'Running in' a diesel

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Dieter

Active Member
Joined
Dec 30, 2002
Messages
457
Location
Kent
Car
2009 Jaguar XF 3.0D 'S'
Hi all,

As I'm expecting my new diesel soon what's the best way of 'running it in'?

1. Don't bother as it's already run in? :cool:

2. Give it some stick for first 20 miles or so :devil: (to properely seat rings)?

3. Do as Manufacturer say's :eek: and don't 'stress' engine and vary revs etc.? ;)

4. Any other way :D ?

Cheers,
 
From the Honest John website:

What's the best way to run-in a diesel engine?

"For the first 1,000 miles do not exceed 3,000rpm, but make sure you reach 3,000rpm regularly.

For the next 1,000 miles (to 2,000 miles) do not exceed 3,500rpm, but make sure you reach 3,500rpm regularly.

For the next 1,000 miles (to 3,000 miles) do not exceed 4,000rpm, but make sure you reach 4,000rpm regularly.

For the next 1,000 miles (to 4,000 miles) do not exceed 4,500rpm, but make sure you reach 4,500rpm at least a couple of times a week.

After that, no limit, but make sure you continue to hit 4,500rpm through the gears several times a week. The benefit of this is it helps to self clean the injectors, it blows any accumulated soot out of the exhaust system and it helps to free off the piston rings, making the engine more efficient and less likely to use engine oil."
 
Dieter said:
Hi all,

As I'm expecting my new diesel soon what's the best way of 'running it in'?
4. Any other way :D ?

Cheers,

Drive it like its been stolen, you will find it hard to wreck a diesel, just look how white van man drives, and how fast their vans go. Well run in carefully driven engines.......I think not :D :D :D enjoy your new toy when it arrives
 
Drive it like its been stolen, you will find it hard to wreck a diesel, just look how white van man drives, and how fast their vans go. Well run in carefully driven engines.......I think not enjoy your new toy when it arrives

Priceless and completely agree.......... :D
 
Our own diesels are cherished and run in as per the manufacturers specifications.

I was once given a diesel car and I quite literally drove that thing absolutely flat out from the day it was born. The vehicle never missed a beat and I had to keep it until it had covered 97000 miles. Never used any oil between services, and was completely reliable.

If it is your own car thaenI would spoil it, if it is a company, or lease car then perhaps I would not be so consciences. :eek:

John
 
Hi,

Thanks for the comments.

It appears to be a toss up between be 'gentle' :cool: and 'thrash' it :devil: .

I posted this enquiry because of advice from this site which suggests that a quick early (first 20 miles or so) thrash :eek: beds the rings in properely :cool: . See here:

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

I also vaguely remember a posting somewhere that not putting a diesel engine under load early enough led to glazed bores etc.?

It would be (more than) nice to have a definitive point of view as many of us have/will be purchasing new diesels etc.

Dieselman, any comments?

Cheers,
 
i woundt worry about that... my mate when he bought his E320 CDI nearly 3 years ago he done 140mph after 2K miles lol n the car is still runnin perfect atm its done 44K n infact hes sellin it now... :)

PS any one whos interested please contact me...

thanks :D
 
Dieter said:
Hi,

Thanks for the comments.

It appears to be a toss up between be 'gentle' :cool: and 'thrash' it :devil: .

I posted this enquiry because of advice from this site which suggests that a quick early (first 20 miles or so) thrash :eek: beds the rings in properely :cool: . See here:

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

I also vaguely remember a posting somewhere that not putting a diesel engine under load early enough led to glazed bores etc.?
It would be (more than) nice to have a definitive point of view as many of us have/will be purchasing new diesels etc.

Dieselman, any comments?

Cheers,

find a nice steep gradient long enough to put the engine under load and get through the gears and boot it once or twice a week till run in ..... if you live in Norfolk or similar your bo**xed....or offer to tow my caravan for a week or two :D
 
Last edited:
And watch the oil.................. At 6 months and 7000miles the oil light flickered on my ML270cdi. It was empty, level was at MIN. Specialist told me this was not unusual for new diesels.
 
would it be annoyingly presumptious to make the point, that if the manufacturer had spent all them billions designing cars, then it may be providing the best way to run one in?

hence forth follow the instructions they give, then if it goes wrong, they cant blame you. you were only doing as you were told.

my SLK had a huge sticker saying not to do more than 4500rpm, except in and emergency (like if you happened to be the F1 safety car) and not do more than 85mph,no full throttle, do not use kickdown for the first 1500km. then you may gently increase the performance to full. So i followed it fully to the letter to make sure the car didnt breakdown.

mind you, at 1416 miles the water pump started leaking.
 
As Mark has already said make the engine work very hard here and there. This stops the oil baking onto the bores as glaze. Glazed bores are the most common reason for lost compression.

Don't be scared to give the car full bore right from the off as that will seat the rings better. Try to avoid long stretches of high revs as that is what causes heat in the engine, better to keep the car in high gear with a good load.

You cant over-rev a diesel because they don't rev high anyway and they run cooler than a petrol engine.

Always get the engine upto full operating temperature before giving it real stick, also if you have been thrashing it allow it to idle for a few seconds before switch off, to protect the turbo.

I've had lots of new cars and only one did I really mollycoddle, and guess what, that's the only one that had to have a new engine under warranty, oddly enough due to compression blow-by melting a piston.
 
Hi,

Thanks again for the comments.

I'll take the advice to (occasionally) put engine under full load :D from the off.

Cheers,
 
If you can't bring yourself to drive it hard lend it to Grav888, he'll soon have it sorted for you. :D :D
 
I know I would take the Satch/Honest John approach.

Interestingly, 12 years ago my mother and I both took advantage of a brilliant Citroen offer and each bought a ZX 1.9D (non-turbo) for a steal.

I ran mine in as per Satch/Honest John, whereas my mother took a more 'cautious' route. Mine always ran smoother/better/faster.
 
jeremytaylor said:
I ran mine in as per Satch/Honest John, whereas my mother took a more 'cautious' route. Mine always ran smoother/better/faster.

:) :) But....... Did you drive your car faster, smoother than your mothers??

I don't disagree with Satch or 'Honest' John (a journalist and honesty just seem such a contradiction!! Similar to American Intelligence :rolleyes: )

I just feel that you might have a 'different' (faster) driving style than your mother?


Bye for now,
John
 
glojoI just feel that you might have a 'different' (faster) driving style than your mother? John[/QUOTE said:
Sorry John, my post didn't really make it clear that some time after I sold my ZX I bought my mothers ZX for my wife. It was never as smooth etc. as mine...

Underated cars though, those ZXs (basically a Peugeot 306 with a different body, of course). 90 bhp seems inadequate these days for a diesel, but they were quite light and went well.

Regards
 

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