View Full Version : Running in the 2.0 TDI Engine
There is a letter and answer in this months Diesel Car mag [Jan 2005], page 34, "Brand Approval" where "Doctor Diesel" in the answer goes onto say that the 2.0 TDI Engine [well on a golf] that if you don't give a TDI a bit of welly between 1,000 and 2,000 miles then it won't run in properly. This can lead to oil consumption throughout the life of the engine. He says after 1,000 miles, take it upto 3,000 RPM and progressively to 4,000 and more.
I can't say in my DSG that I'll ever get those revs unless I put it into manual. Might have too. Anybody heard this one before about TDI engines ?. What do we think. Our we all revving our TDI above 2,500 ?.
hibitdat
08-01-2005, 12:52
Hi Tell, yep I have heard this one many times before both in publications and talking to people in the trade (used to be engaged to the daughter of a car dealer!) - Honest John (writes in the Telegraph on Saturday motoring section and at www.honestjohn.co.uk) often harps on about this and has done since TDI's began - have done this style of running in on all the turbo diesel's we've ever had and (touch wood!) all have gone on to live long healthy lives - our Altea 2.0TDI is now at 2500miles and geats regular brisk use when fully warmed up. Its running in nicely. I know they say if you treat it too gently when running in it an engine can get bore wear, resulting in the high oil consumption - it won't go as well either.
Well I'm at circa 1,200 miles now so it would appear that I had better gets the revs up and watch the counter. DSGs will be driving around in 5th. Don't get the wrong idea I don't drive slowly and I did get it up to 95 MPH on the trip to Germany, it's just that the gearing on a DSG won't take the revs that high in automatic mode - not the way I drive when going from 1st to 6th. May be this explains why people aren't getting good fuel consumption figures at the minute, since your all over revving your Alteas to bed them in;).
My old Citreon XUD engine had no special requirements when it was a kitten....
hibitdat
08-01-2005, 14:51
Have been revving ours quite hard as I said but I am very pleased to announce on a recent 140mile round trip using fast dual carriageways and motorways, using the cruise control to keep to the speed limits (roughly!) the computer showed an average of 56.3mpg so I think the thing may be bedding in nicely now. The PD130 in the Cordoba was similar when new so I'm not to worried and after its first service at 10k it was even better than ever. Now at 33k its smooth, very quick indeed and does an easy 57mpg :)
altea-ego
08-01-2005, 19:22
it's just that the gearing on a DSG won't take the revs that high in automatic mode - not the way I drive when going from 1st to 6th.
You can get higher revs in "S" mode which keeps it in each gear longer, although even in "D" it will rev higher with a bit more throttle. The software in modern gearboxs changes the shift point based on the rate and position change of the throttle.
You can get higher revs in "S" mode which keeps it in each gear longer, although even in "D" it will rev higher with a bit more throttle. The software in modern gearboxs changes the shift point based on the rate and position change of the throttle.
Perhaps I should do a bit of "S" driving then to bed it in... and on another note it refused to start today after standing for 9 days. I had to put my foot on the accelerator as I did with my old wonky XUD engine... any ideas ?. Hopefully it's all willing, ready and waiting for me tonight but we'll see.
I must admit that I don't get on well with that filler cap... perhaps may be.
Thanks for that like the aircon one needs to use it... the high revs.
hibitdat
08-01-2005, 22:51
I know what you mean about the filler cap Tell - seems like a poor design to me - surely the cap is meant to be lower and more central in the compartment so you can get the key in!
Don't know why you needed to give it some accelerator to start - I was always told at college that electronic engines like TDI's ignore the position of the throttle potentiometer when starting, with the fueling under start-up being totally under the control of the ecu.
Dudemeister
09-01-2005, 14:44
we have given ours plenty of revs since hitting 1000 miles (currently on 2600). but no more than 4000 yet.
I know what you mean about the filler cap Tell - seems like a poor design to me - surely the cap is meant to be lower and more central in the compartment so you can get the key in!
Don't know why you needed to give it some accelerator to start - I was always told at college that electronic engines like TDI's ignore the position of the throttle potentiometer when starting, with the fueling under start-up being totally under the control of the ecu.
& on the filler cap - yes you hit the lock button and then the person inside sets the alam off whilst your trying to undo it on the fourcourt.... I think I may of mastered it that the manual means lurn the key round 180 degrees anticlockwise in the lock then unscrew anticlockwise. To fit back on reverse. It doesn't say this so then you get in a mess and when it's locked it just turns. Am I doing something wrong ?.
So far it's started since that episode when I went back to my ZX way of starting it as if the glow plugs were knackered, air lock in the fuel etc method use to start my old car. With tinted glass could not tell whether smoke was coming out of the back.
Err 5p extra for BP Ulimate on a fill seems a bit pricey....
On running in the 2.0 TDI on checking the oil at 1,200 which is what I'm at, it's used nothing and it's well filled up, over if anything. So I don't think I'll worry too much about it and just whip up the M1 late at night as I normally do else those moments of contemplation with an automatic will be spent on worrying about high revs and not taking in the music and quality of the Altea. I am using the cruise control for the speed limits as you guys do now. Granted Sport mode, up the revs in the DSG, so I did do that when doing my town driving.
we have given ours plenty of revs since hitting 1000 miles (currently on 2600). but no more than 4000 yet.
More than 4,000 is not on the dial just empty space above ... I wasn't too sure what Dr Diesel was on about in Diesel car when I looked at my rev counter.
a bit of stick under warm engine conditions without sitting on the rev limiter is ideal
just use some common sense really - will take a good 7/10k before they really loosen up a bit anyway
Dudemeister
10-01-2005, 09:04
On running in the 2.0 TDI on checking the oil at 1,200 which is what I'm at, it's used nothing and it's well filled up, over if anything. So I don't think I'll worry too much about it and just whip up the M1 late at night as I normally do else those moments of contemplation with an automatic will be spent on worrying about high revs and not taking in the music and quality of the Altea. I am using the cruise control for the speed limits as you guys do now. Granted Sport mode, up the revs in the DSG, so I did do that when doing my town driving.
checked our oil levels yesterday and like you it is still nice and full. thats at 2600 miles