THE ROCK

what benefits are there to break in a car? i understand taking good care of the car but not really how its more ok to accelerate harder after a certain number of miles or brake harder or stuff like that. Is there a direct impact on the car?

PeterUbers

iTrader: (1)

I've heard that certain parts in the car, such as the new valve rings, the pistons, and any other rubber seal needs time to "seat" with a non-aggresive use of the engine. Also the transmission benefits from "breaking it in." I think it's a myth personally, but heck, I don't wanna think back a couple years from now if something in the engine goes out past warranty, "I wish I woulda broke it in better."

RAdams

Taking it easy on the engine for the first few hundred miles ensures proper seating of the piston rings.

Taking it easy on the brakes will help keep the pads from glazing, as some factory pads tend to do when new.

It's often hard to resist the temptation to go whizzing around the day you get the car, but it's well worth the effort.

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2000 WDP 3.2TL non-NAV
AEM CAI en route...

Edub-TL

I didn't even know about break-in on the car when I got it. But I did break it in because I was very cautious at first because I wasn't used to driving it yet. Also, when I first got it, there was that burnt oil smell and I didn't want to take any chances before I over did it.
The only think anyone ever told me was to keep it under 85mph, but after a week i went past that already.
Turns out that the "break in" period was just about the time I got comfortable driving it more aggresively.

From what I learned here, many have said that it isn't so much not accelerating harder, it is more of varying the rpms. So just driving slow all the time isn't good either.

1000bpm

I was advised by a friend to do the following for the first 1000 miles :

1. Stay under 70 mph
2. Not to cruise at a constant speed for more than half an hour.
3. No abrupt braking or acceleration

The 3.2 TL manual mentions only point (3), and for the first 600 miles not 1000 miles. No mention in the manual of keeping under a certain speed or staying away from the cruise control.

Does anyone here know what the deal is with breaking in these cars. If its OK to hit 100 mph I feel kind of stupid babying my TLS for the past week.

Another thing: the manual says change your oil after 3500 miles. Several members of this forum have stated that the first oil change should come at 7k miles because of ‘special additives’ in the engine oil. Has anyone talked to Acura service about this?

PeterUbers

iTrader: (1)

I've read numerous posts of CL Type S owners that simply ignored the break-in myth and ran their cars hard from day 1. And guess what, no problems at all. I'm sure there is a long-term effect, but I don't think anyone can quite prove that w/o some extensive engine-testing and dismantling. There is something to say for having an efficient engine, one w/ poor seating of the piston rings is prone to less power, lower fuel economy, and louder accels. and crusing speed engine volume.

$0.02 <CHA-CHING!!>

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2002 TL Type S
White Diamond Pearl
Parchment