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From: cwd@ihuxq.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.auto
Subject: Re: How do you break in a new car?
Message-ID: <258@ihuxq.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 8-Jul-83 09:36:18 EDT
Article-I.D.: ihuxq.258
Posted: Fri Jul  8 09:36:18 1983
Date-Received: Sat, 9-Jul-83 12:06:08 EDT
Organization: BTL Naperville, Il.
Lines: 31


When I got my new 4-banger I drove the car very easily the first 100 miles. I
did not attempt to push it. Also, you are supposed to be easy on the brakes
for the first few hundred miles so a double purpose was served this way.
>From 100 to 300 miles I would occasionally give the engine a few high revs,
but still did not push too hard. After 300, I steadily increased the number
of revs I used in each gear. Not too dramatically but steadily. I wanted to
be able to drive the car the way I wanted to after 800 miles. Take the car
on a good highway drive sometime after 600. The first 500 miles should be
city miles to get the rings to set properly. If a car is taken for a long
highway drive while quite young, the rings set in one way and the engine
gets accustomed to one speed. This is bad and will cause problems after the
initial break-in period. At 1000 miles, adjust the engine idle speed. Don't
worry about changing the oil until the first scheduled maintenance period.
The new 4 cylinder engines use less oil than the old ones and don't require
as much careful use. I now have 21,000 miles on my car. Every 7,500 miles or
1 year, I change the oil and oil filter. Over the 7,500 miles my car usually
uses less than 1/8 of a quart of oil. The engine revs very freely and doesn't
have any rough spots. If you have a manual transmission, don't down shift
until the 300 mile mark has been reached. As with up shifting, steadily increase
the number of revs after 300 has been reached. Don't by shy about downshifting.
It saves brake wear and tends to give the engine a good blow through.
Only use regular unleaded gas during the break-in. Most car manufactures now
recommend that the car should only get regular unleaded during the cars entire
life. I occasionally use premium on long highway trips to clean things out a
little but don't use it in the city.

(Sorry I wrote so much. I just thought I'd give you as much help as possible)

Chris Donahue     ihuxq!cwd
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