Break-In

[snipe]

Seeing as this is my first and new car, how long is the break-in period on these cars, and what does it exactly mean?

Also, is there any advantage to switching to synthetic oils?

[bluntman]

Originally posted by snipe


Seeing as this is my first and new car, how long is the break-in period on these cars, and what does it exactly mean?

Also, is there any advantage to switching to synthetic oils?

What\'s break in?

Seriously though, my deal (and the manual) told me that there\'s no need to \"baby it\" like in the old days. Still, take it easy when launching it from a red light and vary the RPMs of the engine. Of course as soon as I picked up my 3 I jumped on the 407 and went to Square One and I\'ve never had a performance problem since picking it up. Another guy I took his newly delivered 3 down the east coast and has put 4000km on it since picking it mid-April.

Some people have said that the oil used by Mazda is semi-synthetic, that\'s probably why Mazda recommends changing the oil at every 8000km!

[Xenon]

A \"break in\" generally means no hard driving (no higher than 2/4 up the tach) no excessive breaking, accelerating or cornering.

Usually this is done for the first 100 miles, or 1600 kms. (From what I have heard in other forums) the Mazda3 Engine does not need that amount of time to break in. For the first 1000 kms on the car, drive at various speeds without hard acceleration or heavy breaking.

The beak in of the brakes are crutial for the Mazda3, as there have been many reports of grooved brakes if the car has undergone heavy braking within the break in period.

[snipe]

So is driving on the highway at 100km/h but accelerating really slowly out of the question? See, driving to work in rush hour I dont\' really put that much strain on it accelerating since it\'s busy in the morning and everyone is going fairly slow.

Heh, if I take the 401 then I might be ok, I dont\' know. I guess if all else fails, I\'ll just have to leave 30 mins earlier to work and take side streets.

I will talk to the dealer about this break-in period.

Thanks for the input.

[Xenon]

You can go 140 km/h if you like, doesn\'t really matter, just make sure you don\'t try to do it in 10 seconds. Basically, avoid flooring the pedal or slamming on the brakes.

Varying speed is also good during the break in period. Avoid using the cruise control. Go 140 in the fast lane, then go 120 in the middle and 100 in the slow and work your way back.

Again, heavy acceleration or braking is what you want to try to avoid. Rush hour can be good sometimes, you go from 0 to 20... then 20 to 60 then 60- 80, then back down. Varying speed.

[andregt6]

The guy at the dealer told me not to use the cruise control for the first 500 KM.
It loads the motor too much.

Other then that he told me its ready to race.

I\'ll read my manual. :)

A.

[Nex]

Just take it easy for the first 1000kms and you\'re good to go. As Xenon mentioned, don\'t floor it, and don\'t jam on the brakes.
It\'s more about keeping the RPMs low than actual speed.

[MajesticBlueNTO]

Here\'s how i did the engine \'break-in\' in my 3:

drove conservatively for the first 10-15kms until the engine and tranny were up to operating temp.

one a clear road, while rolling with no one behind me, i put it in 2nd gear and let it go WOT to near redline. once there, backed off the throttle to let engine compression slow the car down.

repeated 3-4 times (this is also the way most S2000 owners have broken in their engine)

then drove the car around normally with some spirited trips to redline in 1st, 2nd, 3rd gears within the first 100kms. this procedure will help the piston rings mate properly to the cylinder walls. more info here (http://www.mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm)

i\'ve varied the rpms on highway trips and was about to change the oil at 200kms but didn\'t have the time. will change it soon when i get back to toronto (at which point, the car will have ~600kms).

Here\'s how i did the engine \'break-in\' in my 2001 Maxima (brand new back in 2001):

drove like a granny for the first 1600kms. never went past 4000rpm. result: the engine takes over a litre of oil (damn near 2L) between oil changes. Castrol Syntec 5W30 and Mobil1 5W30 used after 10,000kms on the odo


i\'m not saying either way is correct/wrong...just that my personal experience with taking it easy hasn\'t been favourable

as for the brakes:

stop normally for the first 500kms - no hard stops if you can.

