YACT - breaking in a car

[Viperoni]

Originally posted by: Eli

Originally posted by: Viperoni
It shouldn't take a few months to learn how long to squirt the injectors, etc. After resetting the computer, maybe 5-15mins.

We broke in my friends RSX Type S by driving the crap out of it, and it runs great 15k later.

lol...

Come back in 150,000 miles.

It's a honda, of course it'll make it to 150k 😛

I drove the crap out of my 91 mercury topaz 2.3L for about 20k miles (between 180-208k kilometers) and then it rusted out from underneath. Then it sat on my driveway for a year. Still idled smooth, started quick, and when I took off the valve cover, there was practically no sludge. Just a little bit in these 3 hexagonal "plugs" in the head inbetween the pairs valves. The car saw 5000rpm on a daily basis.

Then I drove my previous Mercury topaz 3.0L v6 5speed hard, again 5000rpm on a daily basis, and it ran like a top. Started up quick, very smooth idle, and with my mods I still pushed about 27hp and 22ftlb over stock (dyno proven).


True that neither of these cases is at breakin, but really, if the engine is made to withstand 5800rpm (in my cases), I fail to see the problem in taking it up there.

As for breakin... by the time you drive 2 miles away from the lot, and let's assume that takes 5 minutes... the pistons have already gone up and down the bore at least 800rpm x 5m = 4,000 times.

Think about how fast a high speed car polisher operates at (I believe in the 4000rpm range), and how little time they leave it in one spot. Or better yet, a grinder with a cutoff wheel cutting through metal tubing.
Unfortunately, I can't think of any metal on metal application to draw a better parallel to the engine example.

 

[Quixfire]

Is your salesman right? Yes and No

Your mechanical engine was broken in at the factory for no less that twenty minutes running on natural gas. All car companies have been doing this since the early seventies in order to better predict MPG averages and adjust the engine for the correct emission levels. So the old rumor of break-in oil or period is not longer true. It doesn?t mean you should go out and burn rubber with your new vehicle but you don?t need to baby it either.

Secondly your vehicle on-board computer has a learning drive cycle where it will record your particular driving style and make keep track in order to anticipate your next action while driving the vehicle. This is done to improve mileage, lower emissions, and improve drivability experiences. Driving the car differently during the period will only prolong the amount of time your computer needs to truly learn your driving habits.

In short don?t worry about anything other than enjoying driving your new car.

Safe Driving,
Quixfire

 

[JulesMaximus]

I'd go with what the manufacturer recommends. In other words, RTFM. Don't listen to the sales dolt, they generally are fvcking clueless when it comes to how cars work or even simple details about the cars they sell.

 

[imported_Phil]

I don't know about all this "learning computer" talk.

My company car was changed about three months ago (~15,000 miles on the old one) because it broke, several times. The replacement car has just hit 17,500 miles since about May, and has the same power "feel" and MPG (digital) figures as the older car.

The only difference is that I've driven this one harder than I did the older car.