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-   -   ARTICLE: How to Run-In your new car (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/owning-car/67729-article-how-run-your-new-car-32.html)

60-80 on a highway may not be that fuel inefficient. In my Figo 70 means rpm of roughly 1700 (give or take a 100) in the fifth - so 60-80 speeds are right where the engine behaves very efficiently AND the airodynamic drag hasn't already started dominating (happens around 100).

Also if you are maintaining peak speeds of roughly 90, then within one hour you would actually see the entire span of 40-90 on almost any highway in India - slow moving traffic, hazaardous conditions, blind turns, idiots on the road and, if unless you are extremely lucky, towns on the road will all ensure you have to slow down. In fact I'll be suprised if the range doesn't go to 10-90 every one hour.


There was a tbhp report on somebody getting insanely high FE and the guy was recommending rpm of 1440 - I'm pretty sure he would have meant a range around that number, but even on cars with a 6th gear this means driving slower than 100.



Also higher FE conditions will also usually be similar to the lower stress condition for engine and other components - so the advice makes sense.




As for his more radical suggestion (open the bonnet etc.) I can't say anything.

Why not? I am not commenting on the necessity of leaving the bonnet open to cool down the engine, but if you do leave the bonnet open, wouldn't it allow the engine to cool down better?

Now, whether to follow this advice or not, is best left to everyone's opinion. I personally don't follow this advice, but at the same time I also think that if I did follow it, the engine would cool a little faster.

Yes , it will cool down the car faster but what purpose will it serve ?.Leaving the bonnet up will mean exposing the engine and unless and untill you are going to be somewhere close to the car and keep a watch that nobody does nothing to the engine components etc it's simply not a practical idea.

^^It is of course not "necessary" to open the bonnet. It is not even necessary to take hourly breaks. It is however desirable that there are repeated heating/(relative) cooling cycles during run in, therefore the recommendation in the manual to constantly vary the RPM. It is my own personal feeling that the hourly breaks and opening of bonnet may accelerate the process. It can't do any harm surely, even assuming it does not really help much?

And during the 10 minute break I will be standing outside the car sipping a cup of tea, so nobody can meddle with it!

My point is if you can pop the hood and let the engine cool, why not? Whether you can do it or not, or whether you want to do it or not, is entirely upto you. It's not 'necessary' as Gansan has clarified, however it's a good way to bring the engine temperature down. That's all.

On this point, I remember when we travelled in the Premier Padmini, whenever we halted for lunch (for e.g. Tony da Dhaba), as soon as one of us finished his lunch, he would pop the hood. Apart from the engine cooling down (which was necessary in those days as it would heat up during the ghat climbs), it allowed us to check the oil and water after a few minutes when the temperature had climbed down. Of course then it was more a necessity.

^^I leave the hood open for 10 minutes immediately after reaching home from work even now, after which I close the hood and immediately cover the car. I don't like to cover the car with a hot engine.

OK, moving on to newer queries..

We have been reading a lot on this thread about whether the Run-in period being required for current generation of engines, and how good it can be even if we do run-in a new car of today..

Now I would like to ask the experts & mods on this thread about this particular case I have to deal with.

Yesterday, my brother's father in law got his new Freelander II delivered.
There has been a debate of sort going on between my brother and me regarding the Run-in period for that beauty of a car.

My brother's advocacy is that these next-gen engines do not require a special run-in period, and that these engines have already been factory run-in by the LR guys.
I'm swearing by T-BHP, and it being a SOP (standard operating procedure) maintained by me, that a run-in period has to be observed regardless of the make/ type/ cost of the car!

what gives?!

The best answer, of course, would be found in the owner's manual of your car.

Actually, many new engines do not require running in, however, if your owners manual has some limits specified, its a good idea to stick to them for first 1000-1500kms.
For example, tata says the following top speeds need to be adhered to in indica/indigo etc., (old school)
1st gear 20
2nd 40
3rd 60
4th 80
5th 90

If you notice, even while normal driving, you will shift to third before crossing 40, unless you are a wring your engine till it weeps kind of guy.

So sensible driving, without revving too much is all that is needed.

No rocket science involved.

Thanks for the suggest and the Indigo analogy.
Will have to check out the Owner's manual, but I doubt that manufacturer's are lucid about running-in, leave aside run-in period for their cars..

BTW, the Freelander II is an Auto.

Gansan , sir seriously, i am gonna sound like a pighead who doesn't want to give up but clearly leaving the bonnet open to cool down the engine is clearly a waste of time.Frankly i find it a bit foolish(no offence to you sir).

The car does not need the extra cooling.If you really want to take care of your car's cooling efficiency you can get the radiator flushed every year during the annual service and pour in fresh coolant instead of every 2 years as stated in the manual.This will remove any deposits etc from the radiator,hoses etc and in turn will give the car effective cooling all throughout the year.

Forget about cooling down the car by leaving the bonnet open.Instead find a cool/shaded spot without worrying about having to leave the bonnet open.

:OT
It is a shaded spot. But I don't like to put the cover on when the engine (and the hood) are hot. Since the parking slot faces a busy main road, if I don't cover it quickly, it becomes all dusty. Hence the short-cut.

No offence taken! I am entitled to my opinions, and you to yours.:)

Even during the hottest summers, in my premier padmini, I do not open the bonnet except keeping the vehicle in a shady place till my stomach cools down (say for lunch or brunch). I have driven almost non stop from Madurai to Hubli in the car without the problem of heating up. If the radiator is cleaned say once in a year of any deposits and sometimes add coolant so that rusting does not take place, I have found no necessity to open the bonnet. We used to reach till Belgaum those days after starting at 5 am (to beat Loanavala jam). Next day when we check for water, the radiator did take just 100 ml of water only.

Well i didn't realise you cover the car after you park it.I was under impression that you leave the bonnet open just to cool the engine.I guess covering the car with a hot hood may not be good idea as it may sign the cover if it's plastic type.If that's the case then leaving the bonnet open for a while may not be a bad idea.:)

@gururaj
It was just a suggestion, applicable only for a highway drive during run-in period. Any modern car can otherwise be driven even for 1000 KM non-stop without opening the hood or even taking a break, if it can take in that much fuel!