# Break-In Period?



## alkaman (Apr 25, 2014)

I'm supposed to go pick up my new A3 2.0 Prestige tomorrow (YES! :laugh. My first brand new car - is there any informed opinion out there on whether the car should be driven a specific way for the first X miles / "broken in" properly?


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## rowlands57 (Dec 21, 2003)

My past experience with new vehicles, for what it's worth. In the first 500 to 1,000 miles vary the RPM's as much as possible and keep things below 4,000 RPM's. If you have to do highway driving use the manual-shifting to vary the RPM's and vary your speed a bit as well. However, don't use 'engine braking' as that puts the wrong kind of load on the engine for bedding in the piston rings. I think they are the most important component in terms of the break in period.

I have done this on various vehicles (including my A4) with good results and no abnormal oil consumption after the break-in period. There are those who say drive it like you stole it but I cannot comment on that as I have never done so.


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## Orangetree (May 11, 2014)

I agree with rowlands57. Im just taking it easy for 500 miles. I do know advocates of "break it in hard so it runs hard:" I watched my dad burn out and power shift his then new 1998 z28 out of the dealership. It was pretty inspiring, and that car ran like a champ. For what it is worth, however, I putted out of the dealership upon picking up our new a3.


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## Heretic:GTI (Feb 17, 2011)

rowlands57 said:


> My past experience with new vehicles, for what it's worth. In the first 500 to 1,000 miles vary the RPM's as much as possible and keep things below 4,000 RPM's. If you have to do highway driving use the manual-shifting to vary the RPM's and vary your speed a bit as well. However, don't use 'engine braking' as that puts the wrong kind of load on the engine for bedding in the piston rings. I think they are the most important component in terms of the break in period.
> 
> I have done this on various vehicles (including my A4) with good results and no abnormal oil consumption after the break-in period. There are those who say drive it like you stole it but I cannot comment on that as I have never done so.


Since there are too many opinions on breaking in an engine, I won't bother giving mine. Everyone seems to believe their own way is best.... Usually ends in arguments. 

I think you summed up the basics. However, I've never heard that engine braking is bad. It's actually recommended by some manufacturers, as long as you're not bouncing off the rev limiter on the down shift. It helps seat the lower rings.


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## rowlands57 (Dec 21, 2003)

Heretic:GTI said:


> Since there are too many opinions on breaking in an engine, I won't bother giving mine. Everyone seems to believe their own way is best.... Usually ends in arguments.
> 
> I think you summed up the basics. However, I've never heard that engine braking is bad. It's actually recommended by some manufacturers, as long as you're not bouncing off the rev limiter on the down shift. It helps seat the lower rings.


Thanks for the update re: the lower rings. I suppose that simply the process of down-shifting will cause some engine braking if on the highway. My A4 was a manual so I am sure that some engine braking effect happened. Noted for future reference.


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## Pommerening (Jan 17, 2014)

Orangetree said:


> I agree with rowlands57. Im just taking it easy for 500 miles. I do know advocates of "break it in hard so it runs hard:" I watched my dad burn out and power shift his then new 1998 z28 out of the dealership. It was pretty inspiring, and that car ran like a champ. For what it is worth, however, I putted out of the dealership upon picking up our new a3.


Haha thats great. I plan on peeling out of the dealership like your dad.


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## high_octaneGTI (Nov 10, 2007)

Very nice. Hopefully I'll be picking mine up by the end if the week


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## alkaman (Apr 25, 2014)

Sounds like everyone has their opinion and then some, so I'm not too worried. Just curious, does Audi distribute an official stance on best practice?


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## VR6Now (Dec 31, 2000)

Yes and it's outlined in the owner's manual. The manufacturer's recommendation is sufficient. A engine that will burn oil is going burn oil due to it's initial design, manufacturing, and maintenance and less so due these self-defined break procedures. People carryover standards of the past, personal stories, and beliefs when the die was largely cast before they sat in the seat for the first time. 

Everyone is a Mechanical Engineer and Material Scientist. If VW blows the manufacturing or design, self stylized break in procedures won't make up the distance. If the tolerance stack up and metallurgy is in the sweet spot, it probably will be more driver resistant.


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## itr_1211 (Apr 1, 2014)

I went according to the manual, first 1000 kms take it easy but vary the rpms, dont go past 4000 and never stay at a certain rpm. City driving might be best and . 
Also if you go uphill dont labour the engine or put in low rpms. After 1000 - 1500 kms i opened it up a little 3/4 throttle. Before and after break in periods dont floor cold engine, obviously


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## mike3141 (Feb 16, 1999)

VR6Now said:


> Yes and it's outlined in the owner's manual. The manufacturer's recommendation is sufficient. A engine that will burn oil is going burn oil due to it's initial design, manufacturing, and maintenance and less so due these self-defined break procedures. People carryover standards of the past, personal stories, and beliefs when the die was largely cast before they sat in the seat for the first time.
> 
> Everyone is a Mechanical Engineer and Material Scientist. If VW blows the manufacturing or design, self stylized break in procedures won't make up the distance. If the tolerance stack up and metallurgy is in the sweet spot, it probably will be more driver resistant.


This is also similar to those who know better than the manufacturer how often the oil should be changed.


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## Trumpet Rider (Apr 19, 2014)

Heretic:GTI said:


> However, I've never heard that engine braking is bad. It's actually recommended by some manufacturers, as long as you're not bouncing off the rev limiter on the down shift. It helps seat the lower rings.


Agree and yes, it's good for all rings, not just the bottom one which is an oil-control ring not a compression ring.
Engine braking causes a high vacuum in the cylinders which allows very minute traces of the 'oil fog' in the crankcase to be pulled up into the cylinders, improving overall ring lubrication during the critical first few hundreds of miles.


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## RedwinGV (May 11, 2014)

mike3141 said:


> This is also similar to those who know better than the manufacturer *how often the oil should be changed*.


Including dealers.


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## jasso86 (Sep 22, 2010)

What about this break in method guys?

In July I'll be receiving my A3 Sedan... should this work?

http://www.mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm


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## Trumpet Rider (Apr 19, 2014)

Well, that's exactly how small piston engines on private planes are run in....hard.

Remanufacture a Continental or Lycoming to a zero-time engine and that's what the break-in process is...run it hard. Indeed, they specifically require/recommend fairly high power settings, avoid idling as much as possible and don't do a long approach at lower power settings during the first X hours -ten if I remember correctly from my flying days- precisely for the reasons outlined in the thread u posted.

I've never done that nor will I on my wife's soon-to-arrive A3 (on the boat already) but some folks affirm that's the right this to do...


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