Break-in Period

[Matticus]

Thanks

Hello all,

I just bought a 2014 Jetta TDI and I want to thank you all for the great information and vigorous debate about the break in of these engines. I spent a long time reading all of this information as well as the thread that was closed.

Thank you and I am hoping to have the same sort of results you all have talked about.

Cheers

 

[khai]

Wow - what a resource!

I just spent the past several days reading all 69 pages of this thread, the 36 page "new" break-in thread, some of the oil threads, and a few "best mods" threads. I'm eagerly awaiting delivery of my 2014 TDI Golf Wagon Wolfsburg, 6spd manual. It will be my first new car as well as my first diesel, though I have owned a few VWs in the past ('84 Rabbit LS, '83 GTI, '66 Karmann Ghia).

I am extremely happy to have found this amazing resource as the depth of knowledge and passion found here is incredible! I've now got a very good idea as to how to break in my new car, and plan to take full advantage of my location (Vancouver, BC) and it's abundance of hilly terrain to seal the deal. Thank you all for so generously and freely sharing your knowledge.

I had sort of forgotten that one "needs" to start modding a VW even before taking ownership as I'm already convinced that I "need" a Panzer Plate, am thinking about a short-shift kit, and was disappointed to learn that the oil bypass filter kit is no longer being sold. Having never owned a new car that comes with a warranty however, I'll probably leave any obvious engine mods until after it runs out. (I remain very open to suggestions, though!)

I just wanted to say "Thanks!" to all the contributors, and will update once I get my hands on the vehicle.

 

[TornadoRed]

khai, greetings and welcome to TDI Club.

I speak as one who started my TDI adventure with a new Golf, almost 11 years ago. I never had an oil bypass filter; perhaps it would allow a 20k-mile instead of 10k-mile OCI (oil change interval), but from my experience you don't need one for engine longevity.

However, better fuel filtration can save you from expensive repairs to your car's fuel injection system. For this I recommend the Nicktane filter head with the 2-micron Cat fuel filter. Instead of a $25 or $30 OE fuel filter every 40k miles, you can have a $15 Cat filter that's better than the OE filter and only needs replacing every 80k miles, or maybe an even longer interval. Plus you don't have to wait till the end of the warranty period to make this swap.

As for a metal skid plate, I don't know if one is available for your new Golf wagon. But they are a great investment, so you should get one as soon as you are able.

If you don't get Monster Mats or similar floor mats as part of the purchase, then I think you should try to get them as soon as possible.

 

[khai]

Thanks TornadoRed, I'll definitely look up that fuel filter and grab one. I thought that I saw there was a Panzer Plate available for the '14 Jetta Sportwagen, which I understand to be identical to the Golf Wagon - I've been told that they're just named differently in Canada vs the US.

Funny thing about the floor mats - I went into the dealer with a "match this" price after having visited a few, and after the sales guy came out of his manager's office they did match the price - but there were two comments scrawled across the bottom: "no rubber floor mats" and "1/2 tank of gas". Apparently the manager wasn't happy about matching the other dealer's best offer... . My sales guy told me that he had another way to get me some free floor mats: if I fill out the post-sale survey with all 10s, he can show that to his other sales manager and then they're allowed to give out some freebies. If I have to buy aftermarket mats it's not the end of the world though. I'm pretty happy with the spec of the vehicle for the price. The only thing I'd have liked but didn't get was if I could have spec'ed the vehicle with 4motion. Sadly, that wasn't an option. Not a deal-breaker, but definitely a "nice to have" as I do spend a fair amount of time driving in wintry conditions (which is part of the reason why I really want that skid plate).

Thanks very much for your suggestions - both directly to me here as well as throughout this thread.


K

 

[khai]

For any other n00bs who may be looking for the Nicktane kit but somewhat confused, I emailed Nick for clarification/confirmation and the "Uber Fuel Filter Kit" will fit a Mk6 Golf/Jetta with the 2.0L TDI engine. The website hasn't been updated but if you select the "MkV Jetta/Golf (2006+)" option from the drop-down menu he says that will fit the Mk6.

For TornadoRed (or any of the other more knowledgeable folk), is there any point looking at either of the Ultra High Efficiency filter options, the 1 Micron filter, or having a 3rd banjo and wiring in a pressure gauge? (I would think such things may become more important in a modded vehicle but not terribly relevant for the stock engine? I guess I'm mostly curious if opting for the 1 micron filter is worthwhile...)

 

[TornadoRed]

khai, you can buy replacement 2-micron Cat filters practically everywhere, for around $15. Nicktane's 1-micron filter is only available from Nicktane, I believe. That's why I recommend the filter head threaded for the Cat filter.

