bobinwa

I'm looking for some specific advice/feedback on the best way to break in my new A6 3.0T engine. The last time I broke in a performance engine was on my '98 BMW K1200 RS motorcycle. I varied the speed and gears over a range of RPM's, trying to run it up around 3-4,000 RPM most of the time to seat the rings.

To break in an A6, should it be run in manual mode at least a good part of the first few hundred miles so that you can control the rpm/gear? Is the recommendation to keep rpm between 2,000 and 4,000 and try to vary it? Or should you just leave it in auto and let the car manage the gears (resulting in mostly 2,000 or below)? Or run it up over 4,000?

Any sage advice from other Audi-heads would be greatly appreciated!

bob

snagitseven

This question gets asked about once a week and the best answer is to follow the instructions in the manual. While there will usually be all kinds of advice, Audi ought to know best how to treat a new engine.

stoulana

I followed users manual, i.e. vary rpm, & keep it below 4000rpm, but problem in Auto it shifts too fast so you can put in DS mode & it will hold gear to around 3k & then shifts. But another school on this forum they say you should drive it hard to seat rings & that to avoid oil consumption. Many threads on that but go with what Audi recommends.Other things I guess do not use cruise control (as you need to vary rpm) avoid hard breaks during break in period.

snagitseven

It makes no sense that a new engine should be run hard to seat rings, etc. If that were the case, Audi and other auto manf. would advise this in their manuals. Instead, while all modern engines are run in at the factory, the manf. advises on the conservative side for the first few hundred miles to ensure gradual finishing of the break in. This is probably not really necessary but provides a cushion of caution.