Re: Break-in Methods

[John Greenstreet <jgreenst@motown.ge.com>]

> From quattro-owner@swiss.ans.net Tue Nov  1 10:19:05 1994
> Date: 01 Nov 1994 14:44:22 GMT
> From: drobbins@wellfleet.com (David Robbins,Wellfleet Sales/Mkt)
> 
> I have a friend who just took delivery on a 1995 VW Jetta III GLX.  I've heard
> differing views on how cars (specifically German) "should" be broken-in.  One
> camp says that you baby it for 2,000 miles, while the other says you baby it
> for 1,000 miles and then drive it hard for the second thousand miles.  Any
> opinions/advise?

I have always had good luck with the second approach, in terms of
performance, oil consumption, and longevity.  And that's pretty much
how most cars get used in Germany; driving on the Autobahnen seems to
require frequent full- throttle acceleration to at or near the redline,
and full-out running in many cars just to keep up with the flow and out
of the way of others.

Of course, many of the break-in instruction pamphlets I've seen say to
limit "road speed" to 2/3 of the car's top speed.  Why don't they just
say "for the first 1000 miles, obey all posted speed limits!" :^)

--------------------------------------------------------------------
John Greenstreet, Senior Engineer           (jgreenst@motown.ge.com)
Martin Marietta Government Electronic Systems    Moorestown NJ 08057
WPI Class of '75, Temple Class of '94

My new car history:
  1975    1978    1982       1986        1989      1992      1995
   VW ->  Audi -> Audi  -> Mercedes -> Mercedes -> Audi -> Mercedes
Scirocco Fox GTI  4000S    190E 2.3    190E 2.6    100CS     S320

POSSLQ's* new car history:
         1978       1981       1985      1988        1990     1993
       Triumph ->  Toyota ->  Toyota  ->  VW    ->   Audi  -> Audi
       Spitfire    Tercel     Corolla   Jetta GL      80      90S

*POSSLQ = Person of Opposite Sex Sharing Living Quarters
Note: All Audis and Mercedes above were sold to friends or family.
--------------------------------------------------------------------