TSI Engines special care?
- Thread starter xOchoa
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Yeah, I've read that link before (needs an edit by someone with an eye for web design as its a hideous page). I've done this, more or less, with all my new bikes since 1997. Broken in hard (as they say) with an early oil change.
Like I said, very controversial topic, but there's a lot of evidence which would suggest being gentle with a new engine isn't the best approach. It is up to the person who's shelling out the cash to decide how they want to run in (or not) their new vehicle.
Like I said, very controversial topic, but there's a lot of evidence which would suggest being gentle with a new engine isn't the best approach. It is up to the person who's shelling out the cash to decide how they want to run in (or not) their new vehicle.
Nobody said be gentle, just not thrashing it or max revs too much at first, I've ran in many sports bikes as well, and then had them for years with no engine/gearbox problems.
Why? Once the engines properly warm I don't feel inhibited in any way
The cupra has a handy engine oil temp indicator which stays selected on the screen for me until everything's up to temp. Surprising how long it takes for the oil temp to come up fully, obviously well behind the coolant temp. I bet there's a fair few who think everything's warmed up properly once the coolant gauge is in the middle. Not so.
Seriously though, if you think what you do and the way you do it makes a difference to the way the engine runs then carry on. Me, I'm skeptical and perfectly happy to stick to my own technique.
Interesting discussion this... As usual!
Personally, I think I kinda hit the middle ground... I did follow the advice in the manual so far as was practical, but once the first few hundred miles were covered I stopped worrying about it. Im not a fast driver by any means, but I must admit to seeing the needle well and truly in the top third of the rev range now and then. My ST DSG is only too happy to hop down from 7th to 4th at a moments notice even when simply moving to overtake. I don't have to be thrashing it, it just always wants to keep on giving! Of course I always let it warm up before any 'spirited' driving, but the way I see it, the point of the DSG is that it apparently knows better than I what gear to be in, so if it wants to rev, I let it. I'm yet to use Sport mode, haven't needed to! I really don't think running in periods are as relevant as they used to be, but I'd be a liar if I said I had ignored the manuals advice!
As far as the original question goes, I may be totally wrong, but I always thought that the reason cars fitted with Turbos need to idle for a couple of minutes was to allow heat to dissepate first, since the heat could damage the engine if it was switched off while too hot. A running engine cools far quicker than an engine which is switched off! However, I think this is also quite outdated advice. The last time I heard anyone complain about overheating turbo chargers was talking about a Renault 5!
Just do what makes you happy. If you feel you've given it a bit more stick than you might normally, then let it idle, or as others have said, just drive slower for the last couple of miles to give it a chance to level out a bit. Same goes for the running in really, if it makes you feel better, be gentle.
Personally, I think I kinda hit the middle ground... I did follow the advice in the manual so far as was practical, but once the first few hundred miles were covered I stopped worrying about it. Im not a fast driver by any means, but I must admit to seeing the needle well and truly in the top third of the rev range now and then. My ST DSG is only too happy to hop down from 7th to 4th at a moments notice even when simply moving to overtake. I don't have to be thrashing it, it just always wants to keep on giving! Of course I always let it warm up before any 'spirited' driving, but the way I see it, the point of the DSG is that it apparently knows better than I what gear to be in, so if it wants to rev, I let it. I'm yet to use Sport mode, haven't needed to! I really don't think running in periods are as relevant as they used to be, but I'd be a liar if I said I had ignored the manuals advice!
As far as the original question goes, I may be totally wrong, but I always thought that the reason cars fitted with Turbos need to idle for a couple of minutes was to allow heat to dissepate first, since the heat could damage the engine if it was switched off while too hot. A running engine cools far quicker than an engine which is switched off! However, I think this is also quite outdated advice. The last time I heard anyone complain about overheating turbo chargers was talking about a Renault 5!
