Running a car in

[sexyboy_msm]

Ive heard many stories about how a car should be run in. For most mercs, in the manual it states that the car should not be revved over 2/3 for the first 1000 miles. How accurate and true is this? Its just that im very impatient and if you've ordered a pretty decent car you'd want to have fun with it from the start.

Some people say its a myth for modern cars, as long as the best grade (sythetic) oil is used. Others would never risk it. I can understand for the more high end cars like AMG's etc... but how about something like a brand new 280 engine or general cars.

Any help guys?

 

[Ellsy Tanners]

I trash mine from the off, it loosen thems up and makes them quicker!

Ive driven hundreds that have been mollycotled and there slower by far.

I only keep mine for a year however but not heard of any problems.

 

[jpbp200]

Modern engines do not suffer as badly if not run in correctly however, the manual states what it does as best practice in order to prolong the life of the car. Any damage you do by thrashing the nuts of it will prob not be apparent till much later on in the cars life. Ideally all the components need to fit together naturally.. you wouldn't run a mile in a brand new pair of trainers would you? Do what you must though, just remind me not to buy a car from you if you decide to cane it!!!! Patience is a virtue......

 

[sexyboy_msm]

So basically if i only plan to keep the car 9 months then change it again, it would be alright ok to trash it from the start. Which i know is kind of immoral knowing that its going to cause problems down the line for some other poor chap. The car that im relating this all to is a facelifted slk 280 due for may/june time. I will be only keeping it for 9 months then changing it again. So to thrash if for the first time months would be ok i assume.

 

[Ellsy Tanners]

Ive done exactly the same and now on my 6th merc, all fine!!!!!!! just good fun

 

[jpbp200]

I guess its a bit like owning an expensive automatic watch, you know it isn't as acurate as a quartz casio but you buy it because you respect the engineering that went into producing it. same with a merc. If you like breaking stuff then go for it, mercs are certainly built for it. wouldn't recommend doing it to a williams clio fro example!

 

[jberks]

I doubt it makes much real difference these days. Tolerances and modern oils mean that everything is pretty much spot on from manufacture. The idea used to be to wear down any imperfections in castings and machinings, but these days tolerances are that tight that any such imperfections would cause it to sieze.
My experience, at least from the last 3 is that a merc engine isn't at it's best until at least 55,000 miles or so are under the belt and things have loosened up a bit, so I suspect that thrashing it from the start would improve its running!.

 

[verytalldave]

Maybe I am just too oldskool, but I would not treat ANY car new like how some are saying.
The first 1000 miles are very important and its much better to slowly bring a car up to speed as it were over that period. I would not exceed 4000rpm for the first 500miles and gradually increase the revs in the next 500 miles. OK, it may not have much practical benefits, but I would be MUCH happier knowing its been treated with a degree of mechanical sympathy during its infancy. Its not just the engine that potentially benefits but the gearbox, diff, brakes, tyres and anything else speed related.
I dont expect many to agree with me, in fact I fully expect to be ridiculed. But I dont care.

 

[Soltan]

Hunting bears

Maybe I am just too oldskool, but I would not treat ANY car new like how some are saying.
...
I dont expect many to agree with me, in fact I fully expect to be ridiculed. But I dont care.

Many people have a psychological investment in their cars, to put it simply they feel an attachment to them. They would no more thrash their cars (at any age) than their grandmothers. This attachment can take hours or weeks to form but given the financial investment these cars are for most of us it's not surprising it happens really. When you have a new car you treat it like a newborn, you get to know it's capabilities slowly, it's like a journey the both of you take together (hmmm, far too poetic, must go hunt bears or something).
For some people a car is just a lump of metal (very flash metal in the case of the Merc) provided and paid for by their company (who may or may not be an object of hate/indifference) so it's like getting a hire car (drive it like you stole it (always wanted to say that for some reason)).

 

[bigasotonuk]

Maybe I am just too oldskool, but I would not treat ANY car new like how some are saying.
The first 1000 miles are very important and its much better to slowly bring a car up to speed as it were over that period. I would not exceed 4000rpm for the first 500miles and gradually increase the revs in the next 500 miles. OK, it may not have much practical benefits, but I would be MUCH happier knowing its been treated with a degree of mechanical sympathy during its infancy. Its not just the engine that potentially benefits but the gearbox, diff, brakes, tyres and anything else speed related.
I dont expect many to agree with me, in fact I fully expect to be ridiculed. But I dont care.

