Break-In Period Driving Habits

[Motorknut]

Mine had 8 miles on it, when I asked the sales manager he said that it came from the port with those miles. I found it hard to believe at first, but now it makes sense.

My car had 7 kilometers (4.35 miles) when i collected it from the dealer. The dealer over in my part of the world must have transported the car between PDI (where they install dash cam, solar film, license plates) to the new car collection showroom. cos the travel distance between those centres alone is over 7 km.

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[Andrew4Supra]

Old thread... but I was curious what others thoughts were regarding the break in period?

My Supra had 10 miles on it and the dealer allowed no test drives. I test drove another 3.0 (like car) prior to assure this was the right car for my liking.

With some of my prior cars, M3, AMG, etc... I always made certain the car was up to operating temperature before I did any type of semi spirited driving (not wot)... varying the rpms and always allowing the car to idle to cool down (turbo or supercharged) for a few minutes before shutting it off.

My current car has 97 miles on it and I plan to break it in as mentioned above.

Thoughts?

 

[Dannyvandelft]

Old thread... but I was curious what others thoughts were regarding the break in period?

My Supra had 10 miles on it and the dealer allowed no test drives. I test drove another 3.0 (like car) prior to assure this was the right car for my liking.

With some of my prior cars, M3, AMG, etc... I always made certain the car was up to operating temperature before I did any type of semi spirited driving (not wot)... varying the rpms and always allowing the car to idle to cool down (turbo or supercharged) for a few minutes before shutting it off.

My current car has 97 miles on it and I plan to break it in as mentioned above.

Thoughts?

Pretty much that. Drive easy, get it up to temp while driving, NOT in the driveway idling, then do a WOT pull through a few gears on an on ramp, cruise on the interstate let everything cool down, then in manual use heavy engine braking coming down the off ramp. Straight back onto the interstate and head the other way and do the same thing. Then take it easy, and cruise home letting everything cool and settle down before you come home and shut it off. I do that 3 or 4 times during the initial break in period and then I'll do an oil change.

 

[Hellion]

I always make sure the car up to temp...but I have driven it pretty much how I'm going to drive it from the test drive on. I was only able to put 340 miles on it before storage. but i test drove it for a reason. I wanted to know how it performed, and I wasn't disappointed. I don't drive like a lunatic all the time, but once warmed up I make sure to vary rpm, and I give it the beans and do decels often. I will certainly be waiting a bit before tuning the car to ensure all is well, but in those 340 miles the oil level has remained at max, there is no evidence of other issues, and the car pulls like a train.

 

[suicidaleggroll]

I plan to break mine in the same way I broke in the engine on my '12 WRX and the built motor in my '05 STi. Bring it up to full operating temp gently (which you should always do, break-in or not), and then vary between medium/full throttle and engine braking, while keeping it below maybe 5k RPM, trying not to cruise at constant RPM for extended periods of time.

When the engine is built, there's a cross-hatching on the cylinder liner. This is used to wear down the piston rings so they make a good seal, but you need pressure and vacuum to force the rings into the cylinder wall in order for that to happen. You have a limited amount of time for this process, after several hundred miles that cross-hatching is gone, by then you've either gotten a good seal on the piston rings, or you never will. Babying the car during break-in is how you get a lifelong oil burner.

Edit: I was recently reminded of this post. As of Jan ‘23 I’ve gone through 8500 miles and 2 oil changes. As far as I can tell it hasn’t burned a drop.

 

[bhamvett]

Engine break in should be done per the owners manual. My Supra tech said it is very important to follow the 1200 mile break in period. He is a certified Supra technician. Knows the car from head to toe.

 

[Dannyvandelft]

Engine break in should be done per the owners manual. My Supra tech said it is very important to follow the 1200 mile break in period. He is a certified Supra technician. Knows the car from head to toe.

Nothing in that statement is true lol. I spoke to "my" Supra tech, and he told me they get a crash course in basic items so they're not gone too long from the dealership. Actual BMW techs get about 5 times more training.

