When did your engine loosen up?

[Sheldon.Cooper]

Well, after 3 years of ownership and 21,000 miles I can confirm that my engine 'loosened up' pretty much overnight when it hit about 16,000 miles.

 

I would have thought it would have been a gradual process and I would see slightly better mpg as the miles went by but no, for the first 16,000 miles I couldn't get any better than 46-48 mpg on a long run.

 

Ever since 16K I'm getting 52-54mpg.

 

Sounds like software to me though rather than mechanical changes.

 

When did everyone else notice better economy/running?

[VRS_Dan]

Interesting, I found that my car did this some time back too. I'm nearly touching 20k so maybe a similar mileage.

[imikk3]

More interesting that my Vivaro van 1.6D become more economical before it hit 15K and now I get around 550-600 miles per tank, but before it was 500-550  :wonder:

 

So it`s still a long way to go in MY16 

[Gerrycan]

In recent years I have had a few vehicles of various types (petrol/diesel/auto/manual), from various manufacturers, from new and have never noticed any consumption change I could not account for from the driving environment or driving technique or mechanical/electronic issues.

Most cars I have owned have been capable of matching or exceeding the official consumption claims from new (with the exception of a Mk1 Hyundai Santa Fe which was truly awful compared to the claimed official consumption).

 

I don't regard the OP's claim as (statistically) unreasonable but it does seem odd that the improvement has occurred suddenly.

If the OP is depending on the display then maybe there is a 'software' issue on the 'trip' figures. Unlikely but always worth checking against actual consumption on refill.

Otherwise it could be a brake no longer binding, or a valve (EGR) or sensor function change (I guess it is possible to fix themselves?).

Tyres at proper pressures? More motorway work perhaps with fairly heavy traffic (slows speed a bit and you get an aerodynamic 'tow' from the vehicle in front), Winter fuel/Summer fuel, seasonal tyre change?

There are just so many interacting influences at play here that I would be dubious to just say it is just running in.

 

My scepticism about some claims for massive improvements from running in is that would indicate an equally massive reduction in frictional losses in engine and drivetrain.

I think it unlikely that manufacturers (Vauxhall, Mazda) would be prepared to go for 24hour distance records with brand new vehicles, as they sometimes do, if their car was likely to overheat during the initial stages when it was not run in. As it is they go full bore from the outset with diesel models to achieve remarkable results.

I always thought it shame that consumption statistics from these efforts were not made available.

 

Earlier this year I thought that I had detected an improvement in best possible low speed running consumption on my 1.4tsi from 3.7L/100 to 3.2L/100, which I got quite excited about. However now that we are in our winter I cannot replicate the improvement, so again it seems it was an environmental influence.

The car has done 25k km in 2 years and I actually expect consumption to deteriorate marginally as carbon build up on the inlet valves and in the cylinder occurs (plus spark plug deterioration). Unfortunately my planned first carbon clearing run (3rd gear at 110kph for 30 minutes) has been deferred as my daughter is visiting us, instead of the other way round.

 

My last tank (refilled today) was well below average at 7.1L/100 but then our winter temperatures have been relatively low, a lot of very short journeys (less than 3 km) and most driving by my wife, so perhaps when all said and done, it is not so bad after all.

 

Just my experiences, and logic, so don't crucify me.

[Diango]

After 80.000 kilometers I decided it was taking too long, so a colleague installed his tuning box under my hood since his car is off to the garage for a few days anyway.

 

I now feel that the car is behaving as advertised, so I'd say 1.5 years before it loosened up .

[Sheldon.Cooper]

To answer Gerrycan, there was no difference in driving patterns before or after the 'magic' 16k mark.  Literally got better economy overnight.  It wasn't after a service and has never had anything done to it other than an oil and filter change at 13k.

[Breezy_Pete]

Did you notice any change in the frequency of DPF regens?

[Sheldon.Cooper]

Did you notice any change in the frequency of DPF regens?

They seem to be further apart than when it was new.

[Gerrycan]

Did you notice any change in the frequency of DPF regens?

Good one! Completely forgot having never had a dpf on any of my diesels.

[Breezy_Pete]

They seem to be further apart than when it was new.

Interesting. That's consistent with lower levels of EGR activity, which fits with the economy observations.

[RobMurrant]

Did you notice any change in the frequency of DPF regens?

How do you know a Regen is happening? I've done 900 miles now, and the only time I know its happening is when I turn it off and there's the fan remaining on and rubbery smell.

