Break In New FRS

[Lunatic]

I will be receiving my new FRS in a couple of days. I suppose there is some sort of break in procedure I need to follow?
I wish I could just head for the track.

[extrashaky]

For the 2014s, the procedure was to keep it under 4000 rpm and don't use the cruise control for 1000 miles. I assume it's still the same.

The cruise control thing is a good idea. You don't want to break it in at one single load on the highway, because the cylinder walls will break in square instead of with a taper, and the rings may not seat properly. If you're planning to put a lot of highway miles on it during that first 1000 miles, vary your speed frequently. I actually drove mine 700 miles within the first week I had it, but I avoided the highway where possible and took the back roads through a bunch of small towns to vary it up as much as I could.

You will see differing opinions here on whether the 4000 rpm limit is a good idea. There are some pretty good arguments for ignoring it. I'll leave that alone.

For the 2014s, the manufacturer said the first oil change should come at 7500 miles, whereas my dealer said it should come at 2700. I went with the dealer's schedule because the oil will have metal particles in it from the break in, and I wanted to get that shit out of there. I had read that Toyota and Subaru had changed the oil change interval to 6000 miles for 2015, but I would still get that first change done below 3000 to get the sparkles out.

[stevesnj]

Whatever the manufacturer say's do. The computer will log everything so if the engine goes and it shows lots of over 4k RPM during the break in period than you will be buying your own motor.

[jflogerzi]

I would just drive it how you want. Don't redline till the engine is warm. I went above 4K RPM limit alot of times prior to the 1,000 miles break-in.

[Tromatic]

I tend to follow the recommendations of the people who built the engine.

[Lunatic]

I don't know what their recommendations are yet. Just found out my new car will be in Tuesday and it is a 2015.

[FlamingRectumSyndrome]

Manual says keep it under 4000 rpm for the first 1000 miles. I set the tachometer warning light to 4000 and observed its advice for the first 750 miles. After that I'd occasionally run it up to 7000, but only briefly and never repeatedly. I could actually feel the engine running more smoothly and with more power as the break in proceeded. At 2300 miles now and couldn't be happier with the power and silky smooth running.

[wheelhaus]

There are so many schools of thought regarding break-in, so honestly just pick the one you believe to be best and stick with it. There are only two no-nos I can think of (aside from negligent maintenance).

First no-no is is to drive the engine hard at any time when it's cold. This could still be well after the coolant temp is normalized, because engine oil will take a little longer. In warm temps, I've found this to be around 10-15 minutes of movement. In cold temps (freezing) this could take 15-20 minutes of movement. This can be applied anytime, not just during break in.

Second no-no is to drive with constant load/rpm. Vary the rpm and load every few minutes if you're driving at a constant speed. Avoid highways if possible unless you're OK with frequent downshifting/upshifting and speed changes; stop and go traffic are preferred because the load on the engine is constantly changing and you're constantly changing gears. After break in, it's generally OK to use cruise control or constant rpm/load.

Beyond that, I've found three distinct approaches you can take during the first 1000 miles, and some apply beyond that to the entire life of the vehicle.

1- The most paranoid and rule-conscious will stick to the manufacturer's guidelines; strictly stay below 4k, and be gentle. The biggest supporters of this idea believe that the manufacturer has put this information in the manual for a reason and it must be followed. There is credence to this, I believe, when you consider there is more than just the engine breaking in. The entire car is a complex system, and there are many components that need to cooperate. So, taking the first 1000 miles slowly ensures that IF anything goes awry, it will be under more controlled conditions. There is also the driver to consider. We all like to think we're Chris Harris and can jump into any car and immediately drive it at it's limits in an analytical and insightful manner, but in the real world most of us are normal people with somewhat limited driving experience, so taking some time for US to get used to the car, allows the driver to break-in to the new machine he/she is operating. There is strong influence form the manufacturer, lawyers, and insurance, for all the new drivers to not get in over their heads with a car they're unfamiliar with. Often drivers subscribing to this method will allow the engine ample time to warm up at idle before driving away.

2- The second method, which I personally subscribe, takes the above cautions regarding overall vehicle breaking in as a progressive act over time, but very early on (the younger miles the better) will frequently take it to near redline in long sweeping pulls. The basic idea here is that the rings are pressed against the cylinder walls more evenly and under greater force, which helps to mate the surfaces and create more even wear patterns, beneficial to power delivery and longevity. This idea here is to not slam gears, not drive it like you stole it, but simply run the engine through it's full rpm frequently at full load (only after fully warmed up). Personally, I have done this with every new vehicle I've ever owned (new 04 Sti, new 06 Evo MR, new 08 STi, new 09 Kawi ER6n, new 11 Kawi Z1000, and new 12 BRZ) and have never experienced measurable oil consumption or other issues, and all engines have felt very smooth. Every engine has felt strong from day one. Many who subscribe to this idea also believe that the car should be driven " normally" from day one, often driving soon after starting, but gently at low rpm until the needle moves past cold; after this, driving "normally" (no redline) until the temps are normalized. Once temps are normal, then redline is OK.

