Break in Period

[xxBrun0xx]

It isn't for the 14, but my mother's 05 Forrester had that exact light. We definitely don't. Don't believe me? Turn your key to accessory with the car off and try to find that light.

Like others said, I've done a LOT of reading on this topic and have come to the conclusion that the break in procedure in the manual is them simply covering their legal asses. There's a reason there's no "break in procedure" in the foreign GT86/BRZ owner's manuals...

[strat61caster]

Originally Posted by xxBrun0xx

There's a reason there's no "break in procedure" in the foreign GT86/BRZ owner's manuals...

Here's the Australian GT86 Manual, it's the first I found but I can keep looking if you'd like.

https://www.toyota.com.au/static/veh...f/OM18023E.pdf

P.127

During the first 1600 km (1000 miles):
●Do not allow the engine speed to exceed 4000 rpm except in an emer-
gency.
●
Do not drive at one constant engine or vehicle speed for a long time,
either fast or slow.
●
Avoid starting suddenly and rapid acceleration, except in an emergency.
●
Avoid hard braking, except in an emergency.
The same break-in procedures should be applied to an overhauled
engine, newly mounted engine or when brake pads or brake linings are
replaced with new ones.

[Cope52]

I've always broken my cars in according to the book and have never had a problem well into 6 digits. What's even more important is waiting untill the car is up to temp before you wind it out, and driving it a good 10 miles per outing to burn off all moisture and contaminants.

Also, its better to spin lower gears than to lug higher ones.

[pinski]

Originally Posted by BRZPDX

I've parked my car out in -10 degree's before and haven't seen this blue light come up. What temp is it supposed to come on at? Is this for 2014+ MY?

No idea - but the Subaru salesperson who went over the car with me specifically mentioned it and said it would only stay on when the car was cold.

Originally Posted by xxBrun0xx

It isn't for the 14, but my mother's 05 Forrester had that exact light. We definitely don't. Don't believe me? Turn your key to accessory with the car off and try to find that light.

Like others said, I've done a LOT of reading on this topic and have come to the conclusion that the break in procedure in the manual is them simply covering their legal asses. There's a reason there's no "break in procedure" in the foreign GT86/BRZ owner's manuals...

Probably true - I haven't seen it either, so I'm guessing they didn't put it on our cars. Just hadn't seen it since I've only owned it when weather has been warm, so thought maybe someone else had.

[extrashaky]

Originally Posted by pinski

No idea - but the Subaru salesperson who went over the car with me specifically mentioned it and said it would only stay on when the car was cold.

Hell, that doesn't mean anything. It's not unusual for a Subaru salesman to think the BRZ is AWD turbo.

[pinski]

Originally Posted by extrashaky

Hell, that doesn't mean anything. It's not unusual for a Subaru salesman to think the BRZ is AWD turbo.

Curiosity got the better of me and I reviewed all the warning lights in the owners manual and there's no mention of it at all. Must be something on other Subarus which is why she mentioned it, but not anything we have on the BRZ.

[metier]

Originally Posted by pinski

Curiosity got the better of me and I reviewed all the warning lights in the owners manual and there's no mention of it at all. Must be something on other Subarus which is why she mentioned it, but not anything we have on the BRZ.

My wife's forester has it, but not on my BRZ

[BRZPDX]

get an oil temp gauge so you know when the car is actually warmed up. Coolant rises much quicker than oil temp so that coolant gauge in the "middle" doesn't necessary mean the oil is warmed up. In the morning I see my coolant gauge to the middle, but my oil gauge is still hovering around 145 ~ 160F after about 5 mins of driving. It usually takes about 15min of driving to get the oil to operating temperature.

[stonenewt]

There was an article that took two identical cars, one was run in per manual. The other was driven normally from the start. The cars were dynoed every 5k miles. Both cars were run for 100k miles.

The one that was run in after an initial 20k mile loosening up period produced the same amount of power & consumed the same amount of oil through out the experiment. The other car loosened up at about 10k miles at which point it produced more power & seemed to consume no oil. However, after 50k miles it started losing power & by 75k was producing less power than the one run in per-manual. It also started consuming a lot more oil once over 85k miles.

[extrashaky]

Originally Posted by BRZPDX

get an oil temp gauge so you know when the car is actually warmed up.

You can display this information using Torque on your phone if you don't want to install a separate gauge. Cheaper, too.

I have water and oil temps side by side in Torque on my monitor. It's pretty interesting to see how much lag there is between water and oil. It's also interesting to see how the oil temp changes depending on how you're driving it.

[Roadcone]

during my test drive i let the car warm up and then proceeded to see 7400rpm for the first 3 gears... engine breakin is done within the first few heat cycles... clutch breakin takes longer but the engine is good to go basically from the get go.

[BRZPDX]

this is what you should do everytime you start your car:
inspect tires/pressure
inspect water coolant level/oil
check for any loose clamps/caps
Re-torque lug nuts to factory specifications

Start car, and let it idle until the rpm dips.
drive around the block to fully lubricate the system. Under 25mph, for 10 minutes.
now to heat the tires, I recommend a zig zag movement in an open parking lot.
stop the car, re-inspect the first 4 steps for any unusual changes.

while inspecting, now the car has become cold, follow warm up procedure for 5 mins.

now you're car should be in proper operating temperature and safe to drive. Safety is #1 priority.

[cookiesowns]

Take it easy for the first couple hundred miles. Then gradually increase RPM and load on engine.

Don't redline it, and keep it easy on the drivetrain. Engine is easier to breakin than the clutch, trans or diff.

I also recommend changing the oil soon after breakin. Much less valvetrain noise after oil change. Felt like a new car!

[NeilAngelo]

thanks guys...bought the extended warranty...unfortunately it doesnt cover clutch assembly and thats what im worried about most....not the best at driving stick yet....ive made some mistakes changing gears.....just dont want to have problems in the future..been told fixing these trannys aint cheap