Engine Break In Period

[rphinson]

My dealer told me to keep the RPM's "low" for the first 500 miles and not to maintain constant RPMs for too long a period; e.g. cruise control, highway speeds, etc.

So I've been trying... I'm just a sucker when it comes to tapping that redline. So I've run it up a couple of times before my 500 miles. I probably had 200 before I wanted to hear the VTEC...then about 300 when the WRX wanted to run... then about 400 when the Acura wanted to...

I've read everything from: "don't go over 5000 RPMs for the first 1000 miles" to "if you don't push it hard in the first 20 miles you can loose up to 10% of your power" (complete with pics of pistons broke in both ways.)

I've avoided highway miles as much as life will let me, and ran it through the gears when I was on one. For the better part, with a few exceptions, I keep it under 5000 RPMs. What are your ideas on break in. Did I bugger my brand new baby up already? Should I try to keep it cool and see if my grandma can drive it until I get the first 1000 off? How are you all doing it?

[Civic Pride]

I dont know am on the same my car only has like 305 miles on it, and i dont know what is the difference in redlining it new then later? i honestly dont think that when they are new and you dont redline alot you lose 10% of power but thats just what i think, then again i dont know this civic is my first car.

[6spdChick]

My dealer told me doesn't matter how you drive it. That's what the warranty is for. I've driven it like it has 10,000 miles on it since day one. HAVE FUN WITH IT :)

[vicSi]

well let me tell you this when i went to the dealer for the test drive the sales guy was telling me to get on the freeway and step on it so i did, i didnt want to redline but he told me there was a cool redlight that tells me when to shift so i DID!!! my car has 3,500miles right now and nothing is wrong with it, except that my oil life loses life a lot faster :'(

[Scourge]

Sounds like something for Mythbusters... "Does hard driving during break-in periods have any adverse affects on newer cars?"

[6spdChick]

lol call them up i'll let them use my car if I get free mods :)

[GalaxyGreySi]

OK, so, I work at a dealership. Fact is, WTF do you think happens during pre-delivery inspection? You all took delivery of your new civics with 10 miles already on them. This 10-mile test drive is a honda corporate requirement. How do you think the technicians treat this car during this test drive? Mine is an Si. How often to the mechanics get to PDI an Si? Not often. So, it's fun time. You get to drive an Si, for the first time. I am CERTAIN my Si hit redline with less than 2 miles on it. Personally, when I took delivery of my car, I hit redline with 15 miles on the vehicle. Don't worry about abusing the car. It was made for this. I was racing people with 50 miles on the clock. The car has 280 miles on it right now. I've got over 15 kills. This isn't some old chevy 350. These are built damn near PERFECT from the factory. This is a honda. Bearings clearanced to .0001 of an inch. Precision engineered. Don't worry about break-in. Drive it like it's supposed to be driven. Hell, look at real racecars. Do you think a top-fuel dragster goes through a break-in period? Doubtful. Those engines don't go through more than a few races before being rebuilt. DRIVE IT HOW YOU WANT TO DRIVE IT.

[GalaxyGreySi]

As far as the oil life indicator is concerned, screw that POS. Oil changes every 5,000 miles, and services every 10,000. Don't miss your 30K service and your 50K, and you're good. DO NOT change your oil before 5,000 miles. It is special break-in oil from the factory. YOU NEED to keep it in the engine for 5k miles. TRUST ME on that one. You will suffer performance consequences if you do not. I HATE it when a customer comes in for an oil change at 1000 miles. Chevy and Ford got people believing that myth...

[vicSi]

i did my oil change at 3500 miles am i okay or did i f#%k up in that one?

[Retread]

Originally Posted by vicSi

i did my oil change at 3500 miles am i okay or did i f#%k up in that one?

Anything over 3,000 should be fine. I changed mine at 5,800.

[CoryB]

Originally Posted by GalaxyGreySi

As far as the oil life indicator is concerned, screw that POS. Oil changes every 5,000 miles, and services every 10,000. Don't miss your 30K service and your 50K, and you're good. DO NOT change your oil before 5,000 miles. It is special break-in oil from the factory. YOU NEED to keep it in the engine for 5k miles. TRUST ME on that one. You will suffer performance consequences if you do not. I HATE it when a customer comes in for an oil change at 1000 miles. Chevy and Ford got people believing that myth...

This is the first new car I've ever owned that didn't get an oil change at 250 miles. Then again at 1000 miles. That includes Jeep, MINI, Volkswagen, etc... I've always done the same for engines I've built too. Oil is cheap, engines aren't.

Prior to my Si, I've ALWAYS changed the oil early and generally cut the filter open to see what's in there. You'd be amazed at the crap that the filter catches in a new engine. Hopefully Honda has less byproduct left during an engine build than the others I've owned. Maybe I'll have Honda save my original oil filter when I get the first oil change and I'll cut it open to see what's in there.

