New Car Break In

[Gary Allan]

Quote:
How long would you suggest leaving the factory fill of oil, and the filter in? I've always changed it out in about 500 miles, but its been many many years since I bought something new.


I don't think anyone except a Honda owner knows.

Leave it in ...drop it out ..

When I had my factory reman engine, I did 600/1600/3000 (IIRC) ..the 3k UOA was down to single digits on most of it.

 

[Bulli]

bought my civic with 4 miles on it drove it really slow no WOt NEVer yet.. Bought it march 12 07 and i changed the factory fill Nov. 10 @4,178 miles. i got some oil consumption around 4k miles. but nothing serious. Now its stored and im waiting to put in M1 synthetic in it and see how it will do on it.

IMo new engines are broken in. doesn't really matter if you break it in hard or not hard.
My friend bought anew 03 Si civic and has babied it since day one. He uses M1 and he has no oil consumption.

 

[another Todd]

I agree with changing the factory oil very early. My 05 Trailbalzer oil came out at 250 miles and it looked like it had glitter in it.

 

[njcruiser]

Originally Posted By: another Todd
I agree with changing the factory oil very early. My 05 Trailbalzer oil came out at 250 miles and it looked like it had glitter in it.


that is because it is a chevy. sorry, couldnt resist. I always changed out the factory fill at less than 1000 miles, but stopped that practice with my 07 tundra. i went the full 5K on the factory fill, and what do you know, it still runs. i will be out of the truck way before the engine gets tired, i dont plan on keeping it for 300,000 miles. 10yrs, 180,000 miles is good enough for me.
peace of mind is all you get with an early change. the engine will outlast the rest of the car, im sure much longer than you want to own it.
i just picked up an 08 4 runner, and will go the same 5K before dumping the factory fill.
oh yea, continue to break them in hard, as did the factory, the car movers, car haulers, salespeople did before you got it. you think those 3-10 miles or whatever is on a new car were gentle? ha. turn the key and go, and go fast is what they do/

 

[artificialist]

I have swapped out the factory fill of oil at 2,000 miles and put in synthetic without problems.

Also, consider using a synthetic oil oil other Mobil 1 synthetic. Many oil analysis reports at BITOG show that Mobil 1 doesn't work as well as Pennzoil or Valvoline, and many other brands of synthetic.

 

[BuickGN]

Originally Posted By: GMBoy
Originally Posted By: demarpaint
Does Chrylser use a break in oil with the new cars? No mention in the owners manual.

Thanks and best Wishes.

Frank D

[censored] Bless our Troops




OFF TOPIC BUT -- I noticed that under demarpaint's post (in the signature block" there is a word censored - please do not tell me that we are censoring the word [censored]!



It's pretty sad. I noticed this too about a month ago but decided not to rock the boat. My father is in Iraq and it was pretty disturbing the first time I saw that signature "[censored] Bless our Troops".

On topic, whatever you do, don't baby it during break-in. I would have no problems going WOT within the first 50 miles and would actually recommend it. I broke my TL in hard and then went back to my normal driving like a senior citizen.

I don't know how many of you know Ken Duttweiler but the words came straight from his mouth at his shop "Start it up, check for leaks, and leave rubber down the driveway". Talking about the GN of course.

 

[JohnBrowning]

Some place between 500 and 1000 miles! I would drop the oil at 1000 but run the OEM filter until the first oil change needed to be made!

 

[cmhj]

Originally Posted By: Gary Allan

If you've ever seen the rolling hills of PA ..it's a perfect natural environment for ring seating ...bouts of higher load ..followed by equal amounts of coasting under vacuum.


Oh ya', Pa 309 is perfect for that.

 

[ms21043]

The people who designed and built your vehicle would likely have good advice on breaking in your new car, check your owners manual.

I have a 2004 Dodge and in the owners manual under new engine break in recommendations it says:

The engine in your new vehicle does not require a long break-in period.

Drive moderately during the first 300 miles (500 km). After the initial 60 miles (100 km), speeds up to 50 or 55 mph (80 or 90 km/h) are desirable.

While cruising, brief full throttle acceleration, within the limits of local traffic laws, contributes to a good break in.

Wide open throttle acceleration in low gear can be detrimental and should be avoided.

 

[kgb007stb]

1+, I think that many people underestimate the importance of WOT, especially first couple of hundred miles. Rings seal the chamber by the downward pressure generated after ignition, WOT helps to build the pressure that's necessary to push the rings into the cylinder hones, "breaking them in" creating that "perfect seal."

Drive it like you hate it,
drive it like you stole it,
drive it like a rental,

I absolutely agree!

Originally Posted By: Patman
I'm with Buster on this one, drive it like you hate it!

I'm a firm believer in the theory that if you break it in hard it'll make more power. I did that when I bought my 98 Formula brand new and it did not burn oil and it ran stronger than most other LS1s out there. The very first day I had the car, with less than 50 miles on the engine, I was doing 125mph+ on the highway racing a Mustang! That same night I was doing a ton of full throttle runs while taking friends out for a ride in the new beast.

 

[[email protected]]

Im 27 and have had 17 cars since I was 16. I could list them all, with pictures if you want

Anyways, Ive always changed the oil before 1500 miles on a new engine. Sometimes I went synthetic, sometimes not, depending on if the car was a lease, company car, or a purchased car based on how long I'd be keeping it.

I know friends and family that dont change their oil on their GM vehicles, on a new engine- 1st oil change, until the "change engine oil" light, or OLM tells them to do so. On the first oil change, this can sometimes be 6000+ miles! They've never had a problem with their engine. Likewise, Ive never had a problem with any of my vehicles engines either and I do the first oil change before 1,500 miles.

So its half a dozen of one and 6 of the other. I dont really think it makes a difference. I still prefer to change it at 1,500 miles and will continue to do so. Cheap insurance. Better safe than sorry (and I have that "bad" luck too) lol. But if you want to wait 5000 miles on your first oil change than I dont see anything wrong with it. Honestly, who keeps cars long enough for it to be a problem anymore and what are the odds that the car wont get wrecked before you'd ever have an engine problem, or some other catastrophic engine issue (timing belt breaks and implodes engine anyways).

 

[dwendt44]

I care too much for any car I have. Therefore, I change the oil at about 2000 miles. and again at 5000. By then the engine is broken in and I follow the OLM, changing at about 30% life left.
Hondas are different, they don't want you to change the original fill early. The factory fill has a high moly content, and mother Honda wishes to keep that stuff in there for quit a while.