How to break in my new A4?

["hengwei hsu" <hengwei@hifive.mti.sgi.com>]

We just purchased our new A4 two weeks ago. We were very
happy about our decision. It's a wonderful car. I used to
own an ACURA Integra which is good for its handling and
engine, but my A4 has even better handling during cornering,
good feedback from the steering wheel (which most Japanese
cars don't have), and a good torque engine at low rpm (I have
to keep my ACURA reving above 3,000 rpm to get some torque).
Another important factor affects our decision is the A4's
passive safety feature which is top ranked in NHSTA crash test
and offset frontal crash test conducted by an Europe auto
magazine.

Anyway, here is some of my questions regarding to break
in of a new car. Your suggestions or comments will be greatly
appreciated!

  1. Do I need to keep the rpm low during break in?
     I have a manual A4 and I always try to shift before
     engine hits 3,000 rpm. But occasionly, I could
     not resist the temptation of reving it high (to
     4,000-5,000 rpm). Will that do any harm to the
     engine? I heard doing this during cruising on the
     highway will help proper seal of the piston rings.
     Is this true?

  2. Is Audi using any special break-in oil in the new car?

  3. How soon should I do the first oil change?
     I heard a lot of people recommend to do the first
     oil change at ~1,000 miles. The purpose is to remove
     floating metal particles generated during engine
     break in.

  4. How long is the break in period last?

  5. Any recommendations on the engine oil type/brand?
     Is synthetic oil any good?


Thanks!

Hengwei



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