 

[khai]

khai, you can buy replacement 2-micron Cat filters practically everywhere, for around $15. Nicktane's 1-micron filter is only available from Nicktane, I believe. That's why I recommend the filter head threaded for the Cat filter.

Ah, that makes perfect sense - thanks TR.

I just got a call from the dealer letting me know that my car has arrived and that they are prepping it for me. Unfortunately I'll be out of town and tied up for a few days so I won't be able to pick it up 'til Wed eve, but I'm really excited that it's there and (almost) ready!

 

[khai]

Got it!

The car actually came in much earlier than anyone had anticipated but work was insane so I wasn't able to get out to pick it up until Thursday evening. Then I flew out of town on Friday morning, so this thing has a grand total of 142km on it (23km on the clock when I got it and then I took a short spin yesterday upon arriving home).
Shifting at dbw's recommended 2500/3000 points is pretty easy as that's more or less where I'd naturally shift anyway - but I have noticed that I'm moving a bit quicker than I ought, particularly as I'm keeping a fairly close eye on the tach. I haven't gone anywhere near 3800, but I'm trying to keep the RPMs varied through the powerband so as not to sit at one point for too long.
My Panzer Plate and Nicktane kit have arrived, so next I have some playing to do...

 

[flyboy320]

My Panzer Plate and Nicktane kit have arrived, so next I have some playing to do...

I would be interested if you could document your Nicktane kit install, or some pictures as your installing it?

 

[khai]

I would be interested if you could document your Nicktane kit install, or some pictures as your installing it?

Once I wrap my head around how complex I want to make this, I will. Seems it can be as simple as:

1) unbolt/plug the old
2) install the new mount
3) fill new filter with diesel/diesel additive
4) install new

or as complex as needing to seek out someone with a VAG-COM and then doing the above plus a fuel line purge of sorts...

 

[khai]

So two things dawned on me:

1) I'm installing the Nicktane filter as an extra preventative measure as it is supposed to be "better than stock", in the hope of extending the reliable life of the vehicle. So trying to "take a shortcut" during the installation by not cycling the pump with a VAG-COM would be kind of stupid. Having spoken with Nick, however, it seems pretty simple and straightforward.

2) On the advice of a few people and after having read more than a few comments about VW of Canada's warranty response, I'm going to hold off installing anything that they could point to and blame until after the warranty period. I'm sure this is better than stock, otherwise this board wouldn't be so excited about it. But I'm also quite certain that a service manager or warranty assessment agent is looking for any excuse *not* to have to pay for something should a problem arise, and the Canadian Warranty department's track record for fixing things like HPFP failure is less than stellar - so I don't want to give them any additional ammunition they might use to deny a claim. (One I hope to never have to make, but...)

So the Panzer Plate will go on soon, but the Nicktane filter kit will have to sit on the shelf until Summer 2018. (At which point I'll probably go stupid and chip the car, look into a bunch of other performance mods, and see where my limit to the madness takes me)

 

[flyboy320]

but the Nicktane filter kit will have to sit on the shelf until Summer 2018. (At which point I'll probably go stupid and chip the car, look into a bunch of other performance mods, and see where my limit to the madness takes me)

FWIW I think your making the right choice. For the same reason I'm waiting to install a 2micron kit until my warranty runs out next year.

 

[hashmaster]

2014 jetta tdi

So i just bought a 2014 TDI Jetta last night. I read through the break in guide on the first page, but i dont have a temp gauge in my cluster. So for my initial two start up from a fairly cold engine i hold the rpm at about 2500 for about a min or so then slowly increase to about 3200 for up to about a min. Then i gently release the accelerator, and shift into gear. Do these warm up times seem ok, or should i go a little longer on the warm up before driving? I am looking into the various bluetooth OBDII scanners I've seen a few posts about to get my info fix.

 

[TornadoRed]

So i just bought a 2014 TDI Jetta last night. I read through the break in guide on the first page, but i dont have a temp gauge in my cluster. So for my initial two start up from a fairly cold engine i hold the rpm at about 2500 for about a min or so then slowly increase to about 3200 for up to about a min. Then i gently release the accelerator, and shift into gear. Do these warm up times seem ok, or should i go a little longer on the warm up before driving? I am looking into the various bluetooth OBDII scanners I've seen a few posts about to get my info fix.

You've got it all wrong. You don't need to do any of that before you shift into gear and drive off. If you have the window down when you start a cold TDI, after roughly five seconds you can hear a change in the engine sound, when oil is flowing throughout the engine. At that point you can drive off -- there is no need to wait any longer for the engine to warm up.

