I've had this young fella claiming they don't run in till about 80k ?

Now I know 80k is nothing on these engines, but I'm pretty sure it's run in waaaaaaaaaay before that. o_O

100K +ish

Seriously ? You don't get full use of the engine till it's done moon miles and worth half of what you paid for it ?

They'll go for ever but they take no longer to "run in" than any other diesel

Seriously ? You don't get full use of the engine till it's done moon miles and worth half of what you paid for it ?

 

bit off topic but I've been in a 3 year old Vauxhall Taxi and it's got 317K on it, sounds " sweet as a nut "

at 100K the bores will still look like new, honing marks etc still as factory, the diesels usually settle down and stop burning oil by 60k tho unless they are driven by grannies in which case they never fully bed in.

but there is no such thing as "run in" anymore with modern machining and lubricants etc really

Think my wife may be " Run in " by now    :think:

See, that's what I was thinking...around the 60k mark when it starts behaving. The lad seemed to think it's not worth getting one unless it's got 80k "cuz it's run in then init". I don't think he realises it's milage that affects the value, not whether it's "run in" or not.

even at what will be 121K miles tomorrow, mine's still sweet, PD100 and a bit, ragged from cold quite often. As Felicia16v and Matt1chelski said. Maybe take it easy for the first 1K or so miles, then hammer it Always use the correct oil. And fuel.

 Always use the correct oil. And fuel.

......and that will be Diesel   :yes:

I think he's just after a cheap one myself. Which is fine, because the engines are strong. But his logic for it is odd. There's more things to start wearing out than an engine.

Overtime the cylinder walls become like a mirror finish proving little resistance and carbon build up can actually help and help seal, but after time seals cam weap tolerance become slack and the engine becomes weaker far later than petrol engines.

I don't think 2 well maintained vrs's one at 50k one at 100k will be far off each other in terms of power.

Run in at about the same time the turbo blows up and the flywheel rattles your teeth out!

I never really got it to be fair. Though I've never got a car from new, so I've never expected a "tight" engine before.

*experienced. Bloody phone.

The engine itself will still be there when the rest of the car is a pink pile of oxidation and grey velour. The engine ancillaries will be worn out well before the engine itself, so things that most people think of a "the engine" like the turbocharger, water pump, cambelt etc. all need replacing long before the engine will ever see any wear.

But! And this is an important But, these engines are not made to turn on, do 2-5 miles and turn off. They need 20 miles just to warm up, so low mileage can quite often mean high wear if the car has been used regularly for short commuter type journeys.

I would genuinely rather pay £3000 for a high mileage car in otherwise good condition with a service history than £6000 for a low mileage car in the same condition. You're just as likely to get expensive trouble, engine-wise.

I think you are one of the few people that would. More things to break than an engine and high milage usually means things will start going wrong unless they have spent a fortune replacing things recently. Plus, you'd get pennies on resale.

I have had mine from around 42,000 miles and is now about to hit 88,000 miles - I have noticed no difference in it at all over that period.

But! And this is an important But, these engines are not made to turn on, do 2-5 miles and turn off. They need 20 miles just to warm up, so low mileage can quite often mean high wear if the car has been used regularly for short commuter type journeys.

 

I found that out after asking a customer about how they used their diesel Octavia, after I had blown it up during a MOT.

I think you are one of the few people that would. More things to break than an engine and high milage usually means things will start going wrong unless they have spent a fortune replacing things recently. Plus, you'd get pennies on resale.

You are, of course, entitled to your opinion. People in the UK are very foolishly obsessed with mileage and registration plates.

My 2006 with nearly 200,000 miles on it has only really ever had the driver sat in it, so the other seats are unmarked and perfect. It virtually never gets left in a car park so it has no parking dings. It's always been parked in a garage overnight and washed by hand with the three bucket method so the paintwork has no swirls or micro-scratches. It's always been preventively maintained so it had a turbo before it needed one and it's on it's second set of Koni FSDs and Eibachs because the originals had started to feel a bit saggy. Likewise, the brakes are relined every 60,000 miles whether they need it or not and the brake fluid is changed at the same time.

It's always been serviced every 9000 miles , the last 15 services by the same people at Robinsons in Norwich and it runs on Michelin Pilot Sports in the Summer and Icebear's in the winter. The only way you'd be able to tell the car has nearly 200,000 miles on it by looking at the odometer.

Mk I's are on the edge of banger-nomics now and there are some real old sheds out there, but they're not sheds because they are high mileage, they are sheds because they are unloved. If you buy a 7-year old car and expect to get trouble free motoring out of it, you're deluding yourself. You're buying someone's old car. If it's been looked after, mileage is irrelevant on these cars. If it's been an unloved mum's taxi then being a low-mileage town runabout will just have hastened high oil consumption, reduced cylinder capacity and leaky turbo seals. And all of those are expensive to fix. Plus, there'll be chocolate all over the upholstery!

Buy on condition not mileage. You'll end up with a better, cheaper, car.

Modern engines are designed and built to be thrashed from the moment they're delivered, there is no 'running-in' any more, it's rubbish.

 

It used to be that you'd have to fanny about for 500 miles then get the oil changed and a quick once-over at the dealers, not any more because modern synthetic oils prevent the camgear from wearing much when new, the piston rings need less bedding-in than they used to because materials and tolerances are now so accurately specced and the notion that plain bearings need running-in is just too funny.

 

My advice is to drive a brand new car gently for one tankful of fuel then drive it how you like, but do what wja96 says and maintain the damn thing properly.

 

Not run-in until 80k indeed, what a load of utter crap.

They need 20 miles just to warm up, so low mileage can quite often mean high wear if the car has been used regularly for short commuter type journeys.

I'm interested to know where your quote of 20 miles to warm up come from? Do you mean get up to operating temperature as mine gets there within 2-3 miles normally?

Cheers

I'm interested to know where your quote of 20 miles to warm up come from? Do you mean get up to operating temperature as mine gets there within 2-3 miles normally?Cheers

That's just the water that's warmed up. That's not the block or the oil. The water isn't passed through the radiator until it heats up so you get the use of the heater, but then, as the engine warms through the water has to be passed through the radiator to cool the engine. The actual engine isn't warmed through properly for ages after you start it up from cold. The water temperature gauge just tells you that there isn't a problem with the cooling. It doesn't tell you the engine temperature.

i wouldnt worry too much about running in .... we have had pick ups / van at work ( i know not vag) but they have been driven like they were stolen from cold daily and lasted over 200,000 miles  .... infact the last ranger was around 220,000 miles when a water leak / lack of water killed it 

But the point still stands, higher milage usually means it's worth less. Regardless of how well it's been looked after. Only classics and sort after cars hold value when they've got moon miles. It's crap really.