(make sure no one is behind you when doing the following)
on a clear road, preferably with no traffic in the surrounding area, go up to 80km/h then step on the brakes as hard as you can but try not to engage the ABS to slow the car down to 5km/h (do not stop the car and hold the brake pedal)

drive around a bit to cool the rotors down. then repeat the 80km/h to ~5km/h 5-8 times or until you feel brake fade.

after this, drive around for 15 minutes without using your brakes (i.e. on a highway late at night). this bedding-in procedure will transfer pad material to the rotor evenly. in fact, the most common cause of \"warped\" rotors is uneven pad material transferred onto the rotors (i.e. stopping hard from high speeds and keeping your foot on the brake) and, to get rid of the \'warping\', rebedding will normally work.

hope that helps. that has been my experience \'weekend\' racing my maxima.

cheers

[snipe]

Wow, some good detailed info. I\'m alomst at 1000km on my 3. Been taking it kinda easy on my 3, but had some good moments too. I\'ll see how this turns out.

Thanx Majestic.

[Xenon]

My car is now parked in the garage for the night... 923 kms... almost there!!!

Holy crap.. I\'ve driven 923 Kms in 6 days.... :sarc

[snipe]

Dang, 900 in 6 days.

I wanted to do it fast too but I still have about 200 to go. I put 500 km on it the first week. By the end of the weekend I should be up to 1000.

Where did u go to put so many kms on it? Barrie and back a couple of times? Cause that\'s what my firend did when he got his 6.

[IS300GGP]

Originally posted by snipe


Seeing as this is my first and new car, how long is the break-in period on these cars, and what does it exactly mean?

Also, is there any advantage to switching to synthetic oils?

this will help you with Q\'s re: synthetic oils.. click on myth vs fact.
http://www.castrol.ca/products/default.asp?product_id=4&product_category=1
http://www.mobil1.com/index.jsp

[Xenon]

I\'ve just been driving my car everywhere.... but then again, Work is a 70 km trip one way... I live in Oakville but work at the Toronto Zoo (Scarborough).

I\'ve also taken my car to Downtown TO and to the movies, out wih friends etc. I put on 230 km the 2nd day I got it.

[MajesticBlueNTO]

1300km in 5 days :(

damn project/working in niagara falls and living in toronto

[Xenon]

I\'ve had my car for 11 dyas, and I almsot have 1400 on it. Haha.. I love my car too much.

[snipe]

Woohoo, I\'ve passed the 1000km mark. Time to redline the hell out of my 3 now :D

[Xenon]

lol
after I broke my car in, I finally used the cruise control for the first time. I\'m glad to see it works :p

[MarkhamMazda3]

Xenon, I thought i was the only one that loved it that much, i have had it for 2 weeks and a day now and i am racking up somewhere in the 1400 KM range. GOOD JOB!!

[MajesticBlueNTO]

1.5 weeks and 2700kms. at this rate, in a year\'s time, i won\'t have a warranty

[Xenon]

Two weeks this friday, I\'m over 1600 now. LOL

[Flagrum_3]

Originally posted by MajesticBlueN


Here\'s how i did the engine \'break-in\' in my 3:

drove conservatively for the first 10-15kms until the engine and tranny were up to operating temp.

one a clear road, while rolling with no one behind me, i put it in 2nd gear and let it go WOT to near redline. once there, backed off the throttle to let engine compression slow the car down.

repeated 3-4 times (this is also the way most S2000 owners have broken in their engine)

then drove the car around normally with some spirited trips to redline in 1st, 2nd, 3rd gears within the first 100kms. this procedure will help the piston rings mate properly to the cylinder walls. more info here (http://www.mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm)

i\'ve varied the rpms on highway trips and was about to change the oil at 200kms but didn\'t have the time. will change it soon when i get back to toronto (at which point, the car will have ~600kms).

Here\'s how i did the engine \'break-in\' in my 2001 Maxima (brand new back in 2001):

drove like a granny for the first 1600kms. never went past 4000rpm. result: the engine takes over a litre of oil (damn near 2L) between oil changes. Castrol Syntec 5W30 and Mobil1 5W30 used after 10,000kms on the odo


i\'m not saying either way is correct/wrong...just that my personal experience with taking it easy hasn\'t been favourable

as for the brakes:

stop normally for the first 500kms - no hard stops if you can.

(make sure no one is behind you when doing the following)
on a clear road, preferably with no traffic in the surrounding area, go up to 80km/h then step on the brakes as hard as you can but try not to engage the ABS to slow the car down to 5km/h (do not stop the car and hold the brake pedal)

drive around a bit to cool the rotors down. then repeat the 80km/h to ~5km/h 5-8 times or until you feel brake fade.

after this, drive around for 15 minutes without using your brakes (i.e. on a highway late at night). this bedding-in procedure will transfer pad material to the rotor evenly. in fact, the most common cause of \"warped\" rotors is uneven pad material transferred onto the rotors (i.e. stopping hard from high speeds and keeping your foot on the brake) and, to get rid of the \'warping\', rebedding will normally work.

hope that helps. that has been my experience \'weekend\' racing my maxima.

cheers

Nice write-up Majestic, If you don\'t mind I\'ll add my 2cts worth.

