ARTICLE: How to Run-In your new car

[nitrogary]

Originally Posted by avinashpai

I have just purchased an i20 Crdi and this is my first Diesel car. I have gone through this entire thread now but still have these questions:


3. Lastly, I was reading about keeping the turbo Diesel car on idle for 30-60 seconds before moving and switching off the car. Is this an absolute must? Is this also a must if the engine is already hot - say I stopped for a 5 min break and then started again. Do I need to idle for 30-60 seconds even on a restart?


Any responses would be highly appreciated!


Mods - Not sure if the last question fits here or in another thread.

Thanks!

yes. you are much better off letting the engine idle for 30 secs every time.
suppose you stopped for a 5 mins break. this is a case of hot shut down. the engine is still hot (parts like cylinder head, manifold, etc.) and this conducts heat into the turbo bearing area. that actually raises the temperature of the bearing housing to as high as 375 degrees C. so when you hot start, the oil actually helps remove the excessive heat so you should let the engine idle after a hot start.

[Visaster]

Thanks Blackasta and gansan

Kinda got the picture and i seem to be doing what the majority do.

Do anyone perform engine reset every now and then ( by removing the battery neg )
Does it have any effect on the engine?
Do the A/C fan speed affect the mileage, or it will be the same of the A/c just being on?
A/C in Chennai drains more fuel than in a colder place?
Whats the best way to run down the running period ? ( taking out for a long 1000km drive on the highway keeping her at different speeds, may be break for few hours in the process ) ?
Doesn't it seem like an impossible task to have an ideal break in period living in Chennai/ Bangalore.?
Whats the influence of Tyre pressure on the engine?
Whats the influence of different petrol pump, does different company fuel differ ?
What if i alternate different fuel according to the availability, affect engine?
Does the number of people in the car at all times matter to the engine (in the break in period) ?
Is it not advisable to drive up a hill station during the break in period.?
What if u strike upon an emergency and need to drive fast. Is you car engine gone forever?

[Gansan]

Originally Posted by Visaster

Thanks Blackasta and gansan

Kinda got the picture and i seem to be doing what the majority do.

Do anyone perform engine reset every now and then ( by removing the battery neg ) Does it have any effect on the engine?

Not necessary, unless there is some specific problem. My battery was removed twice for some warranty replacement - with a gap of about 40 days. I did not notice any effect - ill or beneficial.

Do the A/C fan speed affect the mileage, or it will be the same of the A/c just being on?

The AC itself (on / off) will make a difference, but not the fan speed.

A/C in Chennai drains more fuel than in a colder place?

I feel yes, as it will hardly ever cut off during operation unlike in places with cooler climes.

Whats the best way to run down the running period ? ( taking out for a long 1000km drive on the highway keeping her at different speeds, may be break for few hours in the process ) ?

A day to day city run will be best. If pressed for time, do a highway drive with suitable RPM variation, stops etc.

Doesn't it seem like an impossible task to have an ideal break in period living in Chennai/ Bangalore.?

I don't see why. If you do ~ 25 KM a day, and throw in a Pondy drive, it should be a breeze! If daily distance is much less, do one Bangy drive instead of Pondy.

Whats the influence of Tyre pressure on the engine?

I keep 2 PSI above recommended pressure. I feel it helps for FE and reduces strain on the engine, though feels somewhat bumpy. Not recommended if you are a fast driver. But don't go below the recommendation.

Whats the influence of different petrol pump, does different company fuel differ? What if i alternate different fuel according to the availability, affect engine?

None. So long as you visit trusted pumps, brand hardly matters.

Does the number of people in the car at all times matter to the engine (in the break in period) ?

IMO it is better to limit the pax to 2 or at the most 3 during this period. No harm will be done with more though, so long as you stick within the max load.


Is it not advisable to drive up a hill station during the break in period.?

It would be better to put a couple of thousand KM on the clock before driving to a hill station. Don't ask me what about new cars purchased by people living in hill stations! They have no choice.

What if u strike upon an emergency and need to drive fast. Is you car engine gone forever?

How fast is fast? The manual of my Alto mentions not to exceed 100 KPH during run in. For a more up market car it can only be more, not less IMO. Stick within the limits set in the manual. If you drive faster, the effects can be felt only in the long term and not immediately.

[sriturl]

Originally Posted by Gansan

How fast is fast? The manual of my Alto mentions not to exceed 100 KPH during run in. For a more up market car it can only be more, not less IMO. Stick within the limits set in the manual. If you drive faster, the effects can be felt only in the long term and not immediately.

Its not speed really which matters, but how fast you reach that speed also matters. As mentioned previously in this thread, its the rpm which matters more than speed.
You could be reaching 80 in 2/3rd gear and ruin the engine.
Normally its advised to keep it less than 3000 rpm.

[Gansan]

Originally Posted by sriturl

Its not speed really which matters, but how fast you reach that speed also matters. As mentioned previously in this thread, its the rpm which matters more than speed.
You could be reaching 80 in 2/3rd gear and ruin the engine.
Normally its advised to keep it less than 3000 rpm.

