Run in Diesel owners - how long before your started to loosen up?

[andrewuk]

Just wondering how many miles you put on before the engine started to loosen up?

I've done nearly 600 in mine now and already can feel it getting more responsive on the throttle (or perhaps I'm just learning to drive diesel having been petrol for many years!)

Otehr quick general query:

What sort of RPM is good for cruising at? It feels wrong to pootle along at 1,500 rpm or less as in my old petrol motor it always felt like labouring the engine. The 2.2 pulls easily and smoothly from those revs so I guess it is OK?

I've also noticed if you're cruising along at 2,500 rpm (again bad petrol habit but lead me to notice this!) that you need to prod the loud pedal a bit more to get a response - presumably this is because the turbo is spinning nicely at that point so it needs extra go juice to go with the large volume of air being hoovered up by the turbo? It feels a bit wierd - almost like it's hesitating unless until you press harder... harder.. harder and then whooooosh!

I guess I am still getting used to the diesel difference and also having a car from brand new and 0 miles. I love how smooth and lazy it can feel - yet also how it will go like a rocket on request aswell! Especially on the motorway - it just feel effortless and a couple of the people who have been out with me in it so far thought it was a V6

[steeeveee]

Hi Andrew,

I've been driving Turbo Diesels for the last 10 years and I can safely say that this Honda engine is by far the sweetest of them all.

There's a style that has to be learned, although not a very steep learning curve, on how to get the best out of a diesel, like pootling along at 50 mph in 6th, then changing down to 5th for a quick overtake.

There is quite a narrow power band on diesels generally and the i-CTDi is no exception. When you get the hang of this you won't want to go back to petrol, believe me! Especialy when filling the car up at the forecourt.

[czechplastik]

Well and truly loosened up after the first 1k miles, all enjoyable. Continues to impress and be enjoyable. Love it!

[Petedefeet]

Turbo comes on song at 2000rpm. Keep it below that for best economy, 2 ~4000 for warp factor overtaking.

[Lexie]

Originally Posted by Petedefeet

Turbo comes on song at 2000rpm. Keep it below that for best economy, 2 ~4000 for warp factor overtaking.

Warp factor overtaking is my fave - the fun will never end! There was a guy in an Audi A6 (I think) right up my rear end on the M1 today. I got a little touchy about the lack of distance so put my foot down and left him for dust!! Hurrah for Cherry.

Nearly 1000 miles now and mpg is creeping up. no idea if the engine is losening - not sure how u tell!!

[Pottsy]

As above really. About 1000 miles to get 85% loose, but it will keep getting better (albeit more gradually) over the next 10 to 20,000 miles.

It won't take long to get used to the slightly different driving style of the turbodiesel; short shifting and not expecting an immediate response at low revs.

[czechplastik]

I'm well adjusted to the diesel now, and I think its great, Calm and smooth when you want to cruise and plenty of urge when you need it. I still think its getting better, over 7k now, love it!

[ninooke]

Mileage definately improves once you're over 10.000 miles.
Fuel consumption dropped gradually from 7l/100km (~39 mpg) to 5.9l/100km (~48mpg). No noticable difference in acceleration though, think I'm getting used to having this amount of torque, so it might just be me.

[Power_of_Dreams]

the engine would be so much more better if the damn thing was mapped like it was supposed to be from the off...'damn them eco-mentalists!' as an infamous car journo once said!

[czechplastik]

Originally Posted by Power_of_Dreams

the engine would be so much more better if the damn thing was mapped like it was supposed to be from the off...!

Do tell!

[Charley Farley]

Hi Power of Dreams

What do you mean " mapped like it was supposed to be from the off". Was the car meant to be more powerfull?

[richierich]

Originally Posted by steeeveee

There's a style that has to be learned, although not a very steep learning curve, on how to get the best out of a diesel, like pootling along at 50 mph in 6th, then changing down to 5th for a quick overtake.

