Breaking in the engine

[Robh]

Never owning a "new" car before, I am curious about breaking the vehicle in properly.

I have done a little research over the internet and have come up with a few basics such as replacing the oil once at 100 miles, and once at 1000 miles before going into a regular change schedule, as well as varying your engine RMP while letting the rings settle.

There seems to be some disagreement if this should be done generally at a lower or higher RPM.

Hopefully this thread can bring some discussion about the topic.

[modifiedMR]

I would drive the car moderately for maybe 100-200 miles, but then slowly bring it up till maybe redlining after 500 miles. More importantly, make sure the car is fully warmed up before you drive it. My dad drives it like he stole it from day 1. His Acura CL had 240k on it when it was totaled from hitting a deer.

[silentheart]

Oh Deer...

I agree with the mileage. But I would keep mine under 4k rpm the first 500 just in case.

[ej25ti]

yea, id keep it under 4k till 500, as far as changing the oil, im not sure, i would prob just do it around three then go from there

[ImUrOBGYN]

Here's the simple answer. Read your manual once you've purchased your car. Toyota will include a break-in procedure within the manual. See? Simple.

Otherwise, the general rules are to not drive at sustained speeds, occasional high rev sprints are fine to help seat things, change the oil after the break-in. Still, there are those who don't consider that enough and those who consider it too much. That's why I say follow the manual and some common sense. Noboby's going to know what's better for it more than the engineers who made it.

[Genki]

Im done with the gentle break in stuff. New cars don't need this anymore. they used to suggest it way back in the day to properly seat the piston rings but is no longer necessary not to mention durring that same era hard break ins were done by racing teams because it tended to net a few extra horses at those of some longevity so i guess I would only get 200k instead of 300k lol. I plan on beating the shit out of it day one. I'll take care of it and all that but I'm not going easy on her.

[Genki]

Not a performance car but I my dad's 91 corolla was maintained by him and broken in hard by him (A.S.E. master mechanic for over 40 years). I have that car now and average 34mpg with 320k on the clock. A/C still works too

[Cal]

I've never had a new car so I have no idea. Like Genki I am beating the shit out it as soon as it leaves the stealership parking lot.

[modifiedMR]

Not a performance car but I my dad's 91 corolla was maintained by him and broken in hard by him (A.S.E. master mechanic for over 40 years). I have that car now and average 34mpg with 320k on the clock. A/C still works too

corolla's don't count. mine has 248k on it.

[Turbowned]

There's different schools of thought on break-in procedures. I don't think there's really a wrong answer; just don't bang it off the rev limiter all day long and you should be OK. You should be more concerned with the break-in of the clutch and LSD than anything.

[Genki]

corolla's don't count. mine has 248k on it.

Heh heh heh heh. 320k but it looks like shit. Sooo much rust lol.

[ImUrOBGYN]

There's different schools of thought on break-in procedures. I don't think there's really a wrong answer; just don't bang it off the rev limiter all day long and you should be OK. You should be more concerned with the break-in of the clutch and LSD than anything.

An excellent point. Be sure those are properly broke-in. Also, for those who care about top performance and part life (and those who will buy this car with their own money) may find it worth properly breaking in their brakes, as well.

All of the things listed in this thread are worth taking the time to break in, however, they all have varying rates of return for your time and effort.

[Calum]

I plan on leaving the dealership sideways, beating the crap out it for a half hour on the way home and changing the oil once I get there.

[Cal]

I plan on leaving the dealership sideways, beating the crap out it for a half hour on the way home and changing the oil once I get there.

Sideways on the test drive. Doooo EEEEEEETTTTT!!!

[modifiedMR]

Sideways on the test drive. Doooo EEEEEEETTTTT!!!

Yes, but make sure you use the model/color you are not going to buy, so then you buy a fresh one.

[Robh]

Sideways on the test drive. Doooo EEEEEEETTTTT!!!

This is why I'm going to work with a dealer I know to get the car straight off the loader. No one's touching my car but me.

[ej25ti]

This is why I'm going to work with a dealer I know to get the car straight off the loader. No one's touching my car but me.

dittttttttt-o

[Cal]

A dealer hook up would be nice. I wonder when they will release the options list? I want to know what I can get.

[topcat]

I'll run it in for the first 1,000km - no more than 4,000 rpm, and then do an early oil change, but the trick is to let it all warm up for 10-15 minutes (depending on ambients): engine, gearbox, brakes, before going maximum attack, every time you drive if you want it to be reliable.

[7thgear]

Some guys who build race engines go out on a track and give it hell for 5 minutes then park it and go home. My family has owned 2 cars in the last 10 years that were bought new, and both had their engines broken in the more conventional way (under 4000 rpm for the first 3-4000 km) and both engines are still running strong (a bunch of other things are failing though, lol)

there really is no sure way

[topcat]

As to race engines, Colin Chapman was infamous for his lack of mechanical sympathy, but he only built cars to last the race. And true race engines are blueprinted and get rebuilt on a regular basis - road car engines are built tight and need a bit of loosening up in my view and should be broken in.

