Preparations once I get my new car:

[sidicks]

Still counting the days, and getting excited (probably too excited, given my age !!) for the arrival of my new car, so I thought I'd help ease my suffering by asking some more questions:
1) Does a new C4S have any sort of running-in period - On an M3 there are strict rev limits and speed limits until you've done 1,200 miles and then the car has an oil change before you can use it 'properly'. Even then, I recall there are some restrictions until the engine is a bit older.
2) I've got some Zymol wax, and I intend to bring the car home from the dealership, wash off any road grime etc that has accumulated in the short (7 mile) journey from the dealership, and then wax the car thoroughly, adding a couple of layers at least. Is this a good idea (or should I be out driving the thing)??
3) Anything I should remember for the collection itself, aside from a camera, for some photos, and obviously insurance, licence, finance etc
4) Are there any freebies I should expect to get with the car (umbrella, etc?).
Please help me to ge through the next 8 weeks or so......!!!
Cheers
Sidicks

 

[Michael Downing]

Hi Simon,

Oh I remember this bit so well .... can you count the hours yet? []

1. - Running in is a huge topic with many views. The common factor is to take care always to ensure that the engine is warm before you play, but (frankly) that applies forever. I took it easy at the very start and gently increased my rev limit - 4k when cold, absolutely no exceptions, then (when warm) 4k for the first 200 miles with ocasional excursions to 5k, then 5k for a few hundred miles with the odd 6k moment ... and so on until I just couldn't resist. I can't promise that this is the best, but mine runs nicely and if you'd told me to stick to 4k revs for 1,000 miles then there's no way I could have managed that!

Once it's thoroughly run in, how about a track day? That really blows the cobwebs out - I swear mine is at its best on the way home from a track [8D]

2. - A wax coating when the car is absolutely new is never going to hurt. You will be itching to get out, though []

3. - Set aside plenty of time. It took me 2 hours.

4. - Not very likely ..... I tried hard but didn't get very far. Make sure you go on the mailing list and keep in touch with them - there are events and days out from time to time, which seem easier to get hold of than merchandise.

Remember - it's closer than you think!

 

[jonathanw]

Hi

I can well understand your excitement - I've been there a few times.

It is a good idea to drive slowly with no harsh braking for the first 1-2 hundred miles. This is to bed in the brakes and tyres. Probably not a good idea to rev over 3000 for first thousand miles and then gradually increase . Even at this level you can get into serious trouble with plod.

I am a great fan of Zymol and love the Concours e - it goes on with your hand and smells good -- a great bonding experience with your new baby.

The Zymol people have suggested you clay bar then HD Cleanse a new car - personally have not done that with my new Porsches -- I tend to sue the clay bar after about 6 months.

Enjoy your new toy

 

[jonathanw]

PS

There are no freebies these days except for a cheap key fob. Had to pay something like £150 for mats!!

Got a bouquet of flowers for the wife though!

 

[sidicks]

Keeping below 3,000rpm for 1,000 miles will be a major chore, but I'm happy to do it if this considered to be the best for the engine!!

Having a 4,000rpm limit and gradually increasing that over time as the engine heads towards 1,000 miles seems a more reasonable compromise - I'll see what advice, if any, I'm given by the OPC.

I'm surprised that there is no recommendation to change the oil after the first 1,000rpm or so. I'm no expert, but I understood this to be because during the running-in process small particles of metal are removed from the walls of th4 engine, and it is useful to remove these before the car starts to be used 'properly'.

I always wait for the engine to warm up before revving the car hard - on the M3 there are orange rev limit lights that go off as the engine warms up. Personally I'm usually more conservative than that (unless I'm provoked!), and tend to use the engine oil temperature as a better guide to when the engine is warmed up and ready for some more serious action....

Thanks for your input so far,

Sidicks

 

[Kevin Cooke]

In preparation for it being run in:

• Get some spare wheels (BBS)
• Fit some sticky tyres (Corsa's or cups)
• Book a Club track day or 5
• Have fun without getting points on the licence.

