Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10 5/26/83; site ihuxq.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!harpo!eagle!mhuxt!mhuxi!mhuxa!houxm!ihnp4!ihuxq!cwd 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 #