flat-spot

I'm just about to get my first scooby WRX 05 PPP. I have had lots of new cars and never run them in, always thrashed them straight out of the box without any problems. Now the Subaru dealership tells me I have to do no more than 4000rpm for 1,000 miles and then have the oil changed. OK I don't mind changing the oil at 1,000 miles but a 4000 rev limit is cruel with such a beast. I will take me less than two weeks to do 1,000 miles but I want to enjoy them as usual.

What did you do?

played it by the rules or abused it and got away with it?

any tips?

andy1505

Good question should get my new scoob in two weeks, but will take me over a month to do 1000 miles. Not fair!!

Graz

Note to self: Do not buy used car from flat-spot

They don't give running in procedures for no reason. It allows everything in the engine to bed in nicely under a light load. Stick below 4000 rpm, don't stay at the same revs for too long either, i.e. if you on the motorway run at 3000 for ten mins, 3500 for ten mins, etc.

I'm sure someone will correct me on this but I think they come filled with a lighter than normal oil for running in as well so shouldn't be thrashed until it's replaced with proper oil.

The Zohan

I suppose it depends, now thats keeping it vague.

If it was my car, i was paying for it and maitaining it along with plabnnin to keep it for a bit then yes i would.

If it was a co car that got fixed no-matter-what then maybe no.

However if it does go pop and the garage can prove you abused it (downlaod infoo from the ecu or whatever) then you might well be out of warranty and you (or you boss) might well get a bill

I could not bring myself to thrash a car from new. It is only 1K miles, easly done in no-time at all.

Pity to poor sod who gets it after you

Dark Blue Mark

Without a doubt.

The oil is there for helping the mechanical components bed in, and will then be changed for a fully synth.

You would do well to run it in properly, you will see the benefits in mpg etc... Ive heard of owners of 2 identical cars with very different attitiudes to running in, and mpg being quite a bit different.

MB

mpr

Note sure that anything is going to get the crappy Impreza mpg up much. It seems to me that if 2 people have a different attitude to running in, then they probably have a different attitude to daily driving!

For what its worth, my dealer said to let it rev out to 5k occasionally and not be too worried about the 4k limit - just don't thrash the nads off it basically.

johnfelstead

it's more important not to labour the engine than it is to keep the revs down. Basically avoid using full throttle/boost, but its perfectly OK to let it rev higher on ocasion if that means not labouring it. You are bedding in the brakes and transmition system more than the engine these days, being light on throttle is helping the other systems most.

Dont be too **** about a 4K limit, its not going to fall apart if you take it to 5K, its just a guide most people can get their heads round, what they should say is keep the loads down to sensible levels by not using the full potential of the engine.

Dark Blue Mark

Clearances in the engine will be different depending on how nicely bedded in. makes a difference in the efficeincy.

MB

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

There is a little debate on that an engine should at least be thrashed onec or twice in it's infancy (first 50odd miles)....all to do with bore/piston ring bedding before they glaze.

In effect that can dicate the engines compression and oil consumption in future life and overall performance. However, weather this has already been done on the test bed/rollers at the factory is anyones guess.

Personally, I'd take it easy, the odd one or two ocassions with high rpm, but not to the redline. And the rest of the time with varied engine speeds, varying the load, and only using full boost for brief periods, and completly avoid labouring the engine (low revs with wide throttle).

Probably makes eff all difference anyway.

Dark Blue Mark

Well said, it will make a difference - maybe not noticable in some cases but its the right thing to do.

MB

SC008Y_MAD

iTrader: (5)

With any new car it has to be run in so the new engine internals can be warn down slowly and no over reved.

Dark Blue Mark

Eh

MB

Vipa

I should be picking my 05 WRX up any day now (should have been yesterday... bloody Virgin Cars! ) I plan to follow the 1000 mile rule but have already worked out where I am going and which relatives are overdue a vist! I estimate the first 1K will be dispatched within 5 days then it's back to normal!

With reference to the first oil change.. I have read on a few threads of taking your own oil to a. cut costs and b. so you know what's going in. Do all main dealers let you do this?

Also... from my biking days... BMW suggested NOT putting fully synth oil in thier boxer engines for at least 30k miles as the glazing effect actually causes probs later on if fully synth is used from day 1. Anyone got any comments on this and should I go fully synth from the 1k mark onwards. (This is my car and I'm paying for it so it will get only the best!)

Paul

Dark Blue Mark

You may well be right on the semi synth after 1k miles, there is a fair bit of debate on that... If it was me I would move to fully synth at about 15 miles when you know its fully bedded in. Of course it also depends on how you drive it and if you're going to mod it

MB

Dream Weaver

I personally always use semi-synth, heard too many problems with fully synth.

flat-spot

cheers guys for your comments...

I know for sure I will not be taking the usual route to work up and down the A1 during the first 1000 miles but instead taking the special stage cross country route to help bed the brakes, transmission etc in. I cant see the point of running it up and down the motorwy when there is a far more (if longer) interesting route to take.

anyone else purchased a WRX PPP and had it fitted from day 1 with the PPP? I am assuming the dealer will fill it with super unleaded for me! what will happen to the ECU if they put either normal unleaded in and then I fill it up with optimax, or if they use cheap super unleaded and I then fill it up with optimax? do I need to reset the ECU?

Dark Blue Mark

Try to stick to Optimax IMHO. If you use NUL it won't like it one bit and will slowly adjust the map as it picks up knock / det. When you then refill with Optimax it will take time to adjust the timing etc...

