Break-in period of new 2005 stangs

sullygtstang · Dec 1, 2004

Hey guys i just got a new 2005 black mustang gt and i was wondering if anyone knew the breakin period before i can let this pony loose. I have heard its supposed to be around 1000-3000 miles to settle all the machinery and not to run a constant speed...just need some advice. Appreciate any help given.

Rootus · Dec 1, 2004

Have you driven more than 20 miles? If so, you're past the good part and there's no point in worrying about break-in anymore. If you have zero miles, make the first 20 count... the harder you drive it, the more horsepower you will have in the end, and the longer your motor will last...

duner · Dec 1, 2004

Congrats on the new ride. I've seen a few new ones around. Black is sweet.

Rootus has a good point. I'd add don't race any 03/04 Cobras.

TomServo92 · Dec 1, 2004

This is from the owners manual:

BREAKING-IN YOUR VEHICLE
Your vehicle does not need an extensive break-in. Try not to drive
continuously at the same speed for the first 1,000 miles (1,600 km) of
new vehicle operation. Vary your speed frequently in order to give the
moving parts a chance to break in.

It's amazing what you find in that little book in the glove compartment!

Deuce19 · Dec 2, 2004

Rootus said:
Have you driven more than 20 miles? If so, you're past the good part and there's no point in worrying about break-in anymore. If you have zero miles, make the first 20 count... the harder you drive it, the more horsepower you will have in the end, and the longer your motor will last...

Is this true or were you being sarcastic. sorry if a stupid question, but I have never had a new car before. thanks

1990BLUEGT · Dec 2, 2004

i bought my car with about 19 miles on the odometer. i drove it as if i was driving little miss Daisy around for the first 3,000 miles. I would not go past 3,200 rpms. after this, i drove my car like there was no tomorrow for the next 25,000 miles or so. no problems with my engine what so ever.
my car now has more than 35,000 miles and it runs like new.

i would like to add that i did vary my speeds within those 3,000 miles.

funny thing is, but i thought my car (2001 gt) was slower than my 5.0 stock for stock until i hit my power spot (higher rpms). that was a relief.

i think the 3v will act the same, but i can be wrong.

RICKS · Dec 2, 2004

I would not go past 3,200 rpms.

You basically missed alot of good potential fun-time in those 1st 3,000 miles for no good reason. There is no need for a "break in", today's motors are ready to roll the moment you drive off the lot. The only suggestion is to vary speeds on the highway, not to sit at a constant RPM. The whole "drive it easy, break it in" is left-over advice from two generations ago. These days to reduce warranty expense, the factories build the motors to withstand "worst case scenario" owners who will bludgeon the car right off the lot. Your new '05 already spent plenty of time singing at redline on a factory dyno before you ever took receipt of the keys. Not to mention the wringing out it got in the factory lot, the holding lot, and the loading crews. Get in and enjoy. Driving Miss Daisy for 3,000 miles is pointless, outdated urban myth, and no fun...

M1Rifle · Dec 2, 2004

How far is it from where you pick up the car to the freeway onramp?

That's the break-in period!

;-)

1990BLUEGT · Dec 2, 2004

RICKS said:
You basically missed alot of good potential fun-time in those 1st 3,000 miles for no good reason. There is no need for a "break in", today's motors are ready to roll the moment you drive off the lot. The only suggestion is to vary speeds on the highway, not to sit at a constant RPM. The whole "drive it easy, break it in" is left-over advice from two generations ago. These days to reduce warranty expense, the factories build the motors to withstand "worst case scenario" owners who will bludgeon the car right off the lot. Your new '05 already spent plenty of time singing at redline on a factory dyno before you ever took receipt of the keys. Not to mention the wringing out it got in the factory lot, the holding lot, and the loading crews. Get in and enjoy. Driving Miss Daisy for 3,000 miles is pointless, outdated urban myth, and no fun...

yeah you're probably right, but i'm satisfied today. no engine or transmission problems. i do wish i would have gunned it a little earlier though. oh well, that's retrospect for ya.

i did have notice two occasions where driving your car fast fot the first 1,000 miles made a difference. my sister's 2000 v6 developed this ticking noise before the 1,000 miles after a race with an rx-7. it now has more than 54,000 miles on it and the ticking continues. there are also some unrelated power steering noises as well.

my parent's 99 f-150 developed a ticking noise as well after about 700 miles on the odometer on an acceleration test to 100mph. my friend also has a 99 f-150 and he drove it like i drove my mustang for it's first 2000 miles. no ticking noise. even though he used to race my friend's jetta a lot after that for bragging rights. (this was back in highschool).

but who knows these are just two cases where a ticking noise developed after hard driving.

TAP4636 · Dec 2, 2004

Drive about 40, and then blast up to 80 on the expressways....let it roll to 50-60, then blast up to 80 again. Do that a couple times and you'll be done.

PolkThug · Dec 2, 2004

break-in

My father taught me about break-in about 15 years ago. He said basically everything the manual quote says in the above post, but also added that the reason you very the rpm's and speed is because metal has 'memory'. If you dent metal, the dent stays there to some degree. You want to avoid any kind of 'memory' in your engine parts.

