"Running in" Guidelines - Ford Forums

GT-P_Freak · 07-11-2004, 08:01

Hello everyone,

I have recently purchased an Envi XR6 NA and am a Ford Convert, and I was wondering from owners here what sort of "rules" they follow before the 1500km, I think, inspection of the car. Currently I own a 2002 VXII commodore and I must say I drive my car enthusiastically

for 60% of the time, Obviously not to race through the rev range is the obvious one, but what types of methods have you guys used to keep the engine in good condition,

Also is there any issues with the car, i.e. noises, squeaks rattle that I should look out from before the first service, I am only about 3-4 weeks away from delivery of my new baby, and I cant wait, any input would be greatly appreciated as this is my first ford, and am looking forward to many months of fun and pleasure. Oh and another thing,

What type of car wash, polish, wax, etc do you guys use, I don�t want to end up with those horrid looking scratches on the paint when it�s in the sun

Thanks so much everyone

Cheers, Steve

rhino6 · 07-13-2004, 05:36

congrats on your new car...sounds nice. in regards to running in the engine, everyone has their own ideas. im no guru.. there have been a few threads on this sort of thing so try running a search. from what i have gathered, during the first 1000km vary your driving style. dont let the car idle for too long, avoid excessive speeds. you can rev it a bit but nothing over the top. theres also a section in the manual i think, not sure how true it is though. after about 1000, once again similar to before 1000, just a little more progressive. some highway driving can be included.
as for rattles then mine has been pretty good. have done 20000km and is slight one that comes and goes in door lock on drivers door. i do drive on some rough roads though.
as for paint i use meguiars 3 step thing. the first is a paint cleaner which should be used to get any previous coats of wax off. the second is a polish which speaks for itself, and the third is a wax which basically locks the polish in and protects the paint. it is good, but one of the most expensive brands. just depends on how much you want to spend on your car

XRchic · 07-13-2004, 06:42

Awesome colour - congrats!

Yeah, above is correct - run in basically like "normal" driving.

Also, dont leave it to 15 000km to get oil changed, even though that is what manual says. Mine was down 2.5 L approx at 10 000km ish and it was scary. They CAN use a bit in the first few 1000km, so check it maybe every few 1000km just in case. Most people on here have not left the first oil change to 15 000km, as far as I know.

A good tip for running in, is around 5000 to 10 000km, take it on a decent long run - I went from Adelaide to Melbourne and back and it freed up HEAPS after that run!

I also use Meguiars - mine is black so I have to be careful. I use the Softwash and also the detailing spray, and the wax on occasion. Also, I recommend the Meguiars synthetic chamois ($10 - $12) - best chamois I have ever used and I had made it a lifetime thing to search for the perfect chamois! And only use real car wash solution - Ford told me to use baby shampoo on it - rubbish!

Dont get it washed in a laser guided car wash. You probably wont, but just in case you were thinking about it, forget it. The laser guided systems think the XR logo on the side skirts is a silver wheel and it engages the wheel scrubbers on that spot - I discovered this when I found huge circular gouges on the bottom rear corner of my back doors, as well as the skirt and some of the rear panel as well. BP ended up paying for it to be fixed but it was a drama. And apparently this is common across all similar car washes according to the insurance assessor who looked at it.

If you have tinting, dont use Windex on it. Shrivels it.

Have fun!!!!!!

wakeboardandy · 07-13-2004, 16:41

I find the laser touch free car washes really good... no scrubbing just high pressure laser guided sprays.

TJS-81 · 07-13-2004, 18:23

As said above...apparently just driving "normally" will do the trick. The dealer told me just to let it warm up a bit more than usual while it is running in. Mine has now done about 850k's and is still rather tight I must say! I drive it carefully while its still cold, but once warm, I drive normally with the occassional sprint (told this helps too).

XRchic...you are right...after reading a post where you said Maguiars has the best chamois, I got one and it works really well! Seeings though you also have a manual N/A, how long should I expect the engine to stay tight? XR's that I've driven that were well run it, hovered below 2000 rpm when cruising at say, 105-110. Mine is still over 2000 at that speed, but seems to be coming down very slowly. What do you think?