Ive posted on numerous threads on the difference in quality between optimax and other SUL's. Its clearly visible on a knocklink - the factory knock sensor is not that sensistive however

MB

New_scooby_04

iTrader: (4)

Hi mate,

Congratulations on your new acquisition! :-) Enjoy it! Do run it in properly though and go with the dealer reccomendations regarding oil etc... If for no other reason than you're covering you own ar$e for the sake of the warranty should anything go wrong. I'm with DBM all the way regarding Optimax; you get out what you put in and Scoobies are very fussy creatures when it comes to oil and petrol!

Best wishes,

MJW

When your new car is delivered the oil in it is pretty thin and this is why they recommend you dont thrape the **** off it in the first 1000 miles (until they switch the oil for thicker stuff on the first service) Semi-synth is perfectly adequate for a road car, IMO. As has been posted above, there's no need to be too **** about the 4k rpms limit, the odd burst of 5k won't do any harm just don't redline it through the gears is all !

jasonius

iTrader: (1)

The latest ECU's adjust very quickly (almost immediately). So if you do have to put 95ron, for instance if your away from home, running low, and can't find Optimax or SUL, the car ECU will compensate, running slugish. However when you refill with Optimax it will be back to it's normal self within a few miles..!

Hense there is no need to reset ECU.
Jason

jasonius

iTrader: (1)

I've read the evidence for blatting an engine within the first 20 miles (there's a web page on it but I can't remeber the address).

The theory is that the higher compression helps the piston rings 'bed' earlier to the uneven surface of the piston liner. It does sound convincing but the author presented a few pics of example piston crowns. The one that was from the engine run as above showed the better seal created by the fact that the sides of the piston where clean (ie no oil/combustion burns marks). However I felt something wasn't quite right with this as the piston surface ABOVE the ring was also clean..?

I wish I could remeber the link and show you my point..!

Anyhow, this woould be enough doudt for me to stick to traditional running in proceedures..!

Jason

mightyyid

Just like waking up in the morning. Jump out of bed, stretch all over the place and you'll do yourself a mischief. Warm up, take it easy and you'll be fine. Same with new car, only brand new still has to bed in, so it's like waking up in the morning, having just had every joint in your body replaced in hospital overnight.

Think that sums it up nicely...

explore

the oil in new scoobs is very thin and when it has its change all the extra bits the engine didnt need (metel not milled full off) will be in that oil also you dont want to fry the oil seals do you?

flat-spot

sounds like goods news regards the latest ECU's resetting themselves quickly to different types of fuel.

what about after you have run this motors in, I remember seeing previous messages saying you should let the engine warm up before giving it some and likewise cool down before switching off. is this real, I have had an audi turbo for the last 3 years and have given it stick from the house cross country to work everyday and vice-versa.

only 12 more days to go...it gets bloody hard to sleep at night now

paulhsti

I ran the 04 STI in just about to the book, but after a couple of hundred miles set the rev light to about 4200 and ran to that with very occasional times where I "changed later" as the miles went by.
Generally the engine was (and still is after some 4000 miles) quite tight and tight means good things in terms of precision parts lapping together - and with care long life, but tight also can = friction and excessive heat build up if over speeded early on.
Use some restraint and common sense and really enjoy that plus 4k turbo punch after the 1000 miles.

RichA

Drive it quite hard - no need to start redlining it all the time. Be gentle when cold, get lots of 2nd, 3rd and 4th gear mid-range action. Lots of over-run.

If the engine is a bad one then it'll die within a few thousand miles REGARDLESS of how it has been run in. Gentle running in will result in a less effective seal between the piston rings and bore - and that will harm power, MPG, and the speed at which your oil gets dirty.

ALWAYS drive with mechanical sympathy though - never race a cold engine. You can work an engine properly without wringing it's neck.

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

Swarf in the oil will only be there after a bad build. If you've any metal in your sump at the first oil change, expect problems with that engine.

--Rich

Dark Blue Mark

Flat spot, they do adjust quicker but I still maintain its best to stick to the same fuel.

As with any engine, be nice to it when cold - the oil takes about 2 to 3 times longer to heat than the water. Cool down isnt needed if you drive gently for the last few mins of your drive. Remember the turbo can still be spinning a while after you pull up though, and needs circulating oil while its spinning to disperse heat and lubricate...

MB

RichA

Oh, and synthetic oil may be the best you can give you engine, but it'll really damage the whole running in process. I'd drain the sump ASAP, change it after 50 miles(using cheapo mineral stuff), and then carry on with the manufacturers reccomendations.

If I were servicing the engine myself, I'd not use synthetic oil until the engine was 6-12k old.

--Rich

jasonius

iTrader: (1)

This is the web page I've been on about..!

It does seem to make a good point, HOWEVER, if you look at the pictures of the piston out of an engine run in as recommended by the author something isn't quite right. Not only is the side of the piston below the rings clean but also ABOVE..!
How can this be right as compression gases will 'burn' the piston wall above even a perfect ring seal..?

Someone please explain to me how this can be a genuine article.

Jason

RichA

Depends on what type of fuel the engine has been running on. A lot of racing fuels will burn very cleanly and leave very light discolouration of the piston crown. Usual petrol(the stuff you and I buy) tends to leave nasty black deposits all over the place. Diesel is even worse .

The type of life the engine has led will also determine the colouration of the piston - constant high-revving action will ensure the engine is constantly up to temperature and burning as cleanly as possible, cold starts, general running around town etc - it'll be running cooler. Will probably show the same temperature on your water temp gauge but the combustion chamber itself can be running much, much hotter.

Hence why engines often feel a bit quicker after a 30 minute blast on a motorway at 80mph+ - everything is that little bit hotter and tighter, hence a better seal. Which means more power .

--Rich