RichardT

I am hoping to pick up my Z06 at the museum very, very, soon (!), I hope.................... My old school training is that I should allow the rpm to go up and down in each gear, and not go over 4000rpm. Excelerate up to 4k, then let it decelerate back down to say, 1500rpm, shift, and do it again. Do this up to maybe 80 mph (What, 2nd gear only?). do this for the first 30 minutes. Around town driving for the next hour, then get on the interstate and start heading west. Stop the next morning at a dealership and change the oil and filter and hope they down't totally screw the whole thing up ( I will be looking right over their shoulder.). Any comments?

Patrick McDaniel

Do what it says in the owners manual.

LS WON

You might as well drive it like a taxi cab even more so if you decide to break it in as you say and going over 55 mph .

NSTG8R

.. bah drove her down 75 from atlanta to venice the very same night we picked her up. Nothing like that first grin.



still running strong at 57k ..

cbgpe

Exactly what is the recomendation inthe owner's manual?
When I get a new car after the break in I do an end to end fluid change ie ALL FLUIDS P. S. Brake, engine oil, coolant, trans and differential.
It gets out all the wear debris and any left over production "swarf" BTW this is recomended BMW proceedure....It seems to make sense and extends the life of the entire drive line.
CBGPE

lager99

Patrick McDaniel

I would question if it made sense and if it extends the lfe of the driveline.

If not done properly it could actually shorten the life.

I could see doing an oil quick change but the others seem like wasted time and money.

My point was a lot of thought goes into the owners manual by the experts on that cars systems. When I take delivery I plan on reading the owners manual. Until then, I don't need to be concerned about breakin.

cbgpe

Most wear of mechanical components occurs during the first few hours of use. Further try as hard as manufacturer can they cannot make perfectly clean components so there is some built in debris from manufacture and assembly. If this debris is not removed it will circulate thru the mechanism causing more damage and wear. There are no fliters in the trans or differential nor cooling system. (Some heavy duty truck have coolant filters BTW)
We change the engine oil early in the engines life and it does have a filter! .....does it make any less sense to do the same for the other systems? I think not especially the trans and rear axle.
I do not understand how it could shorten the life if done per GM proceedures and with approved fluids.

Maybe I will be waisting some money but I think it worthwhile (an opinion shared by BMW btw)
Just my $00.02

RichardT

I have personally seen oil at 300 miles that looked like metallic paint....................... Thanks for the info. Proper break in will help assure less oil consumption down the road

RichardT

I don't have a manual yet, does any one here know what the proper GM break in procedures are?

allanlaw

What you can do is hop over to the GM website and follow the trail to the owners center. You will be able to access a PDF version of the C6 owners manual, and you can check the break-in procedure there (if there is one). I don't believe the '06 manuals are up yet. Also, I'm assuming the Z will not be materially different from other C6's in this regard. Personally, I'm planning to just warm up the engine and then blast off . . .

Edit - let me be even more helpful. From the C6 manual:

New Vehicle Break-In
Notice: Your vehicle does not need an elaborate
break-in. But it will perform better in the long run if
you follow these guidelines:
• Keep your speed at 55 mph (88 km/h) or less for
the first 500 miles (805 km).
• Do not drive at any one speed — fast or
slow — for the first 500 miles (805 km). Do not
make full-throttle starts.
• Avoid making hard stops for the first 200 miles
(322 km) or so. During this time your new brake
linings are not yet broken in. Hard stops with
new linings can mean premature wear and
earlier replacement. Follow this breaking-in
guideline every time you get new brake linings.

LTC Z06

If you're picking it up at the museum I'll just go down and get if for you, properly break it in, then when you get her at 500 miles you can drive it like you want to. I'm sure this will save you and others much heart ache. Just let me know the date. I'll even pay for the gas and put the 500 easy miles on her in 2 days

allanlaw

Two days or two hours, whichever comes first

RichardT

Very funny guys! Thanks for the info Allenlaw! Sounds like what I have heard before, but the manf say nothing about early oil changes. I will change the oil the next day on my drive back if i can find a quality dealership on my way.

MitchAlsup

When I break in a new car, I disregard the notion of the 55 MPH speed limit. Instead, I use a throttle metric instead of a speed metric. I believe that GM specifies a speed metric to cause people to actually use a throttle metric. In any event, the forces inside the engine are heavily related to the throttle.

So, I like to choose a road whereby I can safely drive as slow as 25 MPH (no traffic behind) and safely drive as fast as 65 MPH (no traffic ahead), and choose a gear that 65 MPH does not reach more than 70% of redline. With these parameters in mind and using no brakes; I go up the speed curve while giving the car no more than 25% throttle, and then breath the car back down, up and down, up and down; for 100 miles or so (1.5 to 2 hours). Then change to 35% throttle, up and down, up and down; another 100 miles (1.3 to 1.7 hours); Then go to 50% throttle, up and down, up and down; andother 100 miles. Then step up to 75% throttle, up and down, up and down.

{Breathing the engine back down causes the combustion chambers to pull oil up the ring pack and lubricate and flush the upper cylinder area along with the ring pack itself.}

By this time, with driving to this place and back I have crossed the 500 mile mark. Now the plan changes. This time I do the same road and select the gear such that redline is reached and I stay above 50% redline. Another 100 miles between 50% RL and 100% RL at 100% throttle completes break in.

At this point, I change the oil. You are free to wait for the DIC to indicate oil change or choose any reasonable strategy.

EuG

I believe the 55 MPH is not for the engine break in, but rather the rear axle...

Michrider

Make sure your dealer has the filter in stock and 8 qts Mobile 1. I believe it will be a pf48, I think that is what I saw on here somewhere.

Also make sure they use lifting pucks if they are going to use a hoist. And drain both drain plugs.

Your plan sounds good. Some town driving, varying the throttle, not too hard but don't pussyfoot it either. Basically normal driving, maybe a little spirited, just avoid full throttle or long idling.

After some town driving, I'd take a break for a meal. Pop the hood for a looksee to make sure all is well, maybe check the tire pressures, with the tires warm they should be about 2 - 3 psi over the door sticker number. Then hit the highway home. I wouldn't worry about the 55 limit in the manual. That same paragraph has been in all the manuals for decades, probably started when the national speed limit was 55.
70 - 75 mph should be fine. Then let it rip after the first oil change.

bernrex

Drive it like you stole it ! Engine is already broke in ... I think they run them for several hrs at engine plant to test and tune.

Drivetrain might need some breakin however. The clutch needs a quick shine ... to seat properly.

Scissors

Cycles are the key. Heating to operating temperature and then cooling to ambient temps over and over again without abusing the car is the best break-in you can do.

Scissors