# Break-in Procedure



## motorhedfred (Nov 13, 2010)

No, I'm not talking about illegal entry..

What has everyone been using for a break-in procedure ?

I've heard so many ways through the years...everything from "just drive it easy for the first 500 miles" to "Drive it like you stole it, if it's any good it won't hurt it"

MHF


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## shawn672 (Oct 31, 2010)

Everyone has their own way. Nuff said


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## scaredpoet (Nov 29, 2010)

Just drive it like you normally would. Especially if you have the auto transmission, since you need to get used to ti, and it to you anyway.


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## 70AARCUDA (Nov 14, 2010)

...during the _initial_ 500 miles, do not drive at the _same_ speed for a _long_ time without some variation...ie: do not set the cruise-control for 75 mph and drive for an hour or so. Drive using the foot-throttle so the engine is not turning over at exactly the same speed for any appreciable time.

..._after_ about 500 miles, things should have been "broken-in" and the need to avoid continuous same-speed driving is no longer required.


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## bpipe95 (Nov 1, 2010)

Just drive it how you normally would through out its life.


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## cerbomark (Dec 13, 2010)

on any vehicle with new break pads you should take it easy on them until they set in. Maybe 100 miles or so. Along with the above advise of coarse.


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## motorhedfred (Nov 13, 2010)

I'm not talking about brake (break?) pads. I'm talking about engine break-in. One of the other Cruze forums has a general procedure which calls for varying the engine below 4000 RPM for the first 500 miles, below 6000 till 1000 miles then occasionally operating it under heavy load until the first oil change. 

Heavily loading the engine by keeping the RPMs low, in higher gears and larger throttle openings keeps cylinder pressures up and seats the rings properly. Once this is done it was recommended to change the oil and filter twice within a few hundred miles of each other to flush the metal particles out, then drive as normal. 

Good ring seal is critical for both power and economy.

MHF


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## Cruzzer (Dec 13, 2010)

motorhedfred said:


> I'm not talking about brake (break?) pads. I'm talking about engine break-in. One of the other Cruze forums has a general procedure which calls for varying the engine below 4000 RPM for the first 500 miles, below 6000 till 1000 miles then occasionally operating it under heavy load until the first oil change.
> 
> Heavily loading the engine by keeping the RPMs low, in higher gears and larger throttle openings keeps cylinder pressures up and seats the rings properly. Once this is done it was recommended to change the oil and filter twice within a few hundred miles of each other to flush the metal particles out, then drive as normal.
> 
> ...


Sounds a little over the top since the engine is pretty much ready to go, just driving normally for the first 500 miles and doing a few high speed runs on the Interstate is more than adequate, good idea to change the oil and filter at the 500 mark, on my new cars I do 500,1500, and 3K mile oil changes and then switch to Synthetic oil. 5K oil changes for the duration


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## cerbomark (Dec 13, 2010)

motorhedfred said:


> I'm not talking about brake (break?) pads. I'm talking about engine break-in. One of the other Cruze forums has a general procedure which calls for varying the engine below 4000 RPM for the first 500 miles, below 6000 till 1000 miles then occasionally operating it under heavy load until the first oil change.
> 
> Heavily loading the engine by keeping the RPMs low, in higher gears and larger throttle openings keeps cylinder pressures up and seats the rings properly. Once this is done it was recommended to change the oil and filter twice within a few hundred miles of each other to flush the metal particles out, then drive as normal.
> 
> ...


 I realize what you are talking about. I was answering you as an overall break in (including brakes).. I think you are over thinking the break in period. Drive it normal and dont abuse it..


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## 70AARCUDA (Nov 14, 2010)

...here is GM's "break-in procedure" for their ZL1 engine from the GM TechLink website:

_"*TIP:* ZL1 performance parts have a break-in period. For the first 1,500 miles (2,414 km), avoid full-throttle starts and abrupt stops, do not exceed 4,000 engine rpm, avoid driving at any one constant speed, and do not drive above 80 mph (129 km/h). Following these break-in period guidelines will result in better performance in the long run."_


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## DrVette (Dec 6, 2011)

70AARCUDA said:


> ...during the _initial_ 500 miles, do not drive at the _same_ speed for a _long_ time without some variation...ie: do not set the cruise-control for 75 mph and drive for an hour or so. Drive using the foot-throttle so the engine is not turning over at exactly the same speed for any appreciable time.
> 
> ..._after_ about 500 miles, things should have been "broken-in" and the need to avoid continuous same-speed driving is no longer required.


I Agree, this is "standard-issue" Break-in Procedure.

Several Do Not's
Do NOT drive at Ultra Low RPM, 
Do NOT attempt to accelerate from Low RPM in a high gear, Lugging the engine.
Do NOT Rev the engine, my thoughts are 3,500-4,000 RPM MAX, and infrequently at that. 
Do NOT drive ANY steady speed or constant RPM for very long, slow down, or speed up
Do NOT Loan your car, ever, try never to let anyone else drive it. 
Do NOT let the Tech do a "Test-Drive" without you, [I was a Tech, I KNOW] 

Several Do's
Do vary the speed & RPM
Do apply full throttle in 2nd or 3rd gear from 2k-3,500 RPM, short bursts only, maybe once every 100 miles or so. 
This applies outward pressure on the piston rings, aids in sealing. 
Do inspect for leaks, smells etc, you can sniff at the back of the hood for most fluid leaks.
Do look under the car for leaks.

The longer you wait to do "Full RPM" runs on an engine, the better the engine will perform.

This is for street engines only.
Race engines with various combination's of Piston Ring Plating's, Piston to Cylinder clearances, Forged Pistons mandate special and specific break-in procedures.
Some flat-tappet cams require 2500 rpm break-in procedures for many minutes, making me cringe just knowing it's gonna blow any second.

The previous paragraph is where the old adage "Break it in like you're gonna drive it" came from.
Certain Engine Mechanic "wanna-be"s" peering over the shoulders of those who knew what they were doing.
And knew the difference between Cast, Forged and Hyper-Eutectic Pistons and the clearances mandated to making them work properly thinking they knew something after a couple years "helping".

Ask any of the "Drive it like you stole it" what "Cross Hatch" or "Interference Valve Angle" is and you'll prolly get a blank stare.

My $0.02
DrVette
aka Rusty Wrench


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

Everyone talks about breaking in the engine, but I discovered that breaking in the driver to the ECO's gearing is just as important. It takes a while to get used to the gear ratios on the ECO. I wish I had seen XtremeRevolution's thread on How to Get better Fuel Economy when I first purchased my ECO. He has a lot of helpful tips, especially on shifting.


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