 

[H2O_Doc]

Engine break in should be done per the owners manual. My Supra tech said it is very important to follow the 1200 mile break in period. He is a certified Supra technician. Knows the car from head to toe.

I’m really not sure what the right answer is on break in as I’ve never seen any data. But here was what I’ll say, I’d have to live with nagging doubt had I not abided by the manual, especially if anything ever went wrong.

 

[Axix23]

Nothing in that statement is true lol. I spoke to "my" Supra tech, and he told me they get a crash course in basic items so they're not gone too long from the dealership. Actual BMW techs get about 5 times more training.

I know how to change my own oil. Does that make me a “Supra” tech too? Lol

 

[Hellion]

Manufacturers HAVE to prescribe easy break in periods. Variation in parts and engine builds, manufacturing, safety, liability, laws....yada, yada. There is no way any manufacturer in this day and age is going to prescribe any sort of hard break in, involving hard acceleration and performance driving techniques. Marketing of course will tout the specs and capabilities of a car, etc...like the supra, some even include driving event packages. But none of them are going to recommend beating on a vehicle in the manual; break in or otherwise.

There is obviously a real (albeit maybe not widespread) issue with the "new" b58. I have always broken in engines the same way and have only seen problems on engines that seemed to reveal common issues. I literally have never babied an engine to the level that a manual prescribed.

Have I just been lucky? Idk. I don't think so. I've broken in a LOT of cars. It's early yet, but it seems the limited evidence suggests the "old" b58 doesn't present the same level of oil issues.

 

[bhamvett]

I know how to change my own oil. Does that make me a “Supra” tech too? Lol

Did you get trained by Toyota? If not, then no!

 

[bhamvett]

Nothing in that statement is true lol. I spoke to "my" Supra tech, and he told me they get a crash course in basic items so they're not gone too long from the dealership. Actual BMW techs get about 5 times more training.

It’s all true. I am the service manager. And my Supra tech has had extensive training on the Supra. Next.

 

[Dannyvandelft]

Manufacturers HAVE to prescribe easy break in periods. Variation in parts and engine builds, manufacturing, safety, liability, laws....yada, yada. There is no way any manufacturer in this day and age is going to prescribe any sort of hard break in, involving hard acceleration and performance driving techniques. Marketing of course will tout the specs and capabilities of a car, etc...like the supra, some even include driving event packages. But none of them are going to recommend beating on a vehicle in the manual; break in or otherwise.

There is obviously a real (albeit maybe not widespread) issue with the "new" b58. I have always broken in engines the same way and have only seen problems on engines that seemed to reveal common issues. I literally have never babied an engine to the level that a manual prescribed.

Have I just been lucky? Idk. I don't think so. I've broken in a LOT of cars. It's early yet, but it seems the limited evidence suggests the "old" b58 doesn't present the same level of oil issues.

Not always. When you buy an NSX they break the engine in at the factory. They do 400 simulated miles on the engine. You can take your car straight from the showroom floor onto a race track.

 

[Hellion]

Not always. When you buy an NSX they break the engine in at the factory. They do 400 simulated miles on the engine. You can take your car straight from the showroom floor onto a race track.

I agree that there are vehicles that have manufacturer engine break in completed at the factory. My point was that manufacturers are not likely to recommend hard break in procedures. The Mclaren F1 was also broken in from the factory, probably others. Even the NSX, there is nowhere in the manual that states anything about it being racetrack ready. It actually states in the general warranty provisions that the warranties do not cover "use of this vehicle in competition or racing events", and the manual recommends safe driving techniques and warns against excessive speed, etc. That's all I was saying. Liabilities and many other concerns would discourage against recommending any sort of hard break in criteria, if a break in is prescribed.

 

[Z4UPRA]

The manual does specify a 1200 miles break-in period. I've had my car for three weeks and I only have 145 miles.

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