Breaking-in New engine

[Andy Beats]

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.

I promise you, that was because it was 2.0tdi and nothing to do with running in.
Look up 2.0tdi oil consumption on google, it's a very big subject (nearly 600000 hits!)
Our company had a fleet of 2.0tdi engines and oil consumption varied from 1800 miles to 4000 miles per litre.
The MD got so fed up of drivers buying litre bottles of oil at £13 a time that he bought a 205 litre drum of miller oil to the correct VAG spec and let everyone top up from there.
My 2.0tdi was the only car I've ever had where I had to make sure I had spare oil in the boot.
I got to know that when the low oil warning lit up, shoving in a litre would do me another 1800 miles.
https://www.google.com/search?q=2.0+tdi ... e&ie=UTF-8

[Leif]

I follow the recommendations of knowledgeable people such as manufacturers:

https://www.theaa.com/car-buying/running-in-a-new-car
https://www.autoevolution.com/news/engi ... 91979.html

Apprarently Ford recommend a ~1000 mile break in period. I can't see anything in the VW Polo manual. However, I err on the side of caution given that I keep car for over 100,000 miles. These long service intervals for example were created for fleets who like to keep a car for a few years then sell it on, so they don't care so much about longevity.

[Andy Beats]

I can't see anything in the VW Polo manual.

German manufacturers don't bother recommending any breaking-in period.
I'm sure 99% of the reason is because they feel their engines don't need it.
But maybe 1% because their roads are fast and they feel it would be silly to ask people to take it easy?
With regard to long service cars, oil technology simply allows it now and it doesn't affect high mileage examples at all.
My bro-in-law's taxi A6 was sweet as a nut when he got rid of it at 180000 miles, you'd never have guessed it was that high a mileage - tight as a drum.
His Kia is doing equally well at 100000 miles (as of yesterday), but it doesn't use long-life oil like the Audi did.

[monkeyhanger]

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.

I promise you, that was because it was 2.0tdi and nothing to do with running in.
Look up 2.0tdi oil consumption on google, it's a very big subject (nearly 600000 hits!)
Our company had a fleet of 2.0tdi engines and oil consumption varied from 1800 miles to 4000 miles per litre.
The MD got so fed up of drivers buying litre bottles of oil at £13 a time that he bought a 205 litre drum of miller oil to the correct VAG spec and let everyone top up from there.
My 2.0tdi was the only car I've ever had where I had to make sure I had spare oil in the boot.
I got to know that when the low oil warning lit up, shoving in a litre would do me another 1800 miles.
https://www.google.com/search?q=2.0+tdi ... e&ie=UTF-8

7 of my 9 VWs bought from new were TDIs, and 5 of those were specifically 2.0TDIs in various outputs, both PD and CR fuelling. That one which went to France and Did 800 miles in my first week was the only one that needed topping up between services.

A lot of TDIs are likely to be destined to do high mileage on the motorway as company cars. For personal use, I would still avoid running in on motorway miles.

[Andy Beats]

7 of my 9 VWs bought from new were TDIs, and 5 of those were specifically 2.0TDIs in various outputs, both PD and CR fuelling. That one which went to France and Did 800 miles in my first week was the only one that needed topping up between services.

A lot of TDIs are likely to be destined to do high mileage on the motorway as company cars. For personal use, I would still avoid running in on motorway miles.

Cool, just pointing out it's a very common problem with the 2.0tdi and you shouldn't necessarily blame the running in.
Be thankful you didn't have one of the 2.0tdi that also used coolant a lot....

[Dark_cze]

I follow the recommendations of knowledgeable people such as manufacturers:

https://www.theaa.com/car-buying/running-in-a-new-car
https://www.autoevolution.com/news/engi ... 91979.html

Apprarently Ford recommend a ~1000 mile break in period. I can't see anything in the VW Polo manual. However, I err on the side of caution given that I keep car for over 100,000 miles. These long service intervals for example were created for fleets who like to keep a car for a few years then sell it on, so they don't care so much about longevity.