-Always allow your engine a couple of minutes to warm up (when starting cold), before any driving this gives the pistons and rings time to properly form to the cylinders.
-Keep your original oil for atleast 1000kms (it is specially formulated for the Break-in)
than switch to whatever you please, I prefer to use Mobil1 synthetic, have used it in all my vehicles for twenty years (I swear by it).The reason for this quick first oil change is to clean out any machine filings picked up by the oil.
TIP: Here\'s one for the fanatics, Magnetize your oil dipstick it will pick-up metal filings as the oil passes by (believe me those filings are there)-You should be checking your oil level every couple of days for excessive consumption anyways and as you wipe the stick you wipe the filings it might have picked-up.

Has for the Brake system break-in I personally will not wait 500 kms to do Majestics break-in method which I agree with almost 100 percent, I will do it almost immediately-of course giving some time to warm up the brakes>Reason for this is that it can occur where you\'ll have a situation (some other moron on the road):hoho will cause you to clamp the binders harder than you would like causing you to warp your rotors....(I know this from experience.).When it comes to the actual break-in I would try several repeated stops 80K - 20K first>bringing it down to 5k might allow for excessive heat.
I visited a Mazda dealer recently and noticed a couple of the M3s both with very low Ks (one with only 27 kms, my test vehicle) had gouged rotors front and rear, but especially the rear.This warrants my decision to not wait to long to do the Brake break-in.

One more tip for those just picking up thier new rides from the dealer>Check all your levels and tire pressure immediatly before driving off (Another one I learned from experience).

Thats it, hope that helps.
:D




Ron.





.

[AeRo]

hmm
what I\'ve heard was not to let the RPM\'s get past 4000 for the first 1000 k\'s or so

[majic]

Originally posted by Flagrum_3

-Keep your original oil for atleast 1000kms (it is specially formulated for the Break-in)

i think that\'s BS. can you prove it? i\'ve been reading that on every board and half the people say there\'s no special oil and the other half say there is.. just like with my next point...


Originally posted by AeRo

hmm
what I\'ve heard was not to let the RPM\'s get past 4000 for the first 1000 k\'s or so


there are always at least 2 ways of doing this.. granny it or drive it like you stole it.. i chose the latter and i guess i cant really tell yet but at 15K it\'s two thumbs up.. it makes sens what the guy on mototuneusa says so i decided to give it a shot..

[Flagrum_3]

Originally posted by majic



Originally posted by Flagrum_3

-Keep your original oil for atleast 1000kms (it is specially formulated for the Break-in)

i think that\'s BS. can you prove it? i\'ve been reading that on every board and half the people say there\'s no special oil and the other half say there is.. just like with my next point...


Originally posted by AeRo

hmm
what I\'ve heard was not to let the RPM\'s get past 4000 for the first 1000 k\'s or so


there are always at least 2 ways of doing this.. granny it or drive it like you stole it.. i chose the latter and i guess i cant really tell yet but at 15K it\'s two thumbs up.. it makes sens what the guy on mototuneusa says so i decided to give it a shot..


Hi Majic, for the first point; If you don\'t believe it why not write the manufacturer and ask them? I personaly know this because I \'ve had friends which worked in the industry building the OE motors, but the major point was basically to not keep the original oil in for too long as it will contaminate quickly during a break-in with things such as gas, metal filings, and grease which is placed on all internal bearings for the break-in.I know this personally as I worked several years rebuilding motors.

As for the second point; I\'ve heard people say not to exceed 4000rpm also, but I do not believe in this theory.My understanding is that the major thing to avoid is not to put the engine under any extreme load i.e do not bog the engine, especially on take-off. keeping the revs up moderately prevents this, but at the same time bringing the engine to red line \"under the right conditions\" will help seat the rings.
At 15k you would never know if you\'ve broken it in right except for in extreme circumsatances where you might notice excess oil burn. Otherwise the symtoms would only show up much later in the engines life.

my 2cnts.



_3



.

