Audiablo

If I recall, one of the important things about an engine's break-in period is to NOT have the engine operate at a fixed rpm for long periods, that you should vary your speed and rpm to allow the piston rings to seat properly.

Obviously, with the CVT, the ECU will automatically try to keep the engine at the fixed points of maximum efficiency, maximum output, ideal warm-up speed, etc. With this in mind, wouldn't this go against break-in procedures? I would guess that an engine with a CVT will spend most of its time in very narrow RPM ranges, regardless of speed.

I would guess that the ECU should, for the first 1000 miles, automatically vary the ratio to allow for proper break-in conditions. At least I hope?

Bruce SEA 96993

go into lock up mode once you are at 50 or 60 mph. That way a change in speed would mean a change in rpm. Not sure how the CVT works at that speed.

Another breaking procedure I have heard is to let up on the gas abruptly to let the rings go to the extreme of their travel. That may be on older technology engines like the 60s BMW 4 cylinder motors I have rebuilt.

MLD 4.2

For my car's one year anniversary, some members of the L.A. Taliban "keyed" the entire length of my 2001 A6 4.2, TWICE! All the damage is on the passenger's side. For a few feet it's 'just' the clearcoat removed, for the most part it's down to the metal. Short of repainting most of my "Baby" (or even large portions), does any member of this board have any recommendations? To save the fine original silver finish I'd be willing to put up with "surgical scars",
i.e. silver touch-up 'pinstripes'. Would love to hear any suggestions or a referral to a shop in So. Cal.
Thanks in advance.

2.7tDallas

1. Leave it
2. repaint large pasrt of the car and live with mis-matched paints. Silver is the hardest color to match.

Choose you poisen

captainbilly

The object of avoiding constant RPM during break-in is to minimize the possibility of some non-charateristic motion or harmonic oscilation from dominating the polishing/grinding opperations on new moving parts. I think that it was always mostly a fantacy, at least for most engines, that it every really mattered at all. Aircraft engines are all broken-in at constant (or nearly so) RPM and under very high load (75-100%). Some aircraft have RPM ranges that need to be avoided, all the time not just during break-in, because dangerous vibrations occur at those engine speeds.

The only problem that I could really see in constant RPM opperation is that the engine wouldn't be fully worn-in until you do change RPM. I cannot see how there would be any damage done as a result of constant speed opperation.

Audiablo

It's not as bad as it sounds. When my sunroof got smashed out at 40MPH, the glass scratched the roof and the trunk. I had it repainted at a shop near San Jose, I chose them because a) they didn't advertise b) Ferrari of San Jose sends all their body work there c) there was about a million dollars worth of Benz, BMW, Ferrari, Porshe, Audi, and Lambourghini on the lot awaiting repair, including a Porshe owned by the CEO of Monster Cable.

They did an amazing job, an absolutely perfect match. Norcal though, Santa Clara? The Works Autobody.

The bottom line is that after an event like this, you CAN get your car looking like new.

Seattle Scott

3 Choices. For $25,000, a police dog and 500 lbs of dog food I'll take Scarface off your hands.

Singletrack

...and totally unpredicatable. I think the key is not to:

A. Race it off a stop

B. Drive extremely long distances at a fairly constant rate.

You can let it cool down for 2 mins or so after you are done driving too.

-st

KL'00-2.7T

for my cashmere grey.

phred

Just can't get rid of that dawg, huh?