Can anyone give me some advice on running in a 100hp???

Modern engines don't need a lot of running in. Just take it easy for the first few hundred miles and don't hammer it everywhere bouncing the car off the limiter.

You will probably find the 100HP a bit 'tight' in standard mode for the first few hundred miles - I certainly did.

On motorways it would happily sit sub 60mph and would only move over 70mph in 'Sport' mode. I think it's a case of avoiding prolonged revving and vary the speeds.

I treated the 'Sport' mode button a bit like AirCon in that I put it on for a short burst each journey rahter than run with it all the time.

Like in all things - a little of what you fancy does you good.

ENJOY!

I can vouch for them being tight, I drove my local dealers demonstrator twice, once with 20 miles on the clock and again with 300, was like night and day.

Just drive 'normally' for a few hundred miles before you start thrashing it. Only thing to really avoid is sitting at the same speed for a long time. There is a school of thought that thrashing mercilessly from new is the best way but I've been able to be that unkind.

ive been told by several dealers that they tend to have engine problems with cars that are driven slowly and they all advise a good thrash from new!

Isn't it true that modern cars (like the Panda) have an electronic rev limiter that adjusts itself according to the car's age? I mean, limiting the car more the first few hundred miles?

nuovapanda said:

ive been told by several dealers that they tend to have engine problems with cars that are driven slowly and they all advise a good thrash from new!

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Sound's like they were doing some link sales promotion work for the Service Department to me.

A "good thrash"?! - "Now that you've bought your new hiking boots Sir - can I suggest a good trek across the Andes to break' em in?"

nuovapanda said:

ive been told by several dealers that they tend to have engine problems with cars that are driven slowly and they all advise a good thrash from new!

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Having seen some new cars from dealers (with all the wrapping still on the bodywork) being thrashed away from the traffic lights near my work, I wonder if they say that so they can justify their service people thrashing them!
H

Having said the 100HP felt tight when new, picked mine new one up this morning and it doesn't feel that way at all, even without using the sport button. Haven't been more than 70 in it yet but it whizzed straight up to it, again without sport.

i would take it steady for the first 500 to 1000 miles it's not just about running the engine in,you should not over work the brakes to extremes at first as you can glaze pads and then you get noisey brakes and reduced brake effiency also it takes the tyres 500 miles to scrub in,as with all these small cars take it easy over speed ramps,i see loads of cars in my area hitting speed ramps at 30 mph and they don't realise what damage they are doing to their car long term.

Found this on the Honest John website.

Modern petrol engines are built extremely 'tight' so they need a bit of wear during the first 10,000 miles for the piston rings to bed properly into the bores. Leave factory fill of oil for the first year or 10,000 miles. An early oil change to fully synthetic can prevent this happening, as can driving at low engine revs and driving at steady speeds. So, depending on the engine, self-impose yourself yourself a rev limit of between 4,000 and 5,000 for the first 1,000 miles, and be sure you vary your revs and occasionally reach that limit. After 1,000 miles, common sense dictates that you won't rev the nuts off the thing straight away, but you needn't be too worried about hitting 6,000 rpm occasionally as long as you vary the engine speed. Try never to rev to the rev limiter as the misfire this causes can damage the catalytic converter matrix. Don't change the oil and filter until the first manufacturer recommended change point, or the end of the first year. After that, if you intend keeping the car for a long time I still recommend more frequent oil and filter changes than the manufacturers or their on-board service indicators suggest. It's also a good idea to have the transmission oil changed after the first year to get rid of any swarf which could later be ground up into tiny particles which eventually get into the bearings and accelerate wear.

I gave mine a little too much stick before it was run in, but there again thats what the warranty is for muahaha, that said it was never thrashed. there is an over-revving thing on the panda to stop you spanking the limiter, you'll feel the power drop off before 7000rpm

It's the load that does far more damage than actual revs. High revs on a light throttle will cause far less harm than labouring it with too little revs like flogging it uphill in too high a gear.

so at the end of the day don't get paranoid about running the engine in,just drive normally,don't thrash it and don't make the engine labour,the fiat handbook does not even mention running in, so just enjoy your panda.

That's about the size of it but the manual does mention it - bottom left, page 102.

yes just found it on page 102 fiat can't think it to important as they only use 24 words for the subject,just do not use excessive acceleration , long journeys at top speed , sharp braking etc. common sense really. :