Im still a "future Scion Owner" but when I do get my car, it will be my first "NEW" car. Ive read tons of threads in this forum and many have proved to be helpful. I was wondering if people can post their suggestions, tips, or general advice for a new car owner, specifically things one should and should not do.

Some concerns I have:

Mileage. Should long trips be avoided until the car has been broken in (how many miles would be considered 'broken in')?

Paint. I heard its better to let the paint cure for atleast a month before any serious waxing, buffing is to be done. Can anyone clarify?

Warming up the car. I live in Massachusetts. Summers are hot, winters are cold and the other two seasons could be anything. I know that a car needs to be warmed up in the winter, but what about in the summer?

Any replies offering suggestions is greatly appreciated.

 

Just take it easy on it, dont red line it. Long trips wont hurt it, just vary your speed. I just got mine and am gonna get the 3m film on the hood to protect it from chips. Also since you are from Mass, go to Ira Toyota in Milford, ask for Dave Jefferson, and tell him I sent ya (I will get 100 dollars if you buy one). Thanks

Bruce

 

No, you don't have to do anything special with new tC. I would however, wait to wax for 3-4 months. No, you do not have to change your oil after 500 miles. Would do at 3000 and then 4-5000 after the first one.

As any new car, do not try to go from 0-100 in 8 seconds. Keep a good ear out for any rattles, etc. and if you hear some, take to dealer.

Do check the air pressure in tires on purchase. Many dealers leave at "transport" PSI which is 40-50 PSI.

Good luck on tC.

Kevin

 

hey dude, i'm from mass, also (i'm a ma$$hole!!) Yeah, so i have a box, i love it, what i suggest is try and avoid potholes and gravel and anything else that might potentially kick up something that would chip the paint. I know we have a lot of potholes in mass. Also don't run the car too hard at least until you get over 1000 miles, or at least thats what i say. Try and avoid giant big rigs and dump trucks cause they kick up all sorts of crap on the road, just speed past them in your sweet new car!!! Also, what i found out is that if you take two zip ties and tie them around the bottom two holes of your liscence plate, it will stop a lot of the hatch rattle that occurs cause of loud music in the car. Hope you get the car soon!!

 

i took the car home yesterday, about a 200 mile drive. I was told not to use cruise control, and while i wasnt trying to go 0-100 in 8 seconds i found myself easily going up to 90 mph, is that ok?

 

sure.....it's not going to hurt it as long as you didn't stay at 90 for the whole trip......

 

just baby the car for the first 1000 miles or so.

i warm up my car everytime. wait for the rpm to drop to 1k or below and that should indicate whether your car is warmed properly (winter or summer)

i dont know about the waxing.. i guess u should wait but i already waxed mine haha.


oh yeah dont forget to enjoy your ride..

 

Here is my advice.

Break the car in for 500-1000 miles before you start beating on it.

Another good advice to follow is to use synthetic oil It definatley works and helps keep your motor running better, longer. However just using synthetic isnt good enough. Use a good filter (not fram, etc...) I dont know if anybody in the scion group has tested there oils, trust me though its worth the extra 10 bucks or so because you can run it longer than the standard 3000 miles (as long as you use a good filter)

 

i was at about 75/80 most of the time. Is that a problem? And how long do you wait to warm up?

 

I was told when i first purchased the car.
Not to use cruise control for the first 1000.
But I don't know.
Usually to warm up your car it don't take too long.
It says on the manual it shouldn't be to long or all you will be doing is wasting gas ahhaha.

 

I need to know how much not to go past. I hope i didn't mess anything up...
i was going 75-80 yesterday on the highway.

 

You are fine. The only things you should absolutely not do are:

Redline immediately when you take the car, use the brakes too hard immediately, or use cruise control for over 20-25 miles at a time.

Anything else is just breaking in preference, not necessary. (That's not to say it isn;t worthwhile... just not neccessary)

 

Personally, I drive the car carefully for the first 1000 miles. At 500 miles I change the motor oil to Mobil 1. At 1000 miles i change the gear lube in the 5 speed to mobil 1 and I change the motor oil again. If you look at your old break-in olil you will see a metallic sheen to the the oil, that's worn metal from break-in.....ouch.

 

I heard from numerous people to stay away from synthetic until you get to about 7,500 miles that way your seals will be completely settled and broke in. Personally I tried to give my car a full range of driving and then changed the oil at 600 miles, then at 2,500 and at 5,700 miles. I'll continue at a 3,000 mile interval from here on out and will most likely switch to a synthetic when I hit 10K-12K at which time I'll also have my tranny flushed and replaced with synth as well.

 

Those "numerous people" don't know what they are talking about. Synthetic oils do not cause leaks in new or old cars, that idea is total BS.

 

There's some good advice in this thread. For the first thousand miles, just drive conservatively. Vary your speed a lot. There are people who will tell you 'there is no break-in period.' I don't know. But I say, better safe than sorry.

When you get your car broken in, long trips are actually better for it than short hops to the Grocery Store (or wherever.) Frequent, short trips tend to cause more wear.

The paint on Toyota's new cars does not need to cure. By the time it reaches the dealership, it's ready to go. I waxed my car a week after I got it.

It's always a good idea to warm up any car. If you're in a hurry, at least wait until all of the 'diagnostic lights' are gone from your dashboard before you throw it in drive. After that, according to the manual, the best way to warm up your Scion is by driving--gently of course--until your heat gauge lifts a little.

Just get your oil changed every 3,000 miles--no matter what your dealership tells you about 'you only have to change it every 5,000!

 

thought that might have a little bit of validity, your clutch will not have a full break in if you do this, Say you took a 500 mile trip, you only use your clutch a few times and it will not be broken in by the end of that 500 miles, Wich depending on how hard you drive it, you could cause premature wear to the clutch disc.

You could not be more wrong. If you are using dino based oils, then yes change your oil every 3k, if you are using synthetic oils you can go for 5000k, evern 10k if you want. Hell depending on the oil you can go 30k without changing it. www.amsoil.com Read all about it there.