Maybe I should add that by warm up I mean all the fluids and this also depends on ambient temperature; if you live in Miami, it's not an issue, but up here, it takes a bit longer to warm all the fluids (engine oil and gearbox in particular) in the winter, even though I use an engine block heater. If I don't use the DEFA, the ECU just dumps a whole lot of extra fuel into the engine. And using the gearbox is still like stirring porridge until there's some heat in the 'box. (And it's easy to tell, as I have a stainless steel knob which remains ice cold for quite a while...)

[traverser]

I'd find a dynjoet with an engine break-in procedure, put the car in neutral immediately after, to let the engine slow itself down under its own power. Then i'd dump the oil, run fresh dino for 5 minutes, and dump it. I'd drive it with dino for 3k, and swap to appropriate brand of synthetic, based on my plans.

Probability has taken most of my cars away, but every time I've sold a car, it hasn't taken much, and if some one else didn't hit and total me, people would line up to buy my cars.

[Calum]

Sideways on the test drive. Doooo EEEEEEETTTTT!!!

not on the test drive, after I buy it. Basically I'm saying I plan on doing the motoman breakin

[ToyoTech]

its already broke in dont worry about it. just stay under 5k for the first 100 miles and get on it like you stole it. that way the intelligent injection and ignition learns your driving habits, it takes 90 key cycles for a toyota igntion and injection system to learn driving habits so the more key cycles you have while your gettin on it the more performance depending on your driving habits you will have.
an older guy with a 96 supra drove his supra home every day for over a month with a scan tool in his car to make sure he was beating it enough after doing a memory relearn so it would always have slightly high fuel trims so he never had a lack of fuel.

new cars still do the same. the vvtli system toyota uses, is great, if u drive it like you stole it from day one, there is a noticable difference in a grandma driven car and a teenagers car when the ignition and injection systems have learning capabilities. at the dealer we have had fun messing with cars like this
im sorry for burning off rubber on our customers supras lol NOT

[ToyoTech]

Oh and personnaly, 2.5k oil change, 5k oil change, trans and diff fluids changed with toyota lsd additive in diff. and go to the track, yes that early.

Im still unaware if oil changes will be 3k or 5k recomended, im assuming 5k.
even tho ill do mine every 3k cuz i get em free after the initial 5k of course

[Calum]

its already broke in dont worry about it. just stay under 5k for the first 100 miles and get on it like you stole it. that way the intelligent injection and ignition learns your driving habits, it takes 90 key cycles for a toyota igntion and injection system to learn driving habits so the more key cycles you have while your gettin on it the more performance depending on your driving habits you will have.
an older guy with a 96 supra drove his supra home every day for over a month with a scan tool in his car to make sure he was beating it enough after doing a memory relearn so it would always have slightly high fuel trims so he never had a lack of fuel.

new cars still do the same. the vvtli system toyota uses, is great, if u drive it like you stole it from day one, there is a noticable difference in a grandma driven car and a teenagers car when the ignition and injection systems have learning capabilities. at the dealer we have had fun messing with cars like this
im sorry for burning off rubber on our customers supras lol NOT

The difference isn't whether or not the computer will adapt to the style of driving, it's getting good information into the load cells used under 'spirited driving' while the computer is actively trying to learn. Otherwise the computer will take longer to update the long term fuel trim, but it will update them.

[Griever423]

Engine break in happens in the first 50-100 miles. You need to get on it at least a few times to give the piston rings a good seal by putting some pressure in the cylinder walls. Other than that don't use the cruise control too much and vary your speed even if it's just a little.

Even if it's just driving on the highway without the cruise control you'll naturally vary your RPM to flow with traffic.

[toyo]

Here is some advice from a veteran mech....

1. During the first 1000 miles keep the speed under 40mph. You car go and try to race the airbus after that....

2. Change the oil AND the oil filter every 3000 Miles.

Note: Oil change means drain the oil, clean the oil chamber and then put new oil. I have seen many people who just top up the oil. Over a period of time this will create sludge and carbon buildup on the piston and the engine head assembly.

remember your engine is the most important part of your car service it well and it wont ever let you down.

Hope this helps

Cheers
Jacob
Toyota Orange County

[michiosuperevo]

Never owning a "new" car before, I am curious about breaking the vehicle in properly.

I have done a little research over the internet and have come up with a few basics such as replacing the oil once at 100 miles, and once at 1000 miles before going into a regular change schedule, as well as varying your engine RMP while letting the rings settle.

There seems to be some disagreement if this should be done generally at a lower or higher RPM.

Hopefully this thread can bring some discussion about the topic.

it all depends on the engine manufacturing process.. if it's anything like the sti's EJ257, or mitsu's 4b11t or nissan's VR38DETT... then i'd say if it's been dyno'd in factory before installed in the car.. it's ready to rip once it's on the road.. i think the only reason why you'd want to break the car in.. is transmission parts.. breaks, hydraulics etc etc..