Running in new engine

[dippy_x]

I've read quite a few threads at a few forums now whereby people have been complaining about fuel efficiency and performance of their motors and the general suggestion is that the engines have not been run in properly.  There are a few mentions of this in the GTI Petrol thread as well:

It has been for me and my previous VW TDIs. They've all been run in nicely with lots of variety in engine speed, with the occasional incursion to 2/3 throttle, for the first 1000 miles, and none of them have used a drop of oil between services, given good economy and a decent power output. There is one exception. A 140TDI Golf MK5 GT I had was bought from VW Lookers in Burnley via UKNEWCARS and driven directly from the dealership down to relatives in Southampton. That car pretty much sat at 75mph in 6th for the first 300 miles (did the same going back to Newcastle a few days later), and I think it must have glazed the bores. That car was sluggish, thirsty and used a litre of oil every 1000 miles.

Whats the general consensus on this?

When I [eventually] pick up my GTD the first trip I will be making is a 220 mile / 4 hour motorway trip back home - is this likely to screw the engine up?

Thanks
D

[monkeyhanger]

Dippy: In my experience, yes. Out of 6 VW TDIs I had from new - the only one I ran in on motorway cruising was poor on economy, power and oil consumption. I won't be doing it again. That was my quote you have there. I suspect that the first few hundred miles are far more critical than those that come after.

If I were to go via the broker route again, buying a car miles away from home, i'd be getting it back home along the back roads, lots of start-stop traffic with varying engine speeds, going through the gears etc. Maybe you could break up the journey by making a an afternoon of it somewhere halfway home and stick to the smaller A and B roads?

[Hawaii-Five-O]

Monkeyhanger I had exactly the same issue with my Mk5 2.0 TDI GT 140, used oil like an Arab. I was forever putting expensive oil in it. The trouble is I can't remember how I ran it in (it was 8 years ago).

As I'm going back to diesel again, I want to be sure I'm going to run it in correctly this time.

I'll be following this tread with interest.

[monkeyhanger]

Hawaii: When running in the current Roc, I had a unique experience. When I picked up the 170TDI Roc I was disappointed with it. It felt ridiculously tight, and no more powerful than the 140TDI Roc i'd traded in for it. Up until about 320 miles (i'm assuming a 500km count). it felt like it was being held back and then suddenly I had access to a lot more power. It was like a switch had been flicked and I felt like i'd got what I paid for. I've never experienced anything like it in my previous TDIs (2.0 140/CR; 2.0 170PD; 2.0 140PD; 1.9 105PD, 1.4 75PD).

I do wonder whether the 170CR (and maybe the 185CR) has a running in program that limits what you can do with it for the first 500km. A few others on the Scirocco forum experienced a similar situation with theirs and initially thinking theirs was disappointing or faulty.

[Bill_the_Bear]

I looked into this about a month ago searching the web for some real data or opinions that were based on engineering rather than witchcraft.  Surprisingly there seems to be little out there.  Here were the main things I found:

• Do what it says in your manual
• Modern engines should not need "running in"
• Do it anyway...

I found this kind of unhelpful.

[CraigW]

I looked into this about a month ago searching the web for some real data or opinions that were based on engineering rather than witchcraft.  Surprisingly there seems to be little out there.  Here were the main things I found:

• Do what it says in your manual
• Modern engines should not need "running in"
• Do it anyway...

I found this kind of unhelpful.

Couldn't agree more Bill. People's opinions are varied on this subject. I would tend to follow the manual. I think the general rule of thumb is don't rev above 3000rpm for the first 500-1000 miles and just gradually break the engine in.

[AAddict]

I looked into this about a month ago searching the web for some real data or opinions that were based on engineering rather than witchcraft.  Surprisingly there seems to be little out there.  Here were the main things I found:

• Do what it says in your manual
• Modern engines should not need "running in"
• Do it anyway...

I found this kind of unhelpful.

Couldn't agree more Bill. People's opinions are varied on this subject. I would tend to follow the manual. I think the general rule of thumb is don't rev above 3000rpm for the first 500-1000 miles and just gradually break the engine in.

Under 3000rpm? I hope you're talking diesel!

Here's my take on running in, try to vary your revs for the first 500-1000 miles so even if on the motorway drop it a gear for a while and vary the speed a little along with the revs. Apart from that feel free to redline once the engine is up to temperature 

Babying an engine while running it in does it no good IMO.

[Bill_the_Bear]

Here's my take on running in, try to vary your revs for the first 500-1000 miles so even if on the motorway drop it a gear for a while and vary the speed a little along with the revs. Apart from that feel free to redline once the engine is up to temperature 

Babying an engine while running it in does it no good IMO.

Gonna have to wrest control away from the DSG then?

[AAddict]

Here's my take on running in, try to vary your revs for the first 500-1000 miles so even if on the motorway drop it a gear for a while and vary the speed a little along with the revs. Apart from that feel free to redline once the engine is up to temperature 

Babying an engine while running it in does it no good IMO.

Gonna have to wrest control away from the DSG then?

If that's what it takes 

[CraigW]

I looked into this about a month ago searching the web for some real data or opinions that were based on engineering rather than witchcraft.  Surprisingly there seems to be little out there.  Here were the main things I found:

• Do what it says in your manual
• Modern engines should not need "running in"
• Do it anyway...

I found this kind of unhelpful.

Couldn't agree more Bill. People's opinions are varied on this subject. I would tend to follow the manual. I think the general rule of thumb is don't rev above 3000rpm for the first 500-1000 miles and just gradually break the engine in.

Under 3000rpm? I hope you're talking diesel!

Here's my take on running in, try to vary your revs for the first 500-1000 miles so even if on the motorway drop it a gear for a while and vary the speed a little along with the revs. Apart from that feel free to redline once the engine is up to temperature 

Babying an engine while running it in does it no good IMO.

There you go, everyone has different opinions. I cannot believe red lining a new engine does it any good. Its a subjective topic.