[SLK]

OK... if Baleno is pre-run... does it not need an engine oil change at 1000kms?

I think it does. So that means its not Pre-run...

[Shan2nu]

What ever the case. Just take it easy for the first 800-1000kms. Use the car everyday and before you know, it would have completed 1000kms.

Shan2nu

[Rtech]

All modern production car engines are "pre-run in". That does not mean you can drive out of the showroom and revv the crap out of it. As said in earlier posts, a mix of different speeds while just basically taking it a bit easy would ensure the best possible break-in of your engine.

[Samurai]

Guys, guys, look at my age. Do you fellows really think I will be over revving in every gear? Either before or after 1000Kms...

[Jaggu]

wanna some help for professional running in

hey congratz!! and we are still waiting for some detailed write up n pics

[Deeps]

Guys, check out the link provided by Simran. It says that the engines after being manufactured but before being installed are run by a computer at high rpms. But even after that the engine requires gentle running in.

But two things that were mentioned in the link but am not convinced about are:
1. It says that the run-in period should be abt 5000km. I find this way too long.
2. It says that for the 1st few hundred kms, one should drive below 4ooorpm. Again a cap of 4000 in the 1st few hundred kms is way too high.

[Abhay]

deeps..I agree with both the points you mention,
I took it easy in the first thousand (upto 2.5k rpm max any gear) and didn't cross 100kph till that...even now I haven't really revved it (maybe till 3/3.5) and I have done 3100 odd kms

[Revvhead]

Well samurai, Join the Club.

I just ran in my Baleno, Of course there are no figures or guidelines given so this is what i stuck to- All imagined (right or wrong by me)

I just took a 100o Km break in period where i ran betyn 2-3000 prms, initial 500 was 2500, then a bit more, and pushing closer to 3200 when nearing 1000Kms

It did get blipped a few times for very short instants( Like 20-30 secs) to 4000 rpm in that
period, but nothing major or regular.

After that have been pushing it up, I was outta town for a month so my Dad had taken it to Pune twice via the expressway, and he took it to about 3500 rpm
Second run prolly around 4000

I just took it across the last week and was cruising at 4500
In the lower gears i have gone to 6000 )in 2nd, that was at around 2300kms on the clock

Right now i figure its run in, so i'm doin whatever i want

[supremeBaleno]

Originally Posted by Samurai

How does one decide on break-in period or running-in period for a car? Is it mentioned in the owner's manual. I never read the manual, so I don't know. Or is it just some ballpark number like 2000KMs go below some rpm and some speed?

Samurai, this is sort of irrelevant for you, since your car would have been run-in a long time ago now.
Anyway, just in case someone else benefits. Some manufacturers (Maruti for one) mention it in the manual - have seen it on my old M800 and also in my Baleno manual too. Tried searching for it in my friend's Santro manual, but could not find it.

What Maruti has to say for the Baleno is :

"The future performance and reliability of the engine depends on the care and restraint exercised during its early life. It is especially important to observe the following precautions during the initial 1000km of vehicle operation.
- After starting, do not race the engine. Warm it up gradually.
- Avoid prolonged vehicle operation at a constant speed. Moving parts will bed in better if you vary your speed.
- Do not exceed 100kmph.
- Start of from a stop slowly. Avoid full throttle starts.
- If possible, avoid hard braking, especially during the first 300km of driving.
- Do not drive slowly with the transmission in a high gear.
- Drive the vehicle at moderate engine speeds."

[aah78]

what is with this "pre run-in" thing?

running-in an engine basically means letting the rings, seals, etc settling in, right? (which is also a requirement when an engine has been rebored/rebuilt).

a new engine out of a factory workshop cannot be pre run-in. it'll take its own time to 'settle' unless the manufacturer has developed a 'perfect' process to assemble an engine.

clarifications on this please....

i follow the user manual which usually recommends not flooring the throttle or revving the engine beyond 4000rpm for around 1000 miles, and then gradually increasing revs & throttle (if so desired) every x number of miles beyond 1000.

[nitrous]

aah78, the factories these days have something called 'bench-testing' where they have some quality checks for the engine too.

So, they fill oil and run it for the tests. There's no running-in involved.

[chetanhanda]

I think Im convinced about the part which says the running in should not be done very gently.

I always had a doubt about this but was not sure how cars/bikes which were run in roughly felt better than same engines which were run in gently...?? I have a few experiences of my own on this...
1] e.g our type1 Honda was driven down from Delhi showroom to Pune .. The running was not done gently at all but with varying loads and short bursts of accelarations , never driven at constant speeds..also oil was changed before 1000 K as we thought it would be better to do so..
my friends dad also bought same model from bombay but ran it very very very gently during running in period as compared to what we did for ours..
I cant beleive the difference, ours feels so smooth and opened up.
(But this agressive running-in was not done on purpose at that time)

2] Same as in the case of our MPFI 800, I ran it very carefully during running in, very gently etc.
This car feels less revvable as compared to a 800 one of my colleagues has, Im sure that he did not run it in gently as I have been with him when his car was new.. he used to use it like it was already run in.. and I used to remind him saying that his car will die even before 100,000 km
But there was definately some diff in the engine feel as his felt better.
After this comparision started thinking that running in should be agressive

3] Same goes with with a zen which my wife used to drive as compared to what another friend drives. I used to laugh the at the way he used to treat the car during running in, it can be described as "rally style".
Now after both cars being at the 20,000 KM mark , I can definately say that his car's engine feels more "solid and smooth" as compared to the other zen.

4] Now for the biggest diff in engines which I have seen till now..
In college I had a splendor (abt 7-8 yrs ago), I was very gentle with the running-in, I thought I did a good job of taking care of it... my friend also bought a splendor about the same time..but he was crazy and he ran it pretty fast always leaving me behind at traffic lights and speed breakers, I always used to accelarate gently etc etc.. I still remember to this day that his bike always felt powerfull and smooth and mine quite rough and strained... Im 100% sure as we had been together on various trips on our bikes and used to fill at same pumps and service at same stations...

I read the articles mentioned in the post .. I fully agree that running in should be aggressive. but not extreme.
I agree fully with BHPian Jaggu
atleast Im convinced that hard running in should be done and not gentle, so next car of mine is going to be run in pretty hard !!!

guyz what do u say ..?

[GTO]

What rubbish! There is no such thing as a pre-run in engine except for some highest end sports cars. Mass automobile manufacturers do not have the time, inclination or excess resources to do something that the actual buyer is fully capable of.

99% of manufacturers offer running-in guidelines in their manual, or a sticker on the windscreen. Some illustrate the same in rpm limits and others do in speed limits per gear (for cars that are also available in variants without rpm gauges). They are not fools to be recommending the same with every sale, and only do so after extensive R&D.

Its only a matter of the first 2000 kms where the car must be driven within the guidelines provided. I do agree that varying speeds / rpm limits is much better than maintaining a consistent speed for long, and that "load bearing" must be performed at some points.

GTO

[chetanhanda]

Originally Posted by GTO

What rubbish! There is no such thing as a pre-run in engine except for some highest end sports cars. Mass automobile manufacturers do not have the time, inclination or excess resources to do something that the actual buyer is fully capable of.
GTO

Definately there is no such thing as a pre run engine in India !!

[BUSA]

Man, this is surely confusing. SO what do you do when you run in a car be gentle or floor it like chetanhanda says?