MisterLinus

I have a new 05 auto tl and don't know if I was careful enough breaking in the engine so far. I know they say it is 500 miles till you can really let the engine go, but I may have stomped on the gas a couple of times during the inital 500 miles. I haven't noticed anything wrong, and I love the way the car is running, but do you think I harmed my engine at all because of this. Is there anything I can do from this point to help my engine perform at its peak?

Thanks for any advice.

KilroyR1

Don't worry. Some people say baby it. Some say hammer it from the start. All the evidence is anecdotal so don't give it a second thought. From the actual evidence I have seen, I fall into the group that believes you should hammer the car (once it's fully up to temperature) to seat the rings.

Just enjoy the car.

Tripp11

https://acurazine.com/forums/showthread.php?t=88638

Papaman677

I hammered mine from day 1, did the same with my 99 integra when I got it. Never had a problem.

nitehawk23

I live in Canada and we go by kilometers as u already know. I personally baby the car for the first 1000km/h. However once my car has been warmed up or i have been driving it for around 30 mins or more then i drive more enthusiatically. Dont know if that answers or helps but thats just my

SouthernBoy

Y'all should read the posts on this link that Tripp11 supplied. You'll see the ones that answer your questions.

Ever since my first car (over 40 years ago), I have heard this question and this argument come up. One side argues that a gentle break-in (as the manufacturer states) is the way to go. The other side argues to let it all out from day one. Some of the hard-on-it types would point to race teams and how they would build an engine, then take it out and just go flat out with it. Well hell.. that's an engine built for racing, NOT for street use. BIG DIFFERENCE!

You are never going to be able to buy a mass produced street machine whose engine has parts anywhere as good as an engine set up for racing; drag, NASCAR, or otherwise. Those teams have money to spend and buy the best material they can because winning is everything. Were you to have an engine prepared like that in your street car, the engine alone could run over $100,000!

For street machines, it's a whole difference scenario. Read the link and pay attention to what Road Rage and a few other say. And think about this. Do you believe for one moment that Honda/Acura or Ford or Chevrolet or Porsche or any manufacturer would recommend a careful break-in period if, in fact, an aggressive break-in was better for their engines? Of course not. They don't want you coming back for warranty work on broken parts. Hell, they've already sold you the car.. you're just reading the owner's manual and seeing this. They don't need to have something in there to satisfy your ideas to sell you the car.

One of the posters on this link states that years ago, manufacturers recommended a 2000 mile break-in period. I've never seen this.. the most being 1000 miles. Granted, some car's DO take a bit longer to break in (you can actually feel and see the differences with them), but for all practical purposes, a 1000 mile period is sufficient to do the good work. Think about what's going on inside of a reciprocating piston engine. Tremendous pressures from intensely hot, rapidly expanding gases are exerting nearly their full force inside of a combustion chamber with only one part willing to give way. These gases expand at a much faster rate that that part (the piston) can move, so pressure is also brought to bare upon the rings and valves and wrist pins and connecting rods and rod bearings and crankshaft bearings and on and on. Through the machining process, microscopic disparities in the metal (looks like scapings or shavings) meets other disparities with only oil to keep them from causing problems.

Break your engine in the way that Honda/Acura suggests. What are you going to lose?

dsc888

Listen to Southernboy. He knows his cars. I used his exact same logic when I heard about other folks suggesting you drive it hard to break it in. And if you read the the manual, the break in period is only for the first 600 miles. It took me all of 2 weeks to reach that point. You can do as you please after that point.

dsc888

trancemission

I did what they told me to do for the first 500 miles. Then the moment I hit 500 I took it into VTEC and it blew me away. My gas milage has never been the same since......lol!

KJSmitty

I've never heard someone say "break it in hard",,,, the verbiage use to be and actually still applies: "break it in like you're going to use/drive it".

What you don't want to do is baby an engine for 1000 or so miles then one day decide to mash the throttle and start pulling 6500rpm runs for the first time... That's why you may hear motorheads/racers saying "break it in hard".. If the car/engine is going to the track in a few days, the track isn't the first place the engine should see high rpm/load situations etc.

Way to much worry/thought goes into the whole new car "engine break-in period". I've said it several times, the brake-in statements contained in the manual are primarily to cover drive-train/brakes break-in/wear-in more than engine concerns. Many manuals literally state: An engine break-in period is no longer necessary. However, in order to facilitate proper bla bla bla, avoid full throttle starts and hard stops etc. etc. etc. for the first 500 miles......

Just drive it nicely/normally for the first 100 miles or so then "gradually" start "introducing" your engine to the way you're going to drive it....


No worries.

Mr Bigglesworth

If I was a dealer, it would be in my interest to convince my customers to go easy on the car early on, so that any inherent flaws would not be exacerbated early on. I think the longer someone has a car, the less likely they are to try to return it or invoke the lemon law.

Riu

i went easy for the first 700 miles while only occasionaly pushing it. After 1000 i drove it how i wanted to and saw what that car does. Now i have 11k and it drives great.

ililillilillilil

with my Tl typeS, the car wouldnt let me cruise @ 40mph, it always felt comfy @ 70+.
Now with my 06 i just started to get that feeling again(@230miles) but i treated it like a fragile baby b4. im not going to 'open it up' until after 500 miles, but i'm not in a hurry to accumulate rock chips & mess up the tires on my new car

Riu

what tires do you get on the 06?

My o4 hadd thos POS turanzas. Gone in like 8000 miles.

SouthernBoy

Your statement, "break it in like you're going to use/drive it" is the one I've heard most often when someone is trying to argue this point.

I actually do pretty much as you stated. I use a progressive break-in, being the most cautious the first 200 miles (the brakes need this time). By the time I hit 1000 miles, I'm driving it in my normal way. I'm not hard on my engine, so this is easy for me to do.

SouthernBoy

In the end, it's your car and you should do what YOU want to do. Getting opinions and facts from others is a good thing, but the bottom line is, you're the one who has to live with the car. Do what you believe is best.

mbwmn

NO. it's too late. damage is already done.
i'll take it off your hands for $5k, seeing as how it'll need a new motor soon, and it won't be covered by warranty after you've admitted to abusing it. contact me offline regarding how/when you can deliver it to me in Jersey. let me know where i can paypal u.
thnx!