Running in: Myth or necessity?

http://motoring.asiaone.com/Motoring/Drivers/Learning/Story/A1Story20100224-200557.html

Running in: Myth or necessity?



By TONY NG, Wed, Feb 24, 2010, my paper

RUNNING in your new car.

Some fanatics swear by it, others dismiss it as unnecessary.

There's a whole slew of theories in magazines and on websites about this "art" - from changing oil to not tapping your accelerator too hard.

So, what's the gospel truth?

Because of minute imperfections that occur in manufacturing, mechanical components are uneven and these are mated to other parts.

Running in - a process that occurs in the first 1,000 to 1,500km - enables these imperfections to be evened out through beneficial wearing.

A proper run-in can give several benefits.

Besides letting you get comfortable with your new ride, it will also increase the lifespan of your engine and improve its fuel consumption.

If you are buying a car with a manual transmission, a run-in period will also smoothen gear changes, says Mr Shreejit Changaroth, the resident tech guru of Torque, Singapore Press Holdings' monthly motoring magazine and owner of a mechanical- engineering firm.

Says Mr Changaroth: "All the parts used in the car are mechanical bits set to certain tolerances - they need a minimum amount of wear for the parts to fit perfectly."

He drew an analogy between that and wearing new shoes.

"It takes a while before the shoes fit the shape of your feet perfectly and you feel comfortable."

There are two simple rules to observe while running in a car, Mr Changaroth advises.

One, maintain a gentle touch while driving for the first 1,000km.

You should not accelerate or brake suddenly.

Two, as the mileage increases, bring up the revs and vary the throttle.

Let the engine get used to different gears and avoid travelling at a constant speed.

If possible, avoid revving your car above 4,000 rpm.

Self-employed Yew Yee Chong, 28, who has just finished running in his new Volkswagen Tiguan, agrees.

He says he will not go into high revs until the odometer passes the 1,500 km mark .

The one-month-old vehicle is his third ride.

Running in a car is also important for safety.

New cars should be driven carefully for the first few hundred kilometres, as new tyres and brake pads have a longer braking distance and less grip on the roads.

The rule of thumb is to follow what your manufacturer's manual advises.

Volkswagen advises new owners to run in the tyres carefully for the first 500km and, for new brake pads, for the first 200km to 500km.

It also tells owners to apply more pressure on brake pedals to compensate for the slightly reduced braking effect during those distance periods.

But, while Volkswagen recommends an oil change at 15,000km, Mr Yew says he changed the oil at between3,000km and 5,000km. He reasons that "people who love their cars will take care of it".

Engine oil from the run-in period usually have particles in it due to the wearing of the mechanical bits, which is not good for the health of the engine.

The oil filter should get rid of the bits but this is where it is better to err on the side of caution.

Mr Changaroth also recommends doing basic maintenance on the car every fortnight for the first three months.

Some people believe that modern cars arrive with engines already run in but he begs to differ.

Car factories do only diagnostic tests on the engines to make sure they are in working condition, he says.

Due to technological improvements, running in a car today is less crucial now, compared to 20 years ago.

For example, in the past, cars used to require servicing after the first 1,000km but, now, the first servicing is at the 15,000km mark, Mr Changaroth says.

An engine that is not run in won't fall to bits, he assures.

But neither will you enjoy the benefits that come with an engine that has been run in.

For all newbies,
Please do read this article
It explains why and how to go about running in.

Being in an environment where everything is being spoon fed. Many similar threads asking how to, what nots were created. Let this be a more general informative thread to educate the mass.

quote
Says Mr Changaroth: "All the parts used in the car are mechanical bits set to certain tolerances - they need a minimum amount of wear for the parts to fit perfectly."

He drew an analogy between that and wearing new shoes.

"It takes a while before the shoes fit the shape of your feet perfectly and you feel comfortable."

.. you THE MOD la ano.. thanks man!! a bit sian u never posted this earlier.. my mileage nearly 9k liao.. hahahaha..

DarkPrince wrote: .. you THE MOD la ano.. thanks man!! a bit sian u never posted this earlier.. my mileage nearly 9k liao.. hahahaha..

buy a new car... then u can properly run in.....

JuanST wrote:

DarkPrince wrote: .. you THE MOD la ano.. thanks man!! a bit sian u never posted this earlier.. my mileage nearly 9k liao.. hahahaha..

buy a new car... then u can properly run in.....

nvm lah....just whack.....then got excuse to change new car.....

KnightRider wrote:

JuanST wrote:

DarkPrince wrote: .. you THE MOD la ano.. thanks man!! a bit sian u never posted this earlier.. my mileage nearly 9k liao.. hahahaha..

buy a new car... then u can properly run in.....

nvm lah....just whack.....then got excuse to change new car.....

need any help whacking it?

JuanST wrote:

KnightRider wrote:

JuanST wrote:

DarkPrince wrote: .. you THE MOD la ano.. thanks man!! a bit sian u never posted this earlier.. my mileage nearly 9k liao.. hahahaha..

buy a new car... then u can properly run in.....

nvm lah....just whack.....then got excuse to change new car.....

need any help whacking it?

next MU.....JuanST...u go for it...haha

Thats why I maintain my position that OBSESSIVE running in is not necessary.

Technological advances have made that tolerance very minute.

Still, keeping below 3.5-4K rpm is reasonable and vary the RPM. Else...please dun go overboard and keep below 80km/h and below 3K RPM.

1000km oil change and then rev more.

And most common misunderstanding is to wack highway and reach 1st 1000km milege faster so can go change oil

ITS A BIG NO NO.
Rather is to go all the small roads with all the corners like housing estate so that all your gears are evenly wear as well as suspension and others

Good info !

ano57 wrote:
Due to technological improvements, running in a car today is less crucial now, compared to 20 years ago.

For example, in the past, cars used to require servicing after the first 1,000km but, now, the first servicing is at the 15,000km mark, Mr Changaroth says.

An engine that is not run in won't fall to bits, he assures.

But neither will you enjoy the benefits that come with an engine that has been run in.

BTW, what is the the benefit again?

you are referring to? (what is the the benefit again?)

is this your 1st car?

possible to read and digest with a pinch of salt.

Also if possible read the owner's manual there are many good information and recommendation from the manufacturer which MANY people fail to realised that the answers to many of questions posed in forum are actually laying in their boot or glove compartment.......

ano57 wrote:you are referring to? (what is the the benefit again?)

is this your 1st car?

possible to read and digest with a pinch of salt.

Also if possible read the owner's manual there are many good information and recommendation from the manufacturer which MANY people fail to realised that the answers to many of questions posed in forum are actually laying in their boot or glove compartment.......

I am referring to what are the benefit for running in? Better fuel consumption? Engine more lasting? etc?

How to really tell the true benefits? Any actual comparison or study with test result done? Example a car that run in can last 20 years of driving compared with car without running in which can last 10 years? etc?

The person also mention that running in is less crutial compared with 20 years ago. So maybe, the running in does not have the real benefits anymore.