Running in period

[Shewie]

I'm not sure what to do when mine eventually turns up.

I've been driving a Mk5 Gti for the last three years and that drinks oil, probably taking a litre every 2-3k miles. I'd say I took it pretty steady when I got it new, I've always gone by a rule of no more than 3000 revs for the first 1000 miles. That clearly didn't help the oil situation in the Golf and the Roc has the same engine so I don't know what I'm gonna do.
I do a lot of motorway driving between 70-90mph on a good day, but equally there's always long runs of 40-50mph on the M1 everyday.

I'll probably do a mix of driving when I get to break her in, steady most of the time but then giving a bit more now and again.

[skyblues11]

in every day life its hard to drive to any recommended guidelines.

i'd say drive it in the normal way you would do in your old car. Maybe a bit gentle when you go up a mountain.

otherwise daily communte to be enough. Its too hard to deal with the rev and all that.

could the oil issue be related to something else?

[*Sledge]

I've only done ~300 miles on my Scirocco so far but have found when braking quite hard the car tends to want to pull to the right.

For instance breaking from 70mph down to 50mph it feels like the car is trying to skip to the right. Almost as though the brake is locking for a fraction of a second on the front right. This is only when braking quite hard to drop the speed fairly quickly. (Something that happens a bit as this car is just too much fun).

Is it just due to the fact that I'm wearing components in or should I get it checked out?

edit: Forgot to say Hi to everyone. Great to see a bunch of like minded Scirocco lovers camped out in one place.

[RW1]

Hi,

You're a little early to expect the best out of the brakes at 300 miles. I had "funnies" at those sort of speeds as you describe but mine were to the left. Road conditions were good so I saw no reason for it doing it. Slowing down sharpish on slip roads was the favourite. Once below 40mph-ish, it was normal.

Put it down to light use of the new brakes and the way I drive. By about 1,000 miles-ish, the Scirocco started behaving as expected. ie the brakes had fully bedded in and pulled up well in a straight line. Not had the effect happen since.

C.

[marriedblonde]

When your running in a new car it's not jus tthe engine but all the drive train etc that needs to settle. I'd say you need at leat 500 miles on a set of new breaks before they will give their best. Could just be one side is bedded in better than the other. give it a few more miles and I would think it will be ok. If not get it back to the dealer.s

[monkeyman]

Mine wags both left and right. But then again I recon my trackings out a bit with all the pot holes in the south of London.lol

[*Sledge]

Thanks for all the responses. I thought it was just wearing in but better to be safe.

I will have fun 'testing' my brakes to see when they have settled.

[monkeyman]

JUst done use them to hard in one go. They fade quite easly, Then it gets a little scary.lol

[Deagol]

Had my 170PS diesel for just over a month now and coming up to 1,000 miles. Followed the dealer's advice of "let it warm up, then drive normally". Not pushed much over 3,000 rpm for the first 600 miles and am a bit happier to push on past 3,500 pm from time to time now. Mainly driving cross country on a mix of Cornish A and B class roads, with excursions around caravans etc as necessary (!).
Oil consumption seems to be OK but will keep an eye on it. Fuel consumption wanders around between 50 mpg and 57 mpg, depending on how many caravans etc I come across.

The diesel may have 20PS extra to my previous Mk IV Golf GTi (T) but it feels a lot more. Very happy with the choice of engine.

[nd10]

Had my 170PS diesel for just over a month now and coming up to 1,000 miles. Followed the dealer's advice of "let it warm up, then drive normally". Not pushed much over 3,000 rpm for the first 600 miles and am a bit happier to push on past 3,500 pm from time to time now. Mainly driving cross country on a mix of Cornish A and B class roads, with excursions around caravans etc as necessary (!).
Oil consumption seems to be OK but will keep an eye on it. Fuel consumption wanders around between 50 mpg and 57 mpg, depending on how many caravans etc I come across.

The diesel may have 20PS extra to my previous Mk IV Golf GTi (T) but it feels a lot more. Very happy with the choice of engine.

Good going I'm at 49.1 average with a mix of town/motorway and without really opening it up yet but now I have past the 1000 mile mark I'm about to.

[maisbitt]

I'm averaging 48mpg at the moment with the aircon on most of the time, but my journeys to work are pretty short: 1 mile on 30 roads, then straight up to 70 - 80 on the coast road for 5 miles, then another 5 miles on pretty busy 30/40 roads. If i'm on a journey for 30 miles or so at 80mph constant, I can get up to 57mpg. I expect to be getting into the 50mpg range again now the warmer weather is here.

I find the most economical way of using the aircon and feel cool is to set it to 16C and recirculate. If I set it to "LO", it doesn't feel much cooler and both the power and economy really suffer.

