rush4yu

Hello!

First time poster, but I've been lurking around the forum for about 2 weeks, trying to soak up all the information that's been posted.

I'd like to thank all the contributors for their valuable assistance to newbies like me. Your input is greatly appreciated.

I know that this topic has been beaten to death and I've used the search function but my case is "unique".

I recently got the A3 about a week and 1/2 ago and I've broken 800 miles today. My method of breaking in the engine is as follows:

First 500 miles: no revs above 3.5, if I took the car to the freeway, I'd blip the transmission between 6th, 5th, and 4th to vary engine RPMs.

Here's where things get "unique":

The manual says that after 600 miles, the engine speed can be gradually increased. With that in mind, I did the following "systematic" loading on my engine:

600 - 700: revs up to 4.5K
700 - 800: revs up to 5K
800 - 843: revs up to 5.5K

Please note that I don't floor the accelerator (from a dead stop or otherwise) or do any hard braking. I also don't push the engine until it's sufficiently warmed up (temp needle is in the middle).

Any opinions on the procedure I've taken? Also, I don't let it hover at the posted limits.

I guess I'm being paranoid that I may have crossed a line that I shouldn't have with regard to engine break-in.

Any help/input would be greatly appreciated!

All the best,

Heinz

Timmay

Well I don't see any harm whatsoever in your approach. Most people here may even think it's following the book too literally. I'm sure you've seen after doing some research on engine break-in procedures that there are essentially 2 different camps. One camp says follow the manual and the other says lay into it hard from the first day. Both sides will swear by it.

This is and always will be an endless debate on which method is correct. I tend to follow closer to the manual but not strictly.

The brakes should be well beyond ready for hard braking. I think it's probably only around 250 miles before they're properly bedded in. I'm not looking at the manual so I cannot remember the exact number but I think I'm close.

Anyway, bottom line is you seemed to have been extremely gentle on your engine so there are no worries.

Enjoy the new ride!

Jack_Smackus

Of course with the rare but occasional accidently blip above 4k.

Jack_Smackus

Anyone change their oil right after break in?

rush4yu

Many thanks to everyone who chimed in for a response.

TIMMAY: Thank you for putting my paranoia at ease. Yes, I'll be enjoying the ride and so far, the modification I've made was to put in a Hexomat cargo liner <smile>.

All weather mats, sunshade and GLI Al pedals will arrive sometime this week, and of course, the 1st major upgrade would be the Huper Optik tint.

All the best,

Heinz

eltonsi

In the first 100km, I slowly reved up the engine to about 6k on 1st to 4th gear a few times. Then semi-babied it for 400km with occasional revs higher than 4k.

I'm at about 1000km, and I'll be heading to the track this Saturday.

memphis10

Oh yea, welcome to the A3 forum and lurk no more.

danham

... the "other camp" has yet to come up with any factual data to support its theory of floor it and be happy.

As I've said before, I've had engines from both "camps" apart and the correct choice is obvious. To claim that engines abused at low mileage somehow "go faster" is a fairy tale.

And then there's the question of why would the factory put all that break-in info in the manual if it were wrong? Absent some kind of wacko conspiracy theory that Audi mysteriously benefits from "forcing" people to break in their engines properly (????), the factory info is based on a lot more knowledge than the "other camp" has access to.

-dan

0cean

the engine is as smooth at idle as it was day one. Take it easy, it cant hurt. Drive it hard, and you might hurt it.