You'd have to drive it like a Jumbo Jets RB211 engine at full take off thrust to have to put oil in every 2 seconds !!!
Basically.. for the first 500 miles to 1000 miles take it easy. Accelerate fairly gently and change up before 3500 rpm. The up! is not slow off the mark and is brisk even below 3500 rpm, so drive it below 3500 rpm. I clocked my baby up at 80+ mph at 3500 rpm in 5th so no need to go above this. Accelerate at less than 3500 rpm and its fine.
General rule is be gentle to the up! for the first 500 to 1000 miles. The engine and transmission train will loosen and give better mpg after this and it will settle nicely.
Lots of people say modern cars do not need running in... but I for one treat them as if they do. It can only be +++ and not have any negatives
Besides.. it's good practice to respect the car from new even if it does not really need it !!
i only work afew miles from my home , will it do harm to a new engine doing such little journeys everyday ??? my polo used to coke up abit, didnt like it
I was told to brake well in advance for the first few miles, but otherwise to drive it normally and not worry about driving in any special way to breakit in. The dealer said the car will reach its maximum efficiency by about 5-6,000 miles.
I will be taking it easy the first 50 trips in my first car, because I will be shaking like a rattlesnake.
I am a very "nervous" person, so this will control it self.
But I really think that barking the car in gently is the best way. I did it with my mopeds, when I was young, and they went 20% beyond the build in speed limitations, with out modifications
I ran the mopeds very gently, at half the top speed and no high revs. for 14 days.
Then gently at normal speed for 2 months.
After that I would warm up the engine for half an hour and then force it to do maximum revs, in a low gear, until the engine got hot. Then I'd let it cool down by driving normally for half an hour. I would do this once every trip I went on.
A moped is build to run much faster then the 30 km./h. they do in Denmark. Mine went 37 km./h. on a flat road, when it was stolen from me.
Here's what the up! manual has to say about running in the engine:
<blockquote ="webkit-indent-blockquote" style="margin: 0 0 0 40px; border: none; padding: 0px;">A new engine needs to be run in during the first 1,500 kilometres. During its first few hours of running, the internal friction in the engine is greater than later on when all the moving parts have bedded down.
The style of driving during the first 1,500 kilometres will also affect the quality of the engine quality. Even after this time - and especially with a cold engine - drive the vehicle at moderate speeds in order to reduce engine wear and to increase the mileage that the engine can cover. Do not drive at engine speeds which are too low. Always shift down gear if the engine is not running "smoothly". Up to 1,000 kilometres, the following applies:
- Do not depress the accelerator fully - Do not drive the vehicle at more than 2/3 of the top engine speed
From 1,000 to 1,500 kilometres, gradually increase driving performance to top speed and highest engine speed.
</blockquote>
(There are also sections on running in new tyres and brake pads).
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