YETI- How to run in a new engine

[ejstubbs]

Sorry don't see the point of changing a car so quickly. Your just burning money.

According to the AA, after three years at 10,000 miles a year a new car will have lost around 60% of its value. On a £20K car that's £4,000 a year. After ten years it'll probably be worth bobbins but it'll only have cost you £2,000 a year - and you'll have saved the cost of three new cars in that time as well!

[domhnall]

According to the AA, after three years at 10,000 miles a year a new car will have lost around 60% of its value. On a £20K car that's £4,000 a year. After ten years it'll probably be worth bobbins but it'll only have cost you £2,000 a year - and you'll have saved the cost of three new cars in that time as well!

after three years my Octavia L&K had lost £5000. Purchased new for £17,000 sold for £12,000. It only had 17000 miles on the clock mind you, but it seemed like a good opportunity to downsize to a Yeti

[Timmy 7]

Had the Yeti (1.8 tsi Petrol) for a week now and done around 300 miles. Would appreciate some advice on running in a new engine. The hand book says don't exceed 75% of max revs for first 1,000km. That sounds sensible enought. But between 1,000 to 1,500 km it recommends slowly taking each gear up to the max revs permissible (i.e., the red zone on the counter). I don't generally push a car to max revs (unless I need to get out of a "situation"!) so just wondering if I actually need to push to max revs in order to get the engine set up nicely for the longer term. Some advice from someone a bit more tech savvy would be much appreciated. One of the reasons I bought a new car was that I have a mistrust of how ex demo cars have been treated in their early mileage which the hand book describes as critical to longer term performance.

Thanks in advance,

I have a 1.8TSI, bought ex-demo with 2500 miles on the clock. Up to 5000 rpm the motor was sweet and smooth, above 5k a bit noisier and maybe a bit less smooth. I’ve now gone up to 6000 rpm 2 or 3 times (after a good warm up) and the engine is now sweet, smooth with the same lovely hum all the way to 6k (now at 3000 miles).

The 1.8TSI is a smooth, free revving engine and seems better after being stretched across the full rev range. Did I say it was smooth, because it is…

[kenfowler3966]

According to the AA, after three years at 10,000 miles a year a new car will have lost around 60% of its value. On a £20K car that's £4,000 a year. After ten years it'll probably be worth bobbins but it'll only have cost you £2,000 a year - and you'll have saved the cost of three new cars in that time as well!

Which is exactly the point I was making above. Most peolple spending their own money, and not being given a company car will probably buy a 3 year old car, like I did for my wife, and then run that into the ground. It is very much the exception for someone to buy a new car and keep it until it is scrapped, as most with the money to burn to do tjhat want the security of the 3 year waranty and will sell at 3 years just to get another new car with a warrantly.

Pay 50 to 60% of the new vehicle cost, which has cost the first owner £4k+ per year, get a top of the range 3 year old 4x4 yeti for probably £12k, with 40 to 60k on the clock maximum, then run that to huge mileage. That is the way to get value for money motoring. If the vehicle does 12 years that is £1k/year.

[Sporky McGuffin]

Sorry don't see the point of changing a car so quickly. Your just burning money.

I have to have a car under 4 years old for work - they give me a car allowance, I provide a suitable vehicle.

And remember that if no-one bought cars new and sold them after a few years there'd be no nearly-new cars for anyone else to buy.

[Rob666]

I've done both over the years. I.e. new car and replace after two to three years and buy older and run into the ground. Even allowing for the much higher service costs the latter has always proved to be cheaper by a country mile. Best recent example. Vauxhall Astra bought for £1150 for my son. Spent perhaps £2000 in service and repairs over three years and sold for £620. Total capital depreciation including repairs and service considerably less than £1000 a year. This is one reason I still haven't bought a Yeti.

[Expatman]

Based on the need for reliability, modern safety measures and built in expected life there must be a sweet "time of ownership". I have bought cars from new and kept them for between 3 years and 12 years. I have worked out that normally the optimum time to swap is 6-7 years. Generally trouble free confident motoring up to then but after 7 years things tend to go wrong more frequently.

Of course there are always exceptions but as a general rule 6-7 years is trouble free life of modern cars.

[freedie]

+1

[Silver LittleBigFoot]

I just bought my new Yeti 2 liter TDI CR 140BHP 4x4 about a week ago. It had 40kms on the clock when I took delivery of it.

