Break-in advice
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 7,146
Likes: 1,940
From: Hagerstown MD
St. Jude Donor '15-'16,'18
Break-in advice
My car has about 250 miles on it. Mostly around town except the first 50 miles from Criswell to my house. I am headed to VIR this weekend travelin down I81. If I cruise at 70-75 mph, should I drive in manual periodically and vary the engine speed by using lower gears? Don't want to use backroads as my spouse will be with me and doesn't appreciate "spirited driving". Thanks.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 3,104
Likes: 626
From: Baton Rouge LA
Me too. On the highway I varied the speed between 60-80mph--like 70 for a while, then down to 60, up to 80, 65, etc.--about once or twice per minute and didn't use the cruise control except briefly. I also shifted to 6th and 7th gear (A8) occasionally to vary the RPMs a bit more, too. I did it as per the book for the first 500 miles, then gradually lifted the break-in procedure from 500-1000 with no WOT until 1000 miles. That's more than most drivers would do, but I believe in a conservative break-in.
Last edited by iclick; Aug 19, 2015 at 01:47 PM.
Pro
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 738
Likes: 324
From: FL
I often wondered if you really should follow the break-in instructions in the manual. After many conversations with engineers at BG, my conclusion is "yes". Take out your owner's manual and do exactly what they tell you to do.
But, it's your car so do whatever you like.
But, it's your car so do whatever you like.
Safety Car
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 4,446
Likes: 314
From: Tarpon Springs FL
FL Events Coordinator
Drive it like you stole it....when they come off the line ...a worker jumps in and for 10 mins drives YOUR car HARD VERY HARD....and if a problem shows up... and it comes back into the "shop" after the "fix" it is driven even HARDER. I saw it ..... they might even take it on the Factory Track. You can tell by how much mileage is on the odometer when it got to your dealer. Most Vettes have between 2 & 6 miles on them any more and chances are it was DRIVEN hard. And thats to say that there is nothing wrong with that .... thats how they make sure your car is as good as can be....
I was told when I left the Museum to drive it like I would normally drive.....
I was told when I left the Museum to drive it like I would normally drive.....
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 7,146
Likes: 1,940
From: Hagerstown MD
St. Jude Donor '15-'16,'18
Drive it like you stole it....when they come off the line ...a worker jumps in and for 10 mins drives YOUR car HARD VERY HARD....and if a problem shows up... and it comes back into the "shop" after the "fix" it is driven even HARDER. I saw it ..... they might even take it on the Factory Track. You can tell by how much mileage is on the odometer when it got to your dealer. Most Vettes have between 2 & 6 miles on them any more and chances are it was DRIVEN hard. And thats to say that there is nothing wrong with that .... thats how they make sure your car is as good as can be....
I was told when I left the Museum to drive it like I would normally drive.....
I was told when I left the Museum to drive it like I would normally drive.....
Pro
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 738
Likes: 324
From: FL
So, take your pick rmorin1249. Follow what the people who make the car recommend (page 175 of the 2016 owner's manual) or some of the other suggestions. Guess it all depends on who you think knows what they're talking about.
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Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 7,146
Likes: 1,940
From: Hagerstown MD
St. Jude Donor '15-'16,'18
The car will have over 500 miles on it by the time I get to VIR. Even at 100 mph I will only be turning about 3K rpms in 8th gear. No problem. I'll take it easy on the way down from Maryland.
Instructor
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 239
Likes: 22
From: Stockbridge GA
FYI,I read a post here quoting a BG plant source saying that the 500 mile RPM limit is due to the RTV used to seal the oil pan and front cover add some contaminants to the oil while they cure and that can cause foaming at high RPMS. Just a thought.
Drifting
Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 1,267
Likes: 119
From: Bellevue WA
My car has about 250 miles on it. Mostly around town except the first 50 miles from Criswell to my house. I am headed to VIR this weekend travelin down I81. If I cruise at 70-75 mph, should I drive in manual periodically and vary the engine speed by using lower gears? Don't want to use backroads as my spouse will be with me and doesn't appreciate "spirited driving". Thanks.
I never had any issues with my 2001 Z06 (granted it was a different engine) so I don't expect any with my 2016.
