Running In...........

[diehr2004]

Hi folks!

I'm new here, pleased to have found you all, just need a little advice ahead of picking my new IQ2 up next week.

Is it best to drive the car as normal from day one and give it a bit of stick or to be really gentle with it. Some say that if you crawl around when the engine is new it remains slow and does not perform well for the rest of its life, is this correct?

I was planning on just flooring it from the word go but would love the right advice about this.

Thanks Sarah. xx

[john270_6]

I keep varying my speed and keep the revs down for about 2 to 3 thousand miles then still dont thrash it ,

I have done just this with other new cars and it payed off.my last car was a smart diesel and it took 5000 miles befor it was loose and the mpg came to round 70mpg. So keep the revs down well down for a good long time.

John

[diehr2004]

Hey John , coincidence, I'm trading in my smart CDI too!!

So you feel gentle is best. Yread if there is not enough ooomph the cylinders become glazed and the piston rings do not bed in. I 'm not technically minded so I'm just repeating what I read here .Just think its best to hear from first hand what results owners have achived based on how theyve driven the car whilst new,

hat was your reason for parting with the Smart? I got sick of the gearchange!!

[john270_6]

The Wife found it to small and I found it very bumpy started to wear me out and longer drives.

The IQ is much better even the wife likes it and thats saying a lot.. Mine was an Auto change not like th Iq, the IQ is very smooth ,infact you do not know it changing gear at all.

I take the gentle run in, with the odd bust of speed for a short time, worked in the past for me.

John

[aaronfife]

I would, as mentioned, take it easy for few thousand miles. Nothing above 3k anyway. After few hundred miles, accelerate more briskly but don't go above 2-3k.

I've also heard the rumours about proper ways to bed in a brand new engine and heard if you thrash it from new, it will decrease the engines life. Mainly because your not taking time to smooth internal components in. This might be a miff but I would certainly always take care of a new engine.

[PaulWorthing]

I though all these rules about how to treat a new engine, in this day and age, where now an urban myth - drive it as you would drive it normally (although I guess a few hundred miles to make sure that there was nothing mechanically or constructionally wrong with it won't do any harm)

[DFish]

Two rules of school that I'm aware of.

1, drive it with kid gloves and dont thrash it, this will give better MPG and engine life.

2, drive it like you stole it, this will give better power but engine life will be hit a little, but I doubt by much.

Fish

[s44gtw]

Its not just an engine to run in or not, (if thats your thing)

cars like Lexus do not need oil changes untill 120,000 miles and people tend not to run them in.

Read your owners manual.

BRAKES,

they need run in, they have a coating on the disc and smooth new pads, a tight unstretched brake cable for the hand brake.

Wheel bearings, suspension & bushes etc all new and fresh and not settled in.

TYRES

New and shiny and not very grippy.

(not very grippy after a few miles, but dont get caught out on brand new tyres on a greasy or damp road,

'SERIOUSLY')

Up to you if you nail it from word go, but you will be amazed how many cars with only 50 miles on the clock are piled up and even written off.

Surely it is sensible to get the feel of a new car.

Listen for noises that might indicate something is not tight or is too tight.

Importantly, get to know the sharpness or not of the brakes, the Traction Control and other electrics that have effect on your chosen vehicle.

How it is in the dry, but importantly how it is in the wet.

New tyres might just catch you out.

Run in the brakes,suspension,tyres, just the whole drive train including the gearbox.

*Obviously every new owners first stop will be to check their tyre pressures are correct,

that might be an idication to how well the PDI has been done (pre delivery inspection)*

Check the tightness of the wheel nuts.

Obviously nearly everyone says, i bought a new car, it is all done for me and must be right.

Well believe me it may not be all right.

1000 miles of taking things easy and giving yourself a chance to end up with a good & safe car must be worth doing!

george

[PaulWorthing]

Surely it is sensible to get the feel of a new car. Listen for noises that might indicate something is not tight or is too tight. Importantly, get to know the sharpness or not of the brakes, the Traction Control and other electrics that have effect on your chosen vehicle. How it is in the dry, but importantly how it is in the wet.,

Yes good point s44gtw

[diehr2004]

Don't think I have ever got this excited about a car before, I simply can't wait. Wanted to go back and ask the dealer for another test drive of their demonstrator as I can't wait to get behind the wheel.

It seems that the general concensus is to take it steady with the car so I'll go with that thanks everyone.

Oh by the way it says in the brochure that the car has a tonnue cover for the loadspace, where abouts is this in the car just to make sure that the dealer gives me it. Is it fixed in the car somewhere or is is seperate??

Sarah xx

[Terence Hughes]

Hi Sarah my boot cover was in the small compartment in the boot, you'll love the iq i changed my smart cdi for an iq2 and its great

[diehr2004]

Hey thanks for clarifying about the cover Terence. Seems like a lot of people eventually grow tired of Smarts and go for the IQ.

I'm sure I'll love it WHOOP WHOOP!!!!!!!

[marcandsebe]

Hi folks!

I'm new here, pleased to have found you all, just need a little advice ahead of picking my new IQ2 up next week.

Is it best to drive the car as normal from day one and give it a bit of stick or to be really gentle with it. Some say that if you crawl around when the engine is new it remains slow and does not perform well for the rest of its life, is this correct?

I was planning on just flooring it from the word go but would love the right advice about this.

Thanks Sarah. xx

Drive fairly easy for the first 1000 to 1500 miles, then change the oil early. That's what my brothers and then drive normally.

