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When it’s time for pick up date, must new cars be run in at certain speeds for a set amount of miles, or just drive it as need be.
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Just drive it normally for first 500 miles ie don’t rev too hard and don’t let it labour in high gears, after that you can start to push it a bit harder. I don’t subscribe to the new cars these days dont need running in thing. Yes manufacturing is better these days but you are still running metal on metal etc and it needs time to loosen up and bed in regardless of how well its made. I am a CNC machinist so have some knowledge on the subject 😉
Totally agree with Shane, it’s what I do.
I know there’s some on here who say why bother, you never own it, or Drive like you stole it (Rox ?), but I’ve always thought that a degree of mechanical sympathy is the best policy.
Absolutely 72 dudes but each to their own, ultimately its down to the individual I guess.
Thanks never had have to do it always had old cars, so just use common sense I guess rather than flooring it.
Totally agree.
I’m an advocate of driving at all times with mechanical sympathy, whatever the age of the car. I always allow the engine to warm up before driving more enthusiastically. That said, I don’t drive sportily any more. ?
Regarding running in, most manufacturers don’t advise the old 1000 mile run-in period any more as tolerances are so much more accurate. In fact, it’s not beyond impossible now, to be building constant blueprinted (perfect) engines. What manufacturers do advise, is to drive carefully for between 200 – 500 miles but some say to add in some of your normal driving style. This is because some ECU’s now learn your driving style and set themselves accordingly but also it allows time for all mechanical parts to bed in to the rest of the car. It’s not just the engine but brakes, tyres and other mechanical parts will need to bed in.
The best thing to do is to refer to your handbook. This will tell you exactly what to do.? I will be remembered for nothing but had great fun doing it ?
BMW say the Mini owners should allow 1,000 miles of “gentle” driving for running-in. They stipulate not exceeding 4,500 rpm and/or 100mph. I’ve had vehicles in the past which could not reach those parameters even after running-in!
Reckon the running-in lark is worth doing. Have noticed, for example, that suspension is loosening up and engine is running a bit more freely (when the artificial vroomy noise lets me hear it). So some mechanical bits are bedding in and changing a bit. Eagerly awaiting the 1,000 mile mark when I will try to increase limits slowly.
Agree with Mr 72dudes – a “degree of mechanical sympathy” does not go amiss, even if I don’t own the machine. It’s only polite, really…
I never over stress my cars regardless of how many miles are on the clock but take a tiny bit of extra care for the first few weeks the car is on the road, after all, it’s my new baby.?
Every Winter I cringe at some of my neighbours who go out to their cars early morning with minus degrees frost on the car, they get in, start the engine then rev it up to the red line to warm the engine up quicker.
A few years go by then there out there wondering why a relatively new car has trouble starting every day.
The first 100 miles I take it easy cornering, that’s something I carry over from motorbikes & the tyres needing to scrub in a bit before they have proper grip.
Don’t run a turbo-diesel in too gently else you’ll have an engine full of soot. Give it some boot.
Don’t take a petrol engine to high revs or let it labour in the wrong gear for a few hundred miles, then progressively add power to it from there as the miles pass by.
No-one seems to know when it comes to electrics, but the suspension & CV joints will be much the same as fossils so give them time to run in too. So, drive it like you stole it so the rest of us can find out where EVs fail. Early winter mornings look good, come out to a pre-heated battery pack & car interior with the ice all melted off, tell the fossil driver next door not to idle his smelly diesel engine, & just go… smugness!
Some great advice thanks for taking the time.
Not to go on too much but something to bear in mind with brakes is not to be too gentle with them. I know, I know, you can’t do right for doing wrong! ?
But too light a brake routine can cause the discs and pads to polish up. This can cause brakes to squeal and can, slightly, decrease the braking power Not massively noticeable but can be irritating.
I’m terrible for this as I’m really light on brakes. When my X1 has its first service, I was asked if the brakes had been replaced from new! They hadn’t!
I do have to make an effort to brake slightly harder than I normally do to stop any irritating issues.
But then I’m pretty fussy I even bed the stereo in. I don’t play too loud at first. But when some bands come on the radio, what are you gonna do?! ??
@ajn Bet you’re sorry you asked now! ??? I will be remembered for nothing but had great fun doing it ?
Totally agree with Shane, it’s what I do. I know there’s some on here who say why bother, you never own it, or Drive like you stole it (Rox
), but I’ve always thought that a degree of mechanical sympathy is the best policy.Ha ha Ha,72dude ya spot on. I also drive to the road conditions.
Don’t brake, use the engine if you can, especially in bad weather. As for running in. The brakes on the sport are great now they bedded in.
I done 1900 miles now so far in the honda civic sport since mid/end of june and i only give it some beans once it’s warmed up the oil not the water..
The vtec don’t kickin till 4000 rpm and it red lines at 6500 revs the only time that will really happen is if i use the paddles and it’s very rarely i use the paddles. Normally to kickdown rather than using my foot or If i need to to overtake or the road demands more revs.
I do find you get more grip at higher revs on bends than when the revs are lower. Do all your breaking in a straight line as well.. before a bend i brake then in the bend i accelerate slightly to keep the car planted. Was so much fun on my recent holiday, lots of bendy roads and lots of motorbikes as well..
Really imo it depends on the car as well. If a cars engine is designed to be run at higher revs then it can take more abuse at higher revs over a longer period. Plus i tend to not rev it to high in 1st or 2nd but driving a cvt is different, there no gears unless i use the paddles. Then it simulates them. No real complaints as yet about the cvt or the engine at all.. Crazy 1.5l that gives 182 bhp
Do they not run an engine on a machine after it’s built to run it in and make sure it meets euro standards and the power out is right and no leaks etc. before it’s fitted into the car.
Wow lol
Brakes are a good point, on EVs the brake discs often fail due to rusting as they get used so rarely, most of teh braking action is on the motor used for regeneration.
The big two fails in EVs are the brake discs & the 12V battery, perhaps both will become obsolete before long.
You do need to be able to stop and i do find using acc alot (as i do) the car brakes alot more than i would. The brake regen is imo to wear them down more, so you need to service them more often and they make more money from us.
Coz look imo once a car is in motion one should be able to create free energy from the movement of air and all you would really need is a battery to help start the car and get it moving again.. a fully self rechargeable hybrid. Not these fake ones that got two engines a turbine or many turbines. No need to plug in or recharge.
I do think there is tech out there that is surpressed as it will open up free endless fuel for us the consumer but what good is that to the powers in charge. Very intresting though When i was alot younger i used to go deep inside the hydro electric power plant in snowdonia with my dad as they had a skip way down like 1.5 miles down and it intrested me then hydro elctric power and they use part of the energy created to pump the water back to the top of the mountain to do it all again.. That was 3o+ years ago.
I do think there is tech out there that is surpressed as it will open up free endless fuel for us the consumer but what good is that to the powers in charge.
Sounds like you have been on one too many conspiracy websites – although that is what solar power gives you…just can’t get enough power from solar to power cars properly based on current tech. A company that could create a cheap/free to use and easy fuel supply would make a fortune – it’s certainly not something that would be suppressed.
The hydro power station makes power during the day when it’s needed and then pumps it back to the top using power from the grid to get it back up there at night when it does not need to be generating – it’s certainly not free power.
), but I’ve always thought that a degree of mechanical sympathy is the best policy.
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