up the gearbox etc, I mean drive at a slow pace/light load until the engine oil gets to the "operating temp". If you don't have an oil guage, then just double the time it takes for the water to get to 90 degrees.


As for the MDI cable, there are threads on the topic in the VW Car Audio and Electronics forum.

[vdubber1212]

I've driven my GTI down to Wollongong via Grand Pacific Drive yesterday and was trying to vary the revs a few times with paddle shifters in D for the running in purposes suggested here but I wanted to make sure if using paddle shifters in D at low odo kms is ok. I've checked the engine oil has warmed up to the suggested temp. then. I've also driven up north to Hunter valley in the rain today and tried to vary the revs just with my foot on and off the accelerator - not very effective unless I'm going up/downhill. Is this how we do it? What's the reasoning behind all this highway/freeway driving for running in the engine? I've done about 650km in three days. Did I drive too much? hehe in fact, I want to go out and drive more now. I'm not babying the car but am trying to drive normally between 2000-3200 rpm and the manual says dont run the engine at low revs.

[Corey_R]

I think that you've misunderstood what some people are saying here. Highway/Freeway driving is BAD for breaking in an engine. So as some people have had to pick up their cars from several hundred (or even a 1000+ km) from home, they've wanted to know how to drive it home via highways and freeways and still break in the engine well....

Also, does the manual really say "don't use low rpm"? Or does it say something more like "vary your RPMs" ?

[markwid]

I'm not babying the car but am trying to drive normally between 2000-3200 rpm

Too late - damage done . Just kidding - should be fine. Breaking in is less of a factor these days with modern cars.

That said, the general wisdom is (a)warm up engine (b) drive reasonably hard, varying your rpm i.e. give it some load. This is why highway driving at constant rpm is not recommended.

[vdubber1212]

I think that you've misunderstood what some people are saying here. Highway/Freeway driving is BAD for breaking in an engine. So as some people have had to pick up their cars from several hundred (or even a 1000+ km) from home, they've wanted to know how to drive it home via highways and freeways and still break in the engine well....

Also, does the manual really say "don't use low rpm"? Or does it say something more like "vary your RPMs" ?

Yeah I've read that part too (worrying about driving from interstate) but a forum member here, I think it was wj who had good results in doing that in his two gtis, might have mentioned something like that. Maybe I still misunderstood as roads suggested were where varying revs are required not just being at constant speeds. The manual says don't drive at low engine speed n I think it also mentions varying speed too.

[vdubber1212]

Too late - damage done . Just kidding - should be fine. Breaking in is less of a factor these days with modern cars.

That said, the general wisdom is (a)warm up engine (b) drive reasonably hard, varying your rpm i.e. give it some load. This is why highway driving at constant rpm is not recommended.

Yeah I heard it's run in on bench at the factory before being put in the car but manual still mentions briefly about running in the engine for up to 1500km. Now I'm worried..

[vdubber1212]

Btw by freeway/highway driving I just assumed the long distance drive routes suggested were freeway/highway as I wasn't familiar with places in Nsw n thought those routes required varying revs. Yes the main two things I gathered here were varying engine speeds n oil temp between 95-105 Celsius degrees n not to idle. Btw I wasn't able to drive at constant high speeds due to traffic n rain but then again start/stop is also not good?

[hooba]

It'll be fine, you're over thinking it. Don't baby it, don't cane it, and just drive it.

[Angryman]

Agreed. Had my r for 3 months now...just cracked 20000 km and I've driven it as I normally would. Nil issues so far. It's doing 1700km a week at a minimum on the highway and gets the herbs everytime I over take...stop worrying start driving!!!

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[vdubber1212]

It'll be fine, you're over thinking it. Don't baby it, don't cane it, and just drive it.

Thanks. Will do just that. just wanted to do my best in having trouble free motoring experience as I had some probs with my last Golf.

[vdubber1212]

Agreed. Had my r for 3 months now...just cracked 20000 km and I've driven it as I normally would. Nil issues so far. It's doing 1700km a week at a minimum on the highway and gets the herbs everytime I over take...stop worrying start driving!!!

Sent from my HTC Desire using Tapatalk

thanks for the information. That makes me feel better now will just drive it as I normally would.