[diehr2004]

Hi Marc

've already learned that the oil is 0-20 grade, where is the best (cheapest) place to buy this if I were to follow your advice. It doesnt seem to be a popular grade and I dont ever remember seeing this grade when I looked for oil for my Smart?

[s44gtw]

That is not the grade of oil you require for your 1.0 iQ2 in the UK.

IMO your new cars oil will be fine for its first year or 10,000 miles unless you want to go spending.

george

[marcandsebe]

It would not cost too much to have your oil changed

[s44gtw]

Very true, just the price of getting someone to do it,

or the filter & 5w 30 semi synthetic.

Why do you think with modern engines & modern oils that it is good to change oil within the recommended times that are given by the worlds biggest car manufacturer?

(the suggested change is well within any need to change)

Extreme conditions, track use etc then yes, but if people want to,

then why not!

There are engines that i would change oil & filter in a new car after 1000 miles ,

but none i have owned in the last decade.

george

[marcandsebe]

You are entitled to your opinion George, but it would not do any harm to the engine.

[s44gtw]

You are totally right it can do no harm.

Whats the worst that can happen?

As long as the person doing it knows what they are doing, then its a fantastic idea to spend £50.

Maybe even spend more and spec that you want Castrol Edge in a 1.0 iQ engine.

george

[marcandsebe]

My brother would change mine for nothing. I even have a friend who has his own workshop and he would do it at cost price. You should not put people off, just because of your opinion. As I said, it can't be a bad thing to change the oil early.

[s44gtw]

Have you changed your oil yet then?

OK i will not put people off spending money.

I can offer my advice tho i hope.

My experience is only based on serving my time as a mechanic and 35 years of driving mostly tuned or performance cars

& bikes.

I did grow up and train in a era of 1000 mile first oil change a every 6000 miles and 3000 miles with diesel engines.

The oil change intervals got further apart and the oil got more expensive.

5 & 7 year warranties should tell you something about engine wear and expected life because of modern oils and fuels.

Recommended service and oil changes are given with lots of thought behind them, as is variable serivcing/oil changes these days to suit the type of use a vehicle has experienced or the conditions it is being used in.

20,000 miles between oil changes is now common and as i said before even 120,000 miles before an oil change.

george

[Kip]

Personally I'd drive it normally and how it was designed to be run. Give it revs when needed (only when engine is warmed up of course) but not use more than 3/4 throttle until after around 1000 miles. Both the 1.33 and the 1.0 have peak torque readings at quite high rpm. Generally, engines are smoothest and most efficient at their peak torque rpm mark so high revs won't do any harm. You actually do more damage under reving (labouring) than you do over reving. I always keep out the red zone though.

It's the best of boh schools of thought really, not ragging it but not babying it either. Whichever way is best, going between the two won't do a bad job. It also follows the handbook to some extent. And the thought that new modern engines don't need running in as such but do need to be run correctly.

I babied my Mazda 2 diesel for at least 1000 miles (which unlike the iQ thrived at low revs) and it ended up with awful fuel consumption. After that I gave up and started driving normally. This is the only car I've owned from new so I can only say how I would 'run in' future cars.

[marcandsebe]

Personally I'd drive it normally and how it was designed to be run. Give it revs when needed (only when engine is warmed up of course) but not use more than 3/4 throttle until after around 1000 miles. Both the 1.33 and the 1.0 have peak torque readings at quite high rpm. Generally, engines are smoothest and most efficient at their peak torque rpm mark so high revs won't do any harm. You actually do more damage under reving (labouring) than you do over reving. I always keep out the red zone though.

It's the best of boh schools of thought really, not ragging it but not babying it either. Whichever way is best, going between the two won't do a bad job. It also follows the handbook to some extent. And the thought that new modern engines don't need running in as such but do need to be run correctly.

I babied my Mazda 2 diesel for at least 1000 miles (which unlike the iQ thrived at low revs) and it ended up with awful fuel consumption. After that I gave up and started driving normally. This is the only car I've owned from new so I can only say how I would 'run in' future cars.

That's the great thing about the multidrive, you can't labour the engine.

[diehr2004]

That is not the grade of oil you require for your 1.0 iQ2 in the UK.

IMO your new cars oil will be fine for its first year or 10,000 miles unless you want to go spending.

george

I got the info about the oil from Toyota on their uk facebook page

Sarah Brooks

Does anyone know the best viscosity oil to use in an IQ?

LikeUnlike· · 25 April at 22:58 near Stockton-on-Tees, England

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    Toyota UK Hi Sarah, the preferred oil grade for Toyota Optimal Drive engines, such as the one found in your iQ, is 0W-20. If you're looking have your car serviced you can find your local Toyota Centre, here: http://ow.ly/ax5EJ Thanks.
    26 April at 14:59 · LikeUnlike
    

[s44gtw]

Toyota like many other manufactures will and do Recommend an engine oil that covers a huge Temperature range

that your vehicle is never going to be used in or achieve any economy or protection in extreme cold temperatures.

(they make a generalisation of the highest grade which makes things suitable across the world, regardless of if this is an over specification for the environment your vehicle is being driven in.)

They are happy for you to spend using an un-necessary grade of oil for your actual vehicles conditions of use.

Thats just my opinion obviously,

& you are best to follow Toyotas recommendation and not mine.

Your dealership will be doing the oil change with the oil that is recommended anyway.

Funnily some will then try to rip you off, with putting in Oli /engine Conditioning additive at an extra cost to the already over expensive oil the are putting in your engine.

from the USA but you will find much more on the subject if you look.

google 0w20 oil

http://bobistheoilgu...&Number=2543009

george