[grim]

There is much controversy in the p-car world over break-in. If you listen to a podcast like this one, you would think break-in periods are from a bygone era.

However, depending upon your country, your manual might or might not have a recommended engine break-in procedure. This is complicated as different countries have different warranty lengths, which might effect the recommendations.

For a reference this article explains why you should follow the manual. Of course, everyone has their own opinions. Your car, do whatever you want.

If the manual that comes with your car indicates a break-in procedure, will you:

1. Ignore it and run it to the redline indiscriminately?

2. Follow the manual

3. What's a manual?

 

[bobblehead]

Not sure what the P manual says ... but this is how I did mine for my past cars.

take it easy on the first 1000 miles. Drive moderate speed on freeway. Then @ 4000 miles or so, change oil.

 

[TripleL]

Old school approach here as I will follow the Porsche manual.

Once complete I will then engage 'drive it like you stole it' mode

 

[ChoyV]

Varied RPM during the break-in period.

 

[L0U]

The drive to the racetrack was the breakin. Lucky it's an hours drive from the dealership eh.

the good ole days of breakin and slick 50.

 

[TripleZ]

I will break it in per the Porsche recommended method. Varied RPM (below a certain point), shifting often, low loads, progressively getting more load and speed. With a PDK you can't "lug" the engine, but it's important not to do that in manual mode. Until I hit around 2000 miles. Ill also change the oil and filter around 500 miles.

Then drive it like I stole it.

The typical reason for the "drive hard" break-in was to seat the piston rings into the cylinder bore, to increase sealing / decrease oil consumption and blow-by. But, with modern piston and ring coatings (Mahle uses nothing but PVD coating) and honing techniques, this is no longer the case.

By breaking-in the engine slowly and lightly, the close clearance components (valve train, pistons, crankshaft journals, gears, roller bearings, etc) are allowed to wear the asperities (think Pike's Peak in the middle of the plains) off in a slow manner without the high heat and contact pressures caused by rapid temperature / load changes. You are lightly lapping parts into the perfect fit.

If you choose a rapid break-in, instead of just wearing the top off of the asperities, you actually cause localized micro-welding, pitting, or spalling. Pike's Peak gets ripped out of the ground leaving a crater and the rest of it runs around the engine until its pulverized by another clearance (causing debris damage) or gets caught in the filter.

That crater in the surface doesn't cause an immediate failure, but the contact pressures are higher and the edges are sharper. On contact surfaces such as a cam lobe, the sharp edges and constant bending start fatigue cracks that run under the surface. Eventually you get a pocket of material (spalling) that leave, creating a bigger hole or multiple holes. This goes on until it runs away and fails.

And that's only the engine. As the article pointed out, in a car the drivetrain, wheel bearings, steering linkage all need time to break-in before driving hard.

 

[KoMar]

The manual says the break in period is 3000 km (~1800 mi) :/ I plan to take it easy until that's behind me.

 

[Firf]

My dealer said to drive it like you stole it, yet watch your revs as the first miles are the primary the 'learning period' for the adaptive mapping.

I know it has gone back and forth about break in at the factory... He seems to think they do run it at temperature long enough for most of the expansion and that most if what will come off in the oil will hapoen then.

That said, he's just my sales guy and not a service guru

 

[MacFix]

I will break it in per the Porsche recommended method... in a car the drivetrain, wheel bearings, steering linkage all need time to break-in before driving hard.

+1.

The real reason for breaking-in these days is not so much the engine, it is the car as a whole (as stated above, all the moving parts) and the driver too.

The driver needs to get broken-in before going on to mastering not only how to operate the new beast safely, but also its features. This "cautionary" break-in phase is a great opportunity when data is gathered to eventually help extract full benefit from all those expensive options and electronic gizmos - PCM, PAS, LKA, LCA, PDLS, Park Assist, Adaptive Seats, PASM, PDK, AS, PTV, etc!!

 

[gordog]

I've previously followed this Article from the Driver's Edge, if I remember, a BMW enthusiast's site. Seems to have disappeared and replaced by a driver training site.

It seems to make sense, and basically follows the recommendations as set out by the manual of most new cars.

Break-in Schedule

JEFF'S NEW CAR BREAK-IN TIPS

The first 2,000 miles is the single most important period in your car's life. This is what determines if the car is a 90,000 mile car or a 190,000 mile car. Remember this! The break-in period is split into three parts.

1) For the first 1000 miles, don't run the car over 3,500 RPM, and don't depress the gas pedal more than half-way to the floor unless absolutely necessary.