I have driven only about 300 Km's in it so far. I don't push the car to the max in each gear and am trying to be very careful in its first 1000 odd Kim's. I simply follow the gear change recommendation indicator religiously and drive sedately. I am taking my time while driving because I also am truly enjoying the excellent quality of the Yeti's Radio Bolero and the 6 CD changer!

Despite the heavy start-stop traffic on our roads here, coupled with the bad road surfaces, both of which warrant high usage of lower gears, I have been able to achieve a fuel efficiency of around 14 to 15 kilometers per liter of Diesel. I think this is pretty good, given the daily driving conditons in my city.

I think I might be guilty of babying the car a bit because it is new and in India at least, it is quite an expensive vehicle. Can anyone recommend what the best way is, of running in my new car? I am planning to use it inside the city for the next 19-20 days after which I am taking it out onto the open road for a quick New Year's trip to a hilly district around 250-280kms away. Much of this drive would be on a proper motorway/highway and I want to know whether I should be driving the car sedately and conservatively as I have been doing so far, or can I take the car to higher revs in each gear.

Edited 10 December, 2011 by Silver LittleBigFoot

[GJay]

I just bought my new Yeti 2 liter TDI CR 140BHP 4x4 about a week ago. It had 40kms on the clock when I took delivery of it.

I have driven only about 300 Km's in it so far. I don't push the car to the max in each gear and am trying to be very careful in its first 1000 odd Kim's. I simply follow the gear change recommendation indicator religiously and drive sedately. I am taking my time while driving because I also am truly enjoying the excellent quality of the Yeti's Radio Bolero and the 6 CD changer!

Despite the heavy start-stop traffic on our roads here, coupled with the bad road surfaces, both of which warrant high usage of lower gears, I have been able to achieve a fuel efficiency of around 14 to 15 kilometers per liter of Diesel. I think this is pretty good, given the daily driving conditons in my city.

I think I might be guilty of babying the car a bit because it is new and in India at least, it is quite an expensive vehicle. Can anyone recommend what the best way is, of running in my new car? I am planning to use it inside the city for the next 19-20 days after which I am taking it out onto the open road for a quick New Year's trip to a hilly district around 250-280kms away. Much of this drive would be on a proper motorway/highway and I want to know whether I should be driving the car sedately and conservatively as I have been doing so far, or can I take the car to higher revs in each gear.

Erm, I would suggest reading the many comments above this one to get the answer . As you will see asking that question in a forum such as this will always get you responses from drive like Miss Daisy to 'give it full beans' right from the start. So the answer? Do what Skoda tell you in the handbook, drive to roughly 75% of maximum revs up to approx 1000kms and gradually stretch it up the rev range from that point ensuring that by the time you've got to 1500kms you taken it to the red line a few times. Most importantly, do not run the engine consistently at the same revs for any length of time.

Edited 10 December, 2011 by GJay

[bilun777]

Don't religiously follow the gearchange indicator.It is striving for maximum economy .

A lot of the time,especially in rough driving conditions, you will be labouring the engine in too high a gear.

[freedie]

+1.

Indeed, ignore the gear change indicator altogether, unless God forbid it tells you to change DOWN, until at least 1500 kms. Mind you, your mileage to date suggests even the tyres and brakes may not be run in yet?

[Silver LittleBigFoot]

Thank you for that pointer! Yes I will follow what the handbook says and in any case, in general I don't push to the red line in any of my vehicles. I drive for comfort and utility more than hard riding performance.

Erm, I would suggest reading the many comments above this one to get the answer . As you will see asking that question in a forum such as this will always get you responses from drive like Miss Daisy to 'give it full beans' right from the start. So the answer? Do what Skoda tell you in the handbook, drive to roughly 75% of maximum revs up to approx 1000kms and gradually stretch it up the rev range from that point ensuring that by the time you've got to 1500kms you taken it to the red line a few times. Most importantly, do not run the engine consistently at the same revs for any length of time.

Thank you. This is a point well taken. Of course I do practice anticipatory gear changes rather than be a fanatic about following the gear change indicator!

Don't religiously follow the gearchange indicator.It is striving for maximum economy .

A lot of the time,especially in rough driving conditions, you will be labouring the engine in too high a gear.

Yes neither the brakes nor the tyres have really been run in as yet. My typical daily usage is around 30-35 Kim's max. Weekends it tends to go up to around 80-90 Kim's or so on account of the drive to the golf club and back plus the general errands etc. I go out of town every couple of months and tend to clock some kilometres on each such trip but all in all being a wage slave in the urban environment, my mileage is approximately 1200 Kms a month or so at the maximum. Hence it may take me longer than this month to get to the 1000kms mark!