I agree 100%, if the car was,nt meant to be run in why do you have the oil change at 1000 miles.

 

[NewMB]

It may all be fine and well about the fact that nowadays one does not have to run in engines like in the past.

But think about it... the engine and gearbox are perhaps built together. Fine. But when tested at the factory, are in a clean environment and no chassi around it.

Once fixed to the car/chassi, the engine and gearbox are obviously facing a lot more work carrying all that weight.

I would say, be nice to the engine the first 1000-1500 miles, don't over rev it taking the needle past (I think) 4000 rpm. Do not use cruise and never stay at the same speed on a long motorway run.

This way, you should get the best out of your car.

 

[A210AMG]

I generally cruise around for the first 1000 miles and then even have the oil changed after this.

Then build up to normal driving mode

It maybe an outdated method but new cars I have owned have always ran very well.



I always remember an ex colleague who loved Porsches went to the factory on a holiday and did the tour.. At the end of production the cars come out of the back of the factory and a long straight road ahead...

The 'technicians' take them out and give them full beans straight off in every gear. He was amazed.

There theory is that if its going to fail it will do..

So you go to the garage to pick your new Porsche up, ooh only 3 miles on the clock... Yes but every one rubbing the red paint off the rev limiter.

 

[DougCLK320]

I understand that the "first fill" oil is a special grade - designed to aid the bedding-in (aka wearing-in) of, amongst other things, the oil retention piston rings. Changing to a high grade super lube oil before these are fully bedded-in, can lead to increased oil consumption, for the life of the engine - and the engine never actually "frees-up" properly or develops its full potential.
Taking it easy for a thousand milers or so, I agree with - but certainly wouldn't change the oil too early.
Doug

 

[Mercutio]

What do we think about this? Anyone tried?


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

 

[NewMB]

Actually, my german collegues always use the method of "pedal to the metal" on day 1. If the car is crap, it will show....

Guess there are some truth there.

 

[rf065]

What do we think about this? Anyone tried?


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

It is all about motorcycle engines, not sure how relevant that is to a Mercedes engine, apart from motorcycles having high revving, high output engines, they are not expected to last as long as a car engine anyway.


Russ

 

[3146bj]

Even with todays machining no two bits of metal fit perfectly when they are first bolted up. Improving the fit is what running in is all about. With some parts e.g. rings, pistons and cylinder bores, work them too hard too soon and they glaze and never achieve the ideal fit.
Follow the book and you won't be far wrong. Thrash it straight away and some poor bugger down the track will pay for it. Whether it's you or somebody else is just a mattter of how long you keep the car. It's called mechanical sympathy and fewer and fewer drivers seem to understand what it's all about.
From my experience, once run in, work'em reasonably hard and they last better than if you mollycoddle them.

 

[Mercutio]

It is all about motorcycle engines, not sure how relevant that is to a Mercedes engine, apart from motorcycles having high revving, high output engines, they are not expected to last as long as a car engine anyway.


Russ

Well, he claims it's relevant to all four stroke engines...bikes, cars, planes, snowmobiles and lawnmowers.

I'm certainly not qualified to judge, but what he says about bedding-in seems logical.

 

[rf065]

Well, he claims it's relevant to all four stroke engines...bikes, cars, planes, snowmobiles and lawnmowers.

I'm certainly not qualified to judge, but what he says about bedding-in seems logical.

Other parts of a car require running in not just the engine. Even if his theory on engines is correct, he is asking every other part of the car to be abused when new. Tyres for example should be treated gently for the first 100 miles or so, I suspect suspension components should be as well, and brakes. Yet he is telling you to thrash everything to within an inch of its life within the first 20 miles. Good advice? I very much doubt it.

Russ

 

[Splatt]

The best engine I ever had was on a car where on the day after I took delivery of it I had to do a 210 mile motorway journey with the family. It was a bank holiday friday and the roads were stuffed so the journey ended up as a 50mph cruise all the way. I don`t suppose revs went above 2000 all the journey. That engine was afterwards the most economical and smooth of any of the same model I owned. It did not use a drop of oil between 12,000 mile services. I put this down to the enforced run-in. I think the suggestion to thrash it is cobblers