New engine break-in what to do?

[dubspeedGTi]

I am going to be picking up my new car here in a couple of weeks. I was just wondering what to do, to break in the engine. How many miles should be good until I can race it? thanks

[Simon]

Re: New engine break-in what to do?

I am going to be picking up my new car here in a couple of weeks. I was just wondering what to do, to break in the engine. How many miles should be good until I can race it? thanks

I've heard 1000 miles is usually enough to safely break in the car. That's not constant highway miles either, supposed to be varied RPM but nothing exceeding 4k.

[R_Ethug]

Re: New engine break-in what to do?

read the manual but this is what i did

shift at 3g's for every gear and do varying speeds but never past 110km/hr then at 500km or so you can take it up to like 4500ish .. i did this and my car runs awesome..

sad part is i got so used to shifting at 3 i always do it now

[Khyron]

Re: New engine break-in what to do?

1000 miles is too long. I was easy on the throttle for the first 400 kms, but would let the engine work to 4, or 5K for a few seconds then come back down. The key is variable RPMS - don't sit at any rpm for long (hence the only rule being not to use cruise). After that first tank of gas, open hunting season (not that I floor it from light to light, but gotta work the car quick or it will be a limp wimp).

Khyron

[dubspeedGTi]

Re: New engine break-in what to do?

thanks for the replies. It is going to be most difficult to not cruise above 110km since I have a 5 hour autobahn drive home from the pickup location. I was thinking about 1000 miles would be good. I need to put it on in less than a month so I can go to the autocross with it.

[NeonGTI]

Re: New engine break-in what to do?

Break it in the way all engine builders break in a new engine (and how I did my GTI BTW) - drive the hell out of it for about 20 minutes (full throttle, redline etc) then immediately change the oil and filter.

The other method is on the dyno. Make a couple hardcore dyno runs then change the oil immediately.

High performance engine shops will put an engine together let it run for a while to warm it up while they set the fuel and the timing then do 3-4 full pull dyno runs to dial in the timing and the fuel for max power.

Go ask the mighty google about this method and you will see many references.

[Khyron]

Re: New engine break-in what to do?

Yah, people still think machining techniques haven't improved in the last 30 years - there isn't the same variances there was in the 60/70s. Run your car, or be stuck with a dud.

Khyron

[kuhli]

Re: New engine break-in what to do?

The best part in the manual is..."Don't run the car at more than 3/4 or the speedometers maximum speed or over the legal limit"

I took full advantage of the 3/4 part, not the legal limit part high up in Kananaskis this weekend. Woohoo!

[dubspeedGTi]

Re: New engine break-in what to do?

now you guys are saying run the hell out of it. I have also heard this method. I have been told by a few people to break it in the way it will be driven. I am still unsure I might do a happy medium between the two. I think I will make the 5 hour drive at no more than 100mph with varing rpms and then change the oil when I get home and continue to run it through the back roads at about 55-60mph until I get 1000miles on the odometer, then change teh oil again and I should be good, right.

[kuhli]

Re: New engine break-in what to do?

Personally, I'm taking the run it hard route

[NeonGTI]

Re: New engine break-in what to do?

The middle of the road route doesn't work. You need to pound the piss out of it to seat the valves and the rings good and proper. You also need to run it hard to get the temps up to get the rings to expand and grind their way in.

Once you have run it hard to break it in YOU MUST CHANGE THE OIL AND FILTER.

After a hard break in there will be all sorts of crap floating around in the oil that you do not want in the engine.

[dubspeedGTi]

Re: New engine break-in what to do?

The middle of the road route doesn't work. You need to pound the piss out of it to seat the valves and the rings good and proper. You also need to run it hard to get the temps up to get the rings to expand and grind their way in.

Once you have run it hard to break it in YOU MUST CHANGE THE OIL AND FILTER.

After a hard break in there will be all sorts of crap floating around in the oil that you do not want in the engine.

how long should this hard breakin take? Like for instance if I drive 5 hours on the autobahn and then some spirited in town driving can I park it over night and cahnge the oil in the am after driving some more to heat it up? Or should I drive it hard a few days then change the oil? thanks

[Tuna]

Re: New engine break-in what to do?

how long should this hard breakin take? Like for instance if I drive 5 hours on the autobahn and then some spirited in town driving can I park it over night and cahnge the oil in the am after driving some more to heat it up? Or should I drive it hard a few days then change the oil? thanks

Honestly, I would do whatever VW/Owners manual says. Sorry but I'm a believer in "They built it, they should know". The problem with everyones opinions is that well....they are opinions, I'd hate to see a voided warrenty.

[R_Ethug]

Re: New engine break-in what to do?

yea i kinda agree with that jason..
everyone hears different stories..
i'm pretty sure my 03 1.8t was factory filled with synthetic and not 'break in' oil because the stuff looked like crisco cooking oil
i also hear from alot of people that before engines are even put in cars they are ran on a bench for like 8 hours straight to break them in so you don't have to..

[NeonGTI]

Re: New engine break-in what to do?

A hard break-in is either done with a few runs on the dyno, or by driving it hard for about 30 minutes. then change the oil right away while all the crud is still in suspension.

The manual recommends the procedure it does because it has to be written for the biggest idiot out there. Joe dummy would follow the 'drive the snot out of it' advice and either not run it to redline a number of times because he doesn't like to abuse the car, or it scares him, or he doesn't want to waste the gas and then NOT change the oil because he'll do it tomorrow, he doesn't want to waste the money, he doesn't believe in dumping oil after 30 km.

Owners manuals and procedures need to be written for the type of doughhead who after an accident writes on the report 'and the tree jumped in front of me'.