Breaking in a new car via a long-distance drive.

[Mustang_Cougar]

I may soon be buying a new Mazda5, but the vehicle is located in a city 250 miles away; thus, I'll be flying over and driving back w/it. Anyway, the return is an easy four hour interstate drive, save for a mountain pass climb/descent.

Now this may sound silly, but how would you approach the drive back? Should I drive moderately (~60mph) or normally (70-75mph)? And what about the brake pads (by the time I begin descending down the mountains, the pads will only have about 75 miles on them)?

Thanks for any thoughts and suggestions.

M_C

 

[opus1]

The mantra about a car's break-in period is to vary the speeds driven. So I would plan on that 4-hour interstate drive being more like a 6-7 hour partial interstate/partial backroad if you're intent on doing this. That's how I would approach it anyway.

 

[Chris Meutsch]

Just drive it without beating on it too much. Vary speeds.

 

[D189379]

I drove my truck nicely for about 500kms after I got it. Then I forgot to drive nicely and just drove it normally including a 12 hour drive to Vancouver through the mountains. My motorcycle went to redline almost right off the dealership lot.

The proper thing to say is read the manual and vary rpms on the highway.

Experience tells me it doesn't really matter how you drive it.

 

[rjundi]

Just drive it how you normally would. Maybe skip using cruise control.

My personal experience of 3 brand new cars and not heeding anything is they all worked out fine into 150k-225k range.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Agree with others - avoid constant RPM speeds.

 

[FirstNissan]

Avoid using cruise-control, let your right foot vary up the speeds, keep it under 60mph if you can

 

[mechtech2]

What miracle occurs when you vary RPM?

Just drive it.

 

[MarkM66]

Originally Posted By: mechtech2
What miracle occurs when you vary RPM?

Just drive it.

That way the engine doesn't get bored....

 

[lexus114]

Originally Posted By: mechtech2
What miracle occurs when you vary RPM?

Just drive it.



Something about seating the rings.It supposedly works better that way than a constant speed. idk

 

[TallPaul]

I have heard the ring seating thing too, especially letting the engine do some braking which is supposed to cause generous quantities of oil to go up on the cylinder walls.

But then there are some who argue that the first 20 miles makes or breaks the breakin and that may well be done at the factory. They say to drive it like you stole it in the first 15-20 miles and it will be well broke in--Maybe.

Anyway, as FirstNissan suggests vary the speed while on the freeway. Just accelerate some, then let off and let the engine slow it down. Keep doing that, maybe in a 15 or 20 mph range. Seems that would work.

Another thought is to do the first 50 miles or so on back roads instead of the interstate.

 

[dparm]

Just vary your speed. Don't do 75 all 250 miles back.

 

[Jasper8146]

On several different websites, I have seen postings involving different makes of new cars using or continuing to use oil at a higher than normal rate after being fully broken in, and it turned out they had been driven a substantial distance (several hundred miles or so) on the freeway at constant speeds right off the dealer's lot. The conclusion reached was that the cause of the problem was the constant engine RPM for a substantial distance right at the start when the vehicles were brand spanking new.

If it were my car, I totally agree with the suggestion in an earlier posting to make it a 6 or 7 hour trip instead of a normal 4 hour trip so as to be able to vary the engine rpm and load. Good luck!

 

[dparm]

Originally Posted By: TallPaul
I have heard the ring seating thing too,


Another thought is to do the first 50 miles or so on back roads instead of the interstate.



That's probably the easiest, logistically.

 

[hhu168]

Another thing, remember to go over 70 for at least 10 minutes.

 

[rpn453]

Different loads and rpms will create slightly different wear patterns in the engine. I think it's also about varying load for the benefit of the transmission. Gears will certainly wear differently for different loads, and you want those different wear patterns to occur uniformly during break-in.

I did a long highway trip right after buying my Mazda3. I used cruise control and stayed in fifth, but every few minutes I did a couple runs of accelerating and then coasting.

 

[punisher]

I am in the "it doesn't matter" camp.

Moly rings, extremely fine cylinder wall finishes, running the engine on a CNG test stand, then running the engine in the car at the factory, running the car at the dealership while getting it off the transport, MPDI, APDI.............. that engine is 99.9% broken in when you get the keys the first time.

 

[Steve S]

Originally Posted By: Mustang_Cougar
I may soon be buying a new Mazda5, but the vehicle is located in a city 250 miles away; thus, I'll be flying over and driving back w/it. Anyway, the return is an easy four hour interstate drive, save for a mountain pass climb/descent.

Now this may sound silly, but how would you approach the drive back? Should I drive moderately (~60mph) or normally (70-75mph)? And what about the brake pads (by the time I begin descending down the mountains, the pads will only have about 75 miles on them)?

Thanks for any thoughts and suggestions.

M_C
enjoy the drive in the new car!!! Just drive it.

 

[demarpaint]

Originally Posted By: punisher
I am in the "it doesn't matter" camp.

Moly rings, extremely fine cylinder wall finishes, running the engine on a CNG test stand, then running the engine in the car at the factory, running the car at the dealership while getting it off the transport, MPDI, APDI.............. that engine is 99.9% broken in when you get the keys the first time.



+1 and if it isn't 100% broken in the lot boys took care of it.

 

[TallPaul]

I have a 92 Aerostar that has had high oil consumption from the day I bought it at 27,000 miles. It consumes a quart every 1300 miles. I suspect it was not broken in correctly.

When I got my brand new '84 F150 I was attending college and that was a 35 mile freeway trip. I took the extra time for the first few weeks to drive back roads the entire way to ensure varying speeds. That truck hardly used any oil even after 200,000 miles.

Play it safe. Vary the speed.