[Geologic]

such heavy drivers.. I\'ve had it for 3.5 weeks and I\'ve driven it 800km :(

I\'m not even going to do any mods till its past 1000km. Ive been takin it pretty easy, engine rpm never goes above 3 and no hard breaking..

[majic]

Originally posted by Flagrum_3

Hi Majic, for the first point; If you don\'t believe it why not write the manufacturer and ask them? I personaly know this because I \'ve had friends which worked in the industry building the OE motors, but the major point was basically to not keep the original oil in for too long as it will contaminate quickly during a break-in with things such as gas, metal filings, and grease which is placed on all internal bearings for the break-in.I know this personally as I worked several years rebuilding motors.

As for the second point; I\'ve heard people say not to exceed 4000rpm also, but I do not believe in this theory.My understanding is that the major thing to avoid is not to put the engine under any extreme load i.e do not bog the engine, especially on take-off. keeping the revs up moderately prevents this, but at the same time bringing the engine to red line \"under the right conditions\" will help seat the rings.
At 15k you would never know if you\'ve broken it in right except for in extreme circumsatances where you might notice excess oil burn. Otherwise the symtoms would only show up much later in the engines life.

my 2cnts.



_3



.

hey man.. i wasn\'t disputing your point, i just always hear \'this and that\' and nobody ever has proof for that magical \'break-in oil\' so i just don\'t believe it. i guess i\'d need to see it with my own eyes, smell it with my nose and lick it with my tongue. ;)

so i just spent good part of the day researching this \"special break-in oil\" on boibistheoilguy forums (http://theoildrop.server101.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php)

ppl\'s opinions vary from \"do it by the book (manual)\" through \"do 3 changes by 3K (500,1500,3000)\" to \"change it asap\" based on the assumption there\'s this magical or there isn\'t (or they just follow the crowd).. well to me opinions are like a$$holes, everyone\'s got one and they stink ;) I like proof or at least I like to hear it from someone who knows their $hit on the subject at hand (that\'s not biased), a specialist you might call him/her.

After browsing through nevereding posts and searching for \"special break-in oil\" i came across two threads that are quite pertinent to this discussion. Straight from the horse\'s mouth:

the break in (http://theoildrop.server101.com/cgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=000389#000004)

looks like that break in method is great. I guess everyone will spin the \'facts\' their way and maybe th emototune guy wasn\'t 100% right about some things but notice how bob did not dispute that. in addition he said he doesn\'t follow the manual.. hmm ;) So just remember to warm your engine up and LET HER RIP! - that\'s RIP as in GIV\'ER not as in Rest In Peace :p

the special oil (http://theoildrop.server101.com/cgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=000056#000004)

seems like no matter what\'s said, people will still go with their original idea - most humans do not entertain change, or when they do, it\'s quite difficult to adjust. Lube is lube and in this case it looks like high moly counts are bad, but a lot of honda/acura owners seem to think otherwise (from their posts on BITOG)

after not being satisfied with my understanding of these \'moly\' counts i read more - this seems to relate to honda owners primairly. it seems like the reasoning behing those owners to KEEP THE ORIGINAL OIL until the first OCI is because the engine break-in takes longer due to the extra amounts of molybdenum - a wear inhibitor & protector of sorts.

what\'s a moly? (http://theoildrop.server101.com/cgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=008548;p=1#0000 04)
honda and moly (http://theoildrop.server101.com/cgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=002195#000004)
moly and break in (http://theoildrop.server101.com/cgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=005462;p=1#0000 22)
honda and break-in (http://theoildrop.server101.com/cgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=002322;p=1#0000 04)
too much moly not so good? (http://theoildrop.server101.com/cgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=000875;p=1#0000 08)
honda\'s additive (http://theoildrop.server101.com/cgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=001025#000003)
i think he quoted something of a bike board that quoted mototuneusa (http://theoildrop.server101.com/cgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=001025;p=1#0000 09)
and i think by \"synthetic is more slippery\" the guy may have meant to say is less viscous at lower temps..

anyway.. i did my break in as soon as i stepped off the lot and warmed her up.. by the time i got home, i changed my oil at 76km. then again at 6000km with dino and at 12000km with Mobil 1 0W20. is it good? i _THINK_ so, we\'ll see later as @ 15K as you mentioned, i can\'t tell.

i don\'t feel so bad anymore ;) 41km (http://theoildrop.server101.com/cgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=008784#000009)

other interesting links:
i\'m no chem eng./chemist but.. they seem to be (http://theoildrop.server101.com/cgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=21;t=000027)
Wikipedia on Molybdenum (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molybdenum)

I think i\'m done.. :)

EDIT: fixed broken link

[Flagrum_3]

Originally posted by majic



Originally posted by Flagrum_3

Hi Majic, for the first point; If you don\'t believe it why not write the manufacturer and ask them? I personaly know this because I \'ve had friends which worked in the industry building the OE motors, but the major point was basically to not keep the original oil in for too long as it will contaminate quickly during a break-in with things such as gas, metal filings, and grease which is placed on all internal bearings for the break-in.I know this personally as I worked several years rebuilding motors.

