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flightlessbird
04-02-2008, 07:46 PM
I vaguely remember reading some tips on running in a diesel engine on this website, any clues as to where I might find them?

mikinoz
05-02-2008, 06:49 AM
Here is the article that you are looking for, under interesting articles...

http://vwwatercooled.org.au/newforum/upload/showthread.php?t=1236&highlight=running

Hope that helps!

flightlessbird
07-02-2008, 07:30 PM
I hope that this will save some one having to change another Engine under warranty

gregozedobe
13-02-2008, 12:34 AM
The "Warming up a diesel" thread (sticky) is also worth reading if you want to look after your engine.

Buller_Scott
28-06-2008, 05:40 AM
you guys, this forum has been a huge source of knowledge for me (i have a polo tdi), however i have a question that alludes to a little bit of driving from column A, as well as B.

my pogo was a demo, so we can presume that it was given a decent work out during the first 5000k's of its life (after which i picked it up).

but then, i picked it up and during warm up, i would never rev it higher than 2000rpm, and once it was warm i had the (deadly, i now understand) tendency to drop it into fourth at 60km's an hour and let the engine lug at 1300rpm, because i was stupid in thinking that aslong as im within the torque range, then its all good.

since 6700k's or so, however, i have been following the guidelines as per this forum.

so my question is- given the youth of my car, is the close-to 2000k's that ive been doing that to the engine, in all reality, going to have scarred it for life/ contributed to a lower km engine life? or as long as i follow the guide in the context of how to warm up etc, will my pogo's engine still be able to lead a full life?

im in my mid twenties and i have no idea about these things (expat kid turned foreign student living in japan= never owned a car before last year), so any experience, however positive or not-so-positive, will be well recieved.

thank you.

gregozedobe
28-06-2008, 10:30 AM
Hello BS (sorry, couldn't resist :) ),

Seeing as your polo was a demo for 5,000Km before you got it you can safely assume it was run-in with vigour, so your 1,700Km of babying would have very little affect on the life of the engine.

Just remember to give the engine some revs if you expect it to do some work (1,300rpm is OK if there is no real load on the engine, but you want 1,800 for accelerating or going up serious hills). Also use the right oil (VW 507.00 these days) and change it at the recommended intervals.

Drive on with full confidence :)

Mischa
28-06-2008, 10:38 AM
have no fear; oil will run out before your car bites the dust :)

greygolf8
28-06-2008, 04:00 PM
where is sydney sells VW 507.00 oil. ive only seen vw 505 & then its $70 5l (mobil) ...

Mischa
28-06-2008, 04:34 PM
where is sydney sells VW 507.00 oil. ive only seen vw 505 & then its $70 5l (mobil) ...

vw parts centres is the only place you can get them unfortunately. theres one in artarmon attached to chatswood classic cars.

Buller_Scott
30-06-2008, 07:04 PM
.... for your input. if it werent for me stumbling across this forum, i would still be pussyfooting around in my pogo, unaware of the lack of good im doing the engine.

it should be getting some good hill work in the near future as it has finally started snowing!!!!! at buller.

thanks again, guys.

Logzy
30-06-2008, 07:49 PM
get it warm and flog it.

bluey
25-10-2008, 08:56 PM
I found this post a good read - running in rules and description of factory run-in procedure:

http://forums.tdiclub.com/showpost.php?p=2264550&postcount=28

twincamsham
07-03-2009, 06:43 PM
Plenty will disagree with me on this but i dont believe there is any real need to run in a diesel engine,
The most important thing is the first service as the swarf from machining when it was made ends up in the oil and filter.

The first service would actually be the second oil change the engine has ever had.

I did my time in an engine shop and we used run the engines hard on the dyno after a rebuild, You have to anticipate the stupidist customer possible!

After running you drain the oil and discard it, Then if its to be fitted back into a vehicle its common practise to refill the oil or send it out dry in a crate.

Manufacturers such as VW would put every engine on the redline on the dyno for hours before it leaves the engine shop it would be nearly glowing red hot! only then would it get the tick of approval and signed off, this would be the case with most manufacturers.

This is so the little old dear in -30 alaska or +50 kuwait can drive around in 1st gear at 6500Rpm for weeks in her brand new polo because she thought it was an automatic until her grandsons ears started to bleed !!

Iv just bought a new T5 4motion and i drove it as hard as possible on the journey up from melb to QLd. i think cars broken in slowly make a sticky lazy engine so im a firm believer in this. they may have been on a dyno during test but nothing gives them a workout like real roads and different air temps etc so never be afraid to spare that pedal!

Preen59
07-03-2009, 07:10 PM
I have to agree with you dude.

But i do believe that running in initially is a good idea. It's mainly a safety thing in my opinion, just to make sure that it's right. It's a comfort thing. However, running them hard initially is definitely the way to go. :)

swingn
20-04-2009, 11:18 AM
Seems to be a fair varition in regards to wearing in the TDI motors.