Regards,
PolkThug

Rootus · Dec 3, 2004

Deuce19 said:
Is this true or were you being sarcastic. sorry if a stupid question, but I have never had a new car before. thanks

No sarcasm. Warm it up fully, and then proceed to beat the everloving crap out of it for 20 miles. Hard acceleration, hard engine-braking, non-stop for 20 miles. Then go change the oil (use dinosaur only). A couple thousand miles later, change the oil again, and use synthetic if you want, because break-in is entirely over.

What you want to do is get those rings seated nice and good while the opportunity is still there. Baby the engine and the rings will never seat properly, and you never get a chance again like when the engine is brand new.

Dave

Snouter · Dec 3, 2004

Are you guys sure there is no break-in guideline? For example, I know Subie WRX's should not be driven in the high RPM's in the first 1,000 miles, although this may have to do with the turbo. But even new 4 cycle outboard motors have guidelines in which the first hour is a low RPM, the second hour or so, sightly higher, and then the next hour or so open up occasionally and then vary the RPM's.

dannygat · Dec 3, 2004

Rootus said:
Have you driven more than 20 miles? If so, you're past the good part and there's no point in worrying about break-in anymore. If you have zero miles, make the first 20 count... the harder you drive it, the more horsepower you will have in the end, and the longer your motor will last...

harder breakin means more HP because you have looser toreances on the rings
But it also means you have less reliability because you have looser torerances on the rings....
I would be nice to it for the first 1000 miles with no constant speed driving and i think you will be happy in the long run.
Hey and if you think i am wrong then think of it this way... if i am wrong no big deal to you but if i am right you may save yourself from being a "Found On Road Dead" and make yourself "First On Race Day"

Rootus · Dec 3, 2004

dannygat said:
harder breakin means more HP because you have looser toreances on the rings
But it also means you have less reliability because you have looser torerances on the rings...

Every time I see a post from you, it is 90% crap. Looser tolerances on the rings will give you lower horsepower.

By running the engine hard early, you are shaping the rings to match the cylinder walls perfectly, making a very tight seal. More horsepower, longer engine life.

If you would like to learn more before posting incorrect information on the forums, go read about it: http://www.mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm

ikeya · Dec 3, 2004

Rootus said:
Every time I see a post from you, it is 90% crap. Looser tolerances on the rings will give you lower horsepower.

By running the engine hard early, you are shaping the rings to match the cylinder walls perfectly, making a very tight seal. More horsepower, longer engine life.

If you would like to learn more before posting incorrect information on the forums, go read about it: http://www.mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm

Long time lurker... first time poster... future stang owner...
Anyway... will anyone else besides Rootus confirm that this way to break in a motor is the way to go? Naturally, when I finally get my mustang, I want it to last and have maximum horsepower. (I'm not saying you're wrong Rootus... I want you to be right! Just want to hear other opinions)

Along the same lines, if beat-the-snot-out-of-it method is the proper one, when I order my car, should I request that the dealer not allow anyone to drive it around before I can get it to allow proper break in? Will a dealer just look at me and ignore my request or will they genuinely honor that request?
Thanks!

-ikeya

RICKS · Dec 3, 2004

The "ticking" stuff sounds like pure bad-luck coincidence, nothing more. I've never had an engine reliability/health issue with any vehicle I've owned. But this thread is getting a bit over-the-top. There's not a ton of credibility to the notion that if you drive the snot out of the car in the first few thousand miles, it'll be faster. Secondly, YES, most race engine builders set the engines up "loose" which reduces internal resistance, but also reduces engine longevity. But it does NOT necessarily cause a reduction in compression, which is the ONLY thing that would cause you to lose power due to loose tolerances. You can build loose, and still retain full compression, you just won't have that compression for as many miles. It's building a motor to be "in its prime" right out of the shop. Usually, your car is at its fastest further on in life, when there's less friction between all rings and bearing surfaces, but all are still sealing tightly. Bottom line, it's pretty stupid to beat the crap out of your car just for the sake of beating the crap out of it. Just don't worry about driving it easy, or not revving it up. There's no ill-effect from doing that. If the engine starts making premature noises, well, it would have done that eventually anyways, the motor was not assembled properly to begin with. You may as well expose those problems EARLY, while you've still got a warranty, rather than drive it so softly that your slumbering problem doesn't surface until after you've rolled out of your warranty period.

Deuce19 · Dec 3, 2004

What is Dinosaur oil? how is it different from synthetic? I think I will change my oil after about 500 miles, and then once again at 3000 miles and then so on from there. thanks for replying

TomServo92 · Dec 3, 2004

Deuce19 said:
What is Dinosaur oil? how is it different from synthetic? I think I will change my oil after about 500 miles, and then once again at 3000 miles and then so on from there. thanks for replying

Dinosaur aka conventional oil is refined from crude oil pumped out of the ground. Synthetics are just that: synthetic. Everything in them is completely man-made. There are are also synthetic blends which are a combination of both types.

Deuce19 · Dec 3, 2004

I didn't realize dinosaur ment DINOSAUR, weird. Will the bottle say dinosaur? how does this help/hurt your car and if it is good wouldn't I want to use it in all my cars?

Break-in period of new 2005 stangs

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