razer8724

hey everyone..i just bought a brand new C55 yesterday (monday) and im LOVING it. First off, how long should i break the car in for (and not rev past 3k rpm)? Also, my shift knob came plain with no mercedes emblem or AMG or anything, just a black shift knob with a little silver piece on it. Isn't the C55 supposed to come with an AMG shift knob?

Nimbus

No AMG logo on the C55 shift knob.

You should have a break-in info sticker afixed to the upper driver-side corner. Just follow that.

NORTH 44 C63

Reprint from a much earlier post of mine:

AMG programs the ECU to be very forgiving with high tolerence for average drivers. ie: a non enthusiast that might not follow service schedules and otherwise not take good care of the vehicle. This is why companies like Renntech and Powerchip can squeeze extra HP by chipping alone.

This also relates to the easy break-in outlined in the user manual. this breaks in the motor in a way that if the service schedule is not followed, there are pre existing tolerences in place to protect the motor.

"Spare the rod and spoil the child"

If you are an AMG enthusiast, drive as you would normally right from the start. It is VERY important to let the engine warm to full operating temp and then run the first few minutes at moderate loads as to let the tranny fluid temp to catch up as well. The tranny needs to seat and seal over the first 1000 miles/1600 km. This will produce a smooth, responsive and very tight engine that will stay that way. Still follow the recommended scheduled first oil/filter change and away you go.....

I'm not saying to go racing the first weekend but if you drive hard and smoothly through the gears right out of the gate you can expect to maintain top torque and HP numbers for the life of the engine. Follow the "recommended" break in and expect a 10 to 15 HP drop and for sure, lots of "cylinder blow by" in the years to come.

This is just my 2 cents but I have been breaking in engines (both high performance and stock) this way for years and its never let me down.

The program came to me from a Mercedes factory test driver back in the 1980's and he still maintains the method (and still works for MB).

I hope this helps