How to run in a new diesel engine?

Hintza

Just_Incredible wrote: »

Modern cars don't need running in

they are ready to be driven normally the moment the keys are handed to you

It can do no harm in treating gently in the early stages and might do it the power of good.

Possibly better fuel consumption and increased performance.

Best advice though would be don't thrash it when cold, let the engine get to operating temperature (especially if you drive an Alfa..).

cyclonebri1

I agree with most of that, other than I don't think my diesel can hit 4500 revs, however asuming that the general advice of reduced revs and loading for the 1st 1k miles means that most of the wear takes place over this period, I did, and always would change the oil at 1000 miles, sooner have the charp crappy bits out than in. Also consider said new car could have been sat in a field for 18 months before it was sold;)

Hintza

Think mine (2.8L R428 V M Motori engine) is supposed to rev to 4,300 max.

AdrianHi

Probably worth remembering at this point that it is not just the engine that we are running or bedding in, it is the whole drive train, brakes, steering - all the moving parts.

alleycat`

cyclonebri1 wrote: »

however asuming that the general advice of reduced revs and loading for the 1st 1k miles means that most of the wear takes place over this period, I did, and always would change the oil at 1000 miles, sooner have the charp crappy bits out than in. Also consider said new car could have been sat in a field for 18 months before it was sold;)

Reminds me that the old vw i had they offered a 1,000 mile oil change free.
Didn't get such an offer with the new one.. very odd.

AdrianHi

alleycat` wrote: »

Reminds me that the old vw i had they offered a 1,000 mile oil change free.
Didn't get such an offer with the new one.. very odd.

There is a sound technical reason for this.
These new high powered turbo diesel engines and (I think) petrol engines are using synthetic long life oils that have exceptional lubrication properties that are excellent at minimising engine wear.
There are two reasons for not changing the oil at say 1000 miles. One is out of the factory the car actually has a different oil from what is specified for future changes that is specififcally design to allow more engine wear to allow the engine to bed in.
The other is the oil is the standard specification type out the factory but you need the "bits" floating around in the oil to cause enough wear to bed the engine in properly.
Change the oil at 1000 miles removing that "special" oil or oil with the early wear "bits" in it and the engine will never bed in properly.

Joe_Sp

AdrianHi wrote: »

There is a sound technical reason for this.
These new high powered turbo diesel engines and (I think) petrol engines are using synthetic long life oils that have exceptional lubrication properties that are excellent at minimising engine wear.
There are two reasons for not changing the oil at say 1000 miles. One is out of the factory the car actually has a different oil from what is specified for future changes that is specififcally design to allow more engine wear to allow the engine to bed in.
The other is the oil is the standard specification type out the factory but you need the "bits" floating around in the oil to cause enough wear to bed the engine in properly.
Change the oil at 1000 miles removing that "special" oil or oil with the early wear "bits" in it and the engine will never bed in properly.

Do the oils that the cars leave the factory with impact on fuel econmy at all? I ask the question because I find cars give better MPG immediately after the first service but have always put this down to the engine not being as tight.

AdrianHi

alleycat` wrote: »

Reminds me that the old vw i had they offered a 1,000 mile oil change free.
Didn't get such an offer with the new one.. very odd.

Joe_Sp wrote: »

Do the oils that the cars leave the factory with impact on fuel econmy at all? I ask the question because I find cars give better MPG immediately after the first service but have always put this down to the engine not being as tight.

I do not know for sure. I could guess that the MPG improvement after a service is down to a mixture of loosened up engine, clean oil, a new clean oil filter which will alllow oil to flow better - therefore taking less energy to pump oil around the engine.

Energy loss due to oil pumping is significant enough for BMW (and possibly others) to include using an electric oil pump under the control of the ECU (car's engine management system) to more finely tune oil pump power. They claim something like 2%- 3% MPG improvement on the official tests if memory serves from this alone.

cyclonebri1

AdrianHi wrote: »

There is a sound technical reason for this.
These new high powered turbo diesel engines and (I think) petrol engines are using synthetic long life oils that have exceptional lubrication properties that are excellent at minimising engine wear.
There are two reasons for not changing the oil at say 1000 miles. One is out of the factory the car actually has a different oil from what is specified for future changes that is specififcally design to allow more engine wear to allow the engine to bed in.
The other is the oil is the standard specification type out the factory but you need the "bits" floating around in the oil to cause enough wear to bed the engine in properly.
Change the oil at 1000 miles removing that "special" oil or oil with the early wear "bits" in it and the engine will never bed in properly.

Adrian, that special oil is simply mineral oil, it allows more wear than is strictly neccessary. If synthetic oil is used from new it can actually prevent an engine from bedding in, check out BMW's research on this;)

cyclonebri1

Joe_Sp wrote: »

Do the oils that the cars leave the factory with impact on fuel econmy at all? I ask the question because I find cars give better MPG immediately after the first service but have always put this down to the engine not being as tight.

It's both as Adrian suggests, most wear has occured therefore things have loosened up, plus synthetic oil can now be used which has far better friction reduction;)