[That_Si_Guy]

Originally Posted by GalaxyGreySi

OK, so, I work at a dealership. Fact is, WTF do you think happens during pre-delivery inspection? You all took delivery of your new civics with 10 miles already on them. This 10-mile test drive is a honda corporate requirement. How do you think the technicians treat this car during this test drive? Mine is an Si. How often to the mechanics get to PDI an Si? Not often. So, it's fun time. You get to drive an Si, for the first time. I am CERTAIN my Si hit redline with less than 2 miles on it. Personally, when I took delivery of my car, I hit redline with 15 miles on the vehicle. Don't worry about abusing the car. It was made for this. I was racing people with 50 miles on the clock. The car has 280 miles on it right now. I've got over 15 kills. This isn't some old chevy 350. These are built damn near PERFECT from the factory. This is a honda. Bearings clearanced to .0001 of an inch. Precision engineered. Don't worry about break-in. Drive it like it's supposed to be driven. Hell, look at real racecars. Do you think a top-fuel dragster goes through a break-in period? Doubtful. Those engines don't go through more than a few races before being rebuilt. DRIVE IT HOW YOU WANT TO DRIVE IT.

Ugh, for working at a dealership you don't sound very educated on the subject. For one, the manual that comes with the car states that for the first 600 miles that you do not do any excessive acceleration or heavy breaking and it also states not to keep a constant RPM, like using cruise control. (I will quote it exactly and supply the page number if you dont believe me)

Another thing that boggles my mind is that you say that most cars are delivered with ten miles on them or so, and that those miles are from honda-techs putting the car through its paces. The Si that I just purchased only had four miles on it and that was from only one other person who drove it, I was the second person to ever drive it and I put it up to 10 miles. So in essense, this car was delivered with either zero miles or very damn near close to zero. How do you explain that?

[cl0wnc4rni]

well i just went to the dealer to test drive the si..... and let me tell you that in no way did i follow any "break-in" procedures.... i hit v-tec at every chance i got! wow that car is sick.... i love the redline being at 9k.... i envy those si owners.... i think i may trade/sell mine for a 4 door si when it comes out.... gotta love them si's!!!

[That_Si_Guy]

I must be the only person who never abuses a car when I take if for a spin. Every test drive I take I always drive the car at normal speeds never redlining or doing anything harmful to a new motor. Multiple times dealers have said to me that I can "get on it" but I kindly say no thanks and enjoy my ride.

I must be old or something, being 23 and all

[iVTEC]

Originally Posted by That_Si_Guy

I must be the only person who never abuses a car when I take if for a spin. Every test drive I take I always drive the car at normal speeds never redlining or doing anything harmful to a new motor. Multiple times dealers have said to me that I can "get on it" but I kindly say no thanks and enjoy my ride.

I must be old or something, being 23 and all

No, you're just a rare sane driver in a pool of crazy idiots!

[cl0wnc4rni]

Originally Posted by That_Si_Guy

I must be the only person who never abuses a car when I take if for a spin. Every test drive I take I always drive the car at normal speeds never redlining or doing anything harmful to a new motor. Multiple times dealers have said to me that I can "get on it" but I kindly say no thanks and enjoy my ride.

I must be old or something, being 23 and all

:gaygiggle

[Downpour]

it bothers me to know that people ride all up a car they are NOT getting, cuz i would be soo pissed if i found out that some other guy came and test drove my car and hit redline when i plan on taking care of it!

[cl0wnc4rni]

Originally Posted by blk06Si

it bothers me to know that people ride all up a car they are NOT getting, cuz i would be soo pissed if i found out that some other guy came and test drove my car and hit redline when i plan on taking care of it!

:gaygiggle thats why you order one and have it shipped to the dealer.... drive the (what i like to call) dealer demo's.... see if it can do what you want.... order it.... and get it at nearly 0 miles....

[marc-o-lishuz]

i got my Si with 10kms on it (6.2 mi). i got it delivered straight to the dealership (on top of those transport trucks), and into a separate holding area for sold cars. i then took the keys and locked the car up. i came by the next day to pick it up...
i drive my car normally too (10-15km/h over the limit), but no crazy swerving and/or gunning the engine. the car has 1200kms on it now (almost 2 months old), and it still runs like the day i picked it up.
btw, i just turned 24... maybe driving sanely it is an age thing
yeah... i drove a Rallye Red Si for fun... the dealer was trying to sell it to me a week before i took delivery of my Fiji. there was (is) no way i'm getting a RR FG2!

[sichick]

Usually the break in period is for turbo cars blah blah blah but, i babyed my car for about a hundred miles and thats it and still purrs like a kitten