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I always comply with the recommendations in the handbook. Old professional habits die hard whether a car or a 747. Even tyres need a few miles to give their best. I don’t believe in abusing anything mechanical whether leased or not. The next owner might pay the price.
Oh ok clipped wings, however haven’t got the hand book yet, so just seeing if anyone already have an insight to the miles of running in a new car in this day and age.
Thanks anyway@ajn Seat Tarraco manual says (paraphrased)
First 600 very thing very gentle mo harsh acceleration etc
from 600 to 1000 slightly more aggressive
1000+ everything as normal
SEAT Tarraco 2.0TSi 190 4Drive Excellence with Pano Roof and leather seats!
@ajn Seat Tarraco manual says (paraphrased) First 600 very thing very gentle mo harsh acceleration etc from 600 to 1000 slightly more aggressive 1000+ everything as normal
Excellent Thanks c2clo ?
My dad use to say you had to run cars in ,but I don’t think with now technically you need too do that .
<p style=”text-align: left;”>Manufacturing processes are much better these days and tolerances are better controlled but I would still argue that you need to run a car in properly to get the best from it. At the end of the day you can do as you please as no-one is going to know any different. It’ll be thousands of miles later and a few owners down the line that’ll bare the brunt of any mistreatment.</p>
With respect the dealer won’t have a clue, if you know anyone with a mechanical engineering background ask them what they think on the subject. I would argue that a car actually takes longer to run in these days due to the use of synthetic oils and metal coatings that reduce friction. Its the friction that actually beds the components in so in reducing that friction the process takes longer. If you’ve had new discs and pads fitted to a car you’ll know that initially they don’t work as well as the old ones, thats because until the surfaces bed in you are not utilising the whole surface area of the pad and disc. It takes a good 500 miles of normal use to get them working properly, I would use that as a guide on running in your engine too.
Just my two penneth 😉
I always just take it steady for the 1st 1,000 miles (no racing from the lights, trying to hit the red line etc) and after that I just drive it like I stole it for a while to loosen things up a little, after that it’s the same as most folks nowadays, trying to get the most out of every litre of fuel to keep costs down.
I tend to follow the guidance in the manual, but I’ve been told by people who know a lot more about these things than me that modern engines are designed in a way that they don’t need running in anymore. I think the guidelines nowadays are more to do with brakes etc and are more a precaution than a necessity.
From the AA December 2016
Believe it or not, there was a time when it was common to see new cars driven slowly with a ‘running-in, please pass’ sign in their back windows. No need for anything this drastic now as cars are better engineered and better put together, while modern engine oils are much more sophisticated.
Nevertheless, reliability, oil consumption and fuel consumption can all benefit from a little extra care early in a new car’s early days. Ask the dealer for advice and check the handbook – many still include some ‘running-in’ advice.
The first 1,000 miles
Start with gentle driving around town so everything, including brakes, can bed in.
Avoid harsh acceleration and heavy braking if you can.
For diesels, keep engine revs below 3,000 rpm, but make sure they regularly reach this limit.
For petrol, try to stay below 3,000 rpm for the first 500-600 miles and then increase the limit to around 4,000 rpm. Again, revs should regularly reach this limit.
Avoid labouring the engine by changing up too early or using too high a gear.
Check oil and coolant levels at least weekly – this is a new car so you don’t know how much oil it’ll use. Oil consumption can be high for the first 6,000 miles or so but should slow, particularly if you treat the car gently to start with.
Brand new tyres have a thin oily coating (mould release agent from when the tyre was made) – this can affect handling but it wears off within 3-5 miles.
After the first 1,000 miles gradually use more of the car’s performance.December 2016
The only person who got all his work done by Friday was Robinson Crusoe.
Anything i post over three lines long please assume it is an article lol.Take your pick lol.
From Which car 2018
It’s a pervasive myth: according to some, new cars have a ‘running in’ process during the first couple of weeks of ownership. Fail to adhere to it, and you risk reducing the lifespan of your car’s powerplant – or worse.
The story goes that during the first couple of thousand kilometres of its life a car’s engine needs to be ‘bedded in’, with a unique driving style required. This usually involves gentle acceleration, staying below certain rpm, progressively introducing load and avoiding towing.
But despite the old wives’ tales, you don’t actually need to baby a new car after taking delivery, just drive it like you normally would.
WhichCar spoke to a pair of mechanics who work at new car dealerships, for brands from both the mainstream and high-performance luxury ends of the spectrum. For mainstream marques, it’s unsurprising that little attention is required from new owners post-delivery. Our contact said he was not aware of any official running-in process: new owners simply pick up the keys and drive away. Provided the servicing schedule is adhered to, all is well.
But what about those privileged few who can afford to splash money on something high-end? Another contact, who works exclusively on Italian supercars, said there was no special process either despite the specialised – and highly strung – nature of the engines used in by mid-engined beasts.
“Generally because they get serviced so regularly and checked – there is little need to ‘run them in’ as they are almost bullet proof these days,” he said.
“[The cars] are generally tested randomly out of the assembly line. However, for track focused vehicles there is a higher expectation in terms of the level of abuse.”
More car buying advice
Modern cars and engines are now built in such a way that the customer can take delivery, and drive the car normally and without limitations from the first minute of ownership. Regardless of whether it’s a grocery-getting hatchback or a high-revving, flame-spitting supercar.
So if you are picking up a new car from a dealership in the near future, don’t worry about ‘running it in’, it’s all a myth – just get out there and enjoy the drive.
The only person who got all his work done by Friday was Robinson Crusoe.
Anything i post over three lines long please assume it is an article lol.Thinking about it, back in the days when I had company cars, I didn’t run them in at all. I drove them normally from day one and never had any problems with them, although most were 3 and 5 series BMW diesels which are bomb proof. In fact, those that I drove a little ‘keener’ from day 1 seemed to always perform better through their lives – a sort of reverse logic to running in ?
@Glos Guy When I had company cars they were mainly Fords. The advice given by the Ford mechanics was thrash the hell out of it from day 1!
SEAT Tarraco 2.0TSi 190 4Drive Excellence with Pano Roof and leather seats!
@Glos Guy When I had company cars they were mainly Fords. The advice given by the Ford mechanics was thrash the hell out of it from day 1!
Well that reminds me of the first brand new car I bought when I was just 21 years old. It was a 1.4 Astra. I ‘drove it liked I’d nicked it’ from day 1 and when it went in for a service the mechanic said “surely that’s a 1.6? It doesn’t drive like any other 1.4” ?
??
I reckon Brydo’s advice is well sound. I am pretty sure that, despite today’s high production standards, some mechanical bedding in does take place. Have had my Mini Cooper S hatch now for around 1,500 miles and the engine sounds and feels smoother and the suspension has definitely loosened up since day one. So going easy in the early miles seems a decent idea. It’s only polite after all!
Normally this time of year we visit the Father in law, Cardiff to Ayr.
Wife off work next week car pick up 7th Monday.If he wasn’t in tier 3 and my health issues, the car would have been from show room to fuel straight to Scotland.
Have to wait see how it all pans out.
Don’t the icu and an auto box learn how you drive and adjust the fuel mixture, throttle response etc to your driving style.
In my case that means getting every horse out of it and look i do treat the mb car like i would a hire car as i do not own it and lease it.
I don’t really care if it goes back with the engine smashed, but as of yet not one has, but i don’t race the engine until the oil has warmed up fully and one deffo needs to be careful until the brakes fully bed in.
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