Hi!

 

To make an introduction and avoid discussions about ride-it-hard or be sensitive styles:

I had new cars in past with no problems. But I also had a new motorbikes, and with the last one I had a warranty claim. After following a break-in as a schoolboy by book in order to keep it for a long time, it ended in burning almost a litre of oil per 100km. Yes, a litre! So arguing with Suzuki for 18months, they finally managed to open the engine. Apparently the third piston rings (which clear the oil) were stuck. First two rings were in suprising brand new condition, tolerance and pressure over factory specification after 18.000km of oil burning. They told me that reason was "overheating due to unknown reason". My conclusion was a factory error, cause I really treated it like a baby . Result: I got a engine renewal for free. Yes, yes, should have requested a new bike, but due to the small and not interesting market (Croatia) it would be another 18 months fight . Oil usage afterward: "none" or not visible by human eye.

Other cars and motorbikes I owned brand new, I rode normally as I do. Never took a care about running in.

 

If You are not really stupid and You push a cold engine to red in neutral: Never put a blaim on Yourself if You have a oil burner, it's all from factory and about tolerances. I am a proof.

 

 

I know this was a several times chewed topic, and it's a little bit silly to discuss about it... BUT

 

Well, besides the caution with warminug up, brakes and tyres... in between "ride it like stolen" and "lazy ride", I plan a trip to Dubrovnik as soon as I receive a car, still "hot"  :peek: .

It's something like 400 miles in one direction (actually driving thru whole Croatia from south-western border to north-eastern border). Don't ask why... I postponed my vacation due to new car arrival

 

Now the question is to drive thru highway or better not and use a state road for a 400 mile in brand new car?

 

This may be an answer to myself:

I think that the highway/motorway would be more-less similiar revs and most of the time only 5th or 6th gear. Doesn't matter how hard I would try to vary with speed and gears.

Anybody done that?

 

Thank You!

The engine has had a run-in in the factory in all probability and as long as you don't redline it before the oil is hot (enough) highways are a non-issue. Especially because the diesel only does 2000rpm or so doing 120km/h on the highway in 6th gear.

Years ago, I had to run in my bikes. It was hard. My brother thrashed his from day 1. His bikes ran a lot smoother after time.

Modern engines are bench run in. They still need a we bit of time, but just not continuously thrashed. Drive it as you wish  

I did it on the highway, but hardly with 5th and 6th since the speed would be well... amusing

 

It's possible to do it in 3rd or 4th (I speak of manual transmission).

 

BTW I "suppose" that with 4th gear, at red line the "plain and dull" 150 TDI reaches approx 180...

 

I anyway love to rev it high on the highway, on my old PD it was the best method to have engine internals well clean

Edited 6 August, 201510 yr by Genoa1893

Years ago, I had to run in my bikes. It was hard. My brother thrashed his from day 1. His bikes ran a lot smoother after time.

Modern engines are bench run in. They still need a we bit of time, but just not continuously thrashed. Drive it as you wish  

 

IMHO He simply got the bike from factory with tighter tolerances. A micron makes a huge difference.

I was driving exactly same bike like mine, but the other ones engine was vibrating as helicopter at least. I am travelling and had ~45tkm on clock, and he was tracking and having ~15tkm. No performance difference or issues in real life.

 

Nevertheless, whatever i owned, I never trashed my vehicles. New ones I drove straightly from shop as I always do. Never cared about run in really, never had a car with oil burning, including a V6 TDI engine. With last motorcycle I was playing by the book, and regreted it.

As You stated and according to my previous cars, I may think it's the best way: To use it normally and drive it as You always do.

 

Coincidentally, I work in high precision rotary tools production company for automotive industry between others.

I know if You get a block that was machined in first series with new tool, or machine had vibrations... whatever you'll do, piston will burn oil. The question is only how much.

If You get block that was machined before changing tool, You will get a pretty tight tolerance. Here You must be very careful with running in cause piston ring and cylinder must seat to each other but they have a lot of friction inbetween. This is why I'm worried about the motorway....

It's very very hard to destroy today's engines. If You kill one, it was certanly an rough abuse or a production error in the first place.

 

I did it on the highway, but hardly with 5th and 6th since the speed would be well... amusing

 

Do You have any visible/noticable oil consumption between service intervals?

Edited 7 August, 201510 yr by te@lc

I would say I never had noticeable oil consumption.

 

Of course, I always wait for the oil to be warm, then I'm used to often change revs and gears and definitely usually avoid flooring.with high gears and low speeds.

 

On my old belowed AX GT I remember the suggestion to often change revs (up to 4000rpm) and gears, once engine was warm, in the first kms. Someway I find myself keep following this advice.

 

Anyway these recent engines are a lot more free revving than old PD. I distinctly remember the 4Krpm "wall" on my MkII PD170.

As I have said before on other threads like this, when I get a new car, new or rebuilt engine I always run them in its my money and I just do it. Not a great burden really

 

There will always be people who say they thrash them from cold from day one and have no problems but there are people who smoke 50 a day and live to 100 - does not mean it is right and does not mean you will get away with it.

 

You have to think about what you are trying to do when you run an engine in. You are trying not to wear or damage the bore before the rings bed in it builds up the glaze which protects it. If you have ever tried to de-glaze a bore by hand you will know how tough this layer is. If you thrash or labour the engine the piston can rotate around the gudgeon pin and the piston skirt can catch the bore. More than this the slight twisting of the piston can dig the edge of the rings into the bore which if the bore is new and grabby enough can catch and damage the bore and/or the rings especially the oil control ring which is more fragile. Damage that ring and you will burn oil

 

Strip an engine down and look at the bore, you can see the damage, and often you can see whether the damage has happened before or after the bore glazed.

 

New engines, higher tolerances and modern oils mean there is less of this now but no engine is immune. If you get a tight engine made by tooling at the end of their duty-cycle it can still suffer or let go when a bit of running in could have turned it into a good engine.

 

For me I do not labour the car as that is what I see cause damage on the bench. Do not try to force it in a high gear or mash the throttle from low revs. Nothing wrong with accelerating sensibly through the rev range. You can damage a car by "nursing" it as much as thrashing. Bit of sensible driving for the first 500 is it that hard?

 

But in answer to the OPs question when faced with a similar choice I did take the scenic route! but cant see a problem running it in on the highway maybe just vary the speed and gear a bit?

 

 

+1 totaly agree!

 

I have to add that high gear and full throttle could cause a much more damage than high revs could, due to the forces that dispense through a different unseated parts of piston, rings and camshaft.

 

Highway doesn't really make sense to me. I'm at the point of decision to take a calm night drive (two little 'gremlins' in the back seats) all the way on a country road.

We did 250 miles on the motorway during running in (now 1500miles), I changed down gear up hills for some variety, I figured not to use cruise control and that natural speed variations would be enough to change the RPM enough. No oil used so far and I'm regularly taking 2nd to 4000 revs