Running In

[Guest David Stoakes]

On the 11th November I witnessed two new TEC vans being taken up the M6 motorway in middle and outside lanes to Preston at speeds of 70 to 80mph both on trade plates ending in BC & BG, and I believe they may have come from Earls Court as one still had TEC in the front number plate point. I have always liked to run new vehicles in up to 1500 miles and have never had an engine problem. Are new Fiats run in before you get them or is this Dealer or Delivery men abuse!!.

[Guest bill]

Definitely !!

[Guest Will Redfearn,Wirral Motorhome Club]

The norm on the continent is to move them by train or on a transporter. UK Hymers are driven from the factory at Bad Waldsee to Preston!

[Guest Clive]

Wife recently purchased a new car. No mention of running in anywhere! First service 20,000 miles or 2 years. Petrol (Diesel not available) I recently purchased a new car. No mention of running in anywhere! First service 12,000 miles or 1 year. Diesel But I agree. It doesn,t seem right. But in the good old days when we first did 500 miles and changed the oil the maximum speed was say 70 MPH flat out, so 35 MPH was about half speed. We drove with one eye on the temperature gauge in those days until it was run in! Now virtually any new car and a lot of light vans will do over 100 MPH so perhaps our national speed limit is about right for running in? Notwithstanding all the above we still take it easy for the first thousand miles or so then progressively use the power available when necessary.

[Guest Will Redfearn,Wirral Motorhome Club]

Vehicle manufacturers will tell you 'modern fuels and lubricants and advances in engine design' negate the need to run in. My new car had its first service 2 years after I bought. Only afew years ago cars had a first service after 500 miles!

[Guest bill]

Just bought a new VW.T5. Booklet 3.2 page 12 reads 'Quote' The engine needs to be run in during the first 1500km (There is further reading) Personaly I refrain from rushing about until after 10,000 miles. With one of my T4 commercial VW's I asked how many miles before I need new tyres. I was told 22,000. I travelled 65,000 on the first set. I guess its a matter of 'you pays your money etc' Maybe as an extremely old driver and an even older motor mechanic I've learnt to respect a vehicle well.

[Guest PeteC]

When we bought our Renault Master/ Devon Monte Carlo the handbook said "not to exceed 2500 revs for the first 1500 miles but at the same time not to let the engine labour 2500 revs in top gear gives a speed of 60mph. So it was fairly easy to keep to this speed except on the hills They used to tell you that tyres required to be run in, due to the moisture in the canvas Also brakes should be run in, ie. no harsh braking for 100 or so miles after they have been relined/new pads fitted

[Guest Pat]

Hi. In this day and age with computor controlled machining of engines and parts, and much better lubrication "running in" does seem to have passed by the way, although I do not agree with it! I have had brand new Scania artics delivered on a Friday and shipped out to say Italy on the Sunday night fully loaded to 44tons. I have asked the driver to "take it easy" for the first 1000 miles or so but I don't suppose that they did as they were probably running with another truck however never had a problem, a couple of them covering over 1 million kilometres without being touched except for regular servicing. Also it would be very hard to "take it easy" dragging that weight over the alps! Regards Pat

[Guest Mike C]

Hello, Even with all the new technology, better machining and advanced lubricants I still feel happier running any new vehicle gently over the first 1000 miles and then gradually increasing the running speed. VW once told me that their diesel engines are not properly run in and loosened up until they have done 25000 miles. I have major concerns about manufacturers who specify 20,000 mile, 2 year service intervals (partially to get fleet sales), what about such items as brake and tyre checks and the wise ones reckon that even the new lubricants start to deteriorate at near 7000 miles on petrol engines because of contamination by the fuel? Pete C has mentioned tyres and there is also suspension components, hubs bearings, brakes etc., to be considered. This also applies when new components are fitted. Things change I suppose and I remember when cars needed de-coking at regular intervals. Regards, Mike C.

[Guest Brian Kirby]

Hello All Re the running in: assuming the 'vans were Fiat based, the Fiat Ducato manual doesn't actually give a running in reccomendation. However, what it does say is that oil consumption will be higher during the first 5,000-6,000 km (I know, but they couldn't convert km to miles, belss them!), which is defined as the running in period, and that the published maximum speeds should not be attained buring this period. Mind, you do have to hunt around to find it! Should the converted vans have been travelling at those speeds? Allowing for their larger frontal area and greater weight than a normal panel van, almost certainly not. Their poor little engines would be getting very hot! However, as long as the trip didn't include maintaining those speeds up Shap, I guess no real harm will have resulted. After all I bet, Dan, Dan, the Deilvery Man, who normally drives Ducatos around, doesn't read the fine print in the manual! Undesirable, inconsiderate and irresponsible on new vehicles, but not catastrophic. Regards Brian

[Guest Derek Uzzell]

Will Redfearn: Can you say, please, where you obtained the information about Hymer(UK)? At the beginning of 2005 I was talking to the motorhome trader Go European Ltd who told me that they used to drive new imported vehicles in from Germany but now used transporters. It was explained that, for commercial vendors, driving a vehicle to the UK presented problems as, unless there was a buyer for it immediately available, the Department for Transport's regulations meant that the vehicle would need to be registered to the importing company, thus making the vehicle 'second-hand' in the eyes of the first retail purchaser and with implications for the vehicle's warranties. I'm not saying that UK 'trade' motorhome importers are bringing all their vehicles into this country via transporters - I know that's not the case. But, if a trader wishes to display a brand new, unregistered imported motorhome on his/her forecourt for an open-ended period, then the only option appears to have the vehicle transported into the UK rather than drive it here. I find it hard to believe that Hymer(UK) would deliberately choose not to have this 'forecourt option'. Incidentally, Ford take a common sense approach to running in their products that's defined in their handbook introduction as follows: 1. Avoid driving too briskly during first 1000 miles. Vary speed frequently and change up a gear early. Avoid labouring the engine. From 1000 miles onwards you can gradually increase performance to the permitted maximum speeds. 2. New tyres require running in, so avoid driving too briskly during the first 300 miles. 3. If possible, avoid heavy use of the brakes for the first 100 miles in town and the first 1000 miles on motorways.

[Guest Bill Haylor]

VW in their handbook also mention tyres and brake shoes.

[Guest MelE]

Many Continental motorhomes are imported on their own wheels. Most are delivered on trannies abroad. It's why I bought my Mobilvetta in France - it had 15Kms on the clock!