New car - Best Break-In procedure?

Honda · Post by **Honda** » 03 Apr 2006, 11:51

A friend of mine just got a new C2 VTS. He is in doubt how to drive it.
Citroen seller told him he should not push it on the first 1.000kms.
Yet, he fears that if doesn't take it to high revs now, it may not get the best of it later...
What's your experience on this?

JohnD · Post by **JohnD** » 03 Apr 2006, 16:19

Look on Honest John's website - in the FAQ section. He details the best way to run-in.

deian · Post by **deian** » 03 Apr 2006, 16:44

just work up to full engine speed by the end of the 1000miles, beign careful not to over rev too soon.... just gradual, also remember to take it for it's first service.

rory_perrett · Post by **rory_perrett** » 03 Apr 2006, 16:56

Generally these days, with modern engineering tolerances etc the need for “running in” as us olduns remember it has disappeared. However in the “old days” it was generally considered beneficial to not allow the engine to labour in a high gear with low revs or use more than 60% of the revs available ( ie not to go above 4000rpm if the red line was at 6500rpm) for the first 1500 miles or so.

Rory

deian · Post by **deian** » 03 Apr 2006, 17:01

i disagree... you still need to run it in properly, metal is metal at the end of the day, it's not all about tolerances. It's about stress on new metal, so nothing will change there. I certainly wouldn't go racing the engine of a brand new car!

my cousin had a new clio 182 last year and he had to run the engine in, just as usual.

PowerLee · Post by **PowerLee** » 03 Apr 2006, 18:23

If it was new to me I would treat it like this.

Start it up, Don't leave it sitting at idle to long.

Drive it around but keep below 2500 rpm until the engine has reached operating temperature of 85 to 90 deg C

Don't let the engine labour in too high a gear.

Once up to temp keep it below 4000 rpm, Take it up to 4000 rpm through the gears a few times but don't rev the engine while the car is sitting still, Engines done like being revved without a load on them.

Treat the new engine with respect, Also have the oil changed after the first 1000 miles & again once it gets to 6000 miles.

I would forget about just the long 20K service oil change interval & split that so you have the oil changed every 6500 ish miles too, For the price of a couple of extra oil changes between services your engine will love you.

Look after the engine & it will last a very long time & to a very high mileage.

pugxpert · Post by **pugxpert** » 03 Apr 2006, 21:15

cain the arse out of it from new!! when the 205 gti came out if a 1.6 was driven hard from new and a 1.9 just pottered around like an old fart was driving it the 1.6 would be quicker than the 1.9.i would just change the oil and filter at 6000 and not 20000 as the book says.

Kitch · Post by **Kitch** » 03 Apr 2006, 22:21

pugxpert wrote:cain the arse out of it from new!! when the 205 gti came out if a 1.6 was driven hard from new and a 1.9 just pottered around like an old fart was driving it the 1.6 would be quicker than the 1.9.i would just change the oil and filter at 6000 and not 20000 as the book says.

Pretty much spot on I reckon. I rebuilt my BX 16v engine and did 100 miles cautiously, then proceeded to thrap the nuts off of it. Worst thing I could do is let it idle apparently.

Car runs very well now.

stevieb · Post by **stevieb** » 03 Apr 2006, 23:02

Some so-called experts from the oil companies also recommend caning the car. To a point.

Modern lubricants are so good, that being too gentle with the running in can cause more harm than good by not letting components bed in. In the past glazing up of the bores has been a major problem on little used, gently broken-in cars.

Yes tolerances are finer than ever - but the two surfaces still need to get to know one another a little better than the factory can manage...

Kowalski · Post by **Kowalski** » 03 Apr 2006, 23:07

If you don't give it some welly, the bores lose their roughness before the piston rings bed in. The piston rings then won't bed in properly and don't seal as well as they might so the engine will use oil. The tolerances on the bearings are so much better than they used to be that they don't really benefit as much as they used to from being run in gently.

I read an article about racing engines, the upshot of the research done on them said that the best thing for them was to bed them in under race conditions, they gave measurably better performace doing that.

Post by **Peter.N.** » 03 Apr 2006, 23:23

'Bore glazing' is a term that comes to mind, I understand that long periods of light load cause the bores to become very smooth and hard so that they wont wear to fit the pistons and cause excessive oil consumption, as has allready been mentioned. I think that the best course of action is 'moderation in all things'

All this reminds me of my early days of motoring when a recon engine would be so tight that it had to be towed to start, it was then left running on the forecort of 'Arthur Daleys' garage with a hospipe in the radiator and the drain tap open to keep it cool enough to not seize up!

andmcit · Post by **andmcit** » 03 Apr 2006, 23:40

Chances are, the car's been caned out of the depot, through the dealer's pound and before you're mate's ever even seen his new pride'n joy with it's "delivery" mileage!

I've heard stories from a mate who used to deliver NEW cars to the showroom on trade plates...

Those 15 miles probably age the car 15 months!!

You can HOPE modern oils will help to some degree...

Andrew

JohnCKL · Post by **JohnCKL** » 04 Apr 2006, 03:48

http://www.mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm

Does breaking in bikes the same as cars? Should we take this website advise?

Honda · Post by **Honda** » 05 Apr 2006, 11:49

The article applies to cars too.

Probably this article is correct and new car dealers are wrong when they recommend to drive gently the first miles...

andmcit · Post by **andmcit** » 05 Apr 2006, 13:00

Chances are, the dealers want their new customers to take it easy in their new purchase through the 'acclimatisation' period to prevent any prangs etc. You used to see it every year on the introduction of a new age registration issue. Guess it doesn't look very clever your BRAND NEW product being wrapped around the local scenery - people will think it mustn't be safe to drive etc...

Andrew