+1.

Indeed, ignore the gear change indicator altogether, unless God forbid it tells you to change DOWN, until at least 1500 kms. Mind you, your mileage to date suggests even the tyres and brakes may not be run in yet?

[JCP]

If you get the chance and make some time you could do a lot worse than take the Yeti for a spin-perhaps you can find a hour when traffic is light just to let the engine have a smooth run and some open road exercise. It isn't ideal to do the initial break in in commuting traffic.

[GJay]

Thank you for that pointer! Yes I will follow what the handbook says and in any case, in general I don't push to the red line in any of my vehicles. I drive for comfort and utility more than hard riding performance.

Understood, but it is important for engine longevity and to ensure complete bedding in of the piston rings that you do take the engine to the redline once in a while, ideally around 1500kms or so once initial bedding in has taken place. That doesn't have to mean excessive speed mind you. If you don't the engine will not explode but you will use more oil and fuel over the life of the engine.

[freedie]

+1

[Silver LittleBigFoot]

Surely! Indeed this typically does happen when I am golfing like this morning. Am just about to waddle off to the club and the traffic is indeed, light at this hour.

If you get the chance and make some time you could do a lot worse than take the Yeti for a spin-perhaps you can find a hour when traffic is light just to let the engine have a smooth run and some open road exercise. It isn't ideal to do the initial break in in commuting traffic.

I shall certainly test this bit out around the end of the month when some Kim's have been clocked. Will open her up to some higher revs on the highway when we are on our short road trip!

Understood, but it is important for engine longevity and to ensure complete bedding in of the piston rings that you do take the engine to the redline once in a while, ideally around 1500kms or so once initial bedding in has taken place. That doesn't have to mean excessive speed mind you. If you don't the engine will not explode but you will use more oil and fuel over the life of the engine.

Thanks for the advice!

+1

[Dexta Man]

If your engine is a diesel then problems may arise if when new they are not loaded, this causes 'glazing' of the cylider bores and can lead to poor compression and oil consumption as the rings can't seal well against the bore.

Once you have got past about 100 miles then any 'high' spots in the frictional surfaces (bearings, bores, chains and gears etc) have been reduced to the rest of the surface so you can then use them well. In olden days of poor quaility/tolerances and cheapo white metal bearings then a running in period was obligatory or you quickly knackered the engine but with modern high tolerance engines the need is not so great.

IMHO

Jerry

Bath

UK

Dexta Tractor

Defender 90

Honda Civic (hers)

Yeti on Wednesday!!!

[countryboy]

Yes, when you go up them hills use the engine freely and make frequent use of full throttle and the higher reaches of the rev range. Not necessarily to the red line but higher up the rev range.

Ian

[Silver LittleBigFoot]

Thanks Dexta Man and Countryboy. I intend to use the vehicle nicely on the twisties but shall keep a close watch on the speeds and revs. I enjoy driving in the hills and am looking forward to the LittleBigFoot's first outing on the en roads!

Edited 12 December, 2011 by Silver LittleBigFoot

[Charlieian]

Now whilst I don't profess to be an expert, could I point something out that generally happens in most motor plants: before installation the engine is bench tested at maximum revs for an extended period (sometimes 24 hrs!). If the engine performs as according to the set parameters it's good to go, if not,it's either repaired and re-tested or junked.

So although it pays to be careful and never let a new engine labour (although you obviously shouldn't do that to any engine!); the factory will have tested the reliability of your new engine in a rather brutal fashion, before they even installed it in your car!

Having said that, will I treat my new car (when I eventually get it!) with kid gloves for the first couple of thousand, yeah, probably will!

Regards

Charlieian

[Merlinman]

Off topic slightly but relevant, I think?

It's not just a question of running in the engine - other elements need to be run in too!

Brakes and tyres to name but two

[Llanigraham]

I very much doubt that every engine is run like that! It is more likely that one out of a batch will be tested, and the rest will just be run enough to make sure they go.

[speedsport]

I very much doubt that every engine is run like that! It is more likely that one out of a batch will be tested, and the rest will just be run enough to make sure they go.

During a recent visit to the JLR plant at Halewood I was told exactly that Graham.

Engines are picked off the line (it was once 1 in 50, but now with so few failures, it's a far lower number) and bench run them on a computerised rig that simulates all sorts of misuse, including running at near peak revs for extended periods on a dynometer to simulate a load, to the extent that on some tests, the turbo & exhaust can glow red-hot!

[freedie]

LOL. Reminds me of my Subaru...