Tips for breaking in a brand new engine?

[JordanNaumov]

Hey guys,

I started another thread with this question in it however i thought it was worth starting a thread specifically dedicated to the topic as there seems to be mixed opinions.

What are your tips to breaking in a new engine of a GTi or Golf alike?

Please share any opinions and or do's and don'ts.

[DUB 20V]

comes with warranty so give it hell, run in hard always go hard ......

[JordanNaumov]

Not sure if i feel comfortable with slamming my new $45k car

[markwid]

Whatever you do, don't baby the new car...either treat is as per normal or even perhaps work it hard. It is under warranty and you want issues to surface and be fixed while it is.

[DracZ]

Is there any specific guideline from the manufacturer as to how one should wear a new car in? By 'not babying' the car, do you mean just normal day-day driving but not taking it to redline etc?

As for the working the new car in and not 'babying' it in its first 1000kms, possible its a bit of a catch 22, if you wore it in properly at the beginning instead of thrashing it from the start, perhaps those problems wouldn't have developed in the first place? Either way, the new car warranty is for 3yrs / 100,000kms, even if you baby it in the first 1000kms, there's still another 99,000kms left for the potential problems to surface. So its not like you're shortchanging yourself by doing so.

[markwid]

...but not taking it to redline etc?

Redlining it is perfectly fine if the engine is warmed up already. In fact you should redline it at times.

...if you baby it in the first 1000kms,

you end up with a slug.

[gregozedobe]

Plenty of existing threads on this (and plenty of opinions too !).

Here are my opinions:

Don't ever allow the engine to idle to warm up before driving (this is the absolute best way to glaze the bores), just drive gently until the engine is warmed up properly (this applies to ALL engines, new or old)

I like to vary the engine revs all the time (so no cruise control at all) for the first 2,000km, lots of mid range accelerator pedal under load (more pressure on piston rings to help them bed into the bores better), and increase max revs over the first 2,000km.

After that just vary the revs a bit if cruising for the next 2,000km, otherwise drive as normal once warm.

Check the engine oil level regularly, as some engines use a bit at first. If you need to add some make sure it is VW 504/507.

Don't switch the engine off straight away if you have been working the engine hard (the turbo will be red hot). Best is to drive gently for the last 5 minutes of any journey, but if you cant, let the engine idle for a couple of minutes before switching off.

[Doug VeeDub]

The dealer told me to drive it like I stole it, definitely don't baby it because it will forever be a slug. I have driven my GTi hard from the outset but just avoid doing so before warmed up and ensure cool down cruise before shut down.

Got a 6.4 0-100 the other day so it's working!

Baby it at your peril!

[niulf]

Plenty of existing threads on this (and plenty of opinions too !).

Here are my opinions:

Don't ever allow the engine to idle to warm up before driving (this is the absolute best way to glaze the bores), just drive gently until the engine is warmed up properly (this applies to ALL engines, new or old)

I like to vary the engine revs all the time (so no cruise control at all) for the first 2,000km, lots of mid range accelerator pedal under load (more pressure on piston rings to help them bed into the bores better), and increase max revs over the first 2,000km.

After that just vary the revs a bit if cruising for the next 2,000km, otherwise drive as normal once warm.

Check the engine oil level regularly, as some engines use a bit at first. If you need to add some make sure it is VW 504/507.

Don't switch the engine off straight away if you have been working the engine hard (the turbo will be red hot). Best is to drive gently for the last 5 minutes of any journey, but if you cant, let the engine idle for a couple of minutes before switching off.

Agreed. This is also what the manual says.

[111]

Not sure if i feel comfortable with slamming my new $45k car

thrash the crap out of it, if it breaks just get another one