Hello I'm about to get my scion tC and I've been researching about it and came across this website of how to break in a car http://www.mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm

His method is the complete opposite I've always heard about: babying the car and breaking it in slowly.

Anyone have any thoughts or experiences with breaking the engine in hard?

 

I used the method at the link you posted. I thknk the only way to break in the engine wrong is to really baby it. I see 2-3 year old Caddys and Buicks all the time that have probably never been floored in their life, and they're always the ones belching oil smoke when they need to mash it to pass somebody on the highway or get out of the way of a semi.

 

Jason, so what milage did you have your first oil change with the non "easy" break-in?

 

I read that article, I am skeptical of that method. If you do it I would only run it hard the one time, and still treat the car easy for the rest of the 1000 miles. I would not say you can run it "too easy" during break-in though, just dont maintain a set speed for a long period (ie cruise control).

 

From my understanding (and I would be fine if I was wrong), and from what I was told by the scion dealer. Is that many manufacters, including Toyota, pre-test the engines. Meaning they 'break' them in before they are put in the cars. From what the scion guy was telling me was that they run them a good while before putting them in the cars to make sure the seals set and everything.

We only touched on that conversation b/c when I was test driving the very first 5spd on the lot I tagged the rev limiter on accident!


:oops:

 

I see no reason to take this persons advice over anyone else. The fact that the way that page was written like he was trying to sell you something makes me back away on instinct.

 

I see no reason to take this persons advice over anyone else. The fact that the way that page was written like he was trying to sell you something makes me back away on instinct.


I totally second that opinion from Nolte.

One thing about the breakin method that bothers me with that guy is that they pretty much race those engines, meaning they eventually break them down, rebuild them...etc.etc...

I on the other hand need this car to last me minimum 100,000 miles. I kept all my cars up to 150,000 miles until I have to get another.

imo---its your car, break it in on how you want to, as for me I just break it in normal, not to easy not to hard


x

 

I drove my car just how I wanted to drive it from day one. What is the point of babying it. Drive it like it was supposed to be driven, wear everything into its places, things will run fine.

 

if you baby it or drive it hard and you feel there is a problem...take it in to your dealer...it's covered in your warranty. Just tell them there is smoke coming from you exhaust and you did research on it and there was something wrong with the seals...just have to have a convincing story..they will check it out and replace whatever they have too..haha

 

i agree, do NOT over baby your car... but i do hope that you didn't redline the engine, JasonH...=\ the OBDII computer keeps track of when and how many times you redline the engine, keeping the record for two years. i've heard of people having engine problems on other cars, only to have warranty claims rejected because the OBDII indicated that they redlined the engine during break in period and therefore not following proper procedures.

in any case, i drive it mildly aggressively. i've already "tested" my suspension setup (which i think handles GREAT) and don't accelerate too hard (still shift at 3k~4k rpms), but i'm not left behind at a light driving all super slow. i think the car should have an indicator of how you will be driving it soon after break in is over.

 

I never over-babied the tC. Did not redline it on day 1 either. Did the first oil change at 200 miles. Now I'm at 1500 and the oil is still clear as baby's tear. I normaly shift at 2500+, but when I'm bored I shift at redline - just love the sound with the muffler valve open :twisted:

 

I've only heard of that where people removed or raised rev-limiters. I believe since this car has the rev-limiter intact it would be a non issue. I also only believe the OBDII might show maximum RPM and wouldn't show at how many miles that was achieved. I ordered the ODBII thing from ScanGuage so I might be able to see what info is in there.

 

Where does the owners manual say anything about redlining during brake-in?

 

i wonder if any baby's tear's have metal shavings in them?
:D lol

 

200 miles is a bit soon, just wait till 1000 miles change the oil and be happy till the next 3000. Switched to Mobil 1 at 1000 miles and like the way it runs. (smooth)

 

i look at it this way.. be easy on the car for the first 1000.. you have another 100,000 of fun ahead of you! lol I guess people are impatient wanting to hear "sure go ahead drive it like you stole it, it's okay" .. but the fact is. it's not true.. you do have to take some care of a car under break in.. just common sense...

what's the harm in driving with care for the first 1000? then after that.. have fun!!

 

hey, speaking about breaking in, what exactly is varying your driving style"? vary the speed, vary the RPMs, vary the magnitude of acceleration?

the only thing i can make out of this is not to drive it at a constant speed/rpm, i.e. normal highway driving.

 

all of what you said.. sure you accelerate up to a speed.. then for me i back off the speed.. and start slowing down.. really ____es off the people behind me.. but oh well.. then i speed up a little.. slow down again.. usually varying like 10 mph difference.. if it was 40 mph.. i'd go between 35 and 45.. up and down.. really annoying but hey it's only the first 1000.. and yeah never keeping it at any speed/rpm too long..

 

I try not to ____ people off behind me too much by speeding up/slowing down (+/- 5 to 10 mph) repeatedly in front of them. I always REALLY hated that when I'd be running with cruise control on and someone would do that stuff to me. What I do do though is move between the fast and slower lanes and vary OD on/off (auto) every couple of miles which gives me the speed, rev, and acceleration variations.

 

100,000 you mean more like 300,000 + of FUN. It is a TOYOTA after all