Now, in the winter, if your windows are frosted over, you can let it idle for a few minutes while you clear the windows of frost. But otherwise you can shift into gear and drive away, and the engine will warm up while driving much faster than while sitting in your driveway.

Also, there is nothing in Drivbiwire's guidelines which encourages revving the engine while in park or neutral.

Go back and read post #2 on the first page of this thread. You should not have to read anything else in the thread for clarification -- it is all in that post.
http://forums.tdiclub.com/showpost.php?p=464230&postcount=2

 

[hashmaster]

"Rules that apply for the life of the car
-When the engine is cold (below the first 3 white marks at the base of the temp gage) rev the engine to at least 2,500 rpms.
-When the engine is warmed up (above the first three white marks) Rev the engine to no less than 3,000 rpms."
. Granted there is nothing in there about being in park or neutral, or drive for that matter, I was taught to warm up a car before I drive off. My 05 passat (gasser) was "at temp" usually in a minute or two. I'm no mechanic, but have had lots of mechanic friends and have always been told with diesel motors the break in is most critical. I know diesel engines can live for damn near ever when treated right, and I'm trying to get the most life and performance out of my car.

 

[TornadoRed]

"Rules that apply for the life of the car
-When the engine is cold (below the first 3 white marks at the base of the temp gage) rev the engine to at least 2,500 rpms.
-When the engine is warmed up (above the first three white marks) Rev the engine to no less than 3,000 rpms."
. Granted there is nothing in there about being in park or neutral, or drive for that matter, I was taught to warm up a car before I drive off. My 05 passat (gasser) was "at temp" usually in a minute or two. I'm no mechanic, but have had lots of mechanic friends and have always been told with diesel motors the break in is most critical. I know diesel engines can live for damn near ever when treated right, and I'm trying to get the most life and performance out of my car.

The very next line after the part you quoted said, "The reason for this is to keep the turbo on boost, clear the VNT guide vanes and apply firm pressure to the rings for optimal sealing against blow-by gasses. The rings need the boost to seal since it's a turbo charged engine, babying the engine is detrimental and will lead to issues with compression if done so for very long."

If your TDI is in park or neutral, then the turbo is not on boost and the rings are not being pressed against the cylinder walls. So revving the engine is doing nothing to aid the breaking-in process -- that only happens while you are driving, putting a load on the engine.

Diesel engines typically run cool, and only warm up when they are run under load. In midwinter, in the northern climates, if your TDI had a temperature gauge, it would move only slightly above the "cold" line no matter how long you let it idle. It would only advance to the "normal" line after several minutes of driving. And after reaching normal operating temperatures, if you let it idle long enough, or if you drive down a long hill so there is no load on the engine, the temp gauge would drop back down to the "cold" line. This is one of the differences between gasoline and diesel engines.

 

[waltzconmigo]

hashmaster---tornadored is correct, "rev engine", should be read as shift points with a standard transmission. if you were to read the entirety of this thread and the one TR linked you will see that you are not the first to be confused by the terms used. good luck and welcome to tdiclub.

 

[hashmaster]

The very next line after the part you quoted said, "The reason for this is to keep the turbo on boost, clear the VNT guide vanes and apply firm pressure to the rings for optimal sealing against blow-by gasses. The rings need the boost to seal since it's a turbo charged engine, babying the engine is detrimental and will lead to issues with compression if done so for very long."
If your TDI is in park or neutral, then the turbo is not on boost and the rings are not being pressed against the cylinder walls. So revving the engine is doing nothing to aid the breaking-in process -- that only happens while you are driving, putting a load on the engine.
Diesel engines typically run cool, and only warm up when they are run under load. In midwinter, in the northern climates, if your TDI had a temperature gauge, it would move only slightly above the "cold" line no matter how long you let it idle. It would only advance to the "normal" line after several minutes of driving. And after reaching normal operating temperatures, if you let it idle long enough, or if you drive down a long hill so there is no load on the engine, the temp gauge would drop back down to the "cold" line. This is one of the differences between gasoline and diesel engines.

That explains it nicely. See new to diesel and new to turbo. I didn't really think the turbo was on when I was not driving but wasn't entirely positive. Good to know that diesel engines run colder, and i don't really need to warm up before leaving. Appreciate everyone's replies. Thank you.

 

[TornadoRed]

That explains it nicely. See new to diesel and new to turbo. I didn't really think the turbo was on when I was not driving but wasn't entirely positive. Good to know that diesel engines run colder, and i don't really need to warm up before leaving. Appreciate everyone's replies. Thank you.