I've had the car for just over a year and 11K miles and it hasn't used a drop of oil yet. It just gets better and better in terms of refinement and output - my 140TDI has the same acceleration from a sliproad at Billy Mill roundabout to a signpost on the coast road that my 170TDI PD Golf had (they both reach exactly 80mph at the same point), although 6th gear acceleration was superior in my 170TDI Golf. The point is, I think my well run in 140TDI is almost as potent as my not so well run in 170TDI Golf was, running in technique is important - varying speeds and revs during the first 1000 miles (without overdoing it) seems to be best.

Just been looking back over these threads and people say they're bench run in. Are they for real? Do they think VW will connect all these engines up to fuel systems and run them for a few hours "on the bench" before they get put into a car, or let the employees drive around the plant in these fully built cars to run them in before making the mileometer active? Seriously impractical, and it would cost VW a lot in fuel - where do people get these crazy ideas? They're better than they used to be due to tighter manufacturing tolerances, making the difference between a raw and a run in engine smaller than it used to be, but still significant.

[Deagol]

Hi Maisbitt,

My aircon use is a lot lower than yours which could account for the difference.

I'm no expert, but my understanding of the "bench running in" thing is that it is done without fuel, but by connection to electrically powered drive. Whether than means that the engine cylinders are left with the injectors or spark plugs unscrewed, so there is effectively no compression loading, I'm not sure. Someone better informed than me will set us straight, I reckon.

I also recall that the bolt/plug that goes in the bottom of the sump is magnetised steel, so any little bits of steel swarf drifting around with the engine oil get caught up and cannot do too much damage. Then I think "What is the oil filter for?"

Does anyone experience an effect on fuel consumption when the weather is not roasty-toasty hot, but a little bit damp and overcast? My feeling is that this somehow helps improve mpg - or maybe I am trying harder?

I didn't buy the car simply to get 65 mpg all the time, but it is nice to have the option of mixing mpg with mph and not getting a guilt trip from the kids about greenhouse gas !!

[Eitan]

Hi
I have a new 160 TSI manual, with only 600 KM till now.
I'v heard that it's not recomended to pass 3000-4000 RPM in the first 1000 KM.
Other vertions say the same, but untill 1400 KM.
What is the best, and can I expect the car to feel faster with more Kilometers on it?

[RW1]

Hi Eitan,

There are different schools of thought on this one.
There is also guidance in the handbooks that came with the Scirocco in Booklet 3.2 Tips & Maintenance.

Personally I took mine for a drive of 320Km (200 miles) in the hills when it initially had reached 40Km (25 miles) and made the Scirocco work up and down the hillsides at various gears/rpm but kept the rpm below 3,000. After that, drove the Scirocco normally but continued to limit it to 3,000 rpm. Once past 1,000Km (600 miles), gradually used more rpm until at about 2,240 Km (1,400 miles) I occasionally used the engine upto 6,000 rpm.

The engine performs very well. Very smooth, very quiet - even when rev'd to 6,000 rpm.

MPG? Initially at 10.0 ltr/Km (29mpg), now 8.1 ltr/Km (35mpg) for the urban drives. Motorways initially 8.1 ltr/km (35mpg), now 6.6 ltr/km (42mpg) at 110 kph (70mph)

Don't forget you will be running in the whole car. I found the brakes were still not properly bedded in until 1,600 km (1,000 miles). I had experience of some high speed uneven braking causing swerving if braking from 70 - 110Kph speeds until about 1,600 Km. That has all now gone.

Yes, it does feel faster than when it was new.
Now passing 8,000 Km (5,000 miles).

C.

[maq]

Hey guys,

So tomorrow is my big day, 9am pick up at the local dealership!

I was wondering if you had any last minute tips/precautions for running in the Roc, I hear most places recommend keeping low revs for the first however many miles but I wondered what people with experience of the Roc do!

Top tips appreciated!

Maq

[trix]

there has been many a debate on running in, have a search & i'm sure you'll find a few. there is no hard & fast rule though.
good luck

S

[Kev]

There's some info in the manual. I can't remember exactly but it's something like 4000rpm max for 500miles.

My dealer told me to just drive normally, not slog it and take it for a motorway run sometime in the first month.

The odd little sprint won't do it any harm for you to see what awaits when you get to 500.

[Actus Reus]

Mine has loosened up significantly over the first 1000 miles - I was pretty careful up to 500 miles and then gradually relaxed, taking it for its first proper thrash at about 900miles which seems to have had no ill-effect at all (except upon the badger I hit whilst trying launch control for the first time...).

[mordred1973]

Well mine was a dealer demo and had 5000 miles on it, somehow doubt it was treated too carefully esp as the sales woman who drove the car said she'd had it in sport for the entire time.....

it's just required the first "pint" of oil at 14000 miles and is about 4000 miles off of its first service.....so seems like whatever they did with it the Roc doesn't appear to have been bothered.

[littleyellowspider]

Drive home steadily, and that'll just about do.