Running new engine in

Post by **RS4b8NewOwner** » Tue Jan 28, 2014 1:28 am

I would be keen to open this topic up to owners and perspective rs4 owners, is there any official advice or from experience tips to bed the engine in, a common theme from what I read online is just simply drive it hard both accelerating and de-accelerating. This in turn parents carbon build up and annoying squeaky brakes. Not sure the wife would go for this though!

Post by **Bladerider** » Tue Jan 28, 2014 2:41 am

This should do it...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26X_s28ilYs

Post by **nwk00** » Tue Jan 28, 2014 6:14 am

Owner's Manual stated that

- Run in distance is 2500km, during run in no full throttle

0km----------------------1000km-----------------------2000km----------------------------------2500km
--------Below 6000rpm---------------below 7000rpm-------------------gradually open her up to full rpm

-when engine is below 60 degrees Celsius, moderate engine speeds below 6000rpm. You will know it is below 60 because the engine temperature dial will just show dashes instead of a number. This applies throughout the life of the engine.
-don't lug the engine by keeping it unnecessarily in low rpm

I took at more conservative break in schedule by stretching the distance to 3500km and a more gradual increment in rpm. When the engine is cold, I drive for a few kilometers before opening her up, even when the oil temperature is above 60 degress celsius.

Post by **Graeme4130** » Tue Jan 28, 2014 8:53 pm

I was told by the dealer to just go and 'blast it' as they're run in on the bench, which I've since established to be true via Audi (as it happens, I had a 1500m trip across france two daysinto ownership with my 75yr old father who only does slow, so the run in was pretty gentle)
However, I've seen the way the cars are test driven from new straight from the line and they're ragged to the limiters and certainly not run gently

Back when I was at Honda, we did an engineering study on the Type R Engine (all of which are run in on the bench I'll assume in a similar manner to RS products) and the engines that were gently coaxed into their normal life over a number of miles showed a practically identical wear pattern to the driven hard from new engines.
The days of 'running in' were generally devised back when engineering tolerances were measured in finger thickness and not microns as they are now

The only reason I would run the engine in the way suggested by the book would be to remove any possibility that Audi could potential void a warranty should you randomly get a catastrophic engine failure further down the line

FWIW, my RS4 is now on 15k miles and is starting to loosen up nicely, It certainly seems more powerful than the 1000mile example I drove last week and the MPG has improved marginally. It's just going into Audi Swindon next week for it's first service too

Post by **carsarecool** » Wed Jan 29, 2014 7:08 pm

I'll wait for the oil to warm up and then drive as usual.

Are there an Ts and Cs you sign up to when buying an Audi - If you drive over what is stated in the manual they won't cover warranty??

Post by **Graeme4130** » Wed Jan 29, 2014 7:24 pm

carsarecool wrote:I'll wait for the oil to warm up and then drive as usual.

Are there an Ts and Cs you sign up to when buying an Audi - If you drive over what is stated in the manual they won't cover warranty??

No, not to my knowledge in what I signed.
Re the oil temp, like the B7, it limits your revs until oil temp is at 60 anyway>
FWIW, I've always found it frustrating that it doesn't tell you what the oil temp is until that point, at 60deg, when it gives you full revs. I don't see any reason it can't let you know how far off being able to boot it you are

Post by **Brooner** » Fri Jan 31, 2014 9:24 am

Graeme4130 wrote:
carsarecool wrote:I'll wait for the oil to warm up and then drive as usual.

Are there an Ts and Cs you sign up to when buying an Audi - If you drive over what is stated in the manual they won't cover warranty??
No, not to my knowledge in what I signed.
Re the oil temp, like the B7, it limits your revs until oil temp is at 60 anyway>
FWIW, I've always found it frustrating that it doesn't tell you what the oil temp is until that point, at 60deg, when it gives you full revs. I don't see any reason it can't let you know how far off being able to boot it you are

it is a pain having to flick to the oil temp gauge on the dis this should have been like the B7 permanently on the display
i know it not a problem but i do like the speed indicator on the dis

Post by **adsgreen** » Fri Jan 31, 2014 12:01 pm

carsarecool wrote:I'll wait for the oil to warm up and then drive as usual.

Are there an Ts and Cs you sign up to when buying an Audi - If you drive over what is stated in the manual they won't cover warranty??

It's a bit of a grey area however I'm 99% sure it will say in the manual that you need to use moderate throttle at cold engine temperatures (or words to that effect).

I know of one concrete example where a US customer bought a supercar and basically got in a drove it flat out from stone cold. Engine basically fell apart from the abuse and a new engine was requested under warranty. The ECU was logging time in each rpm band at different coolant temps and the warranty claim was rejected, went to court and it found in favour of the manufacturer.
This was 15 years ago so you can imagine what kind of ecu logging is going on now in cars.

Post by **AMB** » Fri Jan 31, 2014 11:45 pm

RivBlue arrived with 750m on the clock! When I inquired - why? "It was retained at station #? (Can't recall the number) on the rolling road during testing". Due to the spec' they tend to spend a little longer testing at the factory.

Post by **aled_31** » Sat Feb 01, 2014 12:32 am

There is no way I would have accepted my brand new car with 750 miles on it........ Why on earth would they have run it on a rolling road for 750 miles "because of the spec"?? Obviously, the car was beautifully spec'd but other than ceramics, the running gear / drivetrain is no different to a standard car.

Post by **Bladerider** » Sat Feb 01, 2014 3:52 am

Probably checking the optics !!

Post by **AMB** » Sat Feb 01, 2014 5:44 am

aled_31 wrote:There is no way I would have accepted my brand new car with 750 miles on it........ Why on earth would they have run it on a rolling road for 750 miles "because of the spec"?? Obviously, the car was beautifully spec'd but other than ceramics, the running gear / drivetrain is no different to a standard car.

Didn't see it as a problem then, and Silas certainly won't now...so yesterday's chip-paper wrapping I guess.
Did find a wee-bit-strange at the time TBH.

Edit that; talking rubbish...checked photo archive, it was 106m. And no the stealer didn't have it for days before I collected.

Post by **adsgreen** » Sat Feb 01, 2014 10:22 am

106m is ok... Probably more like it was driven to the dealer rather than flatbeded

Post by **N13LXC** » Sat Feb 01, 2014 10:57 am

id say on a standard car, i.e. 2.0TDI then no more the 30 miles at delivery, however on performance models then its reasonable to add a few more. I'd prefer to know the checks were over done than under.

100 miles when a car has done 25-30k doesn't make much difference does it...I'm sure the computers could all be factory reset before customers getting them?

Post by **Revolution** » Sat Feb 01, 2014 11:22 am

Graeme, I love your stance & i think your correct..

IMHO - i wouldnt go pussy footing with an RS engine as all engines will all be "tested" before being put into the car anyway...

take it easy and dont overrev it but dont hang around either..

Our experience with various manufacturers engines is the ones that have been driven carefully are the ones that get coked up quickest

Big Glenn

RS246.com Forum :: The World's #1 Audi R, S and RS Enthusiast Community