Regards

Kevin

 

[Michael Downing]

ORIGINAL: sidicks
I'll see what advice, if any, I'm given by the OPC.

I specifically asked them - the reply was "don't redline it on the way off our forecourt". []

I decided to be a bit more conservative [], but was mindful of some comments that a car that is treated too gently can get stuck in a rut and never give full performance.

 

[Ronnie C]

1) The official run in period is in the manual, but if you do a search on the topic, you will see a lot of debate as to how best to run in your car. It's your car so you get to decide which advice to take.

Basically, make sure you warm the engine up fully on each journey before you high rev it would be my advice, run in or not.

I ran my car in according to the manual and I'm finding it burns a lot of Mobil1 - I do about 5k miles a year and on average have to top up with 400ml of Mobil1 about once a month. Some people say you should use the full rev range during the first 1800 miles and not limit to 4k rpm to avoid this. That said, your car will burn a lot of engine oil in the first 2000 miles.

2) I started off using Zymol, but found it just didn't last very long. I now use RejeX which I highly recommend. Use it on paint, plastics, and glass and makes all future car cleaning very very easy. No need to wax on top of RejeX and each coat lasts about 6 months. Originally formulated for putting on airplanes and on the underside of boats, but works great on cars.

4) I got Porsche mats and key fobs thrown in with mine from Dick Lovett Swindon.

5) Have fun and enjoy the ride

 

[pvernham]

I used the 4,000 rpm for the first 300-400 miles and gradually increased the limit until the car had done about 1,000 miles.

It's not as much of a chore as it sounds because:

a) the car still flies using half throttle and 4,000 revs
b) it's all new and you're getting used to the car so don't feel the need to stretch the car too much
c) you'll drive it a lot to begin with so it won't take long to rack up 1,000 miles anyway (I think I took about 2 weeks)

 

[sidicks]

I decided to be a bit more conservative [], but was mindful of some comments that a car that is treated too gently can get stuck in a rut and never give full performance.

I'd also heard that being 'sensitive' but not over-sensitive will produce a better engine in the long-run.

sidicks

 

[sidicks]

4) I got Porsche mats and key fobs thrown in with mine from Dick Lovett Swindon.

Mats and Key fobs were already included in the deal I agreed with my OPC.

On the handover for my M3, they gave me an umbrella for the boot. On my Audi S3 I got a bottle of engine oil, in case I needed to top it up while it was still new.

I just wondered if there was anything similar I should expect from Porsche.

Sidicks

 

[Dapster]

I drove mine very gently for about 1000 or so miles to bed in the brakes, tyres, transmission etc, and then for every journey thereafter, once the car was fully up to temperature, I have driven it like I stole it. I did that with my last one too, and managed 56k miles in 4 years without using a drop of oil between services. Remember that Porsche engines are run at max load on the bench before being put in the car in the first place, and if the delivery drivers are what I was like when I was delivering BMW's as a summer job in my teens in the early nineties, then your first foray towards the redline is certainly not going to be the first time the car has done it.....

 

[Rob Edwards]

Hi

Yes, you should expect at least mats and a fob to be thrown in - my advice is if you have a friendly salesman, keep nipping in to see him and at the same time have a peek at their porsche collection goodies.

Get him/her in a good mood and then cheerfully suggest that the addition of said Key Fob/Mats/Brolly/Sunglasses/Whatever would 'make the handover complete' and suggest that if they could be included FOC you'd be very grateful.

I have had a lot of success with this, bagging Porsche Pen, mats (CD Changer in one instance as well as crested wheel centres) Tequipment gear, and lastly full mats and a solid silver 911 key fob! After all, this is a tiny fraction of the cheque you will be handing over.

If you don't ask, you won't get - be a bit cheeky (politely) and you never know!

Make sure they are in a good mood though!

Good luck
Rob[]

 

[Michael Downing]

ORIGINAL: pvernham
a) the car still flies using half throttle and 4,000 revs

Yes - it was somewhat amusing "running in" a car that was still effortlessly passing everything else on the road!