Good advice.
Break-in
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Oct 2011
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From: leesburg fl
St. Jude Donor '12
Break-in
Hey Guys, This is my 3rd corvette 2 used but this is my first new one. Is there any special way to do the break in on the motor? base model with 8 speed auto.
Popular Reply
Jul 23, 2016, 06:59 PM
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 25,583
Likes: 16,942
From Section 9-18 (New Vehicle Break-in) of my 2014 owner's manual:
Follow these recommended guidelines for the first 1500 mi of driving this vehicle. Parts have a break-in period and performance will be better in the long run.
For the first 200 miles:
- To break in new tires drive at moderate speeds and avoid hard cornering for the first 200 mi
- New brake linings also need a break-in period. Avoid making hard stops for the first 200 mi. This is recommended every time brake linings are replaced.
For the first 500 miles:
- 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.
For the first 1500 mi:
- Do not participate in track events, sports driving schools, or similar activities for the first 1500 mi.
- Check engine oil with every refueling and add if necessary. Oil and fuel consumption may be higher than normal during the first 1500 mi.
Follow these recommended guidelines for the first 1500 mi of driving this vehicle. Parts have a break-in period and performance will be better in the long run.
For the first 200 miles:
- To break in new tires drive at moderate speeds and avoid hard cornering for the first 200 mi
- New brake linings also need a break-in period. Avoid making hard stops for the first 200 mi. This is recommended every time brake linings are replaced.
For the first 500 miles:
- 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.
For the first 1500 mi:
- Do not participate in track events, sports driving schools, or similar activities for the first 1500 mi.
- Check engine oil with every refueling and add if necessary. Oil and fuel consumption may be higher than normal during the first 1500 mi.
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 25,583
Likes: 16,942
Yes, varying the revs' continuously within the allowed break-in rpm range is very important. Since you have an A8, while freeway cruising, use the paddles to frequently go up and down the rpm range. If you leave it in auto-mode, it'll be running most of the time slightly above idle in 7th and 8th gear.
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2012
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From: Best Island in the U.S.
St. Jude Donor '12 thru '17
Drifting
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 1,420
Likes: 231
From: Licking MO
Obviously nothing directly but other systems on the car need break in too. Brakes, tires, cruise control, transmission and rear end all need a break in period.
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Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2012
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From: Best Island in the U.S.
St. Jude Donor '12 thru '17
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 25,583
Likes: 16,942
From Section 9-18 (New Vehicle Break-in) of my 2014 owner's manual:
Follow these recommended guidelines for the first 1500 mi of driving this vehicle. Parts have a break-in period and performance will be better in the long run.
For the first 200 miles:
- To break in new tires drive at moderate speeds and avoid hard cornering for the first 200 mi
- New brake linings also need a break-in period. Avoid making hard stops for the first 200 mi. This is recommended every time brake linings are replaced.
For the first 500 miles:
- 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.
For the first 1500 mi:
- Do not participate in track events, sports driving schools, or similar activities for the first 1500 mi.
- Check engine oil with every refueling and add if necessary. Oil and fuel consumption may be higher than normal during the first 1500 mi.
Follow these recommended guidelines for the first 1500 mi of driving this vehicle. Parts have a break-in period and performance will be better in the long run.
For the first 200 miles:
- To break in new tires drive at moderate speeds and avoid hard cornering for the first 200 mi
- New brake linings also need a break-in period. Avoid making hard stops for the first 200 mi. This is recommended every time brake linings are replaced.
For the first 500 miles:
- 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.
For the first 1500 mi:
- Do not participate in track events, sports driving schools, or similar activities for the first 1500 mi.
- Check engine oil with every refueling and add if necessary. Oil and fuel consumption may be higher than normal during the first 1500 mi.
Last edited by Foosh; Jul 23, 2016 at 07:20 PM.
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 703
Likes: 76
From: leesburg fl
St. Jude Donor '12
Thats all ok, I like to see the young people try hard to do a good job.
Anyway I will now keep mine in the manual mode. I did it yesterday and was able to get the RPMs up and down. it now has 200 miles on it.
Thanks a lot
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 2,845
Likes: 520
From: Eastern WA
From Section 9-18 (New Vehicle Break-in) of my 2014 owner's manual:
Follow these recommended guidelines for the first 1500 mi of driving this vehicle. Parts have a break-in period and performance will be better in the long run.
For the first 500 miles:
- Avoid full throttle starts and abrupt stops.
- Do not exceed 4000 rpm.
Follow these recommended guidelines for the first 1500 mi of driving this vehicle. Parts have a break-in period and performance will be better in the long run.
For the first 500 miles:
- Avoid full throttle starts and abrupt stops.
- Do not exceed 4000 rpm.
No full throttle starts. I assume means from a dead stop, but you can use full throttle. What do you guys think?
Doesn't redline show as 4500 for the first 500 miles? Keeping under 4000 is really hard to do. Anyone bump past accidently?
E-Ray, 3LZ, ZER, LIFT
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 34,937
Likes: 12,350
From: NE South Carolina
All the valve springs won't break if you accidentally go over - but one might!!
Take a nice long drive, vary the rpm, stay out of 4 cylinder mode by using paddles and you'll be at 500 miles before you know it! Worse thing would be to baby the car with 2 mile trips and many starts going to the local store! Be sure to get the engine oil hot! FWIW
PS: We have fun on the Forum, so don't take the following comment seriously, BUT your last post sounds like one of my grand-kids asking if it would be OK to do something they already did!
Keep in mind GM records anything that happens with the engine. If you go over the recommended rpm during break-in, they will void any engine warranty for the life of the car! Just kidding! The system Does record engine rpm and if you exceed max rpm it will record and warranty may well be void. Only can happen with manual shifters like mine, downshifting to a lower gear that puts it past redline. Can't do that with an automatic since the computer is smarter than some of us!
Last edited by JerryU; Aug 25, 2016 at 01:06 PM.
Safety Car
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From: Southeast, WI
Drifting
Joined: Mar 2016
Posts: 1,486
Likes: 109
At odds with the Corvette owner's manual, this GM document re engine break in for LS3's purchased out of the crate says to
6) Warm it up
7) In the first 30 miles drive it at varying loads and conditions without wide open throttle or sustained high RPM accelerations.
8) Run 5 or 6 medium throttle (50%) accelerations to about 4000 rpm and back to idle (0% throttle) in gear.
9) Run 2 or 3 hard throttle (100%) accelerations to about 4000 rpm and back to idle (0% throttle) in gear.
10) Change the oil
Read the rest of the document for yourself. Apologies for its fuzzy condition. That's the way I found it. It's helpful to magnify it in an image viewer for best reading.
Pro
Joined: Dec 2015
Posts: 723
Likes: 208
From: Gulf Coast FL
I recently spoke to a GM engineer who has extremely in-depth knowledge of the LT1 and LT4 and asked him about break-in. His advice was to drive the cars reasonably for the first 500 miles and make sure the engine was warmed up before getting on the throttle. He said there was no reason not to have some fun and get on it a little at stop lights. He suggested changing the oil at 500-600 miles regardless of dry/wet sump and then not again until the recommended interval or the car's computer told you to change it. After the oil change, go have some fun!