Break-in for new vehicles

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So I’m looking at either the Chevy Traverse or Hyundai Santa Fe (Leaning here).

Breaking period, no heavy throttle use or slamming the brakes for the first 2500 miles, but what about the oil change? I tend to change at the 1000-mile mark, but when I bought the wife’s Hyundai Elantra in 2011, the dealer told me that they used a special breaking oil and that I should go 5000 miles before changing that (I change the oil after a 2000-mile trip to Salt Lake City with 2640 miles on it). Think that is true? Also, when to go full synthetic? I normally start at the 5000-mile mark.

Yes, these things are important to me because I tend to keep my vehicles for a long time and think that the break-in period is critical to this long lasting effort.

I appreciate your comments and look forward in hearing them.
 
Are financials important as well? I know that the Traverse is a bit older design and perhaps the dealer has incentives to clear out 2015's cheaply. My brother in law has a 2011 and it's been pretty solid. He got it certified used in 2013.
 
Not sure if any car manufacturer uses special "break-in oil" these days or not. IMO, 5,000 miles on the engine before going full synthetic is a good point to do so.

During break-in, you do want to get on the engine pretty good now and then after some miles are put on it so you seat the rings in well. Just do short bursts of heavy throttle and don't rev too high ... just don't get nuts. Engines that are broken in with some of that treatment seem to break-in better and not use oil down the road. I broke in my Tacoma V6 pretty hard and it doesn't use any oil to speak of between 5K oil changes and runs super strong. Went to full synthetic Mobil 1 at 5K miles on that truck. Also changed oil at 1K and then again at 5K, and that's when the Mobil 1 went in.
 
There is a Buick mechanic in this group that states that the traverse has engine and transmission problems. I’m trying to steer the wife away from it, but she likes the added storage room.
 
Santa fe is a better vehicle with a much better warranty than the Chevy.. I have seen a bunch of problems with that chevy engine and besides the Santa Fe is a nicer vehicle although Hyundai is not cheap anymore. As for break in on todays engines there is not much to do except drive it like you always do.. I break my engines in hard to seat the rings and have done that for years. I always told people when we did a rebuild on their engine to break it in the usual way you drive but dont drive it like you stole it until there is a couple of hundred miles on the engine
 
Originally Posted By: powayroger
There is a Buick mechanic in this group that states that the traverse has engine and transmission problems. I’m trying to steer the wife away from it, but she likes the added storage room.


Yes. He brought up some good points here: http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/Number/4019269/Searchpage/1/Main/249510/Words/demarpaint/Search/true/Re:_2012_Chevy_Traverse#Post4019269
 
The main objective in initial oil changes on a new vehicle is to facilitate the removal of harmful manufacturing and break-in debris for those interested in long engine life.

Mr. Jim Fitch, founder of Noria Corp. has authored a book "How to select an Oil and Filter for your Car or Truck" The above statement is from page 43. http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=How+to+select+an+oil+and+filter+for+your+car+or+truck

Table 13 on this same page Mr. Fitch outlines his RECOMMENDATIONS for the first few oil changes: 1st oil change within 100 miles of taking possession of the vehicle; 2nd oil change 1500 miles after 1st change, 3rd oil change 3K miles after 2nd, 4th and beyond at normal intervals. Go synthetic at 4th change.

I would guess that the stealership would love you for doing this, since, after purchase, THEIR favorite place for your vehicle to be is on the rack in THEIR service dept. You said you were looking for comments; I gave advice from someone I believe to be much more knowledgeable than myself or anyone on this board. Do what you wish. Good luck and congrats on your purchase, hope you're happy in a couple of years.
 
You're not going to find a correct answer on this. Just do what feels right to you. It probably won't make any difference in the long term maintenance of your vehicle.
 
I don't do anything special to break in my cars. I almost always drive them gently.
 
I went with a high load mid rpm break in and made sure I got some good compression breaking in on my 2016 Outback as soon as I left the dealer. I changed out the FF at 800 miles and had it analyzed but found there were no elevated wear metals. Probably safe to run the FF a lot longer even though I'd still change it out early. No oil burning yet on my 2.5 Limited with has had problems in the last few years!
 
