Im waiting till mile 500...

 

book says 600, I think.

 

Oh my Si i hit 8300 RPM on the test drive

 

Im gonna do no freeway until 600 and not hit redline until 1k. I know I am anal

 

I'm around 550 right now, and once I hit 600 I can give it some juice. But I'll wait till 1000 to floor it.

Restraining yourself in 1st gear in the MT is a test. It wants to slingshot to redline. Can't wait to appease her.

 

good luck getting around...

 

Um I have another car so thanks for the sarcasm. Im still using the my 89 prelude to commute, so Ill get around fine. I want to break it in the right way medium loads and proper engine braking.

 

I'm still babying mine at 2800 miles. My foot gets heavy some times... like today merging on the interstate. 6000rpm.... and 80mph. Dumb I know.

I had no choice but to drive mine on the highway during the break in... it's my only vehicle and I had to go to work.

 

Highway driving has NOTHING to do with break in. It's putting heavy load on the engine. You can rev it to redline if you wish, (actually that's good for the car) just as long as you rev it SLOWLY!! You can drive 100 mph if you want, just rev it up there slowly.

 

I've heard of two methods and seen both methods work on long life cars.

1) Drive it easy using the full powerband for the first 2500. Dont push too hard on gas or brakes.

2) Drive it like you stole it in every way.

I can see the theory behind both. The easy way allows the piston rings to seat themselves for longer life, while the drive it like you stole it... if this is how you drive every day... breaks the engine in the way it will actually be used.

Ive owned 3 hondas, granted, they were all manual trannys while my Fit on order is an auto... the other three were all used when purchased. I drove them all as if they were stolen (I was much younger) and they all lasted a very long time with no major breakages.

I can say this... per a good source who is a honda certified master tech... wait until the guide recommended oil change mileage as many makes now use "break-in" oil in the engine for the first oilchange.

 

you'll never hit break in

 

I mean, the Fit is so slow your really not missing much waiting to get on it lol.

 

highway driving does affect your break in as it does not put enough load on the engine to break it in properly.

 

Sure, but who does highway driving without city? Hwy driving is good to just have the engine loping and working, while city driving will make the engine perform all its duties.
BTW, I'm over 600 miles now. I can let some horses outta the barn! In first gear it really wants to go!!!

I know it's not a dragster - (I predict Car and Driver will get the 5MT Sport to 60 in 8.4 secs.) and I'm coming off an 09 Accord Coupe 6MT that'll do 60 in 5.6 secs, but still, during this break in period it's difficult not to give it more juice while accelerating in 1st.

 

Most breakin procedures discourage wide-open throttle, high RPMs, and long stretches of driving at constant RPM's. That last one means that for highway driving, don't use cruise and vary your speed instead of sticking to the same speed/RPM.

 

I'm driving it like a baby for as long as I can help it.

 

My Honda F15X 800 pound jet ski has 200 HP!
I don't think anyone is doin much "rippin" in a Fit!! LOL!!!

 

^simple... run it hard...

 

The first 600 miles of unstressed driving is really to insure the rings don't get damaged but the rings aren't really well seated til 1500 miles of street driving. The key is NOT to drive too long at a given rpm. The rings will 'crease' the cylinder wall at its limits of travel and hinder the travel of the piston. If its too pronounced it will damage the piston rings and is often why engines begin burning oil at low mileages. Thats why once the engine is warmed to operating temoperature you occasionaly want to take the rpm up to redline, doing it smoothly and not WFO. And not keeping it there.

PS: yes the piston rod does stretch with increasing rpm. No metal is impervious to stretching under tension and compression. Especially when hot.

 

Another one of these threads? Drive your car how you want it, it will make no difference.