***NOTE***
If you have to get onto the freeway, or you need to pass a slow moving truck, STAND ON IT. But don't make a habit of running the car hard during the first 1000 miles. Also, if your car has cruise control, don't use it during this time. You want to vary the engine speed and load as much as possible.

2) During the second interval, which is only 500 miles, you can slowly start using more and more of the engine's power.

3) The third interval is also 500 miles. During this time, use the car HARDER than you would normally. If you only drive 35MPH in the city, and after 50,000 miles move to Boulder Colorado, the car will be working harder than it ever has before, and will NOT be a happy camper! And by harder, I mean both RPM and load. Cruising along at 55MPH in third gear doesn't count! The best thing you can do is to run it full throttle 0-60, shifting above 5,000 RPM. (It is also a good idea to do this twice a month for as long as you own the car.) This keeps the soot out of the exhaust pipe, cleans the catalytic converter, and evaporates the water that is made there. If you do not do this, the exhaust system will rust from the inside out!

4) After the break-in period, you may return to your normal driving style, and the car will be prepared for any changes it might see down the road.

5) I still recommend changing the oil after the break-in period.

 

[RJMcInnis]

If it's 4000 miles, that's almost a year for me. I'm not driving like grandma for a year...

 

[gordog]

If it's 4000 miles, that's almost a year for me. I'm not driving like grandma for a year...

Actually, it's a total of 2000, broken down to 1000, 500, and 500.

 

[grim]

... (It is also a good idea to do this twice a month for as long as you own the car.) This keeps the soot out of the exhaust pipe, cleans the catalytic converter, and evaporates the water that is made there. If you do not do this, the exhaust system will rust from the inside out!

haha, That's old school when you ran a big four barrel Holley to blow the gunk out of the engine.

Actually, one bit of advice is that many people don't drive long enough to get the oil hot and that's not good. Worse yet they crank up the RPMs before the oil gets hot.

Ideally, every time you drive you should be gentle until the oil gets up to 175. And you really do want that oil up to temperature every time you drive. Those short 3 mile trips around town are not good for it.

 

[L0U]

Im gonna drive it like i stole it, because basically its my wife's, and if driving, I did steal it. Drive the snot out of it on weekends, and maybe get it to a track day. I'll spend time with it and the bigfoot, polish it up with menzernas. Seal it with net shield. Put it away looking good.

The worse thing you can do to a car is not drive it everyday. Cars do better getting exercised daily. Sitting for 2 weeks is evil.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=ERPEyfV0RC8

 

[RJMcInnis]

Actually, it's a total of 2000, broken down to 1000, 500, and 500.

I've seen both 2000 and 4000 posted. Waiting to see the US manual.

 

[grim]

The worse thing you can do to a car is not drive it everyday. Cars do better getting exercised daily. Sitting for 2 weeks is evil.

This is true. It's meant to be driven and driven hard. Not driving it or driving short trips without the oil getting up to temperature is bad for it.

 

[Dyim]

This is true. It's meant to be driven and driven hard. Not driving it or driving short trips without the oil getting up to temperature is bad for it.

+1

This is true before AND after break-in.

Don't beat on it until oil temp is up.

Once in a while, you have to make sure that all those horses that you paid for are still there

 

[Wintermute]

So we have owners now, what is in the manual for break-in ?

SA told me during my test drive there there is no mechanical requirement, it's just for the driver to acclimate.

 

[MKND777]

So we have owners now, what is in the manual for break-in ?

SA told me during my test drive there there is no mechanical requirement, it's just for the driver to acclimate.

Word for Word from my manual

The following tips will be helpful in obtaining optimum performance for your new Porsche. Despite the most modern, high-precision manufactoring methods, the moving parts must still wear in with each other. This wearing in occurs mainly in the first 2,000 miles.

Therefore:
- Preferably take longer trips
- Avoid frequent cold starts with short distance driving whenever possible
- Avoid full throttle start and abrupt stops
- Do not exceed a max engine speed of 4,200 RPM's
- Do not run a cold engine at a higher RPM either in neutral or in gear
- Do not let the engine labor, especially when driving uphill. Shift to the next lower gear in time.
- Never lug the engine in high gear at low speeds. This rule applies at all time, not just the break in period.
- Do not participate in motor racing events, sport driving schools, etc, during the first 2,000 miles

There may be a slight stiffness in the steering, gear shifting or other controls during the break in period which will gradually disappear.

 

[bobblehead]

... in other words, no fun (for the first 2000 click)