RUNNING-IN YOUR NEW CAR

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31123, 28 July 1966, Page 14

RUNNING-IN YOUR NEW CAR

ning in a new car on steep hills is not to be recommended. Still, particularly if the car already has a few miles on the speedometer, there is no harm in heading towards Nelson. This trip involves rather more hill running. but providing you are sensible there is no reason why this should do any harm. The main thing to remember is that it is not so much speed that does damage to an engine that is not yet run in, as heavy loads. Therefore it is vital to change down in good time for hills, and not to

i let the engine struggle to pull! • away in too high a gear from' ’ too low a speed. Similarly, of I ' course, you should not make' , the engine rev hard. Nor. ! should you leave it idling. Often the top speed limit ■ stipulated in the manufaci turer’s handbook is 45 miles i an hour for the first 500 miles, j . Your best plan is to cruise for; ■ a few miles at for instance 35 j i m.p.h.. then speed up slightly ) i and cruise for a while at 40 , m.p.h., then at 45 m.p.h., then I i back to 35 m.p.h., and so on. j i' If your engine is run in 1 > i properly it will add a great

ideal of enjoyment to your: ! future use of the car: the (engine will be smoother and' (quieter, it may well produce , more power and use less fuel, and it will probably last longer before requiring overhaul. Of course, you can be overcautious. Some six-cylinder (models, in particular, require ! fairly brisk speeds, under (light load, after 500 miles has !been reached, in order to (finish the “iapping-in” process | of rings and so forth. I There have been cases i where people have brought

such cars to their dealers after covering 10,000 or 12,000 miles and complained that oil consumption is still for too high. In some cases the dealers have stripped the engine to find the oil consumption is high only because the engine is still not properly run in! It has been run too gently. You can expect your new car to use a little oil in the first 2000 or 3000 miles. After this the engine will bed down although few engines are absolutely run in until they have covered about 5000 miles. Do not be alarmed, therefore.

■>if in the first 1000 miles or sol. ; oil consumption is relatively ■ a ■ heavy. . , v The time to be alarmed is v : after you have covered 4000 t > or 5000 miles —if oil consump- a • tion has shown no improve- : ment by then, you would be t i wise to consult your dealer. t I The most important instru- ■ ment on your dashboard when 1 1 : running a car in is not the f ■ speedometer, it is the waterjt i temperature gauge. The tern- v ! perature gauge will give you \ c • the first clue if the engine is, f . finding the going rather too c . hard. If the temperature rises e

significantly above norma! you should switch off immediately. Check the water level t« make sure there has been no loss because of a minor leak . . . unfortunately not all car assembly is perfect. If the water level is correct carry on when the engine is at normal temperature, but be sure you are not making the engine "slog” in too high a gear, and that you are not running it too fast All cars are under guarantee for some time, and any faults must be put right by the dealers. Such items as s water leak will not usually come from major faults, but from something like a hose clip that has not been tighten ed quite enough.