So you’ve just picked up the keys to your dream car. It’s fresh off the showroom floor, and you can’t wait to put the pedal down fully and take it for a long, quick spin. But wait! Is it the right thing?

Most new cars in Dubai need to be treated well for the first 2,500km of their life in order to give you a longer lifespan. Manufacturers usually recommend a run-in period of around 1000 km, but it will do you good to extend this time before pushing the car to its full potential.

When manufacturing engines, there are minor imperfections in the machining that need to be leveled out. The pistons, in particular, must move up and down smoothly in the cylinders and form a sufficient oil seal between the piston rings and the cylinder wall to control wear on the engine, extreme oil consumption, and poor performance and mileage.

Why Do You Have To Break In An Engine?

Therefore, in the first 2,500 km of driving a new car, you have to be careful with the engine so that all parts “embed” or form a kind of harmony with each other. Not only the engine but also the transmission, brakes, bearings, and tires need time to adjust to optimum performance. There’s a reason many cars get better mileage after the first service.

Here are a few suggestions on how to successfully break in your engine to extend the life of your car. Follow this for the first 2,500km ride (and beyond if you can):

Warm Up The Engine

When starting a cold engine, allow the car to idle for at least two minutes before driving to allow the oil to effectively circulate through the engine. Do not turn on the air conditioner immediately, as it puts unnecessary strain on the engine, but wait until the car engine has warmed up.

After two minutes, drive off carefully, shifting gears at around 2000-2500 rpm, depending on the car, and do not strain the engine. Do this until you see the temperature gauge settle to the optimum operating temperature or during the first 10 minutes of the drive (if your car doesn’t have a temperature gauge).

Shift Gears At The Optimum Speed

Don’t overrev the new cars in UAE in every gear. Shift at optimal shift points between 2000-2500 rpm. In a general car without a tachometer, follow the 10-20-30-40-50 rule – a shift from first to second at 10 km/h, second to third at 20 km/h, and so on.

At 1,500rpm, shift down to a lower gear to avoid lugging and to keep the car in the ‘powerband’, especially with diesel engines – otherwise, you’ll lose some boost through the turbocharger.

Constantly Vary The Speed

In urban conditions where vehicle speeds are constantly changing, a constant change in speed is easy to achieve. But on the freeway, you tend to level off at a steady speed. Please don’t do this for a new engine, as it needs to bed in effectively at various RPM levels.

Do Not Exceed The Maximum Recommended Speed Limit

Stay within the speed limit, and you should be almost fine. Do not exceed 100 km/h and/or 2,500 rpm for the first 1000 km or more of driving. After that, you can slowly increase the RPM for short bursts at a time and then slow down to acclimate the engine to higher RPM ranges. Even after 2,500 km do not go full throttle for a long time. m. After that, you can rev your car up to 2,800 rpm for the next 500-700 km. Also, try to keep your speed under control. Do not drive faster than 100 km/h, at least for the first 1,000 km.

You can start breaking in your car by following the speed limits and RPMs prescribed in your car’s owner’s manual. In the case of petrol-engined vehicles, manufacturers normally ask that the engine speed be limited to 2500-2700 rpm and not to exceed 80 km/h for at least the first 1000-1200 km. After hitting the 1,200km mark on the odometer, you can rev up to 3,000-3,200rpm and maybe touch 100-110km/h.

For cars with diesel engines, you need to keep the revs even lower for the first 1,000 km, say up to 2,000 rpm. After that, you can rev your car up to 2,800 rpm for the next 500-700 km. Also, try to keep your speed under control. Do not drive faster than 100 km/h, at least for the first 1,000 km.

Don’t Brake Too Hard

The brakes also need some time to settle down. Try not to brake too hard for the first 1000 km. Anticipate when you want to stop and apply the brakes gently instead of accelerating and braking hard. This allows your brake pads to wear evenly on the brake discs. This also ensures even tire wear.

This is how you drive your new cars in Dubai safely during the run-in period.

Allow The Engine To Cool Before Shutting It Down

When you park the car, do not turn off the engine immediately. Let it idle for about 30 seconds before turning it off – to allow the oil circulation to normalize. This is especially recommended during the life of a diesel engine as the turbocharger needs to spool down, and suddenly stopping the engine will run out of oil which can lead to failure.

Change Engine Oil

Some cars recommend the first service at 1000 km, where the engine oil is changed. This is good practice as the engine oil would have accumulated sludge, metal shavings, and debris from the new engine and needs to be cleaned.

Even with cars that recommend an initial service at 5,000km or 15,000km, it is advisable to do an initial oil change early and then stick to the recommended intervals or slightly earlier (as Indian driving conditions are not ideal). So if an automaker suggests changing the engine oil and oil filter every 15,000km, it’s good practice to change it every 10,000km instead. The same applies to transmission oil and engine coolant – change both every 20,000 km.

Summary:

Pay attention to these points during the running-in period, and your new cars in UAE will serve you well for a long time. The performance of the engine will be good. You will also get good fuel economy out of the car.

Be sure to check all of these functions and see if they are working normally and not showing any signs of malfunction.

Never exceed the carrying capacity of your car – In fact, this rule applies to both new and used cars. If the manual says your car seats five people maximum, never try to seat seven or eight passengers.

This is extremely important to ensure the safety of your family and ensure the longevity of your vehicle’s wheel assembly.

Share any other points you have about run in a car period effectively.