BS: Vehicle Engine break-in

Subject: BS: Vehicle Engine break-in
From: gnu
Date: 27 Aug 09 - 04:26 PM

Well, FIANALLY, Mum has found a new car. It's niiiiice. And, it's unreal to me. The new tech, eh? It'll do nearly everything but what I would pay big money for as an option.

But, I was taken aback when I read this in the owner's manual. "While cruising, brief full-throttle acceleration.... contributes to a good break-in."

Now, that goes against everything I was ever taught regarding acceleration during the break-in.

Is the manual correct? If so, why? Anyone???

I expect Spaw will git his ass in here and tell me my Daddy didn't lie ta me... or will he?

Subject: RE: BS: Vehicle Engine break-in
From: Ebbie
Date: 27 Aug 09 - 04:38 PM

Car innards these days are so different from they used to be that I suspect many of the old rules no longer apply.

My brother was a mechanic and over the years he had to switch from being a 'general practitioner' to the specialty of carburetion. I kept my 64 Mustang for years - old style engine - and I remember the first time my brother popped the hood to work on my car he rubbed his hands together and exclaimed, Oh, this is going to be fun!

Subject: RE: BS: Vehicle Engine break-in
From: EBarnacle
Date: 27 Aug 09 - 04:43 PM

Lady Hillary just had a new engine put into the sports coupe ['91 Toyota MR2]. We have been instructed that th breakin is 500 miles, after which there must be an oil change to maintain the warranty. After that we can use our favorite oil and fuel additives.

Subject: RE: BS: Vehicle Engine break-in
From: gnu
Date: 27 Aug 09 - 04:51 PM

This sucker tells you when to change the oil based on time, mileage and HOW you have driven it. Hmmmm...

Subject: RE: BS: Vehicle Engine break-in
From: Tangledwood
Date: 27 Aug 09 - 05:33 PM

Gnu, I've been able to experience a few new vehicles over the last ten years and all have had similar instructions regarding the running-in period. As I understand it, in the past engines had a few rough edges from the casting that the running in removed, and these were flushed away with the first oil change. Now days the machining is so precise that issue doesn't happen.
I'm no engineer but what I was told in relation to aircraft engines was that full throttle builds pressure behind the piston rings which beds them in better against the cylinder walls. One of the light aircraft engine manufacturers published an article titled "don't baby your engine".

Subject: RE: BS: Vehicle Engine break-in
From: catspaw49
Date: 27 Aug 09 - 05:36 PM

At higher RPM the rotating parts tend to actually stretch a bit. If you buy a used car driven at slow speeds all of its life you will find an abnormally large ridge at the top of the cylinders because the piston rings never get the high.   That's why the old lady car often starts smoking or blows not long after you buy it. You ruin the rings on those ridges. This problem has become much larger over the years with the majority of cars having automatic transmissions and nowadays the shift points are quite low as well.

Start using synthetic oil. It costs more but lasts much longer while doing a better job

There's more but maybe this is okay?


Spaw

Subject: RE: BS: Vehicle Engine break-in
From: Rapparee
Date: 27 Aug 09 - 05:40 PM

I'd call the police and report the break-in. Did they get anything valuable?

Subject: RE: BS: Vehicle Engine break-in
From: gnu
Date: 27 Aug 09 - 06:18 PM

So, the advert for the old car should read, "Driven by little old lady to the grocery store 99% of the time and 1% ofthe time by her son who wound that SOB up to see what it could do every chance he got. Man will that thing will motor! 160kph on the flat with pedal left! And it corners like a fuckin Porche!"

And, crank the new one? Sounds like tomorrow is gonna be FUN!

Subject: RE: BS: Vehicle Engine break-in
From: bobad
Date: 27 Aug 09 - 07:03 PM

What car did your Mum buy, gnu?

Subject: RE: BS: Vehicle Engine break-in
From: gnu
Date: 27 Aug 09 - 07:22 PM

Chrysler 300C... black... minds me of a 1950s Mercedes. It looks gooood.

Subject: RE: BS: Vehicle Engine break-in
From: gnu
Date: 27 Aug 09 - 07:23 PM

Oh... 2009... $10k off the sticker price.

Subject: RE: BS: Vehicle Engine break-in
From: GUEST,MarkS (on the road)
Date: 27 Aug 09 - 08:49 PM

Even on new cars there will be metallic junk in the engine oil. If you, like me, have waaaaay too much time on your hands, try this.
Change the oil after the first 3000 miles. Cut open the oil filter and look inside. Fish around inside with a magnet and see what you find!

Subject: RE: BS: Vehicle Engine break-in
From: kendall
Date: 27 Aug 09 - 09:35 PM

Spaw is right on the money. That's why they make ridge reamers.

