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How to run your car in

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It's no longer necessary to carry out a strict run-in routines.
Graham Smith
Contributing Journalist
20 Oct 2011
1 min read
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Some say it's no longer needed, others say it's a must. As is usually the case with such subjects the answer lies somewhere in between. 

It's not so long ago that it was necessary to carefully run-in a new engine, to ignore it was to risk major engine damage. 

Today, with the improvements in the materials used in engines and the oils that keep it lubricated it's not needed as such.

While it's no longer necessary to carry out a strict run-in routine as once was the case it is still necessary be careful not to abuse the engine during the first 1000 km or so.

By taking care not to over-  stress the engine early in its life you are likely to extend the life of the engine, and get the most out of it in terms of performance and fuel economy.

Some steps you can take to ensure your engine is run-in:

. Don't rev the engine too high.
. Try to keep the engine speed between 2000 rpm and 4000 rpm.
. Don't sit on a steady speed for too long, vary it.
. Don't let the engine sit idling for more than a couple of minutes at a time.
. Don't tow a trailer.

Graham Smith
Contributing Journalist
With a passion for cars dating back to his childhood and having a qualification in mechanical engineering, Graham couldn’t believe his good fortune when he was offered a job in the Engineering Department at General Motors-Holden’s in the late-1960s when the Kingswood was king and Toyota was an upstart newcomer. It was a dream come true. Over the next 20 years Graham worked in a range of test and development roles within GMH’s Experimental Engineering Department, at the Lang Lang Proving Ground, and the Engine Development Group where he predominantly worked on the six-cylinder and V8 engines. If working for Holden wasn’t exciting enough he also spent two years studying General Motors Institute in America, with work stints with the Chassis Engineering section at Pontiac, and later took up the post of Holden’s liaison engineer at Opel in Germany. But the lure of working in the media saw him become a fulltime motorsport reporter and photographer in the late-1980s following the Grand Prix trail around the world and covering major world motor racing events from bases first in Germany and then London. After returning home to Australia in the late-1980s Graham worked on numerous motoring magazines and newspapers writing about new and used cars, and issues concerning car owners. These days, Graham is CarsGuide's longest standing contributor.
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