engine break in questions
 

Just got my fit, any idea about the break in? any suggestion about the maintenance, like oil change...?

Hi!

For break-in period, follow the owners manual.

Thanks for your reply.

follow the owners manuel and you car will not as fast as others breaking theirs harder...see i have been the lab rat testing the cars cababilities...i came from owning a 240 which sad to say crashed it drifting at a track in Nex Mexico...i drive hard...you can drive the car with your own habits...forget the manuel i did not even look at it cause no matter what i am high revving mine and it will run in ten years from now like everyone elses...:o

Look further down in the list - there was a big thread on this a few days ago and a lot of conflicting good advice!

modern engine comes prebroken in from factory.

just drive however you want to drive it.

i redline my own car about 20 times the first day i got it, and i beat on it every single day since i got it. warming up the engine and taking care of the oil is going to make more difference then the break in.

:rolleyes:

Or he can just follow the recommendation from Honda.

Honda is saying 600 miles

break-in period is there for a reason, IMO it isn't just for the engine but for the making the whole car insync. I agree the engine is prebroken-in factory w/c explains why break-in had gotten "SIMPLE" over the years.

what is your considered "break-in" period?
 

just wondering what the other fit owners around the world are doing with their cars..

i just recently got my taffeta white gd3 in auto sport version, and i've been driving the car like a granny ever since, i hav about 200 miles on the car, and it never seen above 4k rpm, rarely above 3k rpm

i plan to drive conservatively for 1000 miles then do an oil change using conventional oil and OEM honda oil filter, then after 2500 miles, i start using mobil 1 5w20 synthetic oil w/ a hamp oil filter

how are you guys driving your cars? after how many miles do you considered the car broken in?

Everything I've read and seen posted by Honda techs has said DON'T CHANGE THE OIL EARLY!!! Wait until 5k miles. Also, only break in period is the 600 miles and it really is just not too hard on the breaks and don't accelerate too fast.

It doesn't hurt the car to accelerate quickly a few times and if traffic comes to a screeching halt don't be afraid to break hard as well. :P

General consensus seems to be, just drive your car the way you normally do. Yes, engines need to be broken in but not like they used to.

Honda's is 600 miles and I did that with our standard engine break in... I'm over 1000 miles and it runs strong...

i would just take it easy till after the recommended miles. I know after I bought my civic I was real late to work. So I ended up doin like 90 with 5 miles on the car on the way to work. Ever since then I noticed a slight ticking coming from the valvetrain.

I think you're just getting paranoid. Cars are much sturdier than they were back then. The seal qualities are much better than they use to be. Don't worry your car is fine.

Fit break in period?
 

Hey! This is my first post!

So I am due to get my new Fit Sport in a few days. Here's a question for you that I'm sure the dealer will be able to answer, but I prefer real world if I can get it.

It's been 11 years since I purchased a brand spanking new car. I seem to recall something about new cars needing a break-in period where you don't go over a certain speed, or don't maintain a steady speed, or something about the car adapting to your driving style. Have new cars changed or is that period still necessary? If so, what are the limitations.

The reason I ask is because I am supposed to be driving to Oregon a couple of weeks after I get my Fit. It's about an 8 hour drive, so I want to make sure that the Fit is good and broken-in by then. Any thoughts?

The dealer told me drive the way you want but not to excess brake or gas. They said honda does not require to keep below or at certain rpms durring early miles of the car. They design the car so, they know what is best. I drove the fit home for 120 miles when I picked it up at 60 to 70 mph in 5th gear. I have not been over 4000 rpms on my own doing. Ask the dealer, read the book and trust them. They want you to be sucsessfull. Dont second guess the maker of the car.

It's always a good idea to gradually break in a new car. Not just the engine, but the brakes, tires, transmission, etc. The brand new moving parts will polish and get smoother in time. It's worth taking it easy for the first few hundred miles.

I got my red Fit Sport yesterday. They told me there is no break-in required, that the engine is built to take whatever.

I had seen a .t.v. tour of an auto plant wich they would do break in of the motor before installing it. As was said there is alot things to break in. breaks trani ...

