FRS Break-in guide

[Subie]

Originally Posted by ngabdala

I am going with what the manual suggests. I would trust the engineers that make the engine to give me the best advice on how to break it in.

Be careful if you go on a test drive not to beat on your soon to be car.

If you decide the car isn't for you then drive it back to the dealership like it deserves to die.

I agree with the first bit...

As to the second, how about a little courtesy for the next guy?

[ngabdala]

Originally Posted by Subie

I agree with the first bit...

As to the second, how about a little courtesy for the next guy?

That was sarcasm.

[Subie]

Originally Posted by ngabdala

That was sarcasm.

Sorry; it's hard to tell on the 'net.

[ngabdala]

Not a big deal. It's the internet

Originally Posted by Subie

Sorry; it's hard to tell on the 'net.

[Genomaxter]

What people need to know tho is that engineers don't write anything. They dont even draw anything. All engineers do is design, analysis, then trials. Drafters do all the drawings and documentation. Engineers then check all the technical stuff, sign off on it then it gets passed to checking who consult with the lawyers. Lawyers have final say on anything that could cost the company money. Then it goes back to drafting for final drafts.

I know the engineers know what's best, but lawyers could care less and so do stock holders. Was there ever a problem with the first gen 1zz-Fe? Legally no, but they revised the piston design later because it had issues with burning oil due to bad ring design that was hit or miss. That was an engineering call to fix it, but if you ever ask Toyota if there was a problem they will tell you no.

I don't trust lawyers, so I won't trust "advice" on operating procedures. Most of the methods on hard break in call for constant high load, high gear accelerating and decelerating using no high rpms or brakes to slow down. Not exactly advice you want to give to a person who can barely handle a car beyond drivers ed. That's lawsuits material there.

[ngabdala]

Originally Posted by Genomaxter

I know the engineers know what's best, but lawyers could care less and so do stock holders.

I own many different stocks and I can tell you stockholders care. Lawsuits against any company reduce the value of the stock. It creates market uncertainty.

[Genomaxter]

Lawsuite wise yes. Stockholders could care less if a person gets less power so long as they are less likely to sue. That's my point.

[7thgear]

Originally Posted by Dizz1e

If a "HARD" break in is optimal then why would the owner's manual for the car state otherwise....

Like everybody else, I want to get the most out of the car and this seems to be a very controversial topic.

because the manufacturer only wants the car to survive up to a certain milliage then they put their zero fucks hat on.

making a car that lasts forever is bad business

[blu_]

Originally Posted by Jeff Lange

Most new Toyotas and Subarus come factory-filled with 0W20 Synthetic.

Jeff

Pretty sure this is the only Subaru that doesn't take 5-30.

[Jeff Lange]

Originally Posted by blu_

Pretty sure this is the only Subaru that doesn't take 5-30.

Not true, the 2012 Impreza 2.0 and 2011-2012 Forester non-turbo also use 0W20. I guess my "most" comment was more related to the Toyotas, but there are other Subarus that are already using 0W20 synthetic factory fill as well.



Jeff

[mattles]

Dunno how I feel about 0w20 still, even the manual says to use a 'higher' grade oil if the car will be operated "outside of normal driving parameters"

In all my inline 4 motors I have sworn by 0w30 or 5w40 depending on driving style and ambient temperature. Im probably going to be using 0w30 in this engine, too.

[SkullWorks]

I don't like 0w oil,

I will be running 5w-30 or some close facsimile there-to,

[Genomaxter]

I love 0 oils. I would never go above what a manufacturer states, infact I will normally go lower. In this case tho, Toyota/Subaru had already picked the oil I was planning to use from the start which is 0-20.

[Dizz1e]

Originally Posted by 7thgear

because the manufacturer only wants the car to survive up to a certain milliage then they put their zero fucks hat on.

making a car that lasts forever is bad business

So you're going to be flooring it to 7000 rpms right off the lot?

[Genomaxter]

A hard break in isnt flooring it to redline right off the bat. Thats called being an idiot.

