one of my friends and I were talking about the break in period on our cars. I bought my 03 evo 8 brand new and didn't rev it over 4k for the first 1,000 miles. After the first thousand I changed the oil and then continued to baby it and opening it up occasionally. As for my friend he bought a new 05 srt-4 and pretty raced it right off the lot. Are the break in periods really all that important to an engines life and did any body here obey the break in period like I did?

 

You didn't obey the break-in period, you made your own version of it. All Mitsu says to do is not go above _5k rpm_ for 600 miles, at which point you can go all out. Many people say that the engine is broken-in from the factory and should be driven hard right off the bat so that the rings seal properly. I, for one, followed the 600-mile suggestion, but threw in a few quick boosts to 6k...just nothing near 7k or beyond. In fact, I was so used to driving it this way and from my years with DSMs not making power over 6k, that it was several thousand miles before I realized that our factory ECU tune provides us a big kick in the rear above 6000 rpm and holds all the way past 7000rpm.

Your buddy's SRT-4 is probably going to be fine, but it's not a bad idea to follow a break-in procedure, just not the extreme one you did.

 

thanks for the response. Yeah I did make a little bit of a mod on the break in period but if I spend 30K on a car I am going to get my moneys worth.

 

unless you saw it delivered off the truck, it's already been redlined, brake-tested, and clutch-dropped. by the salespeople, the porters, or someone test driving it.

i wouldn't worry about break-in too much. but if anyone at a dealership ever asks you, OF COURSE IT WAS PROPERLY BROKEN IN

by the way, i work at a Chrysler dealership, and i know what i've done to SRT-6 Crossfires, SRT-4 Neons, & SRT-8 300Cs and don't get me started on the used '04 Cobra we just took in, hahah.

 

Mine only had 2 miles on it when I got it so I kind of doubt anybody had time to play with it.

 

Bought a brand new 05 MR and followed Moto Man's instructions to the letter. www.mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm
Took it straight to the Mustang Dyno and made three sets of three runs. First at 50% of redline, first through fourth gears, then 75% and finally 100%. Did an oil change at 20 Miles to get out all the metal filings (and go back to synthetic). Make damn sure to let her cool down before shutting her off (even more important without synthetic). Took her to Road America and hit the track with 800 miles on the odo. Everything’s been perfect.

 

By the way, I had 4 miles on the odo when I picked her up.

 

That's great! You should be very proud of your accomplishments.

My faith in humanity and what occurs at the auto dealerships is restored.

Good job! I'd be proud, too, and would go out of my way to let everyone know.

 

everyone has their opinion on the break in period... at the very least you should follow what the manufacturer (mitsu) recommends which is not going pass 5k till youve driven 600miles. i'm personally waiting till i put on 1000 miles before i start mashing on it. i have to admit its hard but hey it should be worth it right?

 

actually, i am glad i get to drive and test a wide array of cars and trucks. sorry if you can't deal with the fact their 'tested' before hand. you don't expect every girl you're with to be a virgin do you?

when new vehicles come in, they go through PDI (pre-delivery inspection), which consists of someone checking the fluids, and putting about 10-15 miles on them with varied rpms, ensuring all gears work/engage, & testing the ABS.

i can offer you a couple helpful hints though, incase you're worried about it. order your vehicle, take delivery when there's still plastic on it, and if you ever bring your vehicle in for service, jot down the mileage and let the service writer know you're being mindful of it.

but hey, i'm glad i could restore your faith in humanity just by going to work!

 

YOu know, that's funny, I'm still driving like I'm breaking it in, it's just become a habit. . .I rarely go beyond 5k, and when I do (I'm at like 2500 miles NOW), I'm like, woah, that was NICE. . .But I did follow the 600mile rule VERY stricly, and did do a number of highway runs from 3-5.5k just to make sure things seal nicely. . .

The first oil change at 1k something was pretty mucky. . .I haven't burned any oil at all so far, and things are looking good, and she drives strong when I summon her all, so I guess it's probably smart to just follow what they tell ya to do. . .