compshack

With the tolerance on engines getting alot better is there still a need to run in the engine. With previous cars they told me not to red line it in the first 1000 miles but apart from that drive it normally. Also can you run on RON95 fuel. I have also been told that the car will alter it's ecu acording to the fuel and unless your running the car for peak performance there's no need to run it on RON97.

MattW

I subscribe to the "drive it normally" school of thought. IMO the car should be driven normally but not redlined, remembering to warm up the engine before "giving it some right foot". You should however be careful not to let the engine labour in any gear, and try to adjust the engines revs through the range. Driving from Exeter to Carlisle up the motorway at 70mph all the way won't do your engine any good.

Yes all UK Subarus are mapped to 95 Ron, 97 is recommended for performance, but you wont have any problems on 95.

compshack

Thanks Matt, What type of oil is recommended for the 1000 Mile service?

Eprom

Advice IMHO is to keep the engine revs below 4000, and try not to let the engine labour, the engine is filled with a very thin running in oil which is used for the first 1000miles when it is drained and re-filled with normal oil.
As to running on 95RON fuel you can run it on this if it's a UK model, but it runs much better on optimax or super, most people would say only optimax and they have there reason's. It's optimax for me.

misty

Optimax for me too.
Rang shell they said, "some of the poorer quality unleaded/super unleaded being sold at supermarkets can be as low as 94/95.5 octane.
Optimax is guaranteed to be 97, and when I rang they said it was actually 97.6!
dave

CTRnutter

yes your right, engines are more tolerant, but its not really the engine itself you want to bed in but the Turbo. this needs to be given a run over the first 1000 miles.

our car to date has had nothing but optimax, the higher the ron the better for the car, don't forget these cars run on 100 ron in japan. and the car is mapped over here for 97+ ron.

I found around 8500-9000 miles i opened up a few times but didn't run the car continually hard

JohnD

iTrader: (5)

Unless you do an exceptionally high mileage why spend 25k on a super motor car and not put the best available in it?
I quote from the latest handbook - Turbo models - "The use of unleaded gasoline with 98 Octane or higher is recommended. If unleaded gasoline of 98 octane or higher is not available, unleaded gasoline with 95 octane or higher may be used." And of course the above is not specific to STi's. OK, so 95 is viable in an un-modded car and you'll save a quid every 100miles!
JohnD

Leslie

I think you would be very foolish to drive the engine hard in any way until at least the thin running-in oil has been changed at the first service. The point of running in is to get the smooth finish on all the bearing and rubbing surfaces that cannot be achieved by machining only. With patience you will eventually have a much better engine.

Les