The turbo spins all the time. But because it is a VNT/VGT (variable-nozzle turbo/variable-geometry turbo), the vanes move under command of the engine computer (engine control module in VAG-speak) to create more boost when needed. At idle there is no boost, and if you rev the engine with the clutch in or the transmission in neutral or park, there is no boost.

Good explanation here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Variable-geometry_turbocharger

Also, your engine will never overheat in extreme conditions, unless there is a problem with the thermostat or water pump.

 

[hashmaster]

Yeah I think I was a little muddy with my previous post. My basic understanding of turbos was they are spun up when the engine starts, but there's no boost unless your in the turbo s rpms rangewhere it "creates boost". From what I'm gathering from your posting and wiki is this type of turbo varies it's shape or vanes, in accordance with the boost demand. In this car the ecu determines the amount of boost needed based off the engine demand. I.E. a fancy a logarithm designed to factor such things like engine load, current rpm, current speed, engine temperature, fuel to air ratio, air temperature, etc, etc. Which makes sense there would be no boost created when in park or neutral as there's no real engine load. Once again I do appreciate everyone's input as I'm learning new stuff

 

[TornadoRed]

This short video shows what happens when the ECM sends a signal to the turbo control valve and how movement of the vanes changes the amount of boost. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gc2awh0O0Bc

 

[Fox Nixor]

Ok. I feel like such an idiot. I just got a 2014 Jetta TDI. I have already put on 835 boring, steady, non aggressive, and cruise control miles. This is my first new car and my first diesel. I am concerned I may have ruined the engine by not breaking it in right. I also, dunt have a temp gauge and I'm not sure I completely understand the directions. Am I supposed to be hammering the throttle on and off most of the time? I got this fur battle fuel economy and it sounds like I won't be getting proper mpg until 100k miles. Please help. I feel like a moron.

 

[TornadoRed]

Ok. I feel like such an idiot. I just got a 2014 Jetta TDI. I have already put on 835 boring, steady, non aggressive, and cruise control miles. This is my first new car and my first diesel. I am concerned I may have ruined the engine by not breaking it in right. I also, dunt have a temp gauge and I'm not sure I completely understand the directions. Am I supposed to be hammering the throttle on and off most of the time? I got this fur battle fuel economy and it sounds like I won't be getting proper mpg until 100k miles. Please help. I feel like a moron.

http://forums.tdiclub.com/showpost.php?p=4409645&postcount=1002

 

[Fox Nixor]

Awesome! Thanx! I have been babying it to get the most fuel efficiency and I had already adopted a less aggressive driving style in order to not provoke road rage in others. People are getting crazy all over and the less visible you are to them, the less likely they will grab there 2nd amendment rights.........

 

[Patrick Boyle]

Your fear of getting shot at has affected your driving style?

 

[Wawa]

Hello everyone! New member here. I just took delivery of my new 2015 Golf Sportwagon TDI 6M on April 14, 2015. It's day three today, I have been following Drivebiwire's break-in instructions. I apply 50%-80% throttle when I accelerate and shift at about 2800 RPM when engine is cold, and shift at about 3300 RPM when engine is at normal operation temperature (around 90C). I have reached 3800 RPM many times, and even above 4000 RPM a couple of times.

Questions: 1. When I coast at a steady speed, should I ease up the throttle and let the engine idle, or should I put it in a suitable gear and give a bit gas (Diesel really) so that the engine runs at about 2000 RPM? 2. With the new EA288 TDI engine, there is a softer (lower pressure) contact between the piston rings and the cylinder wall, and the design uses only one main cam shaft (with two balance shafts) to handle both the intake and exhaust valves, will there be any modifications on the break-in guide for the EA288 engine?

 

[masify]

Am also trying to follow these guidelines but am finding my EA288 likes to be at 1600-1800 RPM from 60-75 mph in 6th gear, similar story in 5th gear from 50-65. And the MFD wants me to shift up so the RPMs are in this range. Easy to get above 3k at least in the lower gears though....

 

[turbobrick240]

In my opinion the shift indicator is the biggest "idiot" light on the dash. At least when it is indicating upshifts. I learned to ignore it almost immediately. Anything under 1800 rpm is generally too low.

 

[masify]

Agree about light, but I barely hit 1800 at 75 mph in 6th gear. What good is the 6th gear if it's never used....

 

[turbobrick240]

1800 rpm @ 75 mph? Damn, I thought my 2011 had incredibly tall gearing. My car is right at 2000 rpm @ 75 mph in 6th. I only use 6th on the interstate or highways where I drive at, or in excess of 75. I would say you should use 5th at anything below 75 if you are at 1800 rpm.