I take delivery of a new Focus Estate 1.6 petrol auto soon. Will I need to run the car in ? Are there any tips regarding the dual clutch auto box, eg changing down, kick-down, etc.? I've never had auto lights or wipers before. Anything to look out for?

Bill S.

Engines are not supposed to need running in these days, however I took it easy for the first couple of thousand miles to let everything bed in properly. I have found in the past if you take care of the car in the early days it seems to be more reliable and less likely to be an oil burner later in life.

The lights, I leave on auto all the time. The wipers aren't everyone's cup of tea and I tend to use the auto setting and sensitivity adjustment as if they are ordinary intermittent wipers. Don't leave the wipers in the auto position when you switch off though, as when you start the car, you don't want them kicking off when you have ice or dry dirt on the screen.

Good luck with the car and I hope it gives you many years of enjoyment.

as bt said, running in isnt overly necessary but be gentle.

I would say theres nothing really to the autobox and kickdown that meets the eye. I suggest put the box in sport mode, that will allow the box to run in better!

Hi, to clarify, with runing in 'gently' means no excessive rpm, don't let the engine bog down in the wrong gear up hills, although this shouldn't happen with dsg. Other than that the advice is to drive it with some gusto as this will allow the cly bores to bed in and not get glazed...