I mostly enjoy the smooth transition from break-in to wear-out. 
Truth or Myth: Modern Engines STILL Require Break-in
- Thread starter buster
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This is spot on. Then you have the crowd of a new car can't be any where near as reliable as my Crown Vic, Buick Lucerne, etc., because of the "new fangled" electronics......OH-and the - 0W/20 oil.
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In my case,my car a VW Tiguan bought new had a 10,000 mile oil change service.At about 7,500 it was down a1/5 quart,some what normal as I've read and I had broke it in conservatively.I decided to change oil at dealer and do a analysis. I now had a base line and the oil dilution was high.So with my new info,I decided to do 5,000 mile oil change and analsis.I've controlled the fuel issue and the using oil issue,which has settled down.I have about 50,000 on the car,did about 5 analysis thru Amsoil-polaris labs.I sevice at VW dealer at 5,000 religiously.I have paper trail and I believe in my case the knowledge of the fuel dilution due to my driving habits and the analysis was a great factor in my case.If I had to do over,maybe a 5,000 mile filter change and analsis would of been another option.My paper trail is interesting and really shows no metal problems from new to 50,000.It's a bit of resale value knowing I've done this.Oil is cheaper than and engine and rumor has it that VW is strict on not using there 509 oil and their service recommendations. My 03 cents,if I keep the oil clean and the fuel dilution reasonable, I'll be O.K.
I believe that a new car/engine requires a break-in period. Parts are "getting to know each other," so there's a likelihood that meal fragments are getting into the oil. FYI, I changed my car's oil and filter at 1200 miles. BS analysis showed the oil did contain some metal fragments. I changed the oil and filter again at 2500 miles. Yes, I am OCD about my car's oil.
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If you do the Oil analsis again in the future it will be interesting the results,I've now become very interested in this technology, It will probably pay off for you,don't fret the OCD
For every "I do an early break-in oil change for long term ownership" person there's a multiple of that number of long term owners thar changed at the normal interval.
100K/5 years. 7K first change. >2x stock power. No consumption. 180 psi compression across all 4 cylinders. K&N filter....not permitted here on BITOG...
100K/5 years. 7K first change. >2x stock power. No consumption. 180 psi compression across all 4 cylinders. K&N filter....not permitted here on BITOG...
BS showed metals not "fragments". Without a particle analysis there is no way to know the size.
I think there will be some engines that could benefit from a break-in change and many that do not care, and we'll never know which other than the few where the manufacturer specifically recommends it.
Yu re correct. I should have written that the analysis showed elevated levels of various metals. BS noted that these levels were due to breaking in of the new engine.
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New Tacoma stated a 1000km or 620mile break in
I changed oil at 450 miles
Then again at 1500
Then to a 5k change interval
The oil at 450 was BLACK
It hasn’t been that dark and dirty since, it now has 12k
Yes……new engines require a break in period
Speak with engine builders, they will all state the same thing
I changed oil at 450 miles
Then again at 1500
Then to a 5k change interval
The oil at 450 was BLACK
It hasn’t been that dark and dirty since, it now has 12k
Yes……new engines require a break in period
Speak with engine builders, they will all state the same thing
Why 450? Why not 163?
Servicing cars for decades - and putting fuel quality and injector patterns aside - a "sudden" improvement is stuck rings that are now free, or marginal/resistive electrical connection "self repaired"
Next, you might have the odd organometallic ash deposit not allowing a valve to seat - the old " I let my kid drive my car and now it runs like #$%^& today !"
The fully apparent downside of the "Italian" Tune up, which could be more appropriately called the "Bratty Teen Tune Down"
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Just the way it worked out
Most engine builders I’ve dealt with in the past and have spoken with recommend 500 miles.
So 450 makes sense; 163 doesnt…… but you already knew that
You left all that metal circulating for 300 extra miles, unacceptable. Will only reach 234,456 miles now, not 234,475. Bummer.
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Go try to catch another fish………
I just find the whole break in oil change thing/discussion facinating as there is no rhyme/reason to it, just arbitrary numbers to make people feel good.
If it'll help you sleep better. I typically buy new and keep them until the wheels fall off.
I change the oil and filter as soon as I get home from the dealership, anywhere from 15 to 50 miles in the past. This is following some half throttle acceleration/deceleration cycles, then 3/4, then full, just to load and unload the rings.
Then I change it again at 500 miles then switch to my normal 5K intervals.
Not saying it does anything but I know that the oil pump pumps unfiltered oil.
Most of my new cars have been Chrysler products, so I follow their recommendations (which have been the same for decades). No early oil changes for me, either...I just follow the manual. No oil consumption or longevity issues for me thus far.
ENGINE BREAK-IN RECOMMENDATIONS
A long break-in period is not required for the engine in your new vehicle. Drive moderately during the first 300 miles (500 km).
After the initial 60 miles (100 km), speeds up to 50 or 55 mph (80 or 90 km/h) are desirable.
While cruising, brief full-throttle acceleration, within the limits of local traffic laws, contributes to a good break-in. Wide open throttle acceleration in low gear can be detrimental and should be avoided.
The engine oil installed in the engine at the factory is a high quality energy conserving type lubricant. Oil changes should be consistent with anticipated climate conditions under which vehicle operations will occur. The recommended viscosity and quality grades are
shown in Section 7 of this manual. NON-DETERGENT OR STRAIGHT MINERAL OILS MUST NEVER BE USED.
A new engine may consume some oil during its first few thousand miles (kilometers) of operation. This should be considered as a normal part of the break-in and not interpreted as an indication of difficulty.
ENGINE BREAK-IN RECOMMENDATIONS
A long break-in period is not required for the engine in your new vehicle. Drive moderately during the first 300 miles (500 km).
After the initial 60 miles (100 km), speeds up to 50 or 55 mph (80 or 90 km/h) are desirable.
While cruising, brief full-throttle acceleration, within the limits of local traffic laws, contributes to a good break-in. Wide open throttle acceleration in low gear can be detrimental and should be avoided.
The engine oil installed in the engine at the factory is a high quality energy conserving type lubricant. Oil changes should be consistent with anticipated climate conditions under which vehicle operations will occur. The recommended viscosity and quality grades are
shown in Section 7 of this manual. NON-DETERGENT OR STRAIGHT MINERAL OILS MUST NEVER BE USED.
A new engine may consume some oil during its first few thousand miles (kilometers) of operation. This should be considered as a normal part of the break-in and not interpreted as an indication of difficulty.
I changed my oil on new cars before bitog was around. The first time I did it was a sunny day and the different sparkles in the drained oil blew me away. So I continued to do it. I put a lot of miles on my cars and took great care of them. The second owners got the benefit of that. I also noticed that after about 5-7k miles the engines really opened up. Is all that metal in the oil harmful, who knows. It's what makes us feel better.