Drifting
Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 1,267
Likes: 119
From: Bellevue WA
Drive it like you stole it....when they come off the line ...a worker jumps in and for 10 mins drives YOUR car HARD VERY HARD....and if a problem shows up... and it comes back into the "shop" after the "fix" it is driven even HARDER. I saw it ..... they might even take it on the Factory Track. You can tell by how much mileage is on the odometer when it got to your dealer. Most Vettes have between 2 & 6 miles on them any more and chances are it was DRIVEN hard. And thats to say that there is nothing wrong with that .... thats how they make sure your car is as good as can be....
I was told when I left the Museum to drive it like I would normally drive.....
I was told when I left the Museum to drive it like I would normally drive.....
that's what I was told from my Buyer's Tour guide. However, they don't drive it that way for an extended period of time. The break in instructions are pretty clear about extended periods of time at the same speed -- which I interpret as the same RPM.--
For the first 800 km (500 mi):
. Avoid full throttle starts and
abrupt stops.
. Do not exceed 4000 rpm.
. Avoid driving at any one
constant speed, fast or slow,
including the use of cruise
control.
. Avoid downshifting to brake or
slow the vehicle when the
engine speed will exceed
4000 rpm.
. Do not let the engine labor.
Never lug the engine. With a
manual transmission, shift to the
next lower gear. This rule
applies at all times, not just
during the break-in period.
. After the first 800 km (500 mi),
change the engine oil on
vehicles with the LT1 engine and
Z51 package, or the LT4 engine.
--
Race Director
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 10,548
Likes: 176
From: Upstate NY
I drove my car home 260 miles from the dealer, 99% of that in Interstates. I used 5th, 6th and 7th in addition to varying my speed to allow the engine to vary the RPMs as much as practical. I don't know if the engine benefitted or not but it produced the worst MPG run in my ownership of the car, only 21 MPG. 
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 2,162
Likes: 114
From: Prosper, TX
Me too. On the highway I varied the speed between 60-80mph--like 70 for a while, then down to 60, up to 80, 65, etc.--about once or twice per minute and didn't use the cruise control except briefly. I also shifted to 6th and 7th gear (A8) occasionally to vary the RPMs a bit more, too. I did it as per the book for the first 500 miles, then gradually lifted the break-in procedure from 500-1000 with no WOT until 1000 miles. That's more than most drivers would do, but I believe in a conservative break-in.
Race Director
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 10,909
Likes: 2,701
From: Phila Suburbs 2023 C8 & 2013 650ix
The break in instructions are pretty clear about extended periods of time at the same speed -- which I interpret as the same RPM.
If that's what they meant that's what they would have said. The varying speed is about breaking in the drive train as well as the engine.
If that's what they meant that's what they would have said. The varying speed is about breaking in the drive train as well as the engine.
E-Ray, 3LZ, ZER, LIFT
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 35,010
Likes: 12,395
From: NE South Carolina
My car has about 250 miles on it. Mostly around town except the first 50 miles from Criswell to my house. I am headed to VIR this weekend travelin down I81. If I cruise at 70-75 mph, should I drive in manual periodically and vary the engine speed by using lower gears? Don't want to use backroads as my spouse will be with me and doesn't appreciate "spirited driving". Thanks.
I followed the manual for my C6 and C7. Neither burned oil between oil chages! For the C6 had to drive ~600 miles to bring the car back from Kerbeck. It like my C7 was a standard shift. Just used 4th, 5th and 6th without cruise control. All was fine. For the ~150 miles bringing the C7 back from NC, used back roads, which also had some time on the brakes. Much of the " drive it like you stole it" relates to what some read re piston ring sealing in a racing engine with those tolerances. They forget you need to break in the differential gears as well. Time enough for you to hit redline after 1000 miles, IMO! If you must drive on the highway with your A8 just put it in manual and use all the overdrive gears.
Last edited by JerryU; Aug 20, 2015 at 10:04 AM.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 3,104
Likes: 626
From: Baton Rouge LA
Having been a car enthusiast for about 55 years I've never heard of any car or motorcycle that didn't require some sort of break-in procedure, most similar to what we see today. A few years ago I researched the factory-recommended break-in procedure for Euro sports cars like Porsche, Lambo, and Ferrari, and they all had similar recommendations. There must be a reason, so I do it.
Race Director
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 10,909
Likes: 2,701
From: Phila Suburbs 2023 C8 & 2013 650ix
iclick,
You mean to say that you actually "trust" the engineers that design these systems to know how to properly break them in and not the "know it alls" on this forum?
You mean to say that you actually "trust" the engineers that design these systems to know how to properly break them in and not the "know it alls" on this forum?
