I've been driving my 1.6 TDi 90 for 18 months and have been very happy with it. Economy is fine, regen is fine and it's a very driveable engine. However, I've seen a few threads on here regarding running in and driving style and as far as I can tell there seem to be distinct differences of opinion regarding the correct way to run them in. This was my first diesel and I tended to drive it like a petrol, as in aiming to keep the revs as low as possible, but experimented with my driving style after reading a few threads on here and discovered that I was getting better economy by keeping the revs a little higher and changing gear a little later!

I've just signed to trade in for a 1.6 Monte TDi 105 and now I'm a little torn as to the best way to run it in. I've always been told that 'gently' is the best way to do it and it has always seemed to work for me, but could I get a better result by perhaps being a little more... persuasive with the new car during the run-in period? What have other TDi owners found with their run-in period? I'd be gutted if I discovered that the engine isn't performing at it's optimum and it was all my own fault!

Thanks.

Hi Starship Fighter,

While I don't have an answer, for what its worth I'm running my TDi CR 105 in at the moment. Not quite 400 miles yet, but the Mrs has had it up to the red line when pulling out of a blind junction. Not foot flat to the floor she said but near enough!

I'm thinking a little bit of rough with the smooth, all be it when she's warmed up. The gearing and engine are totally different to my old Fabia 1.9TDi PD, and I find myself driving it more like my previous petrol cars; a bit more rev before changing, but sitting in 4th at 30mph and 5th at 40mph.

So I'm still getting used to it, but I too would be interested in what any techno-geeks reckon. :think:

my greenline II is about 1500 miles now

treated reasonably normally, a bit of whellie now and again to get moving and all ok so far, starting to loosen up slightly, first 300 miles were painfull, no go at all at lower rpm, now like any other diesel will pull off in 2nd if i forget so long as you don't expect a racing start

i think a bit of excercise over the full rev and load range for short periods once warm is ok, so long as not all the time as the engine management needs to work out some of the learned settings early on (1st tank of fuel), my thoughts but may not be correct

also a brisk 5 - 10 mile run each tank apparently helps the DPF do a passive regen (is that my excuse for a quick trip into work every now and again??? )

I've always been told that 'gently' is the best way to do it and it has always seemed to work for me, but could I get a better result by perhaps being a little more... persuasive with the new car during the run-in period?

Just drive normally, don't baby it, don't thrash it, but give it some work to do

I've done that will all my new engines and they've all been great.

Just drive normally, don't baby it, don't thrash it, but give it some work to do

I've done that will all my new engines and they've all been great.

+1 for me.

I used to drive company diesels (vans and cars) and they got driven hard from new and never failed.

drive it normally (much as others have said) if it needs the red-line, use it, if it needs full throttle use it....

most of the time will be cruising anyway

Yep...I echo what is being said, drive normally, but with reference to the manual as well. and dont' get too fixated with the whole process either. It'll drive you mad. You may be aware of some of this stuff anyway, but some think following the book running in instructions means going slow. It doesn't! It just lays down the procedural roadmap so to speak for bedding in the engine. Main thing to avoid is constant speed running with the throttle fixed in one place and the engine at a steady fixed rpm. This is very bad for the engine and will prevent it from running in. It just glazes the bores and rings. Once that happens it can never be undone without a complete strip down. So avoid using cruise control during the first 1500 miles if you have it. It doesn't vary the throttle or revs enough. Bear in mind too, that the running in process doesn't even begin until the engine and oil is fully warmed up (after several miles of driving) each time you drive. The engine then needs enough throttle to put it under load and allow the piston rings to 'break through' the oil film on the cylinder bores to make small amounts of metal to metal contact at the microscopic level, a little at a time. That's why full throttle isn't advised to start with as it causes the piston rings to break through the oil film and make too much metal to metal contact, and removing too much metal off the surface of the cylinder bores. This causes scratching and scoring of the bores if you do it too many time in the early days of the engines life. Overall getting metal to metal contact is hard to do in a diesel as the diesel fuel itself is a lubricant (unlike petrol which is a solvent and tries to wash the oil away from the pistons and rings) and it just makes it harder for the rings to break the oil film, so plenty of load on the engine in the mid rev range is always good but avoid full throttle as your manual says during initial break in.

Drive it and enjoy it. Good luck and post often.

Edited due to rubbish speilling!!!... :think:

Edited 10 July, 201213 yr by Estate Man

Thanks everyone! You've certainly given me plenty of food for thought as well as excellent advice! I've got to say that since owning Skodas I've lurked here quite a bit, but found that, in comparison to other owners forums I've joined, this is certainly the friendliest and IMHO the most knowledgable!

I'll definitely be spending more time here!