Ok, here's the deal.

I have a Fabia vRS, my mate has a Fabia vRS 2 (both MK2, mine is 61 Reg, his 11 Reg). Mine was 6 months old ex demo when I got it.

He's got one of those tuning box thingies, mine is standard. We had a 'test' to see the difference and it was pretty much neck and neck. Nothing in it.

As my car (the ex demo) was ran by a youngish sales guy for 6 months who'd done some obvious tweaks that is common for people to do on this forum (like changing the indicator bulbs to blue etc) I wondered if he'd had it remapped. So I rung the dealer I bought it off and although he wasn't there he said there was no way he'd remap a demo car and then sell it, it just wouldn't happen.

He then went on to say this, which is what I'm trying to see what you guys think;

Basically If I have a 'good' engine from factory and he hasn't, although his has been mapped it might have only brought it up to the level of my car. PLUS, if his has been gently 'run in' during it's early months and mine (as an ex demo) has been ragged silly then that can also make a difference in power output.

I then rang a Skoda dealer that has done Revo maps for years and asked him. He echoed the fact that the running in period of a car (which isn't stricly needed these days) can make quite a difference to it's eventual performance. He also pointed out there's at least 2 turbos used in Fabia vRS 1.4 engines and he's seen 7 different spark plugs come from factory depending on build date etc so that could make a possible difference.

So the moral of this story is (presumably) that if you have a 'good' factory engine and rag it all the time you could end up the similiar power to a standard remap????

Thoughts???

Incidentally, in the 3-4 months I've had the car it's used no oil. It'll be 1 year old this Oct.

On a second side note the Revo guy really wasn't a fan of tuning boxes, basically saying they use to be spot on but over the past few years they do little. Defo wasn't a fan!

I think Dave (Sharkrider) has already proved this point with his standard - but driven hard since day one - Mk2 vRS

I tried a few used at different dealers cars, Skoda , Audi & Seat to see which felt right,

3rd vRS felt very good,

4800 mile Ex Demo that had been traded back in by an owner at 14 months,

so i bought it as was, and it was immaculate and very very much as brand new..

First thing was too much oil in it when i got it warmed up, so i made them put it on the ramp and do an oil and filter..

Still they overfilled the oil! (Castrol Edge)

& then it was using oil.

Long story short, it turned out it was a 'Skoda UK' first registered car, but not a demo car at that dealership,

& was on a Personal plate first register, then the first private owner had it on a Private Plate.

The Engine was rebuilt at 4000 miles after the Private owner returned it, not to the Dealership i bought it at.

7- 7500 miles and it stopped using oil (So got an oil and filter change, Mobile 1)

& at 8000 miles started getting better and better.

Waiting still for a truthful explanation of where the car was for the first 3000 miles or so,

i would not worry about Ex-Demos etc, but you do want that 18 months to 2 years of warranty to know the car is kind of right before the warranty is out.

2 year old low milage vRS's going for £9500 to £10,500, no idea how many might be Warranty or Take back by Skoda to replace faulty cars, then put into the trade, but that would not worry me.

george

Edited 5 July, 201213 yr by sk4gw

Mines been fine, just curious as to the difference in power. Does running the car in make such a bhp difference?

Apparently it does!

Maybe try an accurately timed 0-62 and report back the results... That would give a hint on whether yours is that much quicker than standard or his box/car are not working as they should.

From what various people have reported (both stock and remaped) stock vRS's hit 0-62 at 6.5 - 6.8 seconds whereas most remaped/boxed ones are near high 5's or very low 6's.

Next step is for him to remove the box and if the theory is correct, mine should pull away.

But his box could be hypothetically faulty, so as I said above, a more reliable reference would be your 0-62 time. I don't think there's anybody below 6.5 on a standard vRS. Then If you're that much curious, there's always the dyno... Surely you'd find your answer there...

If his box is faulty then his car will behave the same with it off (power wise, he has no lights etc in months). If the box works then his should slow down.

Anywho, the original question was;

can how you treat it during its running in period make such a difference in ANY car, not just ours? 2 dealers (1 revo) seem to think so.

Mine had 20 miles when I bought it, I barely use the car and when I do it's very rarely driven hard. I have had it remmaped and it goes like the clappers, much faster than it was standard. I very doubt that a stage 1 remapped car would be neck and neck with a standard one (that had been ragged in) if they were timed with the same conditions and same driver my money would be on the stage 1.

Ps. Ardandy, your car looks sweet in the profile picture man!

Yes the running in definitely can make a big difference.

I think it is using a balance between driving steadily and giving it some beans and allowing the engine to rev out now and then. Which is how a car should be driven anyway in my book!

