New car, immediate 1,100 mile drive

[TomYoung]

I have pretty good deal lined up on a new car. The rub is that I would have to fly to it, and drive 1,100 miles home. Back in the day, I learned somewhere that a new car should be driven at varied speeds and to avoid long highway stretches. Any thoughts on whether this was ever correct, or if things have changed? This would be highway miles the whole way and would anticipate driving at 75 mph.

 

[JohnnyG]

AFAIK, that's still the best way to break in an engine, and still recommended.
Maybe take some back roads home.

 

[nwjones18]

I'd hop in and drive with no worries myself. I know our Pilot suggested no cruise control for the first 600 miles or something like that.

 

[dkryan]

Yeah, no worries about all highway driving.

However, I wouldn’t simply set the cruise for one speed for the entire trip.
Vary your speed throughout the journey.

And consider changing the oil and filter when you get home.

What make and model vehicle?

 

[Zee09]

Varied speeds is still the same recommendation today.
If the terrain is anything but flat you should get a good fluctuation in rpms if not mix it up.. Really not that hard to do.

 

[Nessism1]

Vary throttle application is good too, which increases/decreases the load on internal parts

 

[rstsco]

I have pretty good deal lined up on a new car. The rub is that I would have to fly to it, and drive 1,100 miles home. Back in the day, I learned somewhere that a new car should be driven at varied speeds and to avoid long highway stretches. Any thoughts on whether this was ever correct, or if things have changed? This would be highway miles the whole way and would anticipate driving at 75 mph.

When we bought the Pilot last year, my wife's mother died shortly after. She lived in Connecticut and we had stuff to haul, so I rushed to get as close to 500 miles on it, then changed the oil and filter right before we left. We made it a point to drive varied speeds as well as manually select different gears along the way. The trip was 4k and I changed the oil and filter again when we got home.

Make sure to check the oil level multiple times. I had to add about a quarter quart during the outbound leg, but have not had the oil level drop since.

Have a safe trip.

 

[Sequoiasoon]

Drive it like you stole it and making your own personal cannonball run attempt .

Look for those crazy things that interest you on the way. Check Diners, Drive In's and Dive's and hit them for food if around.

I flew to Raleigh from NY and drove my Sequoia home. I tired to vary speeds as best as possible, changed oil when I got home. First stop after pick up was auto parts store for Rain-X. That was a good call as I hit crazy rains and a just missed a tornado that made I-85 green with a layer of pine needles for miles.

 

[opus1]

Basically, what everyone's already said.

On the bright side, it should be thoroughly broken-in when you get home.

 

[hemitom]

In my opinion this type of trip would be the best for breaking in a new vehicle!
Just very speed if possible and maybe pull off highway and do partial side road driving threw smaller towns to let the transmission shift up and down and work the brakes a little my thinking the entire driveline gets good and hot and stays there.
Maybe better than weeks of short trip driving to break in .
Maybe I'm wrong ?

 

[2dogs]

Pretty sure the owners manual for my new truck indicates to vary speed during break in.

 

[The Critic]

I have pretty good deal lined up on a new car. The rub is that I would have to fly to it, and drive 1,100 miles home. Back in the day, I learned somewhere that a new car should be driven at varied speeds and to avoid long highway stretches. Any thoughts on whether this was ever correct, or if things have changed? This would be highway miles the whole way and would anticipate driving at 75 mph.

Food for thought: if you bought a hybrid, you would not be in full control of the gas engine's rpm/load at highway speeds. Our last 3 new vehicles were purchased from a dealer 500 miles away; I drove them home on the highway.

 

[walterjay]

What is the make and model you bought

 

[thunderfog]

Every once in a while, hop off the highway and get back onto the on-ramp and to a moderate pull from like 25 to 65mph while keeping the RPMs in the torque band...so you build cylinder pressure but don't subject the engine to violent RPM swings like just slamming the throttle to redline and then letting up off it.

 

[spasm3]

I would just vary the speed, maybe if no one is behind you in the right lane, some closed throttle de acceleration cycles.

 

[randomhero439]

I have no recommendations beyond what's already been said. To add, the Nissan GT-R break-in recommendations are pretty unique. Worth reading in the owner's manual.

 

[LZ0 Bob]

Pull off the freeway every so often, and make a fairly hard pull on the "On Ramp" to make the engine do some work. Work is a good thing..... during break in.

 

[DCDG]

you could do that on 1100 miles and if traffic is minimal on the highways that's easy peasy mileage.

 

[rstsco]

On the bright side, it should be thoroughly broken-in when you get home.

I don't believe my Pilot was close to being broken in until after 15k miles and believe this relatively slow break-in was directly impacted by using Amsoil Signature Series from 494 miles. The oil may have worked too good at reducing wear.

 

[B6_Dolphin]

In addition to all the preceding advice, especially with 8/9/10-spd transmissions in many new vehicles, I would also vary the rpm by dropping a gear or two and running at a different rpm. Also, try not to lug the engine when ascending any hills.