3- The third school of thought, is fuck all. Track it day one. Keep up with the maintenance, or more frequently as necessary due to using the car more aggressively than "normal". The successful subscribers to this most aggressive approach will religiously adhere to warm up rules, maintenance, and inspection. This group is also most typically OK with replacing parts whether warranty coverage exists or not, because fuck dealers. This is not a warning that this method produces the most failed parts, because I haven't seen any data proving so, just that these owners will deal with the car based on their own experiences and are entirely comfortable putting the car through its paces from day one.

So, ultimately, pick with methodology suits you, but most importantly, stick to the maintenance, check/change fluids, and pay attention to the car's health. In this respect, I recommend changing all drivetrain fluids around 1000 miles. There's lot's of threads discussing which oils are best, but any top name full synthetic will be perfectly fine (engine, tranny, and diff). If you want to go take the car amateur drifting or rally events, expect to break things sooner than later; you're in a different game, but still playing with a passenger car.

Have fun. Drive the car. Don't be paranoid about violating some sacred rule about break-in, just be conscious of what you're doing and stay on top of maintenance. It's a machine, after all. A machine built to bring you smiles.

[Lunatic]

I tend to like the 2nd method my self. this is how I have broken in new engines in the past. But this is only the 2nd ever new off the show room care I have ever bought.

[Mikem53]

Originally Posted by stevesnj

Whatever the manufacturer say's do. The computer will log everything so if the engine goes and it shows lots of over 4k RPM during the break in period than you will be buying your own motor.

That's not how it works or what will happen...

[CruiseZen]

Originally Posted by wheelhaus

There are so many schools of thought regarding break-in, so honestly just pick the one you believe to be best and stick with it. There are only two no-nos I can think of (aside from negligent maintenance).

First no-no is is to drive the engine hard at any time when it's cold. This could still be well after the coolant temp is normalized, because engine oil will take a little longer. In warm temps, I've found this to be around 10-15 minutes of movement. In cold temps (freezing) this could take 15-20 minutes of movement. This can be applied anytime, not just during break in.

Second no-no is to drive with constant load/rpm. Vary the rpm and load every few minutes if you're driving at a constant speed. Avoid highways if possible unless you're OK with frequent downshifting/upshifting and speed changes; stop and go traffic are preferred because the load on the engine is constantly changing and you're constantly changing gears. After break in, it's generally OK to use cruise control or constant rpm/load.

Beyond that, I've found three distinct approaches you can take during the first 1000 miles, and some apply beyond that to the entire life of the vehicle.

1- The most paranoid and rule-conscious will stick to the manufacturer's guidelines; strictly stay below 4k, and be gentle. The biggest supporters of this idea believe that the manufacturer has put this information in the manual for a reason and it must be followed. There is credence to this, I believe, when you consider there is more than just the engine breaking in. The entire car is a complex system, and there are many components that need to cooperate. So, taking the first 1000 miles slowly ensures that IF anything goes awry, it will be under more controlled conditions. There is also the driver to consider. We all like to think we're Chris Harris and can jump into any car and immediately drive it at it's limits in an analytical and insightful manner, but in the real world most of us are normal people with somewhat limited driving experience, so taking some time for US to get used to the car, allows the driver to break-in to the new machine he/she is operating. There is strong influence form the manufacturer, lawyers, and insurance, for all the new drivers to not get in over their heads with a car they're unfamiliar with. Often drivers subscribing to this method will allow the engine ample time to warm up at idle before driving away.

2- The second method, which I personally subscribe, takes the above cautions regarding overall vehicle breaking in as a progressive act over time, but very early on (the younger miles the better) will frequently take it to near redline in long sweeping pulls. The basic idea here is that the rings are pressed against the cylinder walls more evenly and under greater force, which helps to mate the surfaces and create more even wear patterns, beneficial to power delivery and longevity. This idea here is to not slam gears, not drive it like you stole it, but simply run the engine through it's full rpm frequently at full load (only after fully warmed up). Personally, I have done this with every new vehicle I've ever owned (new 04 Sti, new 06 Evo MR, new 08 STi, new 09 Kawi ER6n, new 11 Kawi Z1000, and new 12 BRZ) and have never experienced measurable oil consumption or other issues, and all engines have felt very smooth. Every engine has felt strong from day one. Many who subscribe to this idea also believe that the car should be driven " normally" from day one, often driving soon after starting, but gently at low rpm until the needle moves past cold; after this, driving "normally" (no redline) until the temps are normalized. Once temps are normal, then redline is OK.

