Running in - how much of a difference have you seen?

[CainDingle]

I've had my Octavia since February and I've only done about 6000 miles (I'm a 10000 a year man). However, recently - and I mean in the last few weeks - the way that the car drives has changed dramatically. Most notably, it feels a lot more free revving - it's easier to rev match dropping down, the gear changes have become slicker, everything feels an awful lot more forgiving. The steering has also become more supple and feels somehow less 'binary'. I've owned cars from new before but I haven't seen anything near as much of a change in the driving dynamics as I have with this one. It feels like it's been dropped in a bath of oil or something. It's almost like driving a different car.

 

I can only conclude that this is what a 'run in' Octavia feels like. Has everyone else seen such a change or is it just me? Or has something fallen off?

[Dr Zoidberg]

Nope, you aren't imagining it. The whole drivetrain definitely loosens up after a few thousand miles.

[StevenB]

Mine is 3 weeks and 2 days since collecting and just tripped over the 2,000 miles so guess it should happen a bit quicker for me...

I did a round trip from Bristol to Hull and back last week at about 1,400 miles on clock and set the cruise at 75 and returned a computer ave of 66mpg but this turned out to be 57.7 from fil to fill. There are a lot of 50mph road works on M5 and M1 but still impressive.

Steve.

[JJBS3]

Mine is getting near 9000 miles now, and agree with all the above - revs smoother, feels more alive etc. MPG has gone up from avg 44, to long term 49. Achieved 62 on a 150 mile motorway run last Friday.

[lostp]

Haven't noticed much difference personally but I'm not near your mileage yet, sitting around 2000 for me

[toni8b]

I think my suspension loosened up a bit, but its still too harsh.

Edited 21 October, 2014 by toni8b

[AllanDJ]

Just turned 9000 miles in my car, when I picked it up from the garage in October last year it felt completely gutless and I was quite disappointed with it. But, the engine is loosening up nicely now and it does

seem to have a lot more get up and go, averaging around 54 mpg with mixed driving and circa 60 mpg at 60 to 70 mph.

 

Only other thing that I did notice when I first got it which hasn't improved any is wind noise, it does seem to have a remarkable amount of noise from the windscreen around 60 mph or so

even when it isn't that windy. Sound proofing obviously wasn't high on Skoda's list of priorities!

[Mohamad]

Many MK3 owners in Egypt complaining about wind noise also & am one of them , and we can't figure out why , my only guess is the very thing glass used in all windows.

[susi]

Many MK3 owners in Egypt complaining about wind noise

 

I would politely ask my passenger to crack the window open.

[octavianestate]

Running in?? I was told by my dealer salesperson they don't need running in...

[TomLux]

Running in?? I was told by my dealer salesperson they don't need running in...

Yeah, all dealers say that, but then you read that apparently even VAG recommend taking it slow for the first 1000km, then gradually increase use of power until you reach 1500km. But whether you do this or not, the engine will run in, and every other part connected to it will also change (sometimes significantly) over the first few 1000km. I found my Scirocco to get a smoother running engine, lower consumption (well relatively..depending on the right foot) and a much louder stock exhaust after a few 1000km.

[octavianestate]

They all tell you this or is it they just don't know better?. Maybe it's just a VAG common error then.

[neiln]

Running in?? I was told by my dealer salesperson they don't need running in...

bet he said it does 90 to the gallon and makes girls throw themselves at you too 

[pipsyp]

Id say some and some. My 2.0 150 TDi has nigh on 15.5k miles on it, just turned 10 months old.

I'd say when flogged it goes a bit better than it did when new but it does seem to have lost a bit of its low rev flexibility; its a spot of minor turbo lag I think that it didnt seem to exhibit so much when new.

Fuel economy wise, its OK but nothing exceptional. Im hoping it might continue to improve but can live with the 46/47mpg average its achieving at the moment; my Mk2 170 CR DSG only achieved about 42/43 in the same kind of conditions.

[octavianestate]

No in fact he said people will not notice you at all...he did remind me it was a skoda i was sitting in

[TomLux]

They all tell you this or is it they just don't know better?. Maybe it's just a VAG common error then.

not sure, I doubt it's a VAG thing. I guess they want people to believe that there cars are just as technically advanced as the ones from other companies, where dealers say the same thing. Now new engines certainly have much better and more precise parts as older engines, where things literally had to run in and get rid of any excess material. New manufacturing processes are much more precise. The thing I know is that many complex mechanical and even electrical machinery needs to run in : speakers, projector lamps, Plasma TVs. I don't see why such a complex thing as an engine, with many moving parts that have never done so (really moving) before you get the car shouldn't follow the same physical rules?

 

But then again, each their own. Mine will be treated a bit more nicely in the beginning.

[Genoa1893]

I "treated" her since the beginning by avoiding either steady or red "deep" rpms.

 

It's anyway straightforward how better any car runs after a good stretch of free revving roads.

[Bowiesst]

I was informed that that the wind noise is due to the wing mirrors. Bit of a poor design if thats the case but love the car anyway.

[SC03OTT]

Not sure if it's my imagination, but my vRS seems to sit a lot lower than it did when new. Looks less 4x4 now.

[Orville]

The colder weather during winter can aid performance. Lower temperatures increase combustion efficiency with denser air resulting in more performance or the turbo having to work less hard to provide the same effect. The VRS does not seem to benefit as much as my Subaru's did on frosty mornings, but I can feel a difference.

 

My car does feel "looser" after 7K miles, but I put some of the added performance down to the temperature being ~15 degrees lower than when I first got her.

[StevenB]

Thats because VAG restrict the amount of advance on the engine compared to the Subaru.

 

I've done both over the years....flogged from day one to taking it steady and gradually building revs/load etc....neither has made any difference to the long term reliability.

 

Steve

[Gerrycan]

I was informed that that the wind noise is due to the wing mirrors. Bit of a poor design if thats the case but love the car anyway.

I can believe that, it is surprising how many insect carcasses I get on the side windows from the mirrors when I drive through a 'swarm'.

I don't remember any on the Octavia 2 I had for over 6 years of ownership

[themanwithnoaim]

The colder weather during winter can aid performance. Lower temperatures increase combustion efficiency with denser air resulting in more performance or the turbo having to work less hard to provide the same effect. The VRS does not seem to benefit as much as my Subaru's did on frosty mornings, but I can feel a difference.

 

My car does feel "looser" after 7K miles, but I put some of the added performance down to the temperature being ~15 degrees lower than when I first got her.

It doesn't seem to aid fuel economy though, 10C with a dry road @ 4am this morning and although I was sub 11 mins to work I was also sub 20mpg,  In addition, I did wait till the engine oil was at least 50C before switching to Sport Mode.

[neiln]

Agree. I was getting fuel economy of almost 40mpg over 400 mile runs on the motorway by early September ( it was steadily improving each tank of fuel from about 2000 miles onwards). Then it started to get cooler, same run and I get about 35mpg now. I checked and inflated tyres which helped but my economy is way down now it's cooler.

[Genoa1893]

I always look at the oil temp before pushing, but I wait till it reaches at least 80°C.