Just do what makes you happy. If you feel you've given it a bit more stick than you might normally, then let it idle, or as others have said, just drive slower for the last couple of miles to give it a chance to level out a bit. Same goes for the running in really, if it makes you feel better, be gentle.
yellowcone87, thanks for that, it was just a doubt I was having besides that I really didn't knew how a turbo engine works, now I know
No, the turbo needs oil for that 2 mins (as it is still spinning even though the motor is off) and if the engine is off it don't get it, simples.
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This Is what I do,run the last few mins with the turbo off boost, the air rushing through helps to cool it down (off boost its not compressing the air so it's not generating huge amounts off heat and the circulating oil and water is cooling it down towards the same temperature as the rest of the engine) and when you stop the turbo will have cooled down a lot and the oil in the turbo won't cook in a hot turbo and leave behind small carbonised deposits on the bearing etc
Although Don't now 100% if that's still the case with modern oils if it does still cook the oil, but it always used to be one of the reasons for letting the turbo cool down, because if you just stopped the engine and didn't let it tick over or run the engine off boost for a couple of mins, the oil sitting inside the hot turbo would carbonise inside the turbo bearing and oil seals and eventually damage them
I remember when we had turbo cars,things like cosworth's, renult turbos etc, after a run, the turbo's would glow cherry red from the heat
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This Is what I do,run the last few mins with the turbo off boost, the air rushing through helps to cool it down (off boost its not compressing the air so it's not generating huge amounts off heat and the circulating oil and water is cooling it down towards the same temperature as the rest of the engine) and when you stop the turbo will have cooled down a lot and the oil in the turbo won't cook in a red hot turbo and leave behind small canonised deposits on the bearing etc
Although Don't now 100% if that's still the case with modern oils if it does still cook the oil, but it always used to be one of the reasons for letting the turbo cool down, was because if you just stopped the engine and didn't let it tick over or run the engine off boost for a couple of mins, the oil sitting inside the hot turbo would carbonise inside the turbo bearing and oil seals and eventually damage them
I remember when we had turbo cars,things like cosworth's, renult turbos etc, after a run, the turbo's would glow cherry red from the heat
Running off boost for the last couple of mins sounds good to me.
I always run the last few minutes of any journey off-boost but when I get where I'm going, leave the car running with the bonnet up and the heating set to high temp (air con off), for a couple of minutes. If the fans come on during that time I leave it running until they've stopped.
I'm not sure if:
A) this might actually heat the engine up more and actually cause damage, and
B) I have some sort of obsessive compulsive type disorder that only men in white coats can help me with ("You leave the bonnet up?! Really???!!!! Take him away for shock treatment!")
I really want to take care of this car, as all of us do, and just want to give it the best chance of surviving for a good, long time!
I'm not sure if:
A) this might actually heat the engine up more and actually cause damage, and
B) I have some sort of obsessive compulsive type disorder that only men in white coats can help me with ("You leave the bonnet up?! Really???!!!! Take him away for shock treatment!")
I really want to take care of this car, as all of us do, and just want to give it the best chance of surviving for a good, long time!
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B, definitely B.
The car is designed to cope with the pressures, stresses and heat in temperatures way above what we experience in the UK. I agree that you should try and take it easy for the last few miles or 10 mins of a long or 'spirited' journey, but leaving the bonnet up and turning the heating up is pretty insane
I'd leave the bonnet down if the fans were running, that way the air is pulled or pushed round the engine (I'm not sure if the fans push or pull on the leon).
With the bonnet open, it's a bit like trying to cool the inside of the car using the air con, but having all the windows open.
just my opinion though
And running the heater fans when the engine fan is already on and doing its job is probably just causing more engine heat,as it's just adding another unnecessary load to the engine
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Seems like sound, bro-science type advice lol. Seriously, that does sound right, especially as the fans on my MK2 Cupra pull the air from the front grill over the engine. Really hard to hear the damn things with the bonnet down though!
lol
Absolutely no problem hearing the fans on the mk3, even cosimodi would complain, especially if you have just got back in the early hours of the morning and it's doing its regeneration thing and runs the fans on for 20 minutes
I've heard quiter hovercraft
luckily my nearest neighbours are quite a way away
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