Since we all are waiting for new cars any thoughts on running in a new engine. It's 30 yrs since I last had a brand new car. I am old enough to remember new cars having a sign in the back " running in please pass " that would have been late 50's early 60's Joe

I'm keeping my revs low and my acceleration smooth for the first 1,000 or so miles. No idea if it's really necessary but I'm old fashioned.

I asked the dealer and all he said was to keep the revs under 4000 and avoid maintaining a constant speed on anything above 60 mph.

Avoiding a constant speed over 60mph is a new one on me.

I don't think there is a need to run in engines as now. I have driven a brand new car and done a 100mph within 5minutes of leaving the dealer but the revs were only 3,000. It isn't the speed that matters but the revs of the engine. Don't labour at low revs but don't screw at high revs just vary the revs from time to time.

From the manual:

Driving in the engine

The engine has to be run in during the first 1 500 kilometres. During this period, the driving style decides on the quality of the driving-in process. During the first 1,000 km ,we recommend not driving faster than 3/4 of the maximum permissible engine speed, not to drive at full throttle and not to use a trailer.

In the range of 1,000 to 1,500 kilometres, the engine load can be increased up to the maximum permitted engine speed.

New tyres

New tyres have to be “run in” since they do not offer optimal grip at first. Drive especially carefully for the first 500 km or so.

New brake pads

New brake pads have to first “grind in” because these do not initially have the best possible braking effect.

Drive especially carefully for the first 200 km or so.

Drive it like you stole it,much more fun,

Literally "just drive it", bearing in mind the age-old adage "All things in moderation, especially moderation"

im not saying anything apart from build it up.

 

the engines have low down torque and not much at the top end so there's no need to use more than 50% of the revs!

My driving in regime has always been the same.

 

Firstly, I want to be sure that nothing is going to fall off and that the brakes and tyres are scrubbed in properly, so I go easy on them for a couple of hundred miles.

 

At the same time I tend to drive the car as though the engine is cold ie keep the rev's down ie a max of 3- 4k for the first few hundred miles, and try not to labour the engine too much. I then slowly build up the maximum revs used over the next few hundred miles. After that.......... drive it like you stole it.

 

I always drive the car carefully, regardless of running in, when the oil temp is low.

Bloody nancypants Porsche engineering for ye!

tee-hee

M

Bloody nancypants Porsche engineering for ye!

tee-hee

M

 

Ha you're kidding! Porsche expect you to drive like a Nun for the first 2000 miles. Fat chance, I followed my normal running in regime. The car's now done about 1500 miles and once the oil is upto temp............ It's beans time

Tsk "oil(s)" my man.

my Mk3 has started to creep into the 70+ mpg range on trips to and from work with 500+ miles on the clock..

Does that mean you will get 600-700 miles from 10 gallons of fuel,

or is it what the computer says you are getting?

 

Have you had to refuel yet from filling up?

In Richard Hammonds latest book detailing his teenage years he was a van driver. His mate and him took delivery of new vans each, he carefully ran it in but his mate tore the arse of it. The result was that the mate's van was always faster and the mpg was better.

Seriously, labouring the engine is not good. Unfortunately the arrow on the display to change up at 2000 rpm is not always appropriate, like driving up a hill. An engine would always prefer to be lightly loaded at high revs than heavily loaded at low revs.

in my mk1 1.9TDi I would change up at about 2250rpm.. this new mk3 1.4TDi is a little different though.. but the suggested gear isn't spot on.. always go off the sound of the engine.

 

70mph in the mk1 was about 2250rpm.. 70mph in the mk3 is about 2000rpm.. it's taken a bit of getting used to, but the car seems to be more efficient around the 70mph mark, than the 60mph mark.. also doesn't seem to have as much pull going up hills in the mk3 compared to my mk1.. but there we go.

Does that mean you will get 600-700 miles from 10 gallons of fuel,

or is it what the computer says you are getting?

 

Have you had to refuel yet from filling up?

 

I was getting 600-700 miles off a tank in my old mk1.. so I am already getting to that now.. I'm using about half a tank a week driving roughly 410miles..

So are you expecting 400 + miles from the other 1/2 of the tank, and an easy 800 mile range per fill up?

So are you expecting 400 + miles from the other 1/2 of the tank, and an easy 800 mile range per fill up?

 

I'd have to say no on commuting to work.. fabia's seem to drink fuel when they get to the final third of a tank and less.. I would expect more from it on a 100/200/300 mile run in one go on a full tank.. I once managed Wigan to Aberdeen on just over a quarter of a tank in the old Mk1.. so, would expect something similar in the Mk3 once it has bedded in. still early days yet..

My 1.2 tsi is just at 1200 miles. Its now being used fully but I can tell it's not fully bedded in yet as the top end doesn't seem to pull strongly. It is fantastic to 4krpm. The mpg is getting over 50 quite easily.

If you do use the power it easily does 20+ mpg which is terrible!

I do find its best to use the torque (let the DSG do its thing in D than use S or manual

If you brim it, go and really boot it,  and get an indicated 23 mpg, then went to fill it from a 5 litre can,

replace the fuel used in 23 miles, you could not actually get 1 gallon in. (4.546 litres)

 

Do 5 cold engine starts, and just go 5 miles each time, and it might actually need 1 gallon after 25 miles.