It's a car, just get in and drive normally. Don't do anything stupid for the first few hundred miles. Just change the fluids on schedule-the idea of "manufacturing" debris floating around inside a new engine is nonsense; if there were anything large enough to cause any issues it would be caught by the filter.
 
FWIW the dealer changed my oil in my 2015 Cruze at 2,500 miles just before I bought it. I would not go 5,000 miles on break-in oil. In fact, I do all my cars I buy new before 1,000 to take a look at the oil and filter. If it doesn't look glittery (some engines do, some don't) then I go until 3,000 miles and do it again. Then from there go your normal intervals.
 
I drive my new vehicles without any special treatment. I don't drive especially gentle nor hard. Some heavy throttle for several seconds, helps to seat rings. I leave the factory fill in for at least 3,000 miles because I believe the assembly lubricants are needed to prevent any scuffing and assist in burnishing sliding parts. Quality oil filters are there to prevent any engine damage. Ed
 
I might get flack for this, but when I bought the Camry last April I haven't been afraid to drive it since it had 30mi off the lot. Not abuse, but not afraid to let into it. I live in a valley, so to get out of town you have to go up a steep mountain for a couple miles. Slap it in sport and let it rip. Going with the factory recommended 10K oil change; they don't deem it necessary to change it early. They designed it, who am I to say any different? No noticeable oil consumption in 9K miles.
 
My van saw WOT on the first trip from the dealer. Subsequently it was taken through its RPM range all the way to the red line with some compression braking mixed in. I dumped the FF oil at about 800 miles and there was no sparkles in it. The oil filter had few visible specs when I inspected it, but that was it.
 
Originally Posted By: Pop_Rivit
It's a car, just get in and drive normally. Don't do anything stupid for the first few hundred miles. Just change the fluids on schedule-the idea of "manufacturing" debris floating around inside a new engine is nonsense; if there were anything large enough to cause any issues it would be caught by the filter.

Agree.

I drove my new cars normally the minute I got off the dealer parking lot.

No special break-in is needed, not even early factory filled oil change.

The LS400's engine lasted more than 370k miles(no engine work ever done) with no special break-in. It ran smooth when I sold it a month ago.
 
All my new cars get the factory fill oil dumped at the 500 mile mark, then again at the 1500 mile mark, 3K and it's switched over to synthetic. 5K is my normal oil change routine.
 
Originally Posted By: Ihatetochangeoil
The main objective in initial oil changes on a new vehicle is to facilitate the removal of harmful manufacturing and break-in debris for those interested in long engine life.

Mr. Jim Fitch, founder of Noria Corp. has authored a book "How to select an Oil and Filter for your Car or Truck" The above statement is from page 43. http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=How+to+select+an+oil+and+filter+for+your+car+or+truck

Table 13 on this same page Mr. Fitch outlines his RECOMMENDATIONS for the first few oil changes: 1st oil change within 100 miles of taking possession of the vehicle; 2nd oil change 1500 miles after 1st change, 3rd oil change 3K miles after 2nd, 4th and beyond at normal intervals. Go synthetic at 4th change.

I would guess that the stealership would love you for doing this, since, after purchase, THEIR favorite place for your vehicle to be is on the rack in THEIR service dept. You said you were looking for comments; I gave advice from someone I believe to be much more knowledgeable than myself or anyone on this board. Do what you wish. Good luck and congrats on your purchase, hope you're happy in a couple of years.


Is this Jim Fitch character a snake oil salesman? I ask because his advice, while probably reasonable back in say 1950, is utterly ridiculous in this day and age.
 
Originally Posted By: Shipo
Is this Jim Fitch character a snake oil salesman? I ask because his advice, while probably reasonable back in say 1950, is utterly ridiculous in this day and age.


There were threads in the past that discussed Jim Fitch, who apparently is somehow connected with Blaine Ballentine from Noria. There are articles out there that are word-for-word identical with both names.
 
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