Breaking in a new RS6

[mdk]

Contrary to most makers' manuals I’ve been following a different approach for breaking in new motors (supercharged ones in particular).
Especially for the first 2 hours I make sure engine is warm and then I push the engine (on 2nd/3rd/4th gears) so to make sure that piston rings seal really well onto liners. I do avoid city driving during the initial break in period.

I never regretted doing so but having this discussion board I thought it’s a good opportunity to listen to other opinions and experiences.

I don’t have the car yet (not before mid-October) so I don’t know what audi recommends for the RS6 C6.


Michalis

[KfabR8]

I make sure engine is warm and then I push the engine (on 2nd/3rd/4th gears) so to make sure that piston rings seal really well onto liners. I do avoid city driving during the initial break in period.DING DING DING!!! WE HAVE A WINNER!!!

This is the proper way to break in an engine. You need to build combustion pressure to seat the rings correctly.

FWIW, city driving is good too - varying the revs & throttle position helps - helps w/heat cycles overall and also in specific areas such as the top end.

I believe that the majority of the "easy does it" driving comes from old (1950's) mentality, back when things were starting to develop, technically - especially in metallurgy. Don't use synthetic oils, don't push the envelope, blah, blah, blah. Yea, forty to sixty years ago this was correct but now - nah.

Today's stuff is far more advanced: From machining and machining processes, finishing, tolerances, metallurgy, etc. that it's almost a moot point to "break it in" anymore.

Most race engines are broken in on a dyno - build it, warm it up, do some pulls. If that's not a break in run, then what is?

I have years of building race and recreational engines for bikes (road racing, motocross) jet skis, desert cars and such and I've always taken the abuse it and run it hard early in life approach and I've never experienced any ill results from this method.

I do believe that it's very important to bring things up to temp before flogging on the machine, though. The parts are designed to work in a particular operating temp (on our beloved RS6's you want the OIL gauge reading at least 150 before you get on it) and thus the engine should be brought up to these temps first.

One aspect to consider in break in, though is the little particles of metal and machining trash that is always present at first, no matter how hard the mfg works at getting things cleaned. That sort of stuff just has to work it's way out of oil passages, galleys and such. The first oil change is probably the most crucial of them all - make sure you do this one in a timely manner.