[RRnold]

Originally Posted by Dizz1e

"Run it hard from hour 0" is wrong - here's why

The "run it hard" opinion hit a resurgence with a website from an air cooled motorcycle mechanic. Aside from the page being focused on motorcycle engines, his hard break in technique for the street only takes the bike up to 65 mph - that's fast for a bike but not much for a car. Bikes are also thousands of pounds lighter than cars so the engine doesn't have to work very hard if you're driving "normally". Some of the misunderstanding is that one person's babying is another's beating. The advice also says that the critical window of opportunity is only 20 miles or 9 dyno runs, then it becomes 200 miles for the street - which is it? It also says that power loss from an easy break in could be up to 10% while the gain in power as a result of using his break in technique could be up 10%. Call me a skeptic - car makers have done full price + taxes buybacks when horsepower was 5% lower than advertised (RX-8) and it's well known that many engines are underrated in their actual power (335i N54).

The engine in your new car really isn't a brand new engine either - it was already tested at the factory, had its first oil change, driven on a dyno at the factory, on/off the transport, and then around the dealership. In some cases the car was driven to another dealer and test driven by other people. Some high performance cars are even driven hard on a track at the factory for quality control. If the first minutes of engine break in determine the rest of engine life and performance, you already missed it.

Engine break in goals are proper heat cycling, mating of parts, and stress reliving accomplished by incremental increases in varying rpm and load. You definitely don't want to baby the engine but you don't want to beat it hard either. The most important goals are avoiding excess engine wear, idling longer than you normally would, steady rpm, and high load on a cold engine."

Taken from: http://www.myturbodiesel.com

How are you gonna say it's wrong when you don't fully understand what the process involves!

I've used this method on motorcycles that run twice the redline as most cars. The manual is there just in case you forgot how to drive a car or are a female driver!

Basically it's saying for the first 20 miles, keep the engine loaded and don't bog it, drain the oil to flush out the small fine metal shavings. If you don't have access to a dyno, you can do it on the street.

@ 11:22! They are tested prior to leaving the factory so keeping it under 4K is only there for liability reasons. Sorry to hurt your feelings but you are not the first one to drive you car. Be sure sure to watch the kid who tops your tank off, he'll drive how it's supposed to be driven.

Mercedes-Benz C-Class Production Bremen - YouTube

Originally Posted by Genomaxter

What people need to know tho is that engineers don't write anything. They dont even draw anything. All engineers do is design, analysis, then trials. Drafters do all the drawings and documentation. Engineers then check all the technical stuff, sign off on it then it gets passed to checking who consult with the lawyers. Lawyers have final say on anything that could cost the company money. Then it goes back to drafting for final drafts.

I know the engineers know what's best, but lawyers could care less and so do stock holders. Was there ever a problem with the first gen 1zz-Fe? Legally no, but they revised the piston design later because it had issues with burning oil due to bad ring design that was hit or miss. That was an engineering call to fix it, but if you ever ask Toyota if there was a problem they will tell you no.

I don't trust lawyers, so I won't trust "advice" on operating procedures. Most of the methods on hard break in call for constant high load, high gear accelerating and decelerating using no high rpms or brakes to slow down. Not exactly advice you want to give to a person who can barely handle a car beyond drivers ed. That's lawsuits material there.

Technical Writers!

[Dizz1e]

Originally Posted by Genomaxter

A hard break in isnt flooring it to redline right off the bat. Thats called being an idiot.

So a hard break-in is in between what the manual suggest and being an idiot. Looks like I should be able to handle this.

[Daemione]

I'll second Dizz1e's general stance. A freshly built motorcycle engine is not the same as a factory built car engine. Doing anything extra to try and seat rings "better" is unnecessary. Rings are seated at the factory in a modern car.

[ngabdala]

Fucking idiot = Anyone that chooses not to break in engine as specified by the manual.

Subaru's engineers ftw.

[Future]

Someone... send this question to .............

[dsgerbc]

It's amazing how much BS are people willing to believe and follow.

[Subaruwrxfan]

Ugh, the "below 4k for the first 1,000 miles is only because of lawyers" train of thought makes the most sense to me, but then I worry about Subaru pulling the data recording and giving me some BS about not breaking it in right if the motor fails. Obviously I'd rather not keep it below 4k, but I will if I'm fully convinced that that's the way I'll get the most life out of my motor. I'm genuinely undecided.