Running in procedure

[Eagle7]

Oh thank goodness you are here then to help state the obvious for us who you think are obviously to dim to understand that without it being explained....... We have all owned cars before you know!, and we are not stupid!

Considering what some of the questions were, the "obvious" apparently needed to be stated. Thousands view this forum, and not every one may necessarily have owned cars before. I used to read car magazines years before I was old enough to even drive.

 

[Eagle7]

Leonard and his all-lotus-related-complaining-another day post

Well he IS Mr. Grumpy Pants. The man has standards and a rep to maintain you know lol.

 

[Leonard]

Leonard and his all-lotus-related-complaining-another day post

fair. Seems extreme tho no. That's more limited than a M Car
Anyway it is what it is! Maybe I will wait 6 months and buy 2nd hand. Please baby yours for me

 

[BeHappy]

1500mile run in, are you f**King serious, do you have to run a RAV-4 in??

This is a turn off for me buying a new car as I will be absolutely itching to stomp foot down and this will probably take me a blumin YEAR to reach 1500 miles ! that’s torture, there’s no way I would be able to stick below 4K revs for 1500 miles

 

[Tonyshepp]

This is a turn off for me buying a new car as I will be absolutely itching to stomp foot down and this will probably take me a blumin YEAR to reach 1500 miles ! that’s torture, there’s no way I would be able to stick below 4K revs for 1500 miles

1500 miles will take me yonks, at least 4 months.

 

[BeHappy]

Honestly, some of you seem like you shouldn't even be buying this car lol. Build tolerances on cars nowadays are very tight, much more so than they were before on mass manufactured vehicles. As I assume you know, heat causes materials to expand. The moving parts in an engine actually wear and start losing some of their surface as they do so. This is called wearing or breaking in because that's actually what happens. The surfaces seat against each other as they wear, and since the tolerances are tight to begin with, as they heat up and the materials expand, those tolerances become super tight to the point where they can possibly bind under extreme conditions, especially sudden extreme conditions. Moderate use of the engine and car for a certain number of miles allows all those components to wear-in against each other gradually so once they are worn-in, as they expand under heat they are now within designed tolerance. The amount of material that was worn off during the break-in period is now in the oils and filters, which is why you also want to change the oils and filters after the break-in period.

If this is a car you want to keep, or you're simply considerate enough to want to take care of it for another owner to enjoy after you sell it, just follow the recommended procedure. It really won't take that long.

1500 miles will take me yonks, at least 4 months.

I’d have to randomly go riding up and down the Country each w/e to get swiftly to 1500 miles collect it from a far away dealer lol

 

[NicolasB]

This is a turn off for me buying a new car as I will be absolutely itching to stomp foot down and this will probably take me a blumin YEAR to reach 1500 miles ! that’s torture, there’s no way I would be able to stick below 4K revs for 1500 miles

According to the manual, they just say don't go above 4k for very long until broken in, not at bad as the new owner had stated.

 

[Twin Cam]

Will be a thousand miles on the i4 I reckon, no problem to me and will give me a chance to push the handling and breaking side of things, I had plenty of fun running the Elise in without going above 4000 RPM. BHP and RPM is only part of the fun of driving

 

[Leonard]

I’d have to randomly go riding up and down the Country each w/e to get swiftly to 1500 miles collect it from a far away dealer lol

Get Lotus to drop off in Lands End and then go get a Croissant in Paris one weekend and a Cappuccino in Rome another. Job done

 

[jimbobc]

Maybe a stupid question but what is the issue running in at constant speed or RPM?

 

[Leonard]

Maybe a stupid question but what is the issue running in at constant speed or RPM?

No not daft at all!
Basically If you drive at 3500 RPM say for a whole day, your engine will only be used to that load, as opposed to varying the RPM and load by accelerating and decelerating in gear to let the engine experience different load characteristics and that will seat the rings and bearings better. Which is Basically what you are trying to achieve with the break in period.