[Wolfpred]

During the regen my car idles at 1000 revs instead of ~900. If I notice that and I have time I'll drive around for a while till it finishes. I kind of hate to leave the car while the fan is working that way, I suppose the battery does not like it...

[DrTh]

mine has seen an increase in mpg after 1500miles - almost half of that was holiday miles mostly motorway and country A roads. 

[FlyingGecko]

How do you know a Regen is happening? ...

 

 

On a Ford, when you see huge clouds of black smoke come out the exhaust when it's doing around 80. In front of you.

 

 

 

And having owned many cars from new/very nearly new, I've never known one "suddenly" loosen up. Always, always, a process over 000's of miles, some not reaching their peak until maybe 40k up.

Edited 6 July, 2016 by FlyingGecko

[Gabbo]

I didn't notice any difference in mine since the start - its always been around the early 50s. (but I covered about 40k km during the first 12months)

http://www.fuelly.com/car/skoda/octavia/2014/gabbo/279911/fuelchart

 

The only time I notice a short term difference is when the fuel changes from summer to winter diesel or vice-versa.

The other difference I have seen is when there is a dramatic temperature change e.g. from 15° to 30° overnight.

I'd put this down to the increase in tire pressure due to the change.

 

Its intereseting that there are several comments about 20k km change so must be software releated in some way.

Engines these days don't really have a "run-în-period" any more.

[Sheldon.Cooper]

Come on let's face it.  The engine control software can do all sorts of things that no one's aware of.... a running in 'restriction' isn't that far fetched considering it can also detect an emissions test and purposely alter itself!

[FlyingGecko]

...

...

...

 

Engines these days don't really have a "run-în-period" any more.

 

 

 

They do if you read the handbook.

[volleyer]

I’ve just traded in my Octy Elegance 2.0D MkII (BKD engine 130K miles) for a used Elegance 2.0D MKIII version (20K Miles) through a dealer.

 

Thought I'd go for a more refined model.

 

Each weekend I do two long 140 miles trips to and back from work averaging probably 50MPH (max 75-80MPH) so quite a good bench marking route.

 

With the MKII I was getting around 60MPG and foolishly I believed the SKODA higher-quoted spec for the MKIII 150PS engine as average MPG 68.9.

 

So far I’ve had 52.9MPG and 56MPG for the same trips (in "Normal" mode). I’m hoping it might improve with age!, but might get a ECU remap. Anyone know what happens with the driving modes Normal/Sport/Eco when an ECU remap is performed?.

[aldouk]

You'll still notice the power increase. It's mainly throttle response between the three.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[neiln]

mine loosened steadily over the first 6-7000 or so miles I'd say.  I was getting a little more mpg each tank for the first half of that....but it was also chainging from early summer to mid and warm late summer.  As temps dropped so did the mpg but by the following summer they came back and are a whisker better maybe.

[Jock]

I noticed a marked increase in acceleration once mine reached 16K miles - my journeys haven't significantly changed and I'd wondered if it was due to a longish trip (around 600 miles over two days) that had made the difference, but reading this thread I now wonder if the vehicle electronics have something to do with it?

[Gerrycan]

I noticed a marked increase in acceleration once mine reached 16K miles - my journeys haven't significantly changed and I'd wondered if it was due to a longish trip (around 600 miles over two days) that had made the difference, but reading this thread I now wonder if the vehicle electronics have something to do with it?

Probably the trip gave the improved performance.

Years back a relative had a contract MOT-ing a local company's Leyland Sherpa fleet. They were early common-rail units and a significant performance improvement on the traditional diesels of the time. Anyway they spent most of their time around London's East end and invariably failed the simple MOT environmental test, so they were taken out on the local motorway for a quick thrashing and then re-tested ok.

[countryboy]

My prevuous Octavia did something similar (2.0 BKD diesel) marked increase in MPG figures at about 10,000 and 20,000 miles. Not much but enough to be noticeable.

Ian

[Toad82]

They do if you read the handbook.

When I picked mine up, I was told that I didnt need to 'run' the engine in really, just dont go red-lining it immediately and avoid stamping on the brakes.  I still kept the revs reasonably low for the first 1000 miles.

[FlyingGecko]

When I picked mine up, I was told that I didnt need to 'run' the engine in really, just dont go red-lining it immediately and avoid stamping on the brakes.  I still kept the revs reasonably low for the first 1000 miles.

 

 

And very roughly that's what the book says