3- The third school of thought, is fuck all. Track it day one. Keep up with the maintenance, or more frequently as necessary due to using the car more aggressively than "normal". The successful subscribers to this most aggressive approach will religiously adhere to warm up rules, maintenance, and inspection. This group is also most typically OK with replacing parts whether warranty coverage exists or not, because fuck dealers. This is not a warning that this method produces the most failed parts, because I haven't seen any data proving so, just that these owners will deal with the car based on their own experiences and are entirely comfortable putting the car through its paces from day one.

So, ultimately, pick with methodology suits you, but most importantly, stick to the maintenance, check/change fluids, and pay attention to the car's health. In this respect, I recommend changing all drivetrain fluids around 1000 miles. There's lot's of threads discussing which oils are best, but any top name full synthetic will be perfectly fine (engine, tranny, and diff). If you want to go take the car amateur drifting or rally events, expect to break things sooner than later; you're in a different game, but still playing with a passenger car.

Have fun. Drive the car. Don't be paranoid about violating some sacred rule about break-in, just be conscious of what you're doing and stay on top of maintenance. It's a machine, after all. A machine built to bring you smiles.

Well said. It's rare on this site that someone will take the time to show all points of view in a balanced non-critical manner.

[AppleSauce]

i didnt know about the cruise control rule. i use it all the time. definitely did so on a 4 hour road trip the around 500 miles of owning it. whats the reasoning for not using cruise controll again? what could go wrong if anything?

[extrashaky]

Originally Posted by AppleSauce

i didnt know about the cruise control rule. i use it all the time. definitely did so on a 4 hour road trip the around 500 miles of owning it. whats the reasoning for not using cruise controll again? what could go wrong if anything?

This is how I understand it. People with more experience please feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.

During the break in period, there are several things going on. One is that the wear parts are rubbing against each other to find some sort of agreement on how they'll fit together. Another is that the zinc and phosphorus in your oil are mating with the metal in the engine under heat to create very hard surfaces that resist future wear. Yet another is that the engine parts are expanding and contracting at different temperatures and finding their final average fit.

If you run the engine at a single load for a long period during break-in, you're really only breaking it in at that load and temperature. Think about the forces acting on the piston and the cylinder. Under heavy acceleration it's going to be pushing those parts against each other with a different amount of force than at light acceleration or at cruise, and the point in the stroke where they're under the most stress will change with load as well. If you only break the engine in at cruise, you're not breaking it in at heavy acceleration or anything in between.

That causes the cylinder to break in with a uniform shape all the way up, more squared off at the top and bottom. If you vary the load, the cylinder wears in a tapered shape, ever so slightly fatter in the middle and slimmer on each end. Why does that matter? Because if the rings seat to the cylinder in a squared off shape, they'll potentially let oil past at the top and bottom of the stroke under open throttle. The car will burn oil under heavy acceleration and can foul the plugs. It also will not generate power to its full potential.

So why can't you just break it in under heavy acceleration now, after the break-in period? Because during break-in, the zinc and phosphorus in the oil were laying down a hard protective layer over the metal in the cylinder walls even as it was being worn away. The metal goes through thousands of cycles of shaping and hardening and shaping and hardening. Now those surfaces have reached a hardened state by repeated heating, and they will be more difficult to change.

That's not necessarily to say you ruined your engine. You just get more power and better long term performance in general by varying the load during break in, which means to keep the cruise control turned off.

[FlamingRectumSyndrome]

Motorcycle-related, but nonetheless useful:

http://www.ntnoa.org/enginebreakin.htm

TL : DR version: Short applications of high rpm under light load are key to good break-in. This means occasional short bursts of acceleration to red line, not long, slow, prolonged runs to red line:

"The first few hundred miles of a new engine's life have a major impact on how strongly that engine will perform, how much oil it will consume and how long it will last. The main purpose of break-in is to seat the compression rings to the cylinder walls."

"Proper engine break in will produce an engine that achieves maximum power output with the least amount of oil consumption due to the fact that the piston rings have seated properly to the cylinder wall. When the piston rings are broken in or seated, they do not allow combustion gases to escape the combustion chamber past the piston rings into the crankcase section of the engine. This lack of "blow-by" keeps your engine running cleaner and cooler by preventing hot combustion gases and by-products from entering the crankcase section of the engine."

"For those who still think that running the engine hard during break-in falls into the category of cruel and unusual punishment, there is one more argument for using high power loading for short periods (to avoid excessive heat) during the break-in. The use of low power settings does not expand the piston rings enough, and a film of oil is left on the cylinder walls. The high temperatures in the combustion chamber will oxidize this oil film so that it creates glazing of the cylinder walls. When this happens, the ring break-in process stops, and excessive oil consumption frequently occurs. The bad news is that extensive glazing can only be corrected by removing the cylinders and rehoning the walls. This is expensive, and it is an expense that can be avoided by proper break in procedures."

HTH