Running in your GTI

[R32UK]

^^ sounds like an expensive lesson

[Ess_Three]

^^ sounds like an expensive lesson

Luckily not...
The driver coming the other way performed miracles and I sat there Shi*ting myself as I counted every one of my 9 lives go by...and I hit nothing.
I then turned round, nursed it home and parked it back in the garage...and stayed in until the snow had gone.
Not nice.

[FroGTI]

I'd be interested to see what's suggested.

Personally, I don't 'run in' to any strict guidelines...I take it easy for the first 100 miles or so to let the tyres scrub in, the brakes bed in, the the dampers settle and to make sure nothing is going to fall off...I warm the engine up properly (using the oil temp gauge - back on the Mk6?) and let it cool down after a run...
Beyond that I don't bounce it off the limiter, load it up hard or labour the engine.
In between, I use it.
After a couple of hundred miles of backroads and varied load journeys I just use it properly.

My 1996 85000 mile 16v Mk3's internals are like new - and it's was treated the same way. As was every new car I've ever owned...and I've not broken any of them.

Oh, and I won't use variable service intervals either. It has it's oil changed annually, or possibly twice a year depending on use.

I agree with this approach. Life is too short to molly coddle an engine

[Ess_Three]

I agree with this approach. Life is too short to molly coddle an engine

Don't get me wrong...I warm it up and cool it down properly...but beyond that, I have a warranty...so if I can't break it in 3 years, it's a good one.
I'll be bored and looking to change by the time the warranty is out anyway...so I'm not overly concerned about what happens when I've sold it.
Use it...you've paid for it.

[keelaw]

ok then, so as T_T loves to say RTFM.... so here's the section from P60 of booklet 3.2


The engine needs to be run in during the first 1500km.

up to 1k km:

 - do not drive faster than 3/4 of top speed.  (i.e. 112 mph)
 - do not use full throttle
 - avoid high engine speeds
 - do not tow a trailer

from 1k to 1.5k km:

 - speeds can be gradually increased to the maximum road speed or engine speed (rpm)


during its first few hours of running, the internal friction in the engine is greater than later on when all the moving parts have bedded down.

if the engine is run in gently, the life of the engine will be increased and its oil consumption reduced.

[AlanD]

The MK6 has an oil temp gauge? ? ?

[DL]

Scroll up or down on the MFD using the steering wheel controls until you find oil temp', wait till it's nice and hot then drive however you want.

[Ess_Three]

Scroll up or down on the MFD using the steering wheel controls until you find oil temp', wait till it's nice and hot then drive however you want.

does it read like the early ones?
Not displaying until over 50 degrees?...I keep the engine to 3000RPM max until I see a reading, but don't give it beans until it's up at 90 degrees ish.

Regardless, good to have it back - it's more relevant to the well being of the eingin than water temperature in my view.

[DL]

Yes exactly the same as before and that's about the right temperature as well.

[Teutonic_Tamer]

Re-edited first two posts with some more info!