Breaking-in New engine

[Harrihealey02]

I'm taking delivery of my new Polo TDi SEL soon, 1st of march and I'm not sure how you should break in a new engine? There are some forums that say it's not necessary anymore because engines are made much better than old ones. There are some that day you have to push it hard so that it beds in better and opposing ideas that you should take it easy to gradually wear in the components. I know it will probably make the tiniest difference doing it the wrong way that it's probably not worth it but I'm planning to keep the car a very long time and want to keep it the best I can even for the placebo effect me knowing I've done my part in the engines first thousand miles, do I can push it harder later in life without worrying

What is the best way of breaking in New engines?

[Adam_013]

I'm taking delivery of my new Polo TDi SEL soon, 1st of march and I'm not sure how you should break in a new engine? There are some forums that say it's not necessary anymore because engines are made much better than old ones. There are some that day you have to push it hard so that it beds in better and opposing ideas that you should take it easy to gradually wear in the components. I know it will probably make the tiniest difference doing it the wrong way that it's probably not worth it but I'm planning to keep the car a very long time and want to keep it the best I can even for the placebo effect me knowing I've done my part in the engines first thousand miles, do I can push it harder later in life without worrying [emoji38]

What is the best way of breaking in New engines?

I always think give it a few hundred miles and give it the beans... If it's gonna go bang it'll be then. We find with lorries the ones which have been driven hard from the get go are the ones which go the longest

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[Harrihealey02]

Okay that's interesting. So taking it easy for the first few hundred miles and give it a good run. I've also heard that driving it on motorway at constant speed is bad but it I thought the engine will be on a fair bit of load so it should be a good way plus the engine temp will be constantly hot.

[monkeyhanger]

Short varied journeys, lots of gear changes, don't labour the engine or be scars to give it 2/3 throttle to 3/4 of the rev range once the engine is warm.

Worst thing you can do is have it sat on the motorway in 6th doing 70mph for the first 500 miles, you'll get glazed bores, poor piston sealing high fuel and oil consumption.

[Martin-GTi]

I was wondering exactly the same. From my limited understanding, the breaking / running in process is not as restrictive as it used to be. The engineering of components is much more precise than it used to be. I think it’s advisable to take it easy for the first few hundred miles, vary engine loading, never thrash it until the engine is warm, but also don’t just clock-up miles on the motorway.

In previous cars I’ve had I was advised to take it easy until the first oil / oil filter change (usually 1000 miles), then drive as you want to. I’ve also read that the software in modern cars limits the power delivery to the engine until you cross that mileage threshold.

The experts on the forum will know much more, but when I get my car I’ll take it easy for the first few hundred miles or so, then try to get what I paid for.

[RUM4MO]

I picked up my brand new VW Passat 2.8V6 4Motion from Brunssum in the Netherlands just over 200miles back to the Chunnel terminal near Calais all on motorways at 70ish to make up time and catch my booked train across to Dover, stopped overnight in Canterbury then drove over 440 miles up to near Edinburgh asap next morning - that car used slightly too much oil for its 13 years I owned, so yes, the way it was driven, or needed to get driven over its first 640 miles was not in the best way to make sure that it was run in properly. Next car we bought again from Netherlands was bought a lot nearer a port connected to UK - and ferried across to Tynemouth and driven on small roads up to outside Edinburgh using a more suitable and sympathetic driving manner - and that initially used very little oil, but started using too much oil a few years later mainly due to its oil separator failing to be effective.

Current cars we own, one slightly used and the other brand new from dealer don't seem to use any oil - which is good.

My daughter owns a late 2009 Ibiza and has done from new and it also does not seem to use any oil between services, or at least does not need topping up over a 7.5K/12 month period, so I'd think that she initially drove that car "firmly" and over shorter non motorway journeys, and that worked well.

[Harrihealey02]

Thanks guys for the advice. So I will drive it normally avoid constant rpm and high revs when cold and take it on short journeys using most of the rev range but not pushing it hard. Sounds easy

[Adam_013]

Talking of oil use, at about 7000 miles mine needed 3/4 L of oil. It was just above minimum... I wouldn't say it's had a hard life so far, and run in as described in the handbook.

