Break In Period?

GT-R man

break in periods are not there so your car can produce higher RPMs break in are for making your car last longer.. yes engines that are abused from day one will have a tendency to put out more power due to the computer systems in the car such as VVT system will learn the way the owner drives and when it comes testing time it will replicate the way the driver uses the car. If someone babies that car the computer will do the same on the test because it is used to using less power and making better MPG... does this sound logical to anyone? I would hope so

JoeyD

Higher RPMs? I'm pretty sure that regardless of how your cars computer learns your driving style when you push the pedal all the way down the same thing happens. I won't go in to open loop vs. closed loop because I don't know where the ECM makes the switch on this car. But, in your car that has been babbied carbon deposits are EVERYWHERE (robbing power and economy). Higer revs means more, faster air moving through the engine. This keeps things cleaner and working better. Maybe the cummulative load of driving like you stole it over say 100K miles might weaken something like a connecting rod or valve spring but probably not to the point of failure.

Anyway the reason that engines that have been driven hard make more power at WOT (there is only one WOT setting regardless of if you drive like grandma) is because the motor is clean(er).

Studdies have proven that the ideal engine RPM for longevity is 1500. So if longevity is all you care about enjoy driving your new 40K sports car like a lawnmower.

That being said it won't hurt anything to obey the published break in procedure. It will give you peace of mind and a chance to learn your new car. If you shorten it up a bit it's at your own risk but odds are it won't hurt anything.

I remember reading horror storries about Evo's not breaking in properly and leaking constantly. But I never came accross anything like that on a VQ.

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When was the last time you did 230MPH in something with 4 seats?

WShade

As a prior Mitsubishi owner, they leak as a brand due to improper engineering

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Q50S
Q60 RS400

arcticreaver

my co-worker who is like a walking car dictionary told me what i should do -

have a light right foot.

don't go over 65mph on the highway

slow start and throttle

don't go over 3,000rpm

change oil after first 1000 miles

that's about it.

ssqpolo

f**k that...dont rev past 4500 or floor it in the first 500 miles and try not too keep it at a consistent rpm for a prolonged amount of time (road trip!)...then change ur oil and drop it (right foot) like its hot. at least thats what most ppl say

par4bmw

No way would I baby it that much. I would go absolutely nuts for that much driving that easily.

I fall in the in between camp. I try not to rape it, but do not follow the published rpm to the number. Knock on wood, have always been blessed with a well running engine.

GT-R man

We could go on for days with this discussion, truth be told who gives a flying crap about what other people think of the proper way to break in or drive your car rignt? you could be a granny driving and always worry about whats going to happen or you could drive like a bat ouf of hell.. until something major goes on you wont notice it anyway... I think that this threat became more confusing for those who never owned a High performance car before than if they would have just driven their cars the way they wanted it to

chubbs

...and don't forget not to check the oil.





I always break in my new cars by sitting on them and whipping them for 2 weeks. Never had any problems.

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'03 Grey >>> '06 Black >>>'10 Silver >>> '16 Grey ^

dwsq

My Father always said "break em in fast and they will stay fast" so I have followed that with every car I have ever owned and never had a problem...break em in like you own it....

D

6SPD_FTW

Well, I sure hope THAT holds true! My new 370Z w/ sport package is HANDS DOWN, the fastest car I've ever been in! It kind of scares me!

Drove off the lot with 41mi on it, at 150mi, went on a 3-hr highway trip...but I did vary rpms and speed as much as possible.

To beat it all, it's saw redline MANY MANY times! Like...a lot of WOT redlines and 120mph probably 10 times so far. I've logged 1100 miles so far...

I've broken EVERY SINGLE rule in the book for break-in! I'm gonna change the oil @ 1200 miles and send it in for an analysis, so we'll see how bad a shape the engine is in.

Late,
Trav

stea1thviper

The way i feel about it is:
1. throttle isn't what may cause problems, it's RPM
2. throttle helps seat your rings, RPM makes debris travel in higher oil pressures and puts stress on new parts
3. the engine is probably fine to get on at the 1200 mile oil change I just like the extra insurance of 3000
4. most people change oil after initial start up and heat cycle before taking it out on the road. It's a good idea, i'm just too damn excited to drive the car
5. always use conventional oil until 3000 miles. it isn't as slippery as synthetic and helps the parts "wear in" to each other/seat the rings

butters167

Being a police officer for several years I have had the pleasure of breaking in a few patrol cars and have always been told to break em in like you're going to drive them. I and most others on the force have drove new cars hard from day one with no problem. Have cars go 100k without any major issues and these cars are drove hard everyday.

That being said I trying to break my 370z in by the book even though I've had a few WOT moments. Simply because this is the most expensive car I've had.

zero

I didn't know ECU has the AI capability.

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zero

It would nice to hear it from the service guys. Do the officers service their own cars they drive?

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butters167

No, we have technicians that service all city vehicles on a regular basis. The main issues I've had with the patrol cars are suspension and steering (from offroad driving, bumps, and fast u turns.) Most of the engines hold up pretty well.