running in

[old bear]

I ordered a new D22 the other day, first brand new diesel i will have owned. I have been trying to find info on running it in but haven't had any luck with the search forum link, maybe i am doing something wrong.Is there any info here about this, would like to find out before i pick it up so i don't do anything wrong.
Cheers

 

[KraftyPg]

I dunno what they are listed under but there is a heap of threads here asking similar questions.

Basic answer is just drive it like any other vehicle, running is a car is not really an issue these days. I probably wouldn't try spending the first week with the rev counter in the red but driving it normally even with a load on it is not going to stress it or cause it any issues.

 

[old bear]

Thanks for that Krafty
What about towing, i have a 4 metre tinny which would be no more than 700kg. Would it be advisable to do 1000 or so klm before towing.
Cheers

 

[KraftyPg]

I wouldn't bother, I towed our 4m tinnie and I towed our small cattle trailer before I'd reached 1000Ks. Just don't treat it rough, don't plant the boot and don't try to drag a massive amount and even towing in the first 1000ks wont be a huge issue.

 

[jamie1987]

Just ask the dealer when up pick it up. When i got myn last year, i had to drive it 500Km home. The dealer said to just drive it like any other car. He said it would do it good to go that far down the high way on its first trip. He all so told me to lock the hubs in for the first 1000Kms (something about freeing the diff up or something) any ways i did and i have had no trouble with it. It know has 26000Kms on it.

 

[tweak'e]

two schools of thought.
one is to be gentle with it, especially within the first 1000km, so it wears out any rough machining.
the other is to load it right and give it heaps. not so much high rpm just put it under heavy load. the idea is that you need high cylinder pressures to get the rings to seat for them to wear in.

with modern good high tolerance machining i would load it right up.

 

[mad possum]

i did the first 1000km gentle, then did a 500km 4x4 trip which had lots of steep bits, the engine was really different after that, much improved. I ditto tweake advice

 

[Old.Tony]

Sounds like this subject needs a FAQ, but it won't have a lot in it.

Modern engine manufacturing processes remove much of the need for "running in". In days of old when knights were bold and computers weren't invented, they left small shards from casting parts that had to be rubbed off during the running in process.

You might still find hand-built engines somewhere, but not in a Nissan.

Drive it normally, but don't overload it. We drove it like a normal car for the first 1,000km, then we took it in for its "first service" (just a checkover to make sure nothing fell off) then we hooked up the caravan and went on holiday.

85,000km later it's still a smooth engine (for a diesel) and we're getting 16.5LPHK hauling the caravan UP the Great Dividing Range and 10.6LPHK on a loaded (2700kg) non-towing highway cycle. The vehicle unloaded (1980kg) is supposed to get 10.5LPHK.

 

[gazza414]

two schools of thought.
one is to be gentle with it, especially within the first 1000km, so it wears out any rough machining.
the other is to load it right and give it heaps. not so much high rpm just put it under heavy load. the idea is that you need high cylinder pressures to get the rings to seat for them to wear in.

with modern good high tolerance machining i would load it right up.

You're spot on---you'll get 2 camps of thoughts on this..and not much agreement inbetween .
For me I changed the engine oil and filter 3 times before 1000kms, then again at just before 2000kms. Have also changed out the diffs as well..these have magnetic plugs on them and they did have metallic particles attached..lots and oil was black...as mentioned they were left locked in. Gearbox and transfer oils are next to be done.

 

[old bear]

It's been 2 weeks since i paid deposit and ordered new vechicle, dealer rang today and said maybe next week, the wait is killing me.

 

[qqc d22]

i ordered mine and picked it up the same day that was about 3 weeks ago

 

[old bear]

If i had of liked silver, i could of had it same day but wanted white so had to order it.Apparently the boat has docked and it is in the holding yards at melbourne, just gotta wait for them to get it delivered to local dealer.

