The sales told me my tl runs a software for the first 600 miles, so during this break-in period, the engine output is actually regulated at 85%. In another word, no matter how hard you floor your engine, it is not going to do any damage.

Anyone heard the samething?

 

first time I heard that.

Try it and find out!
i bet the salesman was lying!!!

 

sounds like bs to me ... ive heard different views on engine break in such as drive it hard for the first 500 miles or dont drive it hard for the first 500 ... i personally dont think it matters so much but i highly doubt there is any software limiting the engine

 

My dad handed me a 2010 Challenger SRT8 with 500 miles and said to have fun for a month.

I WOT'ed EVERY WHERE. I didnt stick to a break in period.
and the car is fine till this day. granted, its only been a year...

 

different stories, different myths...

my motto. take it easy for a couple hundred miles. i didnt go wild until i was at about 900 miles

 

Who knows what to believe ? However, I would rather err on the side of caution than face the potential financial impact of not. I take it easy for the first 600 miles.

 

Any piston engine requires low hp throttle blips to seat the piston rings. This is usually accomplished by the dock worker/jockey driver as the car is loaded (if you have ever watched them load). Other than that, there is no break-in period on modern engines and Acura, to the best of my knowledge, has no specail map for the first 500 miles.

Used Car Saleman: Low Mileage!
Translation: Odometer broken.

Used Car Saleman: New Tires!
Translation: Bad Front end alignment destroyed the old tires.

Used Car Saleman: That's our Rock Bottom Price!
Translation: I'll eat Steak and Lobster for a month.

 

One of my car manuals says to go easy on the motor in no uncertian terms:


Break in hints for the first
2,000 miles/3,000 kilometers

The following tips will be helpful in obtaining optimum performance from your new Porsche. Despite the most modern, high-precision manufacturing methods, the moving parts must still wear in with each other. This wearing-in occurs mainly in the first 2,000 miles/3,000 kilometers.

Therefore:

during the break-in period.

 

The reason I was asking about this is the owner manual specific mention the break-in period of 600 mile and to avoid those things that we all heard of in the past.

My sales guy is pretty knowlegable from what I can tell, not those type of newbie and bs all day long that they don't even know what they are talking about.

That's why I was asking this same old question if this has been heard of...

Thanks!

 

do what your owners manual says and you can never go wrong...

 

Not always.

2010 TL Owner's Manual, page 510:

"Alway change the oil and filter according to the maintenance messages shown on the multi-information display".

So if the average mileage owners are getting per oil change interval is over 7,000 miles, it could be over two years before a change for some of us (if following the manual). I will not leave oil in my car anywhere near that long.
I spoke to the Acura service manager who said the only item that is scheduled based on time is the brake fluid.

It would help if Acura would fix their manual. Of course, this assumes that owners read it.

 

+1

 

You should keep reading since the manual also says to change the oil at least 1 time per year regardless of the MID.

 

^nice second post.

 

I just drove my TL normal for the first 600 miles. On an engine I built a few years back we broke it in right on the dyno.

 

My owner's manual doesn't. Tell me where yours does?

My 32 page maintenance journal has a footnote at the bottom of the page in very small sized text "Perform this service according to maintenance minder or annually, whichever comes first".

I have said this before, that to sneak in a very important instruction into a differant book, in small text, at the bottom of the page as a afterthought is very poor way to provide instructions for the one task that owners are responsible to get done or risk damage or/and loss of warranty.

 

exactly...

 

I agree with what you're saying regarding break in periods for proper seatings but Evinrude outboard engines has an engine which came out 3 or 4 years ago which needs no break in and can run wide open throttle out of the box and it's a four stroke. So who knows, but I would want to see someting in writing or test report showing the longevity of these no break in engines.

 

This is what the 3G Manual says on the Maintenance Minder Page (the page with the MID codes):


It also says:

The oil is reportedly "break in oil" with a higher than normal moly content to remove asperities.

I cannot see a 4G OM, and cannot confirm any differences from the 3G.

 

My owner's manual does. Right on page 506 of the 2010 TL Owner's Manual. Referring to Maintenance Minder symbol A, "Replace engine oil", footnote *1 says "If the message SERVICE DUE NOW does not appear more than 12 months after the display is reset, change the engine oil every year."

 

Just like the 3G.

 

Thanks. It is there in mine also. I was wrong.

Bearcat94, the 4G manual, page 444, has the exact wording for breaking-in recommendations as the 3G manual does.

 

Key word here would be annually. You said it in your own post.

I also do not believe in too much of a break in period in new cars. I am pretty sure that manufacturing has been a bit more refined over the years and the sloppy casting of ages ago has passed for the most part.

 

Most dealers, Acura, Honda have a $39 special to change oil.. I change mine every 6K miles regardless, for me that is every 6 months... Plus I have wheel ramps and can do it myself, but for that price why not sit in the customer waiting room, always good to have them do that 30 point inspection when the car is up on the lift, and enjoy free coffee and danish! And we can't forget how hard San Diego weather is on car oil!

 

for 39 bucks, i will take a pass and do it myself with synthetic motor oil...besides, its not like an acura tech is doing your oil change, its just a regular "joe" doing it, so you can toss that 30 point inspection out the window too...

 

Actually, my Acura tech does my oil changes. He is the only one I let touch my car.

 

After I bought my 06 tsx in Nov. 06, the break-in period consisted of driving the car from the dealer in PA to my home in NC. Must have been ok.

 

This ^ is NOT from Acura! This is Porsche material.

These engines were not made for a track day (ever).Thanks

Normal driving is all that is required to break-in a modern engine. The added verbiage is too keep idiots from red-lining their brand new Honda and possibly causing a warranty claim. There is a BMW that came with a moving yellow/red-line (M-3) to keep idiots from hammering the right pedal until the car was broken in/warmed up.
For those of you who quote from the owners manual like it was a bible, welcome to the church of H.

 

have you watched the tech change your oil? 3 states and twice as many acura dealers, and i have seen no techs doing oil changes...they pay techs way too much money per hour to change oil, they can pay someone a lot less to do oil changes...

 

I have watched him change the oil, check the fluids, road force balance my tires and all the rest. Usually, when it's in for an oil change, I'm back there shooting the s*^t him. As mentioned earlier, he is the only one that services my car. Now, to your point, I can't say what happens when I'm not there.

My apologies to the OP - I know this thread is supposed to be about engine break in periods and not my personal service experience.

 

has anyone ever heard of a car fail prematurely or have crazy wear and tear due to

"Too Awesome Driving during first 500 miles"