running in a furby VRS

[Oakesy2001uk]

Whats the unofficial story on running in. I have heard that running it 'briskly' can make a big difference to the performance of the car? is this true, what have you guys done and for how many miles.

[ScoobyChris]

Just follow the instructions in the owner's handbook and you can't go wrong

Chris

[flatfourburble]

Same as most cars take it easy and let the engine bed in, which is of course what you should do with all new cars :P

[Tom_vRS]

I drove fairly swiftly for about 500 ish miles, but not going over about 3500rpm, but I certainly didn't baby it. Try to vary revs and speed as much as possible - I did lots of brisk twisty A road driving... then, progressively over the next 500 miles give it more beans...

The main thing is DON'T baby it - you'll do more harm than good.

[Schtopper]

I think the general rule is don't labour the engine and don't rev its knackers off either. I'm guessing if it's brand new the brakes will need to be bed in as well, so no heavy braking for the first couple of hundred. Not sure if it's any different for a diesel though.

[SteVRs]

Drive sensibly but briskly.

[Steve R]

Drive smoothly for the first 1500km and then gradually stretch its legs. It begins to rev far more easily at this stage and the fuel economy gets better as well. Watch the oil for the first 1000 as it will probably use some.

It only gets better!!!!!!!

[MikeW]

I didn't go above 3500 revs for the first 1000 miles, also, drove it fairly gently until it was well warmed up. Unfortunately i missed the bit in the manual about not using full throttle until i had done 2,000 miles! Hope i've not ruined it.......

[Mil]

It's a car. It can handle that kinda thing brand new, but the factory won't take any risks. I guess there's also an element of discipline they try to pass around to everyone Don't worry about it. At least you din't go above 3500 revs like it said

[SteVRs]

Unfortunately i missed the bit in the manual about not using full throttle until i had done 2,000 miles! Hope i've not ruined it.......

The throttle's a valve, fully opening it from new isn't going to do any harm whatsoever - like Mil says, it's just to instill a bit of discipline into you

I used full throttle from new quite regularly and it's running sweet after 12k.

[Chris GB]

Hi to All

Reading the thread here makes me wonder why anyone needs to run in any engine? I know the answers, but am fascinated to hear WHY others would say it has to be run in or not as the case may be. What are the benefits and downsides to running in or not? Why would staying off full throttle be a good idea or why does it not matter?

Chris

[devonutopia]

I thought running in was a pretty essential part of new car ownership? :confused: Manufacturers wouldn't advise to do it unless they'd sone some good research/testing first.... no? Its a bit like when rebuilding a head gasket - have to let newly assembled engine bed in before caning it again.

Wouldn't a new car be essentially pretty similar to a new head gasket being fitted? I guess I just like the idea of letting the engine get used to itself before giving it some abuse. So glad mine's on 7.5k from the off.

[Tech1e]

The throttle's a valve.

Is it? New one to me..lol

But yes your right, giving it some wont damage it. Just dont go to mad on the revs and dont chug it about in 6th gear.

[SteVRs]

Is it? New one to me..lol

But yes your right' date=' giving it some wont damage it. Just dont go to mad on the revs and dont chug it about in 6th gear.[/quote']

Certainly used to be - probably an electronic equivalent these days. All it used to do was restrict the amount of fuel/air mix entering the engine. I do not mean the pedal.

Edit: Lummox, do you still see carb'd cars at a main dealer these days?

Nother Edit: Petrols obviously.

[Tom_vRS]

I guess its so all the parts can mate together, refine there location in the engine, any excess bits of metal get rubbed off, the fluids of the engine get around and do there bit, not glazing the pistons etc...

I say cane it from the word go!!

[SteVRs]

Friction surfaces mate better if you bed them in gently apparently.

[lee c]

I have not been going over 300 revs except for a couple of times.

