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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-40.html)

I doubt it very much that avoiding hard braking during the run in period is to do with avoiding de-accelerating the engine. As if that would cause undue wear and tear during run in. At least when I was designing engines it wasn't a thing we concerned ourselves with.

But then again, that was a long time ago, but to my understanding running in of engines has only gotten easier and much less of a worry. Whereas actually with brakes things don't seem to have improved as much, when comparing like for like! Although nearly all brake systems I'm familiar with tend to be properly bedded in within a few hundred kilometers of normal/average driving routine.

Jeroen

Hello everyone, I have booked a diesel Ecosport and I am going to get it next week.
Can you please help me with how I should break-in the new car.
Thanks in advance :)

Look it up in the owner's manual and stick to it religiously. Don't believe to easily what is suggested on car forums the world over. Stick to the manufacturers recommendation and nobody elses.

Obviously, if the manufacturers recommendation is to drive carefully and avoid hard acceleration and braking for the first 1000 kilometers and somebody on this forum suggest you need to this for 2500 kilometers and change the oil, there is no harm in it, but you are not gettting any benefits either. This is true for any more cautious advice then the manufacturer's.

Good luck and enjoy your new car!

Jeroen

Opposite to what people say, revving today's factory built new engine does not do any harm! (Better clearances and more tolerant to abuse materials!)

What you should "NEVER" do is to let a new engine "get bogged". If you let the engine bogg (a couple of times is fine), on a regular basis, that's it!! Forget life/performance out of it.

I took my new gen i20 diesel out of the showroom and did a 2200km trip on the GQ. With 100% AC on I had red lined several times, kept varying the rpm's, but never let is bog. For that drive I got a mileage of 23+kmpl. It's been 2 yrs since and I never drive the car without AC, still in peak Bangalore traffic, it gives me a mileage of 16+kmpl, highway driving the mileage is always above 21kmpl and has near 0% engine oil loss.

I always change my engine oil at about 5000kms (The first oil change on the i20 was at 2200kms as I was travelling from Kol- Blore immediately after I took delivery). It has been at every 5000kms thereafter.), let the car warm up a little before driving it out and also wait for a min before shutting it off!

On my Honda vtec, I have DOHC B16b (type R), I have followed the same procedure after rebuilding the engine. The day I cranked it, it saw north of 8800rpms and its been a good 2yrs, the car runs solid.

You must follow the regular oil change,ensure that you give load to the engine when its a little warm and shut off a turbo charged car after min of 15-20 secs of idle (if you have really belted it).

My 2 paisa, from my own experience!

RiGOD

There is nothing like running-in; the generally accepted notion is that drive it smoothly and gradually by varying the rpm(of course, after normal operating temperature is reached) and have a gentle acceleration rate(the 1.4 tdci won't accelerate much, anyway :D).

You can maintain 1500-2500(100 kmph) in the tacho and do not lug the engine- which is <1500 rpm in flat roads and <1800 rpm in the inclines; this is for 1.4 tdci.

Can somebody explain, in technical terms, why "lugging" is so bad for the engine and apparently does it permanent harm very quickly?

Jeroen

Lugging isn't a instant damage phenomena but it is long term and depends how frequently it is done.

To my understanding the transmission speed is not matching to the engine output speed hence the vibrations and judder.

Like 30 kmph @ 5th gear which is before the idling RPM so the engine RPM : transmission is not matching.

Correct me if I am wrong. Hope you help me understand better what lugging is.

Anurag.

Trust me, if the transmission speed is not matching the engine output speed, something will give/break immediately.

So even if we take your example of driving in 5th gear, why would that be bad for an engine. Which parts get worn down why?
Is this lugging just a myth or is there any technical science to it?

Jeroen

What I have seen is the engine does shut itself if the gearing : speed of vehicle is mismatched.

Anurag.

Thanks for the input mate. This is the first diesel engine the family is using and I gathered all information I could to take good care of the baby, and so the run-in ritual too. (OT : And hey, don't let me down by saying that it won't accelerate much, I'm eagerly waiting to take her on open stretches and touching those three digit marks as I've never done that till day)

If you have belted the engine it idles a little fast for a few seconds and then gradually settles to the set RPM, this is due to the turbo spinning fast and then gradually loosing momentum. Old generation turbo charged engines used to idle fast for close to a minute, which has come down in newer engines.
If i load my Polo or reeve hard and then suddenly leave the accelerator idle is at 1000 RPM which settles to a little above 800 in about 15 seconds. It is safe to turn off engine then.

Rahul

The words mentioned in the user manual is:

So drive judiciously according to that.


I only said it doesn't accelerate much, you can do triple digit speeds and sustain that speeds, thanks in no small measure to that balanced chassis!

No its not. Certainly not on electronically controlled engines. RPM of the turbo is a result of the mass, temperature and flow of exhaust gasses. Engine RPM is a function of fuel and air intake and engine loading. Which results in an exhaust mass/flow and temperature. What you observe is controlled by the ECU, not due to the turbo spinning fast and loosing momentum. (Although obviously the turbo is spinning down when you come of the accelerator)

Jeroen

Agreed to all this.

True that this is ECU controlled, in most cars (Toyota, Ford as well as Audi/VW/Scoda family) the ECU itself is programmed to idle the engine a bit faster and leaner until the turbo RPM falls to below 2500. In some engines the ECU operates the wastegate to bi-pass part of the exhaust so Turbo idles even slower at low RPM, but this results in poor low end torque.

Rahul

I have never seen my i20 behave the way you describe. If I leave the throttle when I am "free revving" the engine, it instantly drops to 900rpm and stays there!
Hence I can't comment on what you have asked me! However, all I can say is, please let the car idle for about 15-30 secs after the engine has been loaded (read revved hard or driven hard) well!