 

[Toomanyloti]

Oh thank goodness you are here then to help state the obvious for us who you think are obviously to dim to understand that without it being explained....... We have all owned cars before you know!, and we are not stupid!

I would say a lot of us on here are car nuts to one extent or another. I am. I have 4 two seaters (3 Lotus) a new Taycan, 3 Motors cycles and am in first batch of Emiras and im not selling anything to make way for the new one.

I put a new piston in my elan sprint when i was 25 and didnt know what the F&ck i was doing
Every day I read things on here and have to doff my hat to those with far more knowledge and indeed wisdom than I even at 53.
Lotus seems not to give two shiny shites as to who they are selling to. Newbies or veterans.

I would rarely stick my neck out but honestly your response to Eagle 6 is the sort of comment those new to this type of vehicle ownership will recoil at and avoid asking questions which are to them important and considered.

Lotus are clearly after these guys so lets all help and make sure those viewing in the wings can confidently ask a daft question if they want without fear of mockery or derision.

 

[Eagle7]

I’d have to randomly go riding up and down the Country each w/e to get swiftly to 1500 miles collect it from a far away dealer lol

Make a road trip out of it. I looked up Durham on a map, and it looks like you could make a road trip up through Scotland, ferry to Belfast, tour Ireland, and come back. You'd be the first to do that in an Emira! There's plenty of opportunities along the way for shopping, discovering great eateries, cafes, pubs. Not to mention the sights. Sounds pretty good actually. Make a video of it. You'd be a star on Youtube; especially with the Lotus crowd.

There's a gal on YouTube who does this sort of thing for a living and shares her adventures weekly in her vlog. Here's her video on her trip to Scotland.



Go for it! You have months to plan on what to wear, what to pack, etc. I know it's a burden, but somebody needs to do it. Why not you?

 

[Eagle7]

I would say a lot of us on here are car nuts to one extent or another. I am. I have 4 two seaters (3 Lotus) a new Taycan, 3 Motors cycles and am in first batch of Emiras and im not selling anything to make way for the new one.

I put a new piston in my elan sprint when i was 25 and didnt know what the F&ck i was doing
Every day I read things on here and have to doff my hat to those with far more knowledge and indeed wisdom than I even at 53.
Lotus seems not to give two shiny shites as to who they are selling to. Newbies or veterans.

I would rarely stick my neck out but honestly your response to Eagle 6 is the sort of comment those new to this type of vehicle ownership will recoil at and avoid asking questions which are to them important and considered.

Lotus are clearly after these guys so lets all help and make sure those viewing in the wings can confidently ask a daft question if they want without fear of mockery or derision.

On behalf of Eagle 6 and myself, thank you!

 

[TomE]

There are no stupid questions on here! Ask and someone will explain.

That’s what we’re all here for (and to virtually huddle together for warmth in the information wilderness).

 

[TomE]

It’s not 1500 miles for running in. And it’s not an absolute cap on revs. My earlier post has the extract from the handbook. RTFM!

 

[Toomanyloti]

On behalf of Eagle 6 and myself, thank you!

That must have been an old call sign from the past

 

[Speedluvver]

Just so you all know... my wife just got a new Mini - BMW modern 3 cylinder engine.. they recommend a running in period as well.. build revs up once over 1000 miles... I know Lotus have screwed up communications, but its starting to feel like if a bolt isn't the right colour, there will be a 78 page thread about it....

 

[Cachaco131]

Just so you all know... my wife just got a new Mini - BMW modern 3 cylinder engine.. they recommend a running in period as well.. build revs up once over 1000 miles... I know Lotus have screwed up communications, but its starting to feel like if a bolt isn't the right colour, there will be a 78 page thread about it....

My sister just got a Mini S and was told there was no break in period...go figure

 

[Pops68]

According to the manual, they just say don't go above 4k for very long until broken in, not at bad as the new owner had stated.

I had to read that page a few times. I think I know what they are saying now... It could easily be read as contradictory! No 1/4 mile or 100-0 time tests but make sure to shift a lot. I can do that..