Break-in period myths or realities?

[trinacriabob]

I guess I'm conservative with cars...DUH. Well, I think about the rental cars out there. Once put into service, they don't know who will be driving it and how and I think they change the oil the very first time at around 7,000 miles, per the owner's manual.

When I got my new car, I drove it real "easy" the first 1,000 miles or so, mixing both city and highway driving. Then, I took it in for a "break in" oil and filter change at about 1,500 miles and then returned to a regimen of changes every 2,500 miles or so. The car has been awesome. I really believe that any "impurities" in the oil or the engine will be flushed out with an early oil change and that things will seat / seal properly. At $ 29, why mess with "should I/shouldn't I."

At any rate, I would do both of these upon getting a new car. But, do you need to? What is your input?

[the_yellow_dart]

I guess I'm conservative with cars...DUH. Well, I think about the rental cars out there. Once put into service, they don't know who will be driving it and how and I think they change the oil the very first time at around 7,000 miles, per the owner's manual.

When I got my new car, I drove it real "easy" the first 1,000 miles or so, mixing both city and highway driving. Then, I took it in for a "break in" oil and filter change at about 1,500 miles and then returned to a regimen of changes every 2,500 miles or so. The car has been awesome. I really believe that any "impurities" in the oil or the engine will be flushed out with an early oil change and that things will seat / seal properly. At $ 29, why mess with "should I/shouldn't I."

At any rate, I would do both of these upon getting a new car. But, do you need to? What is your input?

I drove gently at first, probably for about 5,000 km actually.

I always change the oil according to the computer that came with the Cobalt, which is somewhere between 10,000 and 11,000 km per change.

[regfootball]

it's moot because guys like me have test driven your 'new car' on the lot and really have driven the snot out of it on the 20 miles we had it.

[ocnblu]

I've always driven my new vehicles pretty much as normal. I have tried to vary my road speed and I try to do the first oil change a bit early, other than that, blah... run the snot out of it. There are some models that may require a tender touch at first. Doesn't Honda warn against high RPMs for a certain break-in period? I forget where I read that.

[Screaming Trees]

I drive as normal and get the oil changed per the oil life system.

The day I bought my truck I was doing 80mph on the interstate on the way home.

When you drive I-95 during rush hour you know that when it opens up it's time to go or you get run over.

[daves87rs]

I tend to baby em'...though I usually wait until the first 3k to change the oil...

[Oracle of Delphi]

Easy drive first 1,000 miles / Break in oil change (using Mobil 1 right away) then again at 1500 miles. Thereafter every 3000 miles no matter what.

Yeah I'm about anal when it comes to my cars. God help the person that ever hits my car, I will beat them to within an inch of there lives.

I actually saw an accident where the guy that got hit, got out of his car and proceeded to beat the other guy up. The guy that was hit still had temp tags on his car, he was not happy.

[capriceman]

With tolerances being so tight these days you really dont need to break it in for say. Besdides the gas jockeys at the factory aren't easy on your car. I remeber back at Conners stamping (Caddilac) when you had to drive the cars off the line we would break torque across the parking lot into the semi trailors.

Really I only take it easy for the first 500 miles then get it flushed, then I rip it up. Even during the "break in" I still take it slowly through all the revs. Pop the trans in 2nd and slowly increase it to about 5-6000 rpm.

[Camino LS6]

I do the first oil change at 500 miles. Vary speed and don't flog it during those miles.

Then, every 3k and drive it like you stole it.

[Sixty8panther]

My buddy Kenney (Buick GS/GSX/GN fanatic) got a brand new Vette Z06

in 2003 and immediatelly drove it like it was stollen. He was drag racing

it when it had 2500 miles on it. His theory? If it's going to break, might as

well get it over & done with while it's under warranty.

[sciguy_0504]

The first week I had my xB I was fooling around with some friends and nothing seemed to happen (besides a nasty smell...I'm guessing the oil/lubricants burning off the engine).

[balthazar]

>>"I remeber back at Conners stamping (Caddilac) when you had to drive the cars off the line we would break torque across the parking lot into the semi trailors."<<

Well, for the vast majority of Cadillac's history (up thru the 425?), there never was a recommended break-in interval for Cadillacs, due to very high precision manufacturing and high nickel-content iron used. Start 'er up and do 130. The '72 Coupe deVille that placed 2nd in the Cannonball Run that year was taken straight off the dealership floor.

All other divisions had specific break-in recommendations as I'm sure most other makes did, too.

[ocnblu]

Cool, balthy.

[Sixty8panther]

High-Nickel content iron blocks....

Another tremendous advantage that classic cars have over the new crap.