T6.1 running-in / differences

[3crispies]

So have sold our T6 and picking up new van end of next week, a few questions

• what sort of revs should we be doing max as have to be in Cornwall the following week. 3/4k?
• more thinking about easing discs in for longevity.
• on highlines Vcds is autolock, digital speedo enabled ?
• what does Weconnect via your mobile show.

 

[Mooncat]

If you want to do it properly, diesel engines need to be worked and have lots of heat cycles to get the piston rings bedded into the cylinder walls. Try and work the engine at peak torque speed and don't let it labour. In the long run this reduces your oil consumption and you will have a better performing engine. If you have any hills local to you, a few 20 minute runs across the hills but allowing the engine to cool down between runs is ideal. The worst thing you can do is have it cruising on a flat motorway.........although lots of engines are run in this way and perform ok they're never as good as they could be.

As for brakes, just drive it normally and they'll bed in with time. If you take it easy it will take much longer for the pad material to transfer to the discs. If you want to speed up this process a few controlled brakings (not sure that's a proper word!) from 40 to 5mph when there's nothing behind you will do the trick (don't come to a stop).

 

[Skyliner33]

As above, the point with todays engines is to get the rings sealed to get a good compression. This happens best under high load, both accelerating and decelerating. This happens best in the first 50miles or so. The cylinders are machined to do this and this machining wears pretty quickly.
The worst thing you can do to a new engine is sit it on a motorway at constant revs.

 

[dubber36]

As others have said, vary the engine load. Best not to sit on the motorway at 1800rpm for hours. Take the scenic route, or vary the gears. Don't get too concerned about maximum revs, it's how you get to those revs that makes the difference. Best to avoid hard acceleration, to high gear labouring.

 

[Gavinda]

Everything I've read about modern engines echos the above, especially about the first few dozen miles being the ones which can have the most impact, after that, I'd just drive it as i needed to. I've given my TSI the beans from day one, it runs spot on and doesn't use any oil between services but that's not to say it'd have been any different if driven gently from the off.
Just bear in mind when researching subjects like this, take any advice with a pinch of salt as I once heard an otherwise intelligent and knowledgeable chap claim that by not taking an engine to the redline the pistons 'won't go all the way to the top'.
As for brakes, just use them when you need to, with modern brakes your grip on the road will be the limiting factor and as a wear item you'll replace them sooner or later.

 

[Dellmassive]

The manufacturer states to go easy for the first 1-2k miles. - to bed in the engine. And brake easy for the first 500miles for the pads to settle in.

But in my experience... The engine and box will feel "tight" for the first 4 - 8k miles...... After that it will "open up" and feel much free-er. And rev easier, and accerate earlier and just feel much free-er.

And don't forget the first oil service at 12.5k ..... That's to flush out the bed-in swarf and start a fresh with new oil and filter from 12.5k miles onwards to the main service at around 18k.

 

[3crispies]

The manufacturer states to go easy for the first 1-2k miles. - to bed in the engine. And brake easy for the first 500miles for the pads to settle in.

But in my experience... The engine and box will feel "tight" for the first 4 - 8k miles...... After that it will "open up" and feel much free-er. And rev easier, and accerate earlier and just feel much free-er.

And don't forget the first oil service at 12.5k ..... That's to flush out the bed-in swarf and start a fresh with new oil and filter from 12.5k miles onwards to the main service at around 18k.

yeah agreed on our aircooled engines I have built always used pistoneeze with high zinc content.