Running in

[BradHarris]

Orderd a new car today - see previous post - "USB port".

A slightly more important question:
What's the perceived wisdom on running in a new GTI - if at all - how many miles at what revs ?
Does the handbook suggest anything ?
Apparently my car will come on "long life" servicing by default, although I could change this if I wanted.
V expensive oil the salesman said - £40 for the oil - making it a £90 service !
Salesman today said that no one had ever taken one back for a 1000/1500 mile oil change.
Any views / experience?

Had two previous golfs (1.6 petrol and 1.9TDI) on long life and we've benefitted through long service intervals although whether it benefits the car in the long run might be a different question.
Is a GTI really any different ?

[The Doc]

Q. What's the perceived wisdom on running in a new GTI - if at all - how many miles at what revs ?
Does the handbook suggest anything ?

I recommend no more that 4500 RPM for the first 1250 miles then slowly build up from there, your brakes, clutch, tyres etc should be good after 300 miles.  All IMHO of course!

Q. Apparently my car will come on "long life" servicing by default, although I could change this if I wanted.

I like long life services for standard cars - others don't!

IMHO this Long Life Service is fine for a standard car, if you get it chipped  the go for the 10000 / 1 year job or 5000 / 6 months if you go MAD in it 

[BradHarris]

Thanks again.
I guess a 1000/1500 mile oil change is not needed / advised then ?

[wantmygti]

Mine is going on time and distance sevicing and i will be changing the oil after about 2k miles. Call me old fashioned..... I only do around 10k a year too.

[BradHarris]

All,
Thanks for the various replies.

Got a reply on another forum that cited some interesting stuff:
http://mototuneusa.com/thanx.htm
http://mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm

I followed the links and read quite a bit on the "MotoMan's" theory of giving the engine a good blast from first start.
Don't know if there's been previous debate on this forum over his theory - couldn't find any ?
I don't like the website and there's a lot of condescending stuff there but if you ignore the American style and just pick out his technical argument,
it makes you think a bit simply because it flies in the face of "conventional wisdom".

The stuff about not needing to run in the main and rod bearings I think is sound
- there shouldn't be any metal/metal contact there at all in the first place.
See http://mototuneusa.com/circular_logic.htm

More controversial is the stuff about how to get good ring seals
- essentially by giving the engine some high rev / high load running in the first 20 miles (after thorough warm up).
Then change the oil and then drive how ever you want.
Theory is that the high pressures generated from this type of running will cause best wearing in of ring against cylinder wall,
and that fears of overheating due to the higher than normal friction are just that - fear - rather than reality.
He presents example comparisons of engines that have been run in as he prescribes and those that have been run in according
to "conventional wisdom" - claiming much better ring seals and the consequent higher hp outputs, cleaner piton and bores, cleaner oil,
better reliability and reduced wear rates that then result over the life of the engine.
Most of his stuff relates to 4 stroke bike engines, but he argues the same principles apply to car engines,
and some of the feedback he gets is from car drivers.
This guy also argues that most manufacturers run their engines up to the red line during testing anyway,
so being gentle with them during running in is pointless.

The gut reaction is that this guy is nuts !
But that doesn't mean he's wrong.

One other significant question that I can't see being addressed is the effect of this method on a new gearbox.
My car will come with a DSG box - haven't got a clue how this gets lubricated and what affect a good thrashing
will have on it from first start ?
Any thoughts on that one ?

My question is whether anyone out has any evidence that agrees with or contradicts this theory ?
By evidence, I mean proper comparisons with hard data, including engine strips, performance data etc.
Are there any convincing counter arguments - useful websites ?
The subject seems steeped in opinion and belief rather than evidence and science.

And the $64,000 question - as anyone tried this "break-in" method with their pristine new Golf MKV GTI ??
And is it still in one piece ?

It would be useful to read the articles before replying to this.