I dare say it'll get better the more miles it does. The brand new trucks certainly do after the first 100,000. Mines was serviced at 10500 and I've done about 300 miles in it, then hit some ice... But I'll keep note of oil usage

Might add, parents A1 with the same engine also needed about the same amount of oil at the same milage too...

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[monkeyhanger]

Talking of oil use, at about 7000 miles mine needed 3/4 L of oil. It was just above minimum... I wouldn't say it's had a hard life so far, and run in as described in the handbook.

I dare say it'll get better the more miles it does. The brand new trucks certainly do after the first 100,000. Mines was serviced at 10500 and I've done about 300 miles in it, then hit some ice... But I'll keep note of oil usage

Might add, parents A1 with the same engine also needed about the same amount of oil at the same milage too...

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Our 1.6TDI 116ps A1 Sport hardly used a drop between services - about 0.4L, not worth topping up from a full dipstick to just above halfway up the chequered area. Lots of varied journeys, not many long trips.

[steeve]

There's information in the handbook regarding running or breaking in.

Bear in mind that VW have designed the engine, tested and developed the engine and carry the cost of warranty, so doesnt it make sense that they are the very best people to advise on how to run the car in?

[Leif]

I’ve asked the same question in the past and been told that modern engines don’t really need breaking in but do take it easy for the first 1,000 miles, don’t do high revs, don’t labour it, and as said earlier, avoid travelling at a constant speed in the same gear. I think the engine is rev limited for the first 600 miles or so as protection against damage. My last two engines lasted 160,000 and 130,000 miles from new before the car was scrapped and sold on respectively.

[Dreamscape]

I've seen many people reporting that their brand new Polo is kind of sluggish at the beginning. Then it gets a lot better with mileage. So it looks like they programmed the engine to help driver take care of it.

[Adam_013]

I've seen many people reporting that their brand new Polo is kind of sluggish at the beginning. Then it gets a lot better with mileage. So it looks like they programmed the engine to help driver take care of it.

Yeah, seems after 600-700 miles it did seem better. However sometimes mine feels quite peppy, and other times not.

Sluggish reports could also probably be linked to the tall gearing and just taking people a while to get used to it.

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[Andy Beats]

All this advice about avoiding running a new engine at a constant speed becomes a complete nonsense if you buy the car from another dealer and either have it driven or drive it yourself hundreds of miles home.
Here's our last few family cars, all driven back to Aberdeen by me.

Renault Captur - Watford
Ford Fiesta - Birmingham
Hyundai IX35 - Milton Keynes
Kia Sportage - Manchester

No ill-effects on any of them, fuel and oil consumption all normal.
I bought them all down South because they're miles cheaper than Aberdeen, even including one-way flight and fuel home.
On one of them (Watford) the flight was delayed enough for me to get compensation more than the flight and fuel.

[monkeyhanger]

All this advice about avoiding running a new engine at a constant speed becomes a complete nonsense if you buy the car from another dealer and either have it driven or drive it yourself hundreds of miles home.
Here's our last few family cars, all driven back to Aberdeen by me.

Renault Captur - Watford
Ford Fiesta - Birmingham
Hyundai IX35 - Milton Keynes
Kia Sportage - Manchester

No ill-effects on any of them, fuel and oil consumption all normal.
I bought them all down South because they're miles cheaper than Aberdeen, even including one-way flight and fuel home.
On one of them (Watford) the flight was delayed enough for me to get compensation more than the flight and fuel.

With 9 VWs owned from new, they've all had excellent mpg (relative to official figures) and insignificant oil consumption between services, except 1, which sat on the motorway for its first 800 miles.

2005 GT TDI 2.0 140ps. Picked it up from Burney Lookers (Broker buy), drove straight down to Southampton (my Dad now lives there), got the Southampton to Cherbourg ferry for a hypermarche fill up of cheap French booze (when the pound was mighty!). Straight off the ferry with 350 miles on the clock, the car demanded an 800ml oil top up (yellow warning -low oil, top up!). Drove back to Southampton, stayed a few days and then drove home to Tyneside. Once home, the car demanded more oil, another 800ml added.

From thereon in, the car went through a litre of oil every 1200 miles and mpg was 15% down on expectations. I had no oil leak.

Do try to avoid doing motorway long trips for at least 1000 miles.