Do i need to break in my RDX? Any advice or tips on how to break in cars or engine? And how many miles do you need to break in your car?

I just thought that new engine doesnt need to break in coz they already test your engine before it get out from the plant. Only Rebuild engine needs to break in.

 

Yes, it needs break in time. The engine & the brakes need about 600-1000 miles to be broke in corrctly. I think the book says 600, but some agree on 1k miles. It depends on how long you want it to last. hahahaha

PS. No WOT & avoid slamming on the brakes (unless absolutely necessary!)

 

Thanks Lrpba

 

Do i need to change the oil after break-in?

 

I was told just not to use the cruise control for the first 1,000 miles. I ran it like I drive it everyday. I now have 3,300 miles.

 

The manual is pretty clear on all of this. Since the engine comes factory-filled with synthetic oil, the break in period is theoretically longer (with the lower friction from the synthetic). They specifically say do NOT change the engine oil before the 1st service reminder.

 

This is true, because cruise doesn't allow the engine to vary RPM. One of the key elements to a successful break-in (at least for me in all the hot-rod motors I've built and the new cars I've owned) is to make sure you do vary the engine's rpm on any outing. Easy city driving, if there is such a thing, is much better for break-in than a steady cruise on the hwy.

Like said previously in this thread, I'd go with what the manual has to say with regard to break-in mileage. Honda engineers design and build an excellent quality product in their engines and I'm sure they know the best break-in practices.

 

In addition to breaking in the engine, you go easy on the brakes in the first 600 miles. Allow some extra space in front of you to avoid panic stops.

 

One thing I forgot to mention here is that the break-in period is not just for the engine/brakes. You have to take into consideration the entire driveline. The trans needs a break-in period as well as the diffs. Any sort of hard driving before these lubricated parts have a chance to mesh correctly CAN cause issues down the road. I'm not saying it will as I know folks that drive their vehicles like they stole them right out of the box and seem to have them hold together, but I do have to say IMO that you up your risk of lowering the vehicles longevity. Just my $.02

 

your welcome..& NO. change the oil when the minder screen tells you to!!

 

Well said luv.!

 

Thanks! Being a gear-head since I was about 5, I know a thing or two about this stuff.

 

Is braking in the driveline different from braking in the engine, i.e., do you do anything differently?

 

yea, I hear you. I use to do a lot of engine work in my younger days. Still do a lot of mechanical work today.

 

It doesn't actually require anything special since the engineers are going to assume you beak your engine and brakes in properly. If you follow the guidelines laid out in the maunal, all the lubricated parts on the car, even the unmetioned ones, will break in as needed.

 

Out of curiosity, what's the rationale for having a break-in period for the braking system? Is there a concern that there is a faulty brake line somewhere that will explode in a hard-braking situation? Short of some sort of failure like that, how could immediate aggressive use of the brakes result in a shorter life span (other than additional wear on the pads and rotors)?

By the way, this is my first post, and I've really enjoyed lurking this forum since I registered recently. Looking forward to learning and participating here in the future!

- DDB

 

It helps the pads seat properly so you don't get any strange noises or wear down the road. Just like a new pair of running shoes, you wouldn't run a marathon the first time you put them on.

 

I say wait till 1500-2000 miles..or better yet, till 1st oil change.

 

That's counter to what I've done with other cars. Typically with a new pads/rotor setup, I'll take the brakes through a "bed-in" procedure as described at the link below:

Brake bed-in procedure care of Zeckhausen.com

The above procedure certainly does not avoid "slamming on the brakes"!

- DDB

 

sic avatar....have you seen my new business card? bwahaha

 

I think break-ins are a bit overated since most engine builders tell you to drive it hard from day one.

I've also done the bedding procedure for pads/rotors, though again, the premise is get some heat in them, let them cool, repeat (but don't max it).