Manual says no full throttle accelerations for first 600 miles. I suggest varying the RPM and not driving longdistances at a steady speed for the break-in period. Also, avoid hard braking during that period. I will also change my oil and filter at about 3K miles and then follow the prompt on the screen for subsequent oil changes.

Read the manual and follow the instructions. I mean, it IS in the manual. Better safe than sorry.

drive it till 1000 and u can do watever u want to me it doesn't matter cuz when the pdi tech do pdi on it. He prolly already beat the shit out of the car so it's already breaking in

This thread has gone around a few times! here is what i posted a few weeks ago:
Everything I have heard and done about breaking in modern new cars is to take it just slightly easy - accelerate gradually from low to high revs but don't poke about. Variation is most important - no really long periods of one RPM or load. Change gears often (out of D for automatics - use the S and paddles if you have them!) Go up and down hills if you can and winding country roads are best - break in the suspension, steering gear and brakes. Don't get stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic if you can avoid it... this is for the first thousand miles or so.

Thanks folks. All good suggestions. Sounds about like what I heard 11 years ago. I appreciate the input.

PS, I called my dealer today and my new FS came off the truck today. It was prepped this afternoon and tomorrow it will get the dealer treatment including the window tinting, paint protection, and accessories. With any luck, I'll have a new car tomorrow evening, or at latest Saturday! Woohoo for me!:D

i have been beaten my car since i got it with 6 miles on it... i dont care about the manuel...i have the warranty for 100k so if anything happens (which i would not think so cause its a honda) just give me a new L15 and i will pound that one to...i am done with break in period and my car feels that it has been broken in fine even with my driving habits...in the end it is your car so do whwtever you want to do...i am the drive it like you stole it kind of guy:D

A good rule of thumb would be to avoid any situation that would make the engine really hot, ie, prolonged idling with the AC cranked, bouncing the needle off the rev limiter ect. Short trips at moderate engine speeds is a good idea for the first little bit.

The reason why you want to vary for the first 600 miles or so (from an engine persons standpoint) has more to do with knock (read, bad things from inside the engine compartment) than with the mechanics of the thing. The fuel trims are not correct from the factory (hell, neither are the VE tables, MAF, timing, etc...). our job is to try to get the fuel trims to equalize in the first 600 miles. the more throttle you give it the more power potential, and the more damage knock can do to your engine. the fuel trims (when the computer learns) will help prevent knock.

What are fuel trims?

Fuel trims are what add or subtract fuel from the base program. if an engine is running lean, it has a tendancy to knock (which causes retarded timing, and decreased performance, mileage), if it's rich it's just sucking down gas (and causing fouled plugs). the trims help equalize this by having an instant reading (STFT, short term fuel trims) and a rolling average (LTFTs, long term fuel trims). it usually takes about a week, but on a new engine, it really needs time (600 miles is a *good* amount) to get into its set points. Can't wait until hondata breaks the PCM on the fit... then I can adjust almost everyting in my new one (tomorrow is coming fast!)...

Ah thanks!

I looked up Yahoo! and the following article explained it pretty well:
http://www.ross-tech.com/vag-com/cars/fuel-trim.html

Here's a little bit from a site regarding break-in period for the Fit. I like it, and don't drive like a bat out of hell, so will prob be how I break-in mine except for the oil and transmission fluid changes. Also, I guess I'm a noob, but what does "WOT" mean??

5000km = ~8500miles

" Now with the mileage on my own unit at more than 19,000km, the tables are turned. Based on memory, my unit now feels even more peppy than the HM unit I tested just a few months ago. The engine felt smoother and more responsive to throttle input, especially more so after my trip up to Camerons Highlands where I really gave the Jazz VTEC a good run. It is the same with fuel economy, I have since been regularly getting mileage in the 6.0l/km range and even 5.0l range on some occasions. Even when traffic have been particularly bad for a particular week, overall mileage can still be kept in the mid-8s and that is after getting stuck in traffic jams for the whole week. I had been very careful with my driving style during the initial 1,000km run-in period for my own car and even then, was still careful not to stress it until after the 5,000km accumulated mileage. The HM on the other hand I am very sure have been really pushed to the limit even before it has hit the 1000km run-in period. So personally I think the difference between my unit now and the HM unit when I had it then would also be due to a more careful and rigid run-in procedure.