Forget you! 6th to 5th is for girls, drop it to 4th, pull out and go for 5th once well on your way towards the horizon.

Originally Posted by Power_of_Dreams

the engine would be so much more better if the damn thing was mapped like it was supposed to be from the off...'damn them eco-mentalists!' as an infamous car journo once said!

Now if only there were people form Swindon on the site who might be able to elaborate.

[andrewuk]

Thanks all for your replies

I was out last night driving around in my rocketship and took some time to have some fun with the engine and adjust my driving style and it really is a peach of an engine! The traditional rough and loudness of diesel seems to be non-applicable to the ctdi. They must have *really* hated diesel to have engineered it like this.

The drive-by-wire throtle takes some getting used to (used to feeling the resistance of the cable and spring on my old car) but I am finding that I am getting more used to the Civ and its state-of-the-art electronic stuff! For the 1st week or so I was having to concentrate harder on all those things you are used to doing automatically but now now I am increasingly finding I can just operate the controls more instinctively, and get on with enjoying the results of driver input

Bad side is I have nearly used up all the fuel so will have to stop off and fill it tonight. 480 miles out of my 1st tank (including the 23 odd it says I have got left until I run out) - not bad since I haven't been driving with economy in mind and 180 more than I used to get out of my old car with the same sized fuel tank! Can't argue with that!

First test for the filler cap

[TTDegs]

Originally Posted by Power_of_Dreams

the engine would be so much more better if the damn thing was mapped like it was supposed to be from the off...'damn them eco-mentalists!' as an infamous car journo once said!

Originally Posted by czechplastik

Do tell!

Originally Posted by Charley Farley

Hi Power of Dreams

What do you mean " mapped like it was supposed to be from the off". Was the car meant to be more powerfull?

there was a thread in Engines somewhere from waaaaaaaaayyyyy back when a certain someone had been talking to a (nother) person who worked at Swindon.

2.2 orginally had so much power / torque that is was trying to rip itself out of the engine mounts (apparently).

And then there was the debate about how coincidental is was that a 2.2 diesel and a 1.8 petrol both happened to produce exactly the same amount of power...

[czechplastik]

Well we all know the 2.2 is capable of so much more, that gives peace of mind about getting the engine remapped. Just would be interesting to hear the original Honda figures, I suspect somewhere in the region of 175bhp.

[Charley Farley]

Hi Czechplastik

I have heard that well run in examples are putting out 160bhp, so 175bhp seems feasable.

[Crorc]

The best thing about i-CTDi for me is that you can put it in 3rd and drive like u have automatic. You can drive it from 15-80 mph without shifting. You can even start in it. It's like the engine just doesn't care at what rmp it is. And the same thing is with the sound. In 2nd and 3rd, it's like the faster u go the less engine noise u hear! This isn't in both diesel's or petrol's nature...

We were soft on pedal for the first 2000 miles, so I didn't notice any difference. Now it has 25000 on the counter and it's still as smooth as it can be. Didn't have a single problem with it. ...The best damn diesel engine in the world!

[Rizlam]

Hi everyone

Can I assume it's normal to have quite lethargic power and fairly poor consumption in the first couple of hundred miles? I've done about 200 miles now and the power is a bit lacking in 'oomph' for a turbo diesel, and I'm barely getting over 36mpg even though I'm sitting on a constant 70mph on the motorway.

Please tell me it gets better? Not impressed so far.

[Type S Bournemouth]

no my diesel had power from the 1st mile and is certainly not lacking. I average 40.3 mpg all town driving.

I think you may have a prob

[Pottsy]

Originally Posted by Rizlam

...I've done about 200 miles now ... even though I'm sitting on a constant 70mph on the motorway.

Get it off the motorway and do some normal driving on A roads, with some overtaking. The motorway is a very poor place to put a new engine - running at a continuous engine speed at light load will not bed the piston rings in well.

500 miles of A roads, and you'll be fine.