Running In?

[MK Guinness]

What is the general consensus on running a new car in these days?

Just picked up my (second hand) 2.0 TDi Reference Sport. It had 15 miles on it when I picked it up!

I asked the main dealer about running it in gently, and he said watch the brakes as they won't bed in for the first 200 miles, and the tyres will still have some release compound on them from the moulds for a similar distance. He suggested that if you drive it hard from the off you get a faster engine. No need to run in gently at all.

The manual suggests a 1,500 mile running in period of no excess speed or acceleration.

Thanks

Mike

 

[S8N]

My FR has been hammered since the day it was rolled off the forecourt. Give the brakes time to settle in, don't boost it too hard when cold and once it's done 300 miles or so.. kick the crap out of it and drive it HARD.

There is another thread around with the reasons why but I can't find it. I am sure someone really up on things will post the reasons why you should boot as soon as it's run a few hundred miles

 

[bakedanenome]

Try the TDI FAQ:

http://www.seatcupra.net/forums/showthread.php?t=28212

Plenty of TDI running in info

 

[Leon]

I think with a lot of cars the ECU is set to learn how the car is driven by the user (driver) within the first XX miles.

 

[AL2007]

I had same question when I got mine last month, it had zero miles on the clock.

The dealer told me no need to run the car in, modern engines are already done, just keep the revs down for the first few hundread miles.

I read somewhere you should do the opposite and actually keep the revs up for the first few hundread miles.

And the manual says take it easy for 1500 miles

I decided to take it easy for the first 500 and then put my foot down. Still done less then 1000 but taking the car on holiday next week so hopefully will clock up a few

 

[toNes]

With my old Mk2 TDi Sport, I went easy on it for about 500miles or so.... which basically meant no motorway driving or any driving over 60ish and no heavy revving.....

With my new FR TDi, I was told to break it in for 700-1000miles again with no heavy revving.....


I'm assuming the reason for this is that the motor oil in the engine needs time to coat the insides..... though I'm no mechanic so this is an educated guess.....




On another note, the DPF light kicked in on my FR at 1000 miles and to get rid of it involved running it at speed for a long duration.
Up until then, I hadn't opened it up on the motorway.......
Unfortunately I wasn't the first person to take the opportunity...... the mechanic at my local Seat garage had the joy of doing that because I booked it in for them to check out the DPF light and engine failure light.

Man...... I felt cheated........
I'd been treating my car nicely, running it in and keeping the speeds below 70mph and off the motorway...... eagerly waiting for the miles to clock up so that I can finally put the pedal to the metal....... and then I find out that the first person to push my car is a blawdy mechanic......
*sob*

My work colleagued laughed at me and said someone else had popped my car's cherry.........

 

[Glovepup]

I have driven my car since day one how I wished, I would not push it until warm and not redline it.

But with nearly 4000 on the clock now I hit that little red line now and then

 

[PaulDH]

I was told by the service manager at the dealership to give it some beans (obviously once up to temp) from the start as diesel engines, Seat in particular, benefit from this and loosen up much better.

Got 2400 miles on the clock now (including a 1200 mile week down Cornwall) and I'm sure it feels like it's loosening up.

It's got to be down to each individuals take on it though and driving style because where do you draw the line of 'ragging it to bed it in'? I don't do that many miles so don't want to feel like all the miles I do are at break neck speed. Would have kept the Scooby if I wanted to do that

 

[johnvx220]

I have driven my car since day one how I wished, I would not push it until warm and not redline it.

I agree with this and I understand that the compression and oil seal rings get a better fit if the engine is not run in. See this guys answers
http://www.mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm

 

[toledoChris]

I agree with this and I understand that the compression and oil seal rings get a better fit if the engine is not run in. See this guys answers
http://www.mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm

An interesting read, I bedding in my Fabia VRS with a bit of stick when warm but not driving it too hard and it only used 750ml of oil in the first 10k so I will do something similar when I pick up my Leon FR - sounds like I need to give it a bit of beans during the trip home from the dealer and not just trundle back but it does feel a bit wrong reving a new car

 

[chrisboyle999]

my manual basically says dont go mad for the first 1000km. i will probably heed this advice as i'll be getting used to the car anyway, plus it wont take long to do that sort of distance.