Running in new car

[Andyr55]

My new focus mhev has done 100 miles.

im going on a motorway journey, do I need to run the car in by driving slow? 

[Jonro2009]

Not with modern engines, you shouldn't need to. Just follow the general common sense guidance like let the engine get to temp before you go over 2½k rpm and let the engine cool for a minute before you shut it off at the other end.

[Andyr55]

Thanks

[Guest]

New car needs to be driven at normal city driving for at least 1,000 miles. I wouldn't stress the engine just yet for a long periods of time.

[StephenFord]

1 hour ago, LostInTransit said:

New car needs to be driven at normal city driving for at least 1,000 miles.

Where have you read that??

[Guy Heaton]

Drive normally, don't rev it when cold, which is always a good idea anyway.

Needs a good 3 or 4k to be fully loosened up.

[StephenFord]

20/30 years ago, there use to be a whole section in the owners manual on how to 'run in' a new car. Haven't seen anything like that for years. Where are folk seeing this info on modern cars, or is it just a carry over from us older members?

[Eric Bloodaxe]

28 minutes ago, StephenFord said:

20/30 years ago, there use to be a whole section in the owners manual on how to 'run in' a new car. Haven't seen anything like that for years. Where are folk seeing this info on modern cars, or is it just a carry over from us older members?

Possibly in the owners handbook? Mine says this, for example:

 

BREAKING-IN



Tires

New tires need to be run-in for approximately 300 mi (500 km). During this time, you may experience different driving characteristics.

Brakes and Clutch

Avoid heavy use of the brakes and clutch if possible for the first 100 mi (150 km) in town and for the first 1000 mi (1,500 km) on freeways.

Engine

Avoid driving too fast during the first 1000 mi (1,500 km). Vary your speed frequently and change up through the gears early. Do not labor the engine.

Vehicles With a Diesel Engine

During the first 2000 mi (3,000 km), you may notice a ticking sound when your vehicle slows down. This is due to adjustments of your new diesel engine and is normal.

 

I was looking at the online handbook for later models though, and they still have the "breaking in" section but seem to have dropped the engine recommendations.

 

 

[StephenFord]

18 minutes ago, Eric Bloodaxe said:

Possibly in the owners handbook? Mine says this, for example:

 

BREAKING-IN



 

You could delete the "breaking in" and that would be good advice on how to maintain your car during it's life!

[Eric Bloodaxe]

4 minutes ago, StephenFord said:

You could delete the "breaking in" and that would be good advice on how to maintain your car during it's life!

Lol, yes I suppose so! I just drive normally from the word go, but I guess my idea of "normal" will be Captain Slow to some people and Boy Racer to others!😀

[TomsFocus]

What do they class as 'too fast' I wonder?   

Realistically, modern engines are made to tight enough tolerances that they don't really need to be run in nowadays.  After all, they can go 20k before the first oil change now...  

As above, just common sense throughout ownership really.  Drive off immediately after startup (cold idling is awful for an engine) and then drive gently until the temp needle reaches at least 70c.  Not necessarily slowly, just don't boot it until warm.  Don't need to do anything more than that really.  

[Guy Heaton]

Same as these days you never see the recommendation to let a turbo spool down before switching off the engine.

For me it kind of happens naturally cos I always reverse back into my drive slowly anyway.

[granville_focus]

Ford still recommend this when switching off a turbo engine 

https://www.fordservicecontent.com/Ford_Content/vdirsnet/OwnerManual/Home/Content?variantid=7234&languageCode=en&countryCode=USA&Uid=G1930241&ProcUid=G1477713&userMarket=GBR&div=f&vFilteringEnabled=False

[StephenFord]

2 hours ago, granville_focus said:

Ford still recommend this when switching off a turbo engine 

 

For those too lazy amongst us to get that link, just click here LOL

[TomsFocus]

I'd be interested to know of any scenario where the turbo hasn't spooled down by the time you've parked...  

[StephenFord]

52 minutes ago, TomsFocus said:

I'd be interested to know of any scenario where the turbo hasn't spooled down by the time you've parked...  

?? LOL

 

[Botus]

all engines have the same issues,

the difference is modern machining, materials and lubricants tend to mean there's less nasty bits to settle in...   a blue printed engine is the oldie world speak for one built by someone that knows what they are doing, all sizes, clearances and parts have been selected for optimum performance.  Lightening, balancing, removing stress raisers, strengthening with coatings or shot peening all mean its going to run smoother, making more go, for longer...

but you can still trash it by running in in badly ...   if there are high spots and or tight clearances and you stress it too much you can trash it, but conversely if you drive too gently then the piston rings will never settle in and it will burn oil and make less go forever

and then fully synthetic oils can make things worse... some engines will take many thousands more miles to settle in using synthetic oil, some BMWs suggest to run cheap oil for the first 30k to allow them to run in (before moving to fully synthetic) !!!

So you are torn between not overheating tights spots and trashing bearings and surfaces and driving like a girl so the pistons rings don't ever bed in....

take it easy, for first 15 miles drive gently, always let it fully warm up then rip it hard for a few seconds and very shortly turn it off to cool down....  make sure you do that a few times in the first 200 miles, and slowly build the duration of when you rip it.  No longer than 5 seconds bursts, in the first 100 miles, no more than 20 seconds in the first 500 etc.when you do that few times, it'll be better than any crap u read on the internet or in an owners manual...  outside that vary the revs, keep low torque, low throttle application....  full throttle on a hill with 1500 rpm is abuse, 2800 rpm and 1/4 throttle would be much kinder

and try not to stress, after all...they already ran it flat out on the dyno before you touched the car, its had 25 cold starts and CAT is clogged getting on the boat, where they scratched to death and its been repainted 6 times before you received it, the tech span 1 mm off the front tyres and then ford designed it to die inside 3 years 8 months (so long as you never use start stop, otherwise expect cam drive failure 1 minute after the warranty ends....)

 

 

 

 

 

[Eric Bloodaxe]

5 hours ago, StephenFord said:

?? LOL

 

Ah, but the A-Series doesn't have a turbo to spool down!😀 Brilliant vid though!

[iantt]

Never had the privilege to own a brand new car in 40 yrs of driving. So I wouldn't know what's best. The first owner regardless of how the run in the car or not won't see any benefits. It's the probably the 2nd, 3rd or 4 th owner who may end up with the benefits or not as applicable. 

Had a couple of brand new motorcycles ( Yamaha TRX 850 and Suzuki gsxr 600) and thashed those from day one as soon as up to temp . Again , no effect on the engine while I had them , but other owners after may have. 

[Guest]

Thx Eric.