Czech polo manual stated that you should not exeed 3/4 of revs and not push gas pedal to floor for first 1000 or 1500km and not to drive it hard. After that first 1000 or 1500km (not sure and don't have manual in hand right now) you should slowly start driving it normaly. There is also stated that car may burn some oil. That should not exced (very generous) consumption around 1L per 1000km.
...
That is bull****. 1L per 1000km is broken engine. There wouldn't be reason to even change oil In case of 1L/1000km I would change only filters

[monkeyhanger]

Yes, that is bull - a litre of oil every 1000km or 620 miles? They may be covering themselves by claiming nothing is wrong, but something is definitely wrong with your engine (likely piston rings) if your car is guzzling oil like that.

[Andy Beats]

Yes, VAG cover themselves against excessive oil consumption by quoting ridiculous figures as 'acceptable' in their manuals.
I tried to say 1800 miles per litre was execssive in mine, the dealer just said "within tolerances"
Unacceptable and I changed to BMW after that.
None of my BMWs used any oil between services at all.

[Leif]

I can't see anything in the VW Polo manual.

German manufacturers don't bother recommending any breaking-in period.
I'm sure 99% of the reason is because they feel their engines don't need it.
But maybe 1% because their roads are fast and they feel it would be silly to ask people to take it easy?
With regard to long service cars, oil technology simply allows it now and it doesn't affect high mileage examples at all.
My bro-in-law's taxi A6 was sweet as a nut when he got rid of it at 180000 miles, you'd never have guessed it was that high a mileage - tight as a drum.
His Kia is doing equally well at 100000 miles (as of yesterday), but it doesn't use long-life oil like the Audi did.

The Audi Q5 manual explicitly states that the engine needs to be run in for the first 1,000 miles. No idea about other models and makes.

Oil changes are not black and white as you claim. There is a widespread belief among many knowledgeable people that the long service intervals are not so good for the engine, especially the first interval from new. That is why I do the 10,000 mile service plan. The oil is the simplest way to keep the engine healthy. Long service intervals are there because people demand them, especially fleets who don't want to bother servicing a car.

[Andy Beats]

Oil changes are not black and white as you claim. There is a widespread belief among many knowledgeable people that the long service intervals are not so good for the engine, especially the first interval from new. That is why I do the 10,000 mile service plan. The oil is the simplest way to keep the engine healthy. Long service intervals are there because people demand them, especially fleets who don't want to bother servicing a car.

Yes, people demand them.
But technology allows it too.
There's no harm in you changing your oil more frequently, but no need either.
It's your money to do with as you like, but it's also unnecessary waste oil to be dealt with - which isn't good environmentally.

[stevereeves]

As above, with a new car / engine, just take it easy-ish for first 500-1,000 miles, vary the revs from time to time, I forget exactly why it's a good idea to do this (I'm supposed to be working) then drive as you normally would always allowing the engine to reach operating temp before 'giving it the beans'. It will likely use a bit of oil for the first 1,000 miles or so, then hopefully next to none. Have the oil & filter changed at least once a year, or 10,000 miles, more often if you like you won't do any harm and have the car serviced regularly, at least yearly. Check all fluid levels weekly, tyres & brakes at least monthly, that's pretty much it, look after your car and it should give you good service....

[Andy Beats]

There's actually an argument for treating an engine hard from new.
Honestly, there's many an engine tuner will tell you it's better for an engine.
Treating an engine gently from new can cause the bores to glaze, meaning the rings don't seal properly against the bores and you use more oil.
Just saying, there's arguments for and against it.
I just drive them 'normally' from new, neither labouring nor thrashing them.
It's only a 95bhp engine I have anyway, treating it gently ain't going to get me anywhere fast.

[Andy Beats]

Check all fluid levels weekly, tyres & brakes at least monthly, that's pretty much it, look after your car and it should give you good service....

How do you check the brakes monthly....?
Do you jack the thing up and remove the wheels....every month....?

[Adam_013]

Check all fluid levels weekly, tyres & brakes at least monthly, that's pretty much it, look after your car and it should give you good service....

How do you check the brakes monthly....?
Do you jack the thing up and remove the wheels....every month....?

Have a peak at pads, how do you think they check them on a service. [emoji39]

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

[Andy Beats]

Have a peak at pads, how do you think they check them on a service. [emoji39]

You can barely see one pad through the wheels, seeing the other one is practically impossible without wheel removal or rummaging around on the floor.
It's excessive to say that should form part of regular maintenance.....come on....
In a service, the car is up on a lift and the wheels are taken off.
I get videos to prove it from my dealer.