With the benefit of some real-life experience, especially the unique experience of being able to compare two units side by side which are virtually identical except for their accumulated mileage, I am now even more confident in telling Honda owners that they need to run-in their new Honda car properly before they can really see the true potential of their car, especially in terms of performance and fuel economy. I am sure what I have seen with the Jazz VTEC will apply to other models as well so I am even more confident than ever before in recommending that new Honda owners should be careful to exercise a rigid run-in procedure. The procedure I myself use is for the first 1,000km mileage, I do not exceed 60% of the engine's rated redline and do not go WOT. I myself was careful to not even exceed the half-throttle mark. After the 1,000km mileage has passed, for the next 4,000km mileage until the 5,000km accumulated mileage mark, regularly go WOT and push the engine to red-line but do not stress the car by going on the race track or engaging in extended 'spirited driving', i.e. do not sustain WOT and very high rpms for long periods of time. For myself, the keywords are to 'exercise' the car regularly but do not stress it. There are other equally good procedures of course so what is most important is to adopt one which you feel comfortable with and to follow it as much as possible. I am sure, the car will feel very good after the 5,000km service. Best results, in terms of performance and fuel economy will be after 10,000km mileage."

I would accelerate conservatively. Limit yourself to, say, 3000rpms the first time you take it out. Then every subsequent time you drive increase that rpm limit by a few hundred. This will gradually break in the engine at different operating speeds (which it needs to do to work best at all ranges). Up to 600 miles, try and vary the rpms. If you are on a highway doing 60 for an hour or something, try and either vary your speed a bit or downshift once in a while to get some different operating speeds. As others said, avoid hard braking and rapid acceleration.

This is a method I read on another site that was recommended by lots of people.

Wide Open Throttle
5000 km ~= 3106.855961 miles. 1 mile is longer than 1 km.

duh, i knew that, add instead of minus.

i like that jazz site that talks about the motor:cool:

Engine Breakin...
 

What do you all think about the following information about breaking in an engine?

http://www.mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm

I think it makes perfect mechanical sense! I began my college career as an engineer and do have some knowledge about mechanics...

I'll provide some more EXPERT opinions about this topic after I visit with my uncle who runs a performance garage and designed the LS1 engine for GM.

But what about the transmission? Some of those gears may not be perfect and might have bit of a sharp edge or a burr on them. You would want them to be worn nicely and not torn off.

different break-in procedures...
 

well, without reading that entire page, I have only this as an opinion.

I have talked to several successful engine builders in the past and they each have they own story to breakin in a freshly built engine. Some guys run them on an engine dyno at 2500 rpm for 20 minutes. Some drop the engine in a car and take it easy for 3-5k miles.


Me, personally, the last 2 vehicle I purchased were brand new. When I picked them up one had 283 miles on it and the other 320. From day 1 I've driven the cars the way I wanted to and never have any doubts nor problems. So, in my opinion, drive it the way you want it to perform from the start. :cool:

I think that is nuts, no way would i do that

BreakIN !!
 

When i got my FIT, it had 20km,...The following week we went for a short holiday to Skaha Lake,BC,from Vancouver and from 300km start and back.I had amassed another 800km.Going up the winding Coquihala Hwy.110km.The rest are winding up and down roads.My speed were about and between 90k p/hr to 120k average..I from time to time hit 130/140km on short clear straight runs.The engine performed well and the VTec was amazing.Kept up with the other 2 friends car a: Pontiac G6 and a Mitsubishi Eclipse.I know mine were nothing compare to the horses, but the FIT kept up going up and down grade wise.Fuel for the 800KM trip were about $60 Cdn both ways.I would take this Fit across CANADA and USA without no worries at all.It's got 1,400Km right now.

Cheers !!!