My SSM Sport m/t has about 3,600 miles on her and recently has felt much more spirited. It may be because the weather has turned cooler and I don't have the a/c on any longer, or because I replaced the stock air filter with a K&N, but I think it is probably because the engine is breaking in.

It seems to be reving much easier, and accelerating faster. Maybe I'm finally relearning how to drive a stick shift...LOL.

This car sure does keep me smiling. Went for goceries yesterday and was stopped in the parking lot about my Fit. I kept talking for about a half hour before the poor guy was able to leave.

Have you noticed your Fit's breaking in and about what milage?

 

Far too early really for me to notice anything (barely done my first 1,000) but the mpg of each tank is improving. First tank finished at 44mpg (UK). Second 47. This tank looks like being 48..maybe 49.

Dunno if that's because of the way the fuel consumption is calculated, the engine freeing up a little or just me getting used to the CVT. One thing I have noticed is that the CVT seems to like 2,000 rpm when accelerating and you have to push a bit to get it to go above that.

I'm assuming that means 2,000 is the most efficient RPM to accelerate so I've been working with it on this tank. Given I'm mostly commuting there's no point accelerating any faster. Takes 20 minutes to get to work anyway

All in all I love the Jazz. It's the first car I've owned in several years that I actually get into and drive just for the hell of it (kind of ironic given that one of the things I like is the fuel efficiency, lol). I only wish Honda were selling the 1.5l engine here. The 1.3l (it's a lie to call it 1.4l) is a little lacking in get up and go and although these days I'm a relaxed driver I still sometimes wish I had an extra 200cc under the bonnet.

 

I'm around 3700 miles on mine and have had it for a month and a half. Mine seems to be freeing up pretty good. My mileage is still averaging about the same, around 35mpg. The car is a blast to drive and if I could keep the speed down, I'd probably be getting better mileage. I have a friend whose an engineer at the Honda engine plant here in Ohio and he has a Civic and he is averaging 40mpg but he drives like an old man.

AndrueC, I echo your thoughts on just driving it to drive. I like zipping around town then jumping on the highway. You say yours is lacking the get up and go, do you have the 5sp or auto? I have the 5sp and I haven't had any problems with get up and go. I traded in a Dodge Intrepid 3.5L HO V6 and I can get on the interstate just as quick with my Fit as I could with it.

The car reminds me of the Bugs Bunny/Road Runner cartoon with the two kids watching Road Runner. The one kid wanted to be the Road Runner and he kept say "Beep, Beep, Zip, Dang!!!". That's how I feel everytime I get behind the wheel.

 

I have the CVT-7 and at present I'm only driving it in 'D' mode..and driving it sensibly as well. I'm nearly at the end of this tank and I have next week off work so I'll experiment with 'S' mode.

It won't make the engine any bigger but will increase the fun factor I imagine

 

I'm at 600 miles. (100% oil!)

Am I done yet?

Didn't think so.

Breakin probably is done by the first 1000 miles more or less.

You can continue to notice improving performance or higher mpg as things wear in over time.

You probably don't need to worry much about driving a certain way unless you take a brand new car to the race track for a weekend of driving but I have even seen that done.

Salesman from a dealership took a new car to the track- and the dealership was a sponsor for the event. I guess that is one way to break in a new car.

 

My salesman told me the breakin miles were 600. He said they didn't care how fast I drove as long as I didn't to jack-rabit starts and stops and didn't drive a constant speed for long distances. Needless to say, the 600 miles was gone in the first week.

 

My fit arrived about two days ago. Its a great little car, Ill write my thoughts on it later.

Anywho, Ive decided to break in my engine the unorthodox way, by "romping on it". I put it in 3rd gear and accelerated all the way to redline and then I let the car coast all the way to idle almost (I dont shift it like a madman though, Im very easy on the gearbox). I did this a couple of times. Then I changed the oil as soon as possible (~150 miles) to get all that break in debris out of the engine. I used Havoline 5w-20 and a K&N oil filter. Now the next thing on the list is to keep driving it hard, and then change to synthetic at around 3000 miles. Then I will dyno it and see if we see any significant results. I would really like to find someone in the DFW area who broke in their engine the "orthodox way" so we could dyno the cars back to back and see if theres a difference.

Anyway, Ill keep you guys updated.

 

wouldnt this destroy that engine.....all new cars are not recommended to be accelerated rapidly....i mean, i'd think that way of "breaking in" a car would just kill the engine

 

Glad you finally got it!! I did the same break in and changed my oil at 117miles. Used 5w-20 (or 30? I forgot) 5000clean oil or whatever its called. Im at 1200miles now awaiting that 3000mile mark so I can run synthetic.

 

I thought they only do that to break in motorcycles. lol I can't wait for the dyno though...should be interesting.

 

i did not do this at all with mine...i just beat it up not on synthetic yet and with a little more than 8K miles on it...its a honda and it will last...mine does feel broken in very well though...i am going to synthetic on my next oil change...did one oil change already doing my next one this week or nexti work to much and i had have little time...looking for a another job though...need my sundays off cause i am going to be attending some autox events...looing forward though to see the dyno results

 

I hope you guys keep your cars until they die because I'd hate to see the poor sucker that would buy your cars.
Read the manual and it will tell you how to properly break the engine in.
Beating it up is certainly not the way Honda recommends.

 

i own an auto the car will never see it's redline and I havent changed the oil at all. They're supposed to do an initial break'in of the engine before it's put in the car.

 

i would love to see the results....i was thinking about doing the same thing to my car....but still cant find one : (

 

Ive known people who have beat on their engines since day one w/o any problems and have dynoed very strong. In fact, I cant say as Ive heard of any single premature failure due to 'improper' break-in.

That said, every new car Ive had Ive followed the instuctions in the manual.

 

I think I took mine to redline every 500 miles or so to get things to seal good. I didnt beat on it though.

 

They do. Or at least thats what a service advisor told me? Either way I did my way of breaking it in. My car seems to be really lively.

 

Hey guys, the car is almost at 200 miles and of course, it feels fine.

Anyway, just to clear up, im not "beating" on it. Im not slamming gears and doing burn outs. I just make sure that once im in gear, I give it gas to seat the piston rings. Technically, you dont have to take it to the redline, you just have to make sure not to run it at a constant RPM.

Anyway, I would really like to find someone who has broken their car in according to the instruction manual in the DFW area so we can dyno the cars back to back.

Also, does anyone know if the ECU learns? Ive heard stories of peple who unhook their batteries and rehook them only to find their cars more lively.

 

i've read about breaking it in hard like that...in a way its almost the equivalent of blueprinting the motor (so i've read)...sounds interesting and i'd love to see the results, but i've never had the guts to do that to any of my new cars.

 

Theres two ways to break in an engine, either will work fine if you know what youre doing.