XRchic · 07-13-2004, 20:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by TJS-81

As said above...apparently just driving "normally" will do the trick. The dealer told me just to let it warm up a bit more than usual while it is running in. Mine has now done about 850k's and is still rather tight I must say! I drive it carefully while its still cold, but once warm, I drive normally with the occassional sprint (told this helps too).

XRchic...you are right...after reading a post where you said Maguiars has the best chamois, I got one and it works really well! Seeings though you also have a manual N/A, how long should I expect the engine to stay tight? XR's that I've driven that were well run it, hovered below 2000 rpm when cruising at say, 105-110. Mine is still over 2000 at that speed, but seems to be coming down very slowly. What do you think?

Hi

Mine slowly freed up up until around 8000km.... then I went to Melbourne and back from Adelaide (around 2000km of driving all up, including a few cruises while there up to Mt Bulla etc).... and when I got back from Melbourne it was fantastic - that trip really helped it and also have heard this from others. I think a good long drive at 100kmh plus after a few thousand km works well.

I got a Unichip in mine after, which also made heaps of difference, so it is hard to tell after that, whether it was the chip or being run in....

The manual/clutch gets slicker too, over time.

Yes, I reckon that chamois is the best one around, and I have spent my life looking for a good one. Its only small, but it works! Never go back to any other more expensive or genuine leather ones.

XRchic · 07-13-2004, 20:19

Oh and I had my clutch and gearbox rebuilt at around 15000km coz the gearbox leaked oil into the clutch and it started slowly slipping over time - might be an idea to get them to check that at your service(s)... coz it comes on slowly and if you are not really good at picking these things up, you might miss it until it is too late....

TJS-81 · 07-14-2004, 00:37

Thanks for the info...I'm interested to know what did your chip did to insurance and fuel economy?

XRchic · 07-14-2004, 02:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by TJS-81

Thanks for the info...I'm interested to know what did your chip did to insurance and fuel economy?

Well, there's another issue altogether!

Did not tell insurance co about chip. I can remove it pretty quick if I have to and no proof it was there. Engine resets itself to original programming instantly.

Improved fuel economy A LOT! They all run rich out of factory coz a) warranty friendly, the dont want them burning coz they are too lean, and b) they are not tuned individually in factory, although each engine different.

Had my AFRs checked on dyno and mine was shocking. Was around 11:1 and after chip, it was around 13:1. They tune for optimum performance and efficiency across about 12 throttle settings I think. In real terms, it means about 150km more per tank, but I had it tuned for PULP (BP Ultimate) so it still costs, but over all, uses less fuel and I do still save cash.

I got about 12rwkw out of it, maybe a tad more. Pre chip dyno had it at 138rwkw, and post chip, does 150rwkw. Not huge difference in performance, but noticeable to me, and also it makes it much more responsive - put foot down and it takes off much quicker. Torque increased from 380Nm to just over 400Nm, and at lower revs. Had it taken out for warranty work on clutch, and it was like a slug without it.

Ford dealers have differing opinions on chip. Mine is fine with it as long as it is removed so if some Ford rep turns up, they dont get in trouble for working on with a chip. They knew it was there when they worked on it, even though it was removed. But a chip on a T6 might be different coz you would get a shitload more than 12rwkw out of it, and hence more argument for Ford that is responsible for breaking parts.... Most dealers ok with reasonable mods, if they can be removed before you bring them in....some dealers chuck wobblies - have to investigate your dealers, that's all.

Chip is also sensitive to water and can run very rough or even stall if it gets wet. I got a little "sock" from APS to protect it.

TJS-81 · 07-14-2004, 19:11

I'd love to get a chip in mine after its done a few more thousand...but am too scared I could get found out if any insurance claims came about! Might just have to see what the increase in policy would be first.

I think it definately sounds worth it for the fuel and performance. Would you reccomend I have mine tuned as is... to make sure things are optimal, before getting a chip down the track?

Will also check with the dealer.
Thanks again.