When I collected my Caddy last week the dealer mentioned there was no need to have a run in period. Now, I'm never one to trust a dealer, but from some of the comments it appears there may have been some truth in it.

Have had a read of this guide (http://vwwatercooled.org.au/newforum/upload/showthread.php?t=1236&highlight=running) & am trying to put it to good use :D

One thing I'm unclear on, is how do you know the engine is warm (Caddy manuals have no temp gauage :P ). Even on a full cold start, revs do not change :P

gregozedobe
20-04-2009, 03:32 PM
One thing I'm unclear on, is how do you know the engine is warm (Caddy manuals have no temp gauage :P ). Even on a full cold start, revs do not change :P

Not having a temperature guage makes it difficult. If it is a TDI engine I would guess (not know) that you could work on 5 minutes of normal driving in summer, and 10 minutes in winter (a bit less if it is working harder). A petrol engine would neeed a bit less time to be properly warmed up.

Idle revs are electronically controlled, the only time they should vary is when the DPF is being regenerated.

swingn
21-04-2009, 10:57 AM
Not having a temperature guage makes it difficult. If it is a TDI engine I would guess (not know) that you could work on 5 minutes of normal driving in summer, and 10 minutes in winter (a bit less if it is working harder). A petrol engine would neeed a bit less time to be properly warmed up.

Idle revs are electronically controlled, the only time they should vary is when the DPF is being regenerated.

Thanks for that mate!

Spaces me out that the manual Caddy TDI doesn't come with a temp gauage... Pretty sure the DSG model does though :P

freebo
20-05-2009, 01:32 PM
hey guys, Do you still need to do this with new TDI as I'm getting a gold TDI and want to know what to do ?

thanks

bluey
21-05-2009, 07:34 AM
I understand all diesel engines gradually improve their compression pressure over 20,000km+. Factory run-in procedure is designed to be good enough given they can't run in an engine on the dyno that long. Engines appear to benefit from higher ring loadings when running in and there is no harm and potential benefit from following guidelines suggested elsewhere - I like the TDI club post I referred to earlier in this thread.

oracle1
18-08-2009, 08:52 PM
the lycoming flat four aircraft engine produces 150-200 hp at aprrox 2600 rpm. In the run in manual it specifically states that any engine burning large amounts of oil after the break in period because it has glazed bores due to running an engine BELOW the recommended power settings 75 to 100 percent duty cycle will not have its warranty claim accepted especially in Rotary Wing aircraft subjected to long periods of hover at inappropriate power settings. Seen it happen 3 times to 50,000 dollar overhauled engines. Lesson don' t go stupid but make that baby work.

oracle1
18-08-2009, 09:28 PM
Volkswagen would have something like this on an initial dyno break in0

http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2009/08/P1040815-1.jpg

gregozedobe
03-11-2009, 01:01 AM
See this thread in the Fuels and Lubrication subforum

http://www.vwwatercooled.org.au/newforum/upload/showthread.php?p=410962#post410962

Zano
12-12-2009, 04:04 AM
I am a newbie with a new TDi and running-in did cross my mind, with only 160km on the odometer. I have read these forums extensively and there are opinions ranging from it is already run in so drive as normal, to just warm it up and flog it or run it hard etc.

One thing that is worth mentioning that hasn't been so far (that I could find) is what the vehicle manual says on "Running-in". Here it is verbatim...


MY09 Golf TDI 2.0 DSG
Manual 3.2, pg 53
The engine needs to be run in during the first 1500km.
Up to 1000km:

Do not drive faster than three quarters of top speed.
Do not use full throttle
Avoid high engine speeds
Do not tow a trailer

1000-1500km:
Speeds can be gradually increased to the maximum road speed or engine speed (rpm)
If the engine is run in gently, the life of the engine will be increased and its oil consumption reduced.

VW's recommendation is gentler than some of the advice I have read, in particular "Do not use full throttle", for the first 1000km.

But I find VW's Runnning-in paragraph above rather simplistic and only considers the run in period up to 1500km, whereas many other posts talk about running in for tens of thousands of km's. :confused:

bluey
12-12-2009, 05:29 AM
[...]



Do not drive faster than three quarters of top speed.
Do not use full throttle
Avoid high engine speeds
Do not tow a trailer




I assume that VW's recommendations are the same as provided for Germany and other places with unlimited speed limits (Northern Territory). I also assume that the VW official running in procedure has to be simple enough for anyone to comprehend.

I don't anticipate ever seeing 3/4 top speed.
My foot isn't heavy enough to use full throttle.
Diesel torque peak is low so there's no point in using high engine speeds except on autobahns.
I presume part of it is running in the turbo as well as the engine.

I think one can happily follow the more detailed recommendations about running in without exceeding the constraints mentioned in the manual.

And don't forget to use high cetane diesel (per VW specification) or a cetane improving additive.