As for the second point; I\'ve heard people say not to exceed 4000rpm also, but I do not believe in this theory.My understanding is that the major thing to avoid is not to put the engine under any extreme load i.e do not bog the engine, especially on take-off. keeping the revs up moderately prevents this, but at the same time bringing the engine to red line \"under the right conditions\" will help seat the rings.
At 15k you would never know if you\'ve broken it in right except for in extreme circumsatances where you might notice excess oil burn. Otherwise the symtoms would only show up much later in the engines life.

my 2cnts.



_3



.

hey man.. i wasn\'t disputing your point, i just always hear \'this and that\' and nobody ever has proof for that magical \'break-in oil\' so i just don\'t believe it. i guess i\'d need to see it with my own eyes, smell it with my nose and lick it with my tongue. ;)

so i just spent good part of the day researching this \"special break-in oil\" on boibistheoilguy forums (http://theoildrop.server101.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php)

ppl\'s opinions vary from \"do it by the book (manual)\" through \"do 3 changes by 3K (500,1500,3000)\" to \"change it asap\" based on the assumption there\'s this magical or there isn\'t (or they just follow the crowd).. well to me opinions are like a$$holes, everyone\'s got one and they stink ;) I like proof or at least I like to hear it from someone who knows their $hit on the subject at hand (that\'s not biased), a specialist you might call him/her.

After browsing through nevereding posts and searching for \"special break-in oil\" i came across two threads that are quite pertinent to this discussion. Straight from the horse\'s mouth:

http://theoildrop.server101.com/cgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=000389#000004]the break in

looks like that break in method is great. I guess everyone will spin the \'facts\' their way and maybe th emototune guy wasn\'t 100% right about some things but notice how bob did not dispute that. in addition he said he doesn\'t follow the manual.. hmm ;) So just remember to warm your engine up and LET HER RIP! - that\'s RIP as in GIV\'ER not as in Rest In Peace :p

the special oil (http://theoildrop.server101.com/cgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=000056#000004)

seems like no matter what\'s said, people will still go with their original idea - most humans do not entertain change, or when they do, it\'s quite difficult to adjust. Lube is lube and in this case it looks like high moly counts are bad, but a lot of honda/acura owners seem to think otherwise (from their posts on BITOG)

after not being satisfied with my understanding of these \'moly\' counts i read more - this seems to relate to honda owners primairly. it seems like the reasoning behing those owners to KEEP THE ORIGINAL OIL until the first OCI is because the engine break-in takes longer due to the extra amounts of molybdenum - a wear inhibitor & protector of sorts.

what\'s a moly? (http://theoildrop.server101.com/cgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=008548;p=1#0000 04)
honda and moly (http://theoildrop.server101.com/cgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=002195#000004)
moly and break in (http://theoildrop.server101.com/cgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=005462;p=1#0000 22)
honda and break-in (http://theoildrop.server101.com/cgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=002322;p=1#0000 04)
too much moly not so good? (http://theoildrop.server101.com/cgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=000875;p=1#0000 08)
honda\'s additive (http://theoildrop.server101.com/cgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=001025#000003)
i think he quoted something of a bike board that quoted mototuneusa (http://theoildrop.server101.com/cgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=001025;p=1#0000 09)
and i think by \"synthetic is more slippery\" the guy may have meant to say is less viscous at lower temps..

anyway.. i did my break in as soon as i stepped off the lot and warmed her up.. by the time i got home, i changed my oil at 76km. then again at 6000km with dino and at 12000km with Mobil 1 0W20. is it good? i _THINK_ so, we\'ll see later as @ 15K as you mentioned, i can\'t tell.

i don\'t feel so bad anymore ;) 41km (http://theoildrop.server101.com/cgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=008784#000009)

other interesting links:
i\'m no chem eng./chemist but.. they seem to be (http://theoildrop.server101.com/cgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=21;t=000027)
Wikipedia on Molybdenum (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molybdenum)

I think i\'m done.. :)


Sounds like your pantie\'s are in a bind.