I have been using full throttle about 1/2 the time. now got 800 on the clock

when i have 1k i will increase to 3500 and at 1.5 k increase to 4000 for another 500 miles then considder it run in.

cheers

Lee

[sharkrider]

you'll all prolly berate me for this, but I really don't run n cars at all! (ever since one of the citroen mechanics said to me the modern ones just don't need it.. I bought a saxo VTR at that time new, [8 miles] and ran it as normal for 150,000 miles, and the engine never gave one fault!) my fabia vRS has now done 15,000 miles since april, never really 'ran it in' and unlike a load of people on here, it never used one drop of oil before it's first service!!! it is currently running faultlessly.... just picked up a new focus 1.6 zetec (company car) and have so far driven it 58 miles! weirdly enough I don't think I could rev this thing if I tried!!! the engine seems SOOO tight, it just wont rev! maybe it's just that I'm not used to something so pathetically slow.... *sigh....

[Milkyjohn]

My thoughts on running in.

For an engine to run at maximum efficancy (i wish i could spell lol ) The rings have to bed in to make the best seal.Now imagine how good your expensive PD oil is,its that good that a unstressed engine will never bed in, if you poodle around you build a nice glaze on them pistons and your engine will never bed in,the only chance you have is to give it some stress when its new,thats why alot of race engine builders run engines in at full throttle.I used to race motor bikes high, performance 2 strokes anf when rebuilding the engines the piston and rings where cleaned in solvent before assembly so the parts ran dry for a few seconds on startup to help the bedding in.

I also worked for years reconditioning ford cargo truck diesel engines for a big distribution company,a pattern emerged alot of engines were coming back with exesive oil comsumption,the problem was eventualy traced to rings not ever bedding in.We solved the problem with special running in oil which was slightly abrasive and we would build a engine and run it in a jig on full throttle for 8 hours with this oil.(dont really know the composition off the oil but it came from the mobil oil company especialy for the job) That solved the oil consumption problems.

Last year I bought a new golf gti PD150 a engine thats known to use oil early in its life.I drove or should i say my wife drove the car very hard from mile 1 and 20k miles later it hasnt ever needed topping up with oil,the same theory iv aplied to my VRS..........just my theory lol and i am very clever ..though my spelling does not show it lol

[devonutopia]

I have not been going over 300 revs except for a couple of times.

Thats a pretty good acheivement! :P

I think really its best to keep it between 2000 & 3000 revs - and obviously try not to go from 2000 to 3000 as fast as it will possibly go.

[smerko]

My thoughts on running in.

For an engine to run at maximum efficancy (i wish i could spell lol ) The rings have to bed in to make the best seal.Now imagine how good your expensive PD oil is' date='its that good that a unstressed engine will never bed in, if you poodle around you build a nice glaze on them pistons and your engine will never bed in,the only chance you have is to give it some stress when its new,thats why alot of race engine builders run engines in at full throttle.I used to race motor bikes high, performance 2 strokes anf when rebuilding the engines the piston and rings where cleaned in solvent before assembly so the parts ran dry for a few seconds on startup to help the bedding in.

I also worked for years reconditioning ford cargo truck diesel engines for a big distribution company,a pattern emerged alot of engines were coming back with exesive oil comsumption,the problem was eventualy traced to rings not ever bedding in.We solved the problem with special running in oil which was slightly abrasive and we would build a engine and run it in a jig on full throttle for 8 hours with this oil.(dont really know the composition off the oil but it came from the mobil oil company especialy for the job) That solved the oil consumption problems.

Last year I bought a new golf gti PD150 a engine thats known to use oil early in its life.I drove or should i say my wife drove the car very hard from mile 1 and 20k miles later it hasnt ever needed topping up with oil,the same theory iv aplied to my VRS..........just my theory lol and i am very clever ..though my spelling does not show it lol[/quote']

so basically to properly run in an engine you want to run it hard for its first 1000 odd miles and not 'baby' it? i like that theory but why would all the car manufacturers say otherwise?

