Glisse

It is a B-cycle engine, so it is a bit lumpy at idle and low rpm, particularly when cold and in D mode. It is why they are using a new low viscosity oil spec with this engine. I am also reasonably confident that Audi use a counter in the ECU to trigger changes in parameters pre/post the run-in cycle (we have two S5's, one run in and one not).

I would not be driving it in D mode very often during this period of running in / short trips. The engine will be much happier in S mode, and the right foot is a useful tool for keeping rpm under 4000 or so until you get to the magic 1000 mile mark. Or just use the paddle to upshift if the transmission is getting a bit excited in S mode, which it can do. D mode is all about maximising efficiency, and not at all about being kind to the engine.

Yes, oil temperature is a better measure than coolant temperature in terms of engine "conditioning". But where one goes, the other will follow. And this is less an issue with VW508.00/509.00 oil spec. The VC does show oil temperature when in Sport mode (centre tachometer).

As you're giving it a longer run on the weekend, I wouldn't be at all worried. As uberwgn implied, they are engineered to cope with tougher stuff than its getting in your household

heisnuts

I assume you are using supreme unleaded (at least 91 octane) and getting it from somewhere like Chevron, Shell, 76? Assuming that I wouldn't worry too much about driving it every week over 20 minutes. However, I probably would at least try to have a 30 minute drive once a month, which shouldn't be too hard to do.

jlc

Yes...93 octane, b/c I can't find anyone who sells 91 out here.

jlc

Uberwgn, swiss, plat, thank you. Oil temp is being tracked--my husband has been keeping note of it, just b/c it's there--but he hadn't realized that the ~160F he was managing wasn't anywhere close to mostly warm. Plat, a 30-min long-way drive home is an extra 100 min/week of stop-and-go traffic for my husband, so he says he'll pass, but at least I can feel good about having him occasionally detour to get groceries on the way back. Also, it's interesting to note the maintenance costs (time-wise) on a car like this.

So, no magic bullet. As far as carbon buildup, have you found that it's worse than just the back of the intake valves, or is it more extensive? Essentially, can we get away w/a not-that-frequent <$2k intake valve cleaning, or do we cough up for the extended warranty and hope our dealership really knows how to take these engines completely apart, scrape every bit to heck (though not too much), and re-assemble it properly? Thinking about this is making me ever-so-slightly miss the naturally aspirated MPFI V6 on our B5.5 Passat. The car itself was boat (and a pain after a Waste Management truck dropped its driveshaft in front of us on the highway), but the engine was beautifully linear and quiet, and it never gave me the sense that it was about to tear itself to pieces in existential despair.

jlc

Lumpy--that is a nice descriptor. (Though it's not that cold here yet, and I keep the S4 in S, myself. I hate to think of what it's going to be like when the temps are -25C; hopefully we'll have gotten it out of the break-in period by then.) My husband has a lead foot, which makes the S4's excitability that much worse, but after reading your comment, he's determined to stay in S mode and paddle-shift up as necessary. This likely means an every-other-day redline till he's got it sorted, but I suspect it's the better option, all things considered. (I've worked w/my fair share of both Germans and German equipment, so while I'm certain the car would be better off w/a great deal more hard driving than we can remotely legally give it here on US public roads, I also have no doubt that there's not that much consideration for sheer user stupidity, either.)

superswiss

The engine doesn't have to be taken apart completely for a carbon clean. It's pretty much the back of the valves which no longer get washed with fuel. Most dealers won't do anything about carbon buildup until you have persistent cold start misfires.

mplsbrian

It's displayed on virtual cockpit in the lower left when in sport tach view in the lower left.

jlc

Excellent, thank you. In the forums here there are hideous photos of carbon-caked parts, and lots of talk of needing to drop (different) engines, so I was worried. Understand we will likely suffer significant performance degradation before the misfires begin.

jlc

All: thanks for the feedback and education. After reading your responses, I've decided to give up all daylight personal time for the next week in order to get the car out of the run-in period, after which we can redline twice daily w/o feeling guilty. Unfortunately the husband drove like a granny for the first ~200 mi (<2k rpm, b/c that's what he thinks the SA told him, ffs), but I guess we'll deal w/any repercussions from that when we have to. I had the car out today for 90 min in only semi-clotted traffic, turned up deadmau5 up loud to mask the engine drone, and had some fun. Only sad bit is that the S4 runs up far too easily against my personal limit of keeping under 30-over (I don't want to lose my license), and of course when I had to swap it back. I shouldn't be surprised, but Q7 in comparison feels like a jacked-up brick.