new exige....help!
Author
Discussion

sean_

Original Poster:

9 posts

257 months

Thursday 2nd June 2005
quotequote all
whats the score about "running in"? help!..
I've had all sorts of advice from friends like "take it easy"..."keep off the second cam" "dont prolong steady revving"....others say".... hammer it from new" treat it mean to keep it keen" no need to run in"..." red line it the car will end up a faster one! is this true?

morpheus-95

27 posts

259 months

Thursday 2nd June 2005
quotequote all
all engines benefit from running in from new i would have thought, i bet it mentions it in the manual that's what i would follow after all lotus know best they built the car.

mustard

6,992 posts

275 months

Thursday 2nd June 2005
quotequote all
Avoid revs over 6000rpm till the 1st service is compeleted at around 800-1000miles

Failure to do so 'could' if Lotus so choose void the warranty in the very unlikely event of engine failure
(engine date is downloaded when the 1st service is comleted)

Having said the above when I used to work for Toyota we used to give 'em 'death' from day one and never did any harm

peter450

1,650 posts

263 months

Thursday 2nd June 2005
quotequote all
i'd run it in easy mate ppl who hammer it from day one usally have loads of money so arnt so fussed about there warranty or its not there car

jamieall

177 posts

260 months

Thursday 2nd June 2005
quotequote all
I have just finished running in my Exige.
First 400-600 miles no second cam.
First 200 be gentle no more than 2/3 throttle keep it below 4000rpm.
Don’t cruise around at low speed high gear.
mix it up - don’t just drive on the motorway.
Finally you should use the 2nd cam for short durations after 600 miles. Do not go above 7000rpm because the thin running in oil will not protect the engine.
Go easy on the brakes for the 1st 100 miles while they bed in.
And finally be gentle with the gear change do not force it.
Hope that helps
Jamie

Lotus do print out the ECU info which shows rpm and speed etc. Lotus will not void your warrenty 'a few lapses' into the 2nd cam are allowed most dealers recomend short forays into the 2nd cam.

>> Edited by jamieall on Thursday 2nd June 23:12

bob_defly

5,913 posts

261 months

Friday 3rd June 2005
quotequote all
It's also in the manual Sean.

Davey S2

13,394 posts

284 months

Friday 3rd June 2005
quotequote all
bob_defly said:
It's also in the manual Sean.



Ding!

I'm on 800 miles at the moment.

The manual says for the first 600 miles use moderate throttle openings with no more than half the available pedal travel. After 600 miles it says full revs can be used briefly (and is recommended to help bed the pistons in) but the full performance of the car shouldnt be undertaken until after the first service.

More common sense than anything else really.

Put some details and pics of your car up. What colour / spec have you gone for?

>> Edited by Davey S2 on Friday 3rd June 08:58

nightmare

5,279 posts

314 months

Saturday 4th June 2005
quotequote all
would end up slightly quicker if you hammer it from new though......

dss123

351 posts

266 months

Saturday 4th June 2005
quotequote all
Nightmare is right according to current thinking (and modern engines)

Giving it large from day one, literally the first 20 miles, is the only way to get high enough bore pressures to force the piston rings onto the fresh "honed" bore surface.

This beds the rings in before the piston bores lose the honed surface and become polished.

This achieves the best piston ring seal and will enable you to hold higher bore pressure, stop oil breaching the rings etc etc. In theory this will result in a car with higher BHP.

Holding back on the revs during the first few miles does not provide high enough bore pressure to load the rings. The bore becomes polished and the opportunity to bed the rings and create the best seal is lost.

That said, that little black box records everything and as has already been said, revving the nuts off the car from new might cause probs in the event of a warranty claim.

Think I would stick to the book, although not necessarily the best way to bed the pistons, it is the safest way to let all other components "settle in"

Have fun, it will still be a fantastic car when it's ready for the full beans!

Dunc

SEAN_

Original Poster:

9 posts

257 months

Wednesday 15th June 2005
quotequote all
THANKS FOR THE INFO LADS...THINK ILE GIVE IT DEATH!!!! BOLOCKS TO THE WARRANTY..........I ...JUST ...CANT ...WAIT!!!!!!!

Davey S1

13,394 posts

284 months

Wednesday 15th June 2005
quotequote all
If you can afford to up a £35K car and not have to rely on a warranty then go for it.

For the sake of a couple of weeks I thought it better to wait.

Edited to add that from new the car is filled with Semi synthetic oil which is changed to fully synthetic oil at the first service.

I'm no techie but seeing as the engine runs to 8,500 revs I wouldnt have thought it was full protected until after the first service?


>> Edited by Davey S1 on Wednesday 15th June 23:08

>> Edited by Davey S1 on Wednesday 15th June 23:10

gooby

9,269 posts

264 months

Wednesday 15th June 2005
quotequote all
Davey S1 said:
If you can afford to up a £35K car and not have to rely on a warranty then go for it.

For the sake of a couple of weeks I thought it better to wait.






Agreed, be very careful with the running in. Learn from my mistake. Lotus will question any warentee claim with an "overworked engine" Go easy!

Davey S1

13,394 posts

284 months

Wednesday 15th June 2005
quotequote all
gooby said:

Davey S1 said:
If you can afford to up a £35K car and not have to rely on a warranty then go for it.

For the sake of a couple of weeks I thought it better to wait.







Agreed, be very careful with the running in. Learn from my mistake. Lotus will question any warentee claim with an "overworked engine" Go easy!


Gooby Lotus will simply tell you to flock off if you have screwed the engine from new.

I spoke to the sales manager from the new Cardiff Lotus dealers last week and at the first service of their 111R demo car they downloaded the top 5 following stats:

0-60
0-100
Max revs used.

Not worth having a lead foot for the sake of 1000 or so sympathetic miles.

gooby

9,269 posts

264 months

Wednesday 15th June 2005
quotequote all
Davey S1 said:

gooby said:


Davey S1 said:
If you can afford to up a £35K car and not have to rely on a warranty then go for it.

For the sake of a couple of weeks I thought it better to wait.









Agreed, be very careful with the running in. Learn from my mistake. Lotus will question any warentee claim with an "overworked engine" Go easy!



Gooby Lotus will simply tell you to flock off if you have screwed the engine from new.

I spoke to the sales manager from the new Cardiff Lotus dealers last week and at the first service of their 111R demo car they downloaded the top 5 following stats:

0-60
0-100
Max revs used.

Not worth having a lead foot for the sake of 1000 or so sympathetic miles.


Yep that is exactly what Lotus tell you to go and do. When it is finally sorted I will tell details. The bottom line is that Westover motors are superb and have helped us to reach an "amicable solution". The word from the experienced is dont thrash that engine and be careful not buzz it.