Phil

From what's been said here on many threads, it can make a difference but mainly regarding oil consumption and to a lesser extent on fuel consumption. I haven't heard however anybody reaching stage 1 performance just because he ran it in hard. That doesn't sound so probable tbh.

Ps. Ardandy, your car looks sweet in the profile picture man!

Since you asked nicely!

Maybe it's just Estate Power!!!!!!! (His is hatch)

It can make a difference but doubtful it will make 20-30bhp difference (stage 1). What box is it? Get them both on the RR

Anywho, the original question was;

can how you treat it during its running in period make such a difference in ANY car, not just ours? 2 dealers (1 revo) seem to think so.

The "running-in" process is basically down to the cylinders and the pistons wearing into each other.

The cylinder walls aren't perfect when it leaves the factory and the piston rings are set quite tight inside them. The breaking/running in is basically while the two are rubbing and wearing out any imperfections and bedding in.

So you can see how driving the car differently can change this bedding in and therefore the general running and performance of the car.

Phil

Ok, whens the next RR day ooop north?

The "running-in" process is basically down to the cylinders and the pistons wearing into each other.

The cylinder walls aren't perfect when it leaves the factory and the piston rings are set quite tight inside them. The breaking/running in is basically while the two are rubbing and wearing out any imperfections and bedding in.

So you can see how driving the car differently can change this bedding in and therefore the general running and performance of the car.

Phil

Sure the running in does all that but let's get this straight. His buddy is running a box which is said to be putting out around 205-210 hp. Is there any possibility at all that he's gained around 30hp just by running it in the best possible way? Let's be serious...

As somebody else said, get them both on the RR and that'll settle it...

I am Standard as far as i know engine, Exhaust, Airfilter & quality plugs and oil.

But no rear seats or rear weight & 215/40/17 tyres.

Actual timing professional timing with TC on and off in D, not reaction time as standing starts with a properly heated engine and oil above 90 celcius,

half tank of fuel..

Easy 0-60, 6.3

0-70, 7.9

0-80, 9.9

Not 1/4 mile times i am after tho,

its Hill Climb and Sprint times i will be doing, so staying standard running & getting the car lighter.

It does very good climb times compared to others in Under 1400cc class and looks like is going to have to go into 2000cc class (unmodified)

to keep faces straight if i want to go for Championship points.

george

Edited 5 July, 201213 yr by sk4gw

Since you asked nicely!

Maybe it's just Estate Power!!!!!!! (His is hatch)

Was that car from Lightcliffe Skoda?

Edited 5 July, 201213 yr by Wilko251088

Depending on the class structure you're going for, forced induction normally adds the equivalence factor putting you in the 2 litre class anyway?

Anyway, before digressing....I have no intention of mollycoddling mine when it arrives. Running in is pretty much not needed these days (compared to the old sense of the word); especially when you see how they spend the first 10 minutes of their lives.. Yes, there is still a bedding in time for the engine, but its not the same as it used to be 20 or 30 years ago. Improvements in manufacturing processes and materials have helped a lot.

As for ECU adaption...now thats a different kettle of fish...

Was that car from Lightcliffe Skoda?

Warrington, yes.

I bought the car which was an ex demo (6 months old, 2k on the clock) after 7k the engine was replaced due to spark plug failure, ever since the engine was replaced I was told to drive carefully, run it in etc but after a few tank fulls of petrol this 'running in' became a tad boring so ever since then it has been driven hard, now on 13k, the car pulls away quite abit in a standing start & rolling races from every other 1.4 tsi's such as the polo gti and the seat bocanegra which I have come up against. My car only has a panel filter and a custom intake pipe but surely that won't make much difference.

I have recently fitted a tmc tuning box on setting 7 and it will pull away from a polo gti with a revo stage 1 map + itg intake, very strange!

The beauty of a Rolling Road is setting up an engine, and getting its power output, and great stuff.

Then it comes to putting that down on the road, so front wheel drive & power without grip off the line is

'no traction no action'.

A twin charge 1.4 is not a fast vehicle 0-30, and so easily shown up at traffic lights by a moped.

30-50, 50-70 50-80 etc etc is where that extra BHP will be making a huge difference and the re-maps and come into their own.

Not if the infamous 'Heat soak' is causing your loss of additional power that you went to the trouble to get dialed in.

george

I think what the Skoda guy was trying to say was that

1, I have a 'good' engine from factory

2, Mine was ragged from day 1

3, His isn't as 'good' from the factory

4, His wasn't ragged.

Factor them 4 in and theres the difference. Can't see it myself!