RE: S4 and Break-in

[Scot Kight <skight@reliacom.com>]

The wisdom in motorcycles for breakin makes sense.  In the manual for my
ducati, it states a few key numbers, then it states a big wisdom.  The
purpose of breakin is to get all the bits and peices to mate together,
through all different types of conditions and temperatures.  The only way to
do that is to ride (or drive) through those conditions.

That being said, you have to break it in using a manner that everything
happens fine.  By just hammering the engine, when it hasnt broken in fully,
your pistons and the rings move around a bit, and since they arent perfectly
smoothe, they can gouge the sides of the chamber.  Imperceptable to the eye,
but over time its not good.  

The methods I have used on my bikes and my cars in the past is to warm the
car or bike up, in light driving.  NEVER sitting at a single rpm for any
length of time.  This is to cause the car to completely heat up all the
internals, and get them to work together properly.  This is a BIG warning in
all motorcycle manuals I have seen, and in a few car manuals. Generally
though it isnt stated quite in such harsh terms.  My 916 manual specifically
states that you SHOULD take the bike out into "spirited mountain riding" to
help the breakin.  That = fast riding, lots and lots of gear changes, and a
time to gain understanding of the bike which you are riding.  Cars internals
work the same ways, so the procedure should be the same.  Now the BIG thing
that every manual warns about is load.  You SHOULD vary the rpms the motor
runs at, and you SHOULD go fast, but you should NOT put heavy load on the
engine.  Going WOT causes extream variances in heat to hit the tops of the
pistons, possibly causing them to gouge the walls, or maybe the rings will
never seal 100% or whatever.  By putting 1/4 throttle down, and letting the
rpms really rise AFTER the car is fully warmed up (10-20 miles of driving)
and it isnt in the first hundred or so miles of life, you can then get the
engine really ready to perform.  Everything will mate together rather well.
Most engines are now run for 24-48hours straight in the factory with oil,
but no combustion to get the basic breakin done.  So you might be able to
rev it from day one. But still LIGHT LOAD ONLY!

I know a few people with 50+k miles on their bikes with 0 problems in the
engine.  I also know people with 10k miles who have had them blow up. I can
trace every one back to how they treated the bike when they first got it.
Mike has a 900ss.  He even a cracked frame, every bit modified as far as he
dared.  Rode the snot out of the bike.  I mean HARD.  Pure hooligan.  Great
guy.  VERY FAST.  45k miles. Broke it in with respect and properly.

Stu on the other hand has a kawasaki.  Decent rider, takes unneccesicary
risks.  Pounded the motor from day one.  8k miles on the motor and it
popped.

I get to practice this soon, as I have an s4 on order! I cant wait!

-----Original Message-----
From: Bruce Aukerman [mailto:Bruce@mannlawfirm.com]
Sent: Sunday, September 26, 1999 4:24 PM
To: quattro@audifans.com
Subject: S4 and Break-in


By and large, the recommended rev limits for "breaking" a motor in are just
corporate CYA numbers.

A friend that built race motors once told me, if it won't run at 9,000 after
5 minutes on the dyno, it never will.

Big enemy of motors is running it hard and then shutting it down...without
allowing it to reach good operating temps...then doing this over and over.
If the oil is hot...run it hard.  

I would be quite happy with the ill-broken-in S4...but I would rather have
it after owner number 1 eats his $10k in depreciation:)