Carma Driver 0 Report post Posted July 28, 2012 Seek advise from automobile experts. Can a brand new car (Toyota Corolla Altis) be driven on a 600 KM journey straight from the showroom? What precautions need to be taken to ensure that engine and transmission longevity be preserved? Thanks. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
librankur 37 Report post Posted July 28, 2012 Would like to clarify that i am not an expert but heres what i have to say Yes , Carry all car papers along , Dont overspeed (keep MAX speed between 60-80 ) for the first few thousand KMS Also tires on the car dont grip the road that well for the initial few KMS , so dont drive at high speeds. Most important dont drive off to a terrain you are not used to driving on normally on this new vehicle (Mountains , 4Wheel tracks etc) , you will not have the required judgement to negotiate the demanding roads there. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
krudes 0 Report post Posted July 29, 2012 Am not expert, i would like to tell that first of all. Yes you can go, but don't over speed. Maintain a constant speed of 70-80 km/h. You can give the car a little bit of rest by stopping it here and there. Travel safe happy journey!!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Carma Driver 0 Report post Posted July 29, 2012 Thank you librankur ! I plan to drive on NH-7 (which has fairly good road tarmac). I remember reading that one should vary the driving speed (at least engine RPM) during the running in period. In the yester years, auto makers used to specifically state the running-in speed limits in order to mate the moving metal parts. But now I am told that running-in period isn't a constraint for these new technology cars. By the way, this car has auto transmission. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
librankur 37 Report post Posted July 29, 2012 Wow , an Automatic , great . How much did it cost you ? Oh , NH7 - you will not have a problem there., Going South or North ?? Dont listen to what these guys tell you about run - in period , latter on , when you might have a problem with your car (eg . Low mileage issues ) they will say its because the car wasnt driven well in the initial period. Also , these sales guy these days assume that we know everything and least bother to explain the initial car care. Just one more thing try to drive at all speeds in the range 0-80 initially and not drive at a set speed (eg deploying the cruise control) for too long. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CarCrazyASTL 16 Report post Posted July 29, 2012 Just one suggestion, don't let your car settle on specific rpms for long time & this causes problem to engine in longer times & kept it below the redline! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
neerajd 7 Report post Posted July 30, 2012 @ CarCrazy don't let your car settle on specific rpms for long time & this causes problem to engine in longer times does this apply for cars any age or specifically when new? And what would be the reason for this? Per me, driving at constant speeds has returned me great FE from my car. Of course one can't drive at a specific speed for quite long on Indian roads... but on a good stretch, you can maintain a steady speed. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CarCrazyASTL 16 Report post Posted July 30, 2012 I'm not sure, but I've read in some books that, In Early age, the engine isn't tuned well & If you drive at same rpm (speed doesn't count) the engine will get tuned for that rpms only & then after that whenver a diffrent person will drive it or you drive it in diffrent manner, you'll feel a turbo-lag in the vehicle & you can't enjoy the vehicle! This applies considerablelly when car is new & after 10k Kms the effects are reduced to great extent, So doesn't affect much! & That's why expensive & hand made cars are tested on rollers for long time, before handing it over to their owners or sending for road test! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Carma Driver 0 Report post Posted July 30, 2012 Thank you krudes and CarCrazyASTL ! @librankur Wow , an Automatic , great . How much did it cost you ? Approx 17L on-road here in BGL. Oh , NH7 - you will not have a problem there., Going South or North ?? Going North :-) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Carma Driver 0 Report post Posted July 31, 2012 Found some more info here on running in period (or break-in period) for new automobiles. Another source is here. While the articles are targeted at driving in western countries, I presume it would also apply for Toyotas made in India. There appears to be some consensus on varying the load on the engine all the time during the running in period. However, the speed limit seems to vary. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
librankur 37 Report post Posted July 31, 2012 Could not get into the first link you provided , while reading the second link , saw the word TOW and at once remembered that your car being an Automatic should never be towed away (not just upto the 500 miles mark as specified), they say the transmission goes bust or something.i also recently purchased an Automatic and this liner i saw in the user manual somewhere. At that time it made me wonder , what if i Wrongly Parked my car and its gets towed away by a Traffic Police Crane , a general site on Delhi roads SCARY Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Carma Driver 0 Report post Posted August 20, 2012 I have taken the car on the highway drive. As per the manual, the only recommendation was not to drive at extremely high speeds. So I somewhat stretched beyond 80 km/hr (especially in stretches where the official speed limit was 100 km/hr. The vehicle ran very well and for the most part the 'eco' driving indicator lit up - indicating that the engine was used at the optimum level. I varied the speed and the rpm as advised in the posts. There is one very disconcerting and painful thing I encountered. The body of Corolla Altis kept scraping and even hitting the speedbumps (with just 4 normal sized people in the car plus reasonable luggage). The dealer offered to examine it. More on another thread as this thread relates to new car driving constraints. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CarCrazyASTL 16 Report post Posted August 20, 2012 I have taken the car on the highway drive. As per the manual, the only recommendation was not to drive at extremely high speeds. So I somewhat stretched beyond 80 km/hr (especially in stretches where the official speed limit was 100 km/hr. The vehicle ran very well and for the most part the 'eco' driving indicator lit up - indicating that the engine was used at the optimum level. I varied the speed and the rpm as advised in the posts. There is one very disconcerting and painful thing I encountered. The body of Corolla Altis kept scraping and even hitting the speedbumps (with just 4 normal sized people in the car plus reasonable luggage). The dealer offered to examine it. More on another thread as this thread relates to new car driving constraints. It's not the fault of your car! Our speedbreakers are designed in such a manner that all 4 wheelers (exept hard-core SUVs) & all Scooters should kiss them! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