Subject: RE: BS: Vehicle Engine break-in
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 28 Aug 09 - 05:35 AM

On my latest vehicle, you just look at the trip odometer and it tells you "xx% of oil life remaining." If the value gets to 0% it changes to "GET YER OIL CHANGED YA $#!%@!! IDJET."

It also announces whether a tire has lost pressure, if a door is ajar, and a few other sometimes interesting things about the condition of the vehicle.

But if you switch off the ignition before you make your notes - IT DOESN'T TELL YOU ANYTHING, including how many miles you've gone since the last fuel stop so that you can make the entry in your op log.

John

Subject: RE: BS: Vehicle Engine break-in
From: gnu
Date: 28 Aug 09 - 05:53 AM

This modern marvel (we'll see how marvy it is in time) tells you the avg fuel economy, distance travelled, fuel and distance remaining at the present fuel economy rate... I think it does because there is no way I can remember it all. The maunals are 4 X 8.5" with two columns per page... about 700 pages.

But she's some purrrrdy.

Subject: RE: BS: Vehicle Engine break-in
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 28 Aug 09 - 07:37 AM

The 300C looks very nice but I hear bad reports of build quality.

Subject: RE: BS: Vehicle Engine break-in
From: gnu
Date: 28 Aug 09 - 07:45 AM

Prick... hehehehee... just jokin!

Subject: RE: BS: Vehicle Engine break-in
From: Bobert
Date: 28 Aug 09 - 07:55 AM

Now, I quit workin' as a Chevy 'mo-chanic back in '81 when the on-board computers came out and opened my own shop workin' on stuff I understood but my buddies tell me that the on-board computers these days program the cars around the way they are driven??? In other words, tell mom to run the crap outta it if she wants the thing to hold up and have power when she needs it...

Plus, what Spawzer said...

So, put the hammer down...

B~

Subject: RE: BS: Vehicle Engine break-in
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 28 Aug 09 - 08:30 AM

They had this question come up fairly recently on Car Talk, about whether it was necessary to break-in a modern day new car like used to happen years ago. They said no, it isn't the same, that it should be driven in a normal fashion for the best break-in period.

I remember a break in period on an older pickup, but on my newer one (and it's a 2000) there was no such period of sedate driving. You could visit the Cars.com site for advice. http://www.cars.com/go/advice/cartalk/index.jsp

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Vehicle Engine break-in
From: catspaw49
Date: 28 Aug 09 - 08:31 AM

Hellfire, I thought you knew that stuff ain't new gnu. Had the same thing on our '87 BMW 528. They are fun to play with and considering the way they work and the sensor setups, surprisingly accurate. Mileage for instance was rarely more than a tenth off! By driving smart too, you can see how well you're doing as you go along........something you might consider with that 300...LOL

Spaw

Subject: RE: BS: Vehicle Engine break-in
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 29 Aug 09 - 03:17 AM

People actually buy new cars?

Subject: RE: BS: Vehicle Engine break-in
From: gnu
Date: 29 Aug 09 - 05:34 AM

Spaw... said it before... I think Daimler designed the 300 (and the name) to look like an old Mercedes. The fact that your beemer had that stuff does not surprise me. The fact that the Germans took a bath for nearly $1B on Chrysler does. I wonder if it had anything to do with all those TV ads about German engineering being so superior???

Subject: RE: BS: Vehicle Engine break-in
From: gnu
Date: 29 Aug 09 - 07:33 AM

"brief full-throttle acceleration"... holy moly! As Bro used to say, go like scalded dog! I have never driven at 200kph before... and there was pedal left. Smooth as a baby's bottom.

Speaking of baby's bottoms, the heated seats are comfy.

Subject: RE: BS: Vehicle Engine break-in
From: folk1e
Date: 30 Aug 09 - 07:47 AM

You may not have to break in new engine any more .... but you still have to wait until your oil change before you put your "Slick 50" in!

Subject: RE: BS: Vehicle Engine break-in
From: EBarnacle
Date: 30 Aug 09 - 09:42 PM

Exactly what I said in post #3 on this thread.

Subject: RE: BS: Vehicle Engine break-in
From: Peace
Date: 30 Aug 09 - 09:44 PM

Drive it like you stole it, Gnu. But carefully. You're much too good a man to lose to an MVC. I hope you're shot at the age of 97 by a jealous husband.

Subject: RE: BS: Vehicle Engine break-in
From: Tangledwood
Date: 31 Aug 09 - 05:11 AM

From the little I've seen of British motorways, if he drove at anything less than 200kph he would risk being hit from behind.

Subject: RE: BS: Vehicle Engine break-in
From: gnu
Date: 31 Aug 09 - 09:40 AM

Put Mum's old Chrysler Cirrus (28,ooo km, mint) on the web yesterday... an hour later, I had a buyer.

Subject: RE: BS: Vehicle Engine break-in
From: gnu
Date: 31 Aug 09 - 12:00 PM

And it's gone! Only the cash remains.