[mackian]

funny my main dealer told me not to bother running it in.! also told me not to worry about the oil level [lucky I decided to check that one my self] and it went in for that gear stick rattle in neutral, and came back with oily marks on the seats. to say i was ****ed off would be an understatement. 12 grand for a car and all that ****, any one reccomend a good main dealer in the south west?

[Chris GB]

Hi to All

First things first, running in does not mean driving like your granny on mogadon for 1000 miles.

So starting with the engine. Running in will help to reduce the risk of damage to the engines internals that could result in premature failure of parts later on. When an engine is built, the head and block have to mate and settle (bit like us really). The head and block, although looking solid, both move relative to each other as the engine warms and cools. The gasket will bed in (develop a movement pattern) and will with increasing number of cycles become set in this pattern. Early use of full throttle will put higher lateral forces on the gasket (particularly between cylinder bores) and will possibly increase the movement in the cycle before all mechanical clearances have settled to steady state. The upshot of this is that the gasket could subsequently be subject to larger movements than in an engine properly run in, and thus could fail preamturely.

Consider the camshaft. When I used to build engines, we used to have a startup sequence to ensure the cam and ring / bore surfaces were properly bedded. This was usually something along the lines of: start at flare and allow steady idle for a few seconds, then set 2500 rpm for 2 minutes, then allow to idle for a minute then off. The key here is it was all done with no load. Consider a high area in the mating faces of a cylinder bore and piston skirt. If you run the engine in, the high area may take a while to bed in, however, if you thrash it while the high area is present, you will possibly cause a localised breakthrough of the oil layer due to excessive surface heating. This will expand and wear disproportionately to the rest of the cylinder bore. This can show as uneven compressions in later engine life.

Worse, if the lube film breaks down on these high spots, you can suffer microwelding of the friction faces and subsequent roughening of the surface, leading to compromised ring reliability long term and again uneven compressions.

These factors apply to the whole driveline. Wherever you have a high spot and apply excessive force, you risk setting up damaged areas.

As for brakes, depending on what pads you run, you can do all sorts. For road pads and new disks, I have found slow heating the disk / pad on first running by driving a couple of hundred yards slowly with the brakes gently on before doing a fairly intense stop (from low speed) will prevent glazing of the pads and will help normalise the disks. It may damage the system as well of course and I have no experience of VAG braking systems (apart from the press and pray system from the VW Sirocco), so dont quote me on the technique.

Race engines dont need running in because they are built to minute tolerances with ***** in a bucket clearances. However, they also rattle like a biscuit tin full of nails and dont often see 150,000 miles!

Remember that every close toleracnace machined mm of your engine was done cold, and you are now heating the whole thing up and subjecting it to various stresses. It will change shape and size in many places, so these high areas are quite probable.

So if you dont take it easy when you first get the car, you may or may not suffer from any problems associated with early engine abuse. It is luck of the draw. If you dont run it hard enough, you can equally suffer problems. Seems to me the sensible thing to do is follow the manufacturers recommendations. If the salesman says the new car does not need running in, just consider he may be looking forward to your shiny new one needing repalcement earlier than strictly necessary

Chris

[alexst]

I just drove it normally from the off... and I have never had to replace the oil either as many briskodans have, dont know if that has any relevance to the above post, but im happy... After 39,000 miles and 16 months later it feels great, I get so many comments about it, just from randoms walking by! Much better than when I first got it. Gonna start modding the enging at about 50-60K.

[sharkrider]

I just drove it normally from the off... and I have never had to replace the oil either as many briskodans have, dont know if that has any relevance to the above post, but im happy... After 39,000 miles and 16 months later it feels great, I get so many comments about it, just from randoms walking by! Much better than when I first got it. Gonna start modding the enging at about 50-60K.

there is a pattern emerging here, the three of us (who have commented here, me milkyjohn and alexst) who drove the car 'normally' from new, have not had to top up oil!! please post if there are more of you to whom this applies, and those of you who did have to top up oil... did you 'baby' the engine as you 'ran it in' ?!