How did you break-in your vRS

[BottomScratcher]

Apologies in advance for the techobabble, but there's no other way to hopefully explain it. The main purpose of running in, or breaking in an engine is to bed the piston rings to the combustion chamber cylinder walls. New cylinder walls have very fine valleys from machining and honing. These microscopic grooves fill with oil between the peaks of each groove. It's not a great graphic, but imagine that ">" is one of thousands of cylinder grooves and "l" is part of the outer face of a piston ring, so, l>. This excess oil is burnt in the cylinder along with the fuel mixture, so marginally reduces the efficiency of the engine. Cylinder compression forces the rings out from the pistons against the cylinder walls.The piston ring must travel up and down over this grooved surface for the duration of the running in period. The higher the revs the more the outward force of the rings against the walls. Once rings are bedded in correctly they then hydroplane over a thin film of oil between the now two smooth surfaces (ll), and the fuel/air mixture is no longer contaminated by the excess oil.

The running in time and method of an engine can greatly effect its volumetric efficiency, and so its long term power output, oil consumption, and overall life of the engine. Poorly bedded rings will allow compression blow-by, which pressurises the crankcase with oil and uncombusted fuel/air mixture that dilutes engine oil with fuel and water once the engine cools down and the gas condenses. This might sound all doom and gloom, but they're things that someone who has just forked out a fair chunk of cash for a brand new pride and joy ought be aware of.

Racing engines are another beast entirely. Racers haven't got time to trundle around for a break in period. The idea of redlining a racing car or bike engine, particularly a two-stroke, is to get the rings as fully seated to the cylinder walls as possible as soon as possible, but it is done with zero regard to the long term oil consumption, length of life of the piston rings, or even the engine itself. Unlike the car you plan on keeping even say three years a racing engine has a short, hard life, and may be rebuilt several times over the course of it. The idea of running in your new car - as per instructed by the manufacturer - is to ensure that, unlike a racing engine, you'll retain higher power output, better fuel consumption, and lower oil consumption for longer over the life of an engine that you should still be able to get acceptable compression test figures after having driven 200,000 kms, and so never have to rebuild. Redlining a brand new road car or bike isn't the smartest thing you'll ever do.

I agree with KIWI that "babying" a new car is not good for it, but I wouldn't say as bad as over revving it. Neither is using gears that are too low, and cause the engine to labour. The key to running in is keeping the engine mid-range until the rings are bedded in enough to be able to increase the revs to full range without any long term adverse consequences. As woofy says, the manual is specific. Instructions are given for 0-1000 kms, then 1000-1500. There should be a distinct difference in driving a new car either a) like you own it, or b) like you hired it.

[K1W1]

Neither is using gears that are too low, and cause the engine to labour.

I think you mean gears that are too high not too low.

There should be a distinct difference in driving a new car either a) like you own it, or b) like you hired it.

The standard response in motorcycle cycles is to "ride it like you stole it".

[Mysticality]

I think you mean gears that are too high not too low.

No, gears too low.

Example; doing 70km/h in 6th with your foot to the floor.

[K1W1]

No, gears too low.

Example; doing 70km/h in 6th with your foot to the floor.

It's a case of definition then. Most people would say that in that situation you are in too higher gear and you should change down. What you are describing is labouring the engine by having in to higher gear ratio for the speed you are doing. Too low a gear is when you are driving at the red line and don't change up which means the gear ratio is too low for the speed you are doing.

[BottomScratcher]

I think you mean gears that are too high not too low.

The standard response in motorcycle cycles is to "ride it like you stole it".

Yep, I meant to say gears too high (revs too low). KIWI's right Mysticality, the scenario you described, 70kph in 6th with the foot to the floor is labouring, but it's doing it because the gear is too high and the revs too low. I got it ^r$e backwards. I'm sure you'll have seen "Trucks and buses use low gears" signs on some of the descents around your way. Low gears - high torque for pulling, and higher engine braking from cylinder compression. Low gears do have the highest ratios though. A first gear might be close to 3:1, and in a 6 speed box 5th gear might be just over 1:1, and 6th will be an overdrive ratio of about 0.6:1. Don't even start me on diff ratios.

I was going to say, "There should be a distinct difference in driving a new car either a) like you own it, or b) like you stole it", but didn't want to upset the mods

[kralster]

Nowadays cars are made with such precision that breaking in the engine isn't as important as it once was. I just drive or ride normally occasionally rev it a big higher than normal and then bring it back down to normal speed.
The only reason they have those break-in instructions in the manual is for legal reasons. If something were to go bang they can easily say you didn't follow the procedure.

[BottomScratcher]

The only reason they have those break-in instructions in the manual is for legal reasons. If something were to go bang they can easily say you didn't follow the procedure.

That might make sense if the car didn't have a 3 year/unlimited km warranty. The run in period is only 1500 km.

[kralster]

Well all cars have some sort of warranty from new...
I'm sure if you put your skoda in a hot room, put a brick on the throttle and left it for a few days and it broke that skoda would refuse your warranty claim.

[K1W1]

The only reason they have those break-in instructions in the manual is for legal reasons. If something were to go bang they can easily say you didn't follow the procedure.

The whole owners manual is a legal document vetted by corporate lawyers to ensure that there is nothing that can cause a later claim against their masters. This is the case with every manual these days they are not provided for any end user benefit they are there to cover the butt of the manufacturer.

[Mysticality]

Apologies.
Must have been my slysdexia.