Like to hear everyone's input on this. Just got my 06 TL Auto w/o navi last week and loving it

Back to engine break-in...

Can I screw it up? I took it on the highway right after I got it from the dealership so I am kind of scared that I've already done damage to a very fine engine. I hear that manufacturing process is pretty good compared to the good old days so the engine break-in process is not as critical. Is that true?

I also hear that your fuel efficiency may be affected if you don't break-in properly, but I never hear a real quantitative answer. I mean if its a difference of 0.1 mpg then personally I feel its irrelevent. Just turn off your AC for a while and you can probably save that much.

 

You can screw up the engine during the break in period, but you would have to work at it. If you use common sense you won't have any problems. Driving on the highway won't hurt it, unless you drive abusively, otherwise, enjoy your car.....

 

just dont rev above 4000rpm and dont floor it

 

Actually, an occasional burst at WOT is good for break in. Just don't go nuts with it and rev it out of sight or do it a lot. The pressures from WOT help seat the rings. But with the new finishes on cylinder bores and the rings they are using these days, things seat very quickly. I would just drive it like you normally would and avoid any high speed high rpm runs for a while.

 

Like chfields stated, "you would have to work at it"... As in, drive it like you just stole it..

Way to much thought goes in to the whole break-in period question now days. Actual break-in on today's manufacturing process engines pretty much takes place in the first few miles / hours of operation.

Most of the concern during the mentioned initial 500 mile break-in is with the drivetrain etc., not so much the engine.

My recommendation for every engine I have ever rebuilt or built has always been to just drive it nicely and slowly "introduce" the engine to the way your going to drive it etc.. What you really don't want to do is baby the engine for it's initial life then one day mash the throttle and start pulling high rpms.. This basically goes for the entire vehicle and drivetrain.

Bottom line, drive the car and enjoy it. Everyday stop and go, start and stop, speed up and slow down traffic, and even some constant speeds on the highway is perfect for new engine conditioning.


Enjoy!

 

Thanks everyone for all the input.

So what I am hearing is:
1) Drive it normally and it will be fine
2) Normally means no going crazy on the acceleration, only do it sometimes.

I've been looking around the internet for some information regarding break-ins, and I found this to explain the process pretty well:

http://www.overboost.com/story.asp?id=1250

I quote the following in the article:

"All right, we've covered a lot of ground here in the Overboost Fire Hose Classroom style. Now let's go over the actual how-to break in a new engine.

0-200 miles: Keep under 3,000 RPM. No lugging the engine (let it rev free). Give it about 10 first-gear shots to 4,000 RPM.
200-400 miles: Raise rev ceiling to 4,000 RPM with 10 first and second-gear shots to 4,500 RPM.
400-600 miles: Rev ceiling to 4,500 RPM with 10 shots to 5,000 RPM through third gear.
600-800 miles: Rev ceiling to 5,500 RPM with 10 shots to 6,000 RPM.
800-1000 miles: Rev ceiling to 6,000 RPM with 10 shots to 6,500 RPM. "


My question is, is this an overkill for the TL engines? Note the article was dated 5/5/2004, so I think it is referring to modern engines (not older engines from the 70s etc).

 

It's not what I would call overkill Neo, it's just I would never put that much thought into a specific "break-in" process.. If it required that at all, the manufacturer would have printed that in the manual.

As you can tell with that article, it goes right along with my recommendation that you just drive it nicely and slowly introduce the car/engine to more aggressive driving etc..

Enjoy!

 

how come my saleman told me to keep it under 65mph til i hit my next oil change..right now im only 59miles on it..and i been keeping it under 50 since i only go to work and home..

 

Probably because he is a salesman, not a mechanic. You should drive the car normally, don't drive too slow for long periods of time or drive fast for long periods of time. Drive it normally until after the breakin period, then you can get on it and drive it any way you want. The effects of how you break in the engine will generally not be noticed until you get into the higher mileage (100,000+), it could mean the difference between 100,000 before problems or 250,000.

 

Salesman is overly cautious or not real bright. As Cobraguy and KJSmitty said above, varying the speeds and engine RPM results in best break-in of the car. Drive normally and vary your driving. It's OK to drive above 65 mph as long as conditions dictate it is safe. Just don't zing to redline at every opportunity, don't drop the clutch at 5,000 rpm and don't cruise continuously on the freeway at a set speed range for the 600 mile break in period.
FYI, your next oil change, if you follow the MID, won't happen until 7000+ miles, well beyond Acura's break-in mileage recommendation, so the salesman was too conservative.

 

No you can't, theses cars are blue printed at the factory, but don't beat on it, in fact you wanta drive it fast if you want the computer to learn your driving. I waited to floor it till I hit 500 miles just to be safe but you really don't have to.

 

At mileage should I do my first oil change? And is ok to go over 65mph during the break-in periods? The reason why I'm asking is because my salesman said not to go over 60-65mph for the first 2-3000 miles.

 

The TL engne is not blue printed at the factory. If it was, you would be paying quite a bit more for the car and there would be fewer available. The TL engine is mass produced.

 

Dont buy the one everyone is test driving.

 

Follow MID; yes.
See post #s 4, 5 and 10 above.