There is no tachometer in the Alto, so one has to stick within the speeds mentioned for each gear.

[verditer]

I am about to take delivery of my new Safari in a couple of days, and want to make sure I do a proper run in.

A friend says I should let the engine idle for a couple of hours once after taking delivery.
I haven't heard of such a thing anywhere - is it true this will help the engine settle better? Does anybody do it, or is it recommended? Please advise.

[tsk1979]

Idle for 40-50 seconds every time you start the engine, and every time before you shut off the engine.
Do it during run in, and even after that.
Other than that, during first 1500kms stick to 2500rpm limit. thats all you need to do.

2 hours running engine? this is weird.

[CrackedHead]

Originally Posted by tsk1979

2 hours running engine? this is weird.

Engine's are run at idle for extended periods of time only after they have have just been re-built. You don't need to do that as run-in for a car you are taking delivery of.

[manish7]

I took delivery of My Punto MJD VGT last week.I have couple of doubts about running-in -

(1) I have read here that it is better to idle engine for 30 sec or longer after car is started, but the manual mentions that it is better to build speed slowly after starting rather than idling it. So what exactly is preferable for longer engine life & smooher engine?

While shutting down manual as well as recommendations here sugest idling befor switching off. So I will stick to that.

(2) The first service of Punto is at 3000 KM and it doesn't recomend changing oil. Is it recommended to change oil at 1000 KM mark?

[Jaggu]

1) What manual means is donot idle long and waste fuel, but a 15-30 sec idle helps in getting oil circulated inside the engine.

2) Its good if you change the oil first at 1k kms and then at company specified intervals.

[nanduchitnis]

Originally Posted by manish7

I took delivery of My Punto MJD VGT last week.I have couple of doubts about running-in -

(1) I have read here that it is better to idle engine for 30 sec or longer after car is started, but the manual mentions that it is better to build speed slowly after starting rather than idling it. So what exactly is preferable for longer engine life & smooher engine?

While shutting down manual as well as recommendations here sugest idling befor switching off. So I will stick to that.

(2) The first service of Punto is at 3000 KM and it doesn't recomend changing oil. Is it recommended to change oil at 1000 KM mark?

Point # 1. Yes, in winters idle for 5 minutes to bring up the tempratures of the engine and oils.

Point # 2: The engine oils now have very good viscosity specially Shell Oils. So 10 k kms is ok.

My Take for running in: In 2/3/4/5 gears rev up rpm to 70 % of engine max power and bring down to minimum. Do this in ALL gears except first and reverse. Do not worry if that speed is say 120 kmph. Just touch that and let go immediately. Cruise at 80 kmph for 10 minutes and keep doing this procedure for 1k to 3 k kms. It is a bit painful so you have to selected roads like Expressways or high ways to do this.

On the Honda City I pulled the car to 170 kmph during break in period in the 5th gear on the Expressway. I did this around 10 times over three days. Just touched 170 and let go.

My process of breaking in process is called "Drive As If You Stole The Car!"



Not really stupid. Skoda manual reccomends this procedure too.

Drive Safe

Rgds

Commander Nandu Chitnis (Retd)

[Fauji]

I got my scorpio fifteen days back and have done 3000 KMs alreaday. It was nice to read about changing of oil after 1000KMs which I will do right away. We have done long runs on highway - was careful not to exceed the speed limits. Apart from this is there anything i am missing that i have to take care at this stage?

[Gansan]

Originally Posted by manish7

(1) I have read here that it is better to idle engine for 30 sec or longer after car is started, but the manual mentions that it is better to build speed slowly after starting rather than idling it. So what exactly is preferable for longer engine life & smooher engine?

While shutting down manual as well as recommendations here sugest idling befor switching off. So I will stick to that.

The manual of my Alto says it is safe to apply load to the engine as soon as the temperature gauge reaches the "C" mark, after a cold start. This takes about 2 minutes, so I follow it. Though I believe one minute is quite sufficient. We can start moving immediately after a warm start.

Similarly I idle for half a minute before switch off, though the manual is silent about this.

[Ragul]

Originally Posted by Gansan

The manual of my Alto says it is safe to apply load to the engine as soon as the temperature gauge reaches the "C" mark, after a cold start.

The manual for my Gypsy only says this in the section for improving fuel economy.

Here is what it says for running in the first 1000kms

After starting, do not race, let it warm up gradually
Vary speed, avoid prolonged operation at constant speed
Do not exceed 90km/h in 4H and 2H mode and 50km/h in 4L mode
Start/Stop slowly. Avoid full throttle starts
Avoid hard braking in the first 300kms
Do not drive slowly with high gear
Drive at moderate speeds

It takes for ever to reach the C mark, I usually wait 45secs of idling before moving.

Cheers

[Gansan]

Originally Posted by Ragul

It takes for ever to reach the C mark.
Cheers

May be your Gypsy has a "King size" radiator!

Different manuals give different opinions. At the MASS I have seen the guys start the cars and almost immediately move off. So IMO idling for about a minute is advisable, but not mandatory, as a measure of abundant caution. Especially if the car is started after a gap of a few days.