 

[Krankin]

I personally, strongly advise to drop filter and oil within the first few hundred K's.
despite modern manufacturing practices mentioned here many times, they are still a factory production engine and not a high spec/dollar assembled race engine,
and so will have debri in it.
The proof is in the first oil filter.....proved it myself over and over again.
a filter and good oil is cheap in the scheme of things.

as for running in...as most say, dont redline it, give it some short WOT's to load it up...drive normally....dont go full throttle from cold start..I wouldnt tow straight away...these things (break-in) are in the manual and are told to you by the dealer at pickup.

Enjoy your new Nav.

 

[qqc d22]

If i had of liked silver, i could of had it same day but wanted white so had to order it.Apparently the boat has docked and it is in the holding yards at melbourne, just gotta wait for them to get it delivered to local dealer.

mine was white hehe sorry couldnt help myself.
i wouldnt worry bout the runin to much as said dont flog the crap out of it and stay away from redline. i just drove mine like normal and stayed well clear of redline and its still going lol

 

[fourocker]

I personally, strongly advise to drop filter and oil within the first few hundred K's.
despite modern manufacturing practices mentioned here many times, they are still a factory production engine and not a high spec/dollar assembled race engine,
and so will have debri in it.
The proof is in the first oil filter.....proved it myself over and over again.
a filter and good oil is cheap in the scheme of things.

as for running in...as most say, dont redline it, give it some short WOT's to load it up...drive normally....dont go full throttle from cold start..I wouldnt tow straight away...these things (break-in) are in the manual and are told to you by the dealer at pickup.

Enjoy your new Nav.

Spot on.....the main thing I've been told is to VARY the revs and speed, ie don't just cruise along in the same gear at the same revs on a really long freeway type run, mix it up and enjoy !

 

[johnbritto]

when i bought mine i showed up at dealership with a car trailer behind my old falcon witch i was not trading. sorted out paper work hooked trailer on back of new navara and towed old falcon back home, at time i was doing some fencing as a second job so always had a trailer with a ton or more on back also, my car has worked hard for over 100000 ks and never missed a beat i service on time every time, not at nissan , and im gentle with clutch . (if im heavy and taking of on a hill i put in low range and get the worst out of way then stop put back in high and go again) my car shows no sign of giving up and its done heaps of work

 

[Krankin]

when i bought mine i showed up at dealership with a car trailer behind my old falcon witch i was not trading. sorted out paper work hooked trailer on back of new navara and towed old falcon back home, at time i was doing some fencing as a second job so always had a trailer with a ton or more on back also, my car has worked hard for over 100000 ks and never missed a beat i service on time every time, not at nissan , and im gentle with clutch . (if im heavy and taking of on a hill i put in low range and get the worst out of way then stop put back in high and go again) my car shows no sign of giving up and its done heaps of work

Thats fine, its yours to do what you like,
tho, since the manual says against towing for a certain mileage, if you did an engine or clutch or something, I'd like to see how you would go for a warranty claim.

 

[JPMC]

I would go with the rest of them and say take it easy for the first wee while unless you want a rocket ship time bomb.

I know of a guy with a Colorado that drove home from the dealer hocked up a tandem caged trailer full of firewood and proceded to drive up and down a road with a slight hill in it at full throttle really pushing it for the fuel tank of diesel.
From then on the the thing has been a rocket ship and even the dealership said to him that they have never had one feel so powerful without chipping.
Problem being it now has approx 50,000km's on it and is starting to blow smoke so is probably only a matter of time before it gives up.

 

[gazza414]

maybe another "tip"...whether its running it in or not....let the engine warm up 1st....10 to 20kms.

 

[johnbritto]

Thats fine, its yours to do what you like,
tho, since the manual says against towing for a certain mileage, if you did an engine or clutch or something, I'd like to see how you would go for a warranty claim.

over 100000 ks now still going strong i knew what manual said but by old style thinking from driving trucks has made me belive that if you want them to work hard treat them mean from the get go without being stupid of course but i do understand what your saying Krankin