I think that by pulling my quote and saying quote\"I think that\'s bullshit, can you prove it\" unqoute, is definitely disputing my point.

And like I said before, ask the manufacturer if your not sure about the oil, don\'t go searching the web for more dis-information.

I was just trying to be helpful to the original poster by giving info that I know is correct from experience, experience gained by being in the industry and not from reading opinions on the web.By the way, thats experience I gained by rebuilding dozens of engines and talking to professionals since before you could wipe your own a$$

So why don\'t you follow your own advise and unless you have real knowledge to be able to dispute someones opinion.......Keep it to yourself.

Anyways kudos to you if your baby is running fine.:)


Good luck.





_3

[UncleIstvan]

Originally posted by MajesticBlueN


Here\'s how i did the engine \'break-in\' in my 3:

drove conservatively for the first 10-15kms until the engine and tranny were up to operating temp.

one a clear road, while rolling with no one behind me, i put it in 2nd gear and let it go WOT to near redline. once there, backed off the throttle to let engine compression slow the car down.

repeated 3-4 times (this is also the way most S2000 owners have broken in their engine)

then drove the car around normally with some spirited trips to redline in 1st, 2nd, 3rd gears within the first 100kms. this procedure will help the piston rings mate properly to the cylinder walls.


sorry to dredge up an old thead, but this is great stuff.

curious as to how many kms had on the car when you did this and the brakes?

[majic]

Originally posted by UncleIstvan

Originally posted by MajesticBlueN


Here\'s how i did the engine \'break-in\' in my 3:

drove conservatively for the first 10-15kms until the engine and tranny were up to operating temp.




sorry to dredge up an old thead, but this is great stuff.

curious as to how many kms had on the car when you did this and the brakes?



pretty much as soon as it left the dealer lot and the enginge got warmed up :)

[Krakilin]

Breaking-in a car a very controversal topic... though, in the Mazda Manual (I don\'t have it with me at the moment so I can\'t give a page #), I believe it \"suggests\" not to do hard accerlerating and braking for the first 1000km if possible, and it also says it \"might\" increase your car\'s life-span.

The reason why this is such a controversal topic is because there\'s lack of evidence, everything is based on \"theory\", there are evidence but it supports both side. You have a bunch of people claiming \"o, I grannied my car during the break-in period and now my car is at 150,000km with no problmes at all\"... ok, but you also have a bunch of other people claiming \"o, I drove my car like mad the first day I picked up my car, it\'s at 150,000km now issues at all\"

To be honest with you, with the technology behind modern cars... I really don\'t think it\'ll make a big difference as in how you break-in your car.

I personally did what the Mazda Manual \"suggested\" me to do. But I did redline it every now and then, it\'s too hard to resist with a stick... but I dont\' worry about it thinking \"o no, I just decreased my car\'s life by a couple of days\"... I just drive it and redline it cuz it\'s FUN!

You know what, there\'s NO WAY you can predict how long your car is going to last, if it happens, it\'s going to happen. My friend bought a new Lexus the other day, the transmission broke down after 1 month of driving and the dealers have to replace it for him, is it because the way he broke-in his new car? I think not.

[SABIO]

Who cares kill this topic

[vortex-5]

Well i took 3 weeks now I\'m finally at 1200KM and the car\'s a dream. Taking it easy was favorable for me the engine still as quiet as new during idle. and the tranny has learned (hysterisis) to shift everything for smoother ride and better gas milage. (most tranny\'s these days adapt to your driving style).

Just went in for my first service to get the firmware flashed os I can get a fuel remaining readout will let you guys know after that starts displaying.

[drtse]

Hmm...given that most customers take cars out for test drives and drive them hard, nobody should ever buy a demo vehicle?

[Jeff-TheBiz]

Hmm...given that most customers take cars out for test drives and drive them hard, nobody should ever buy a demo vehicle?

Depends what kind of Demo...

BTW, this threa is over a year old.

[Fuman]

BTW, this threa is over a year old.
I scrolled up to double check the time, thread title looked too fimilar! haha
but +1 for searching!

[SABIO]

3 years and 3 months!!

[onetwo3]

When I first picked up my Acura, I drove all the way from montreal to toronto. no problem until i totaled it