MBRedux

Has anyone else been told by their dealership that these engines "have no break-in period", that they were "broken-in at the factory"?

WRONG.... way wrong... total and an outright lie!

GLKster

When I picked up last week, the salesman told me the break-in period is 1,500kms. He also said try not to drive the GLK in sport mode until after 1,500kms.

MBRedux

Wow... that does it... here's another reason to move to Canada!!! Honest dealerships!

Baby G

Its in the owner manual as well

JT01

MBRedux, don't be fooled... the dealers here are not honest. Maybe just a little less crooked!

I don't trust any of them... Canadian or American... **** not even Saturn dealerships!

NYCGLK

well according to manual there is a break-in preriod, but manual is not written by people who develop engines, so there were many discussions on other forums about break-in periods, whether engines are in fact broken-in at the factory, and how you should really break-in your engine. Just search C class for that.

I'm very surprised that salesman would say that there is no break-in period.

On a side note, I took my car off the lot in S mode, (supposed to be in C). Drove in S the whole break in period. I also started doing a few redlines here and there after 200-300 miles with warmed up engine of course. I agree with philosophy that you have to make sure engine is warm but you don't have to treat like a baby, and don't abuse it either and it'll work in to condition for as long as you have the car.

MBRedux

Fully agree! In 1984 I remember picking up my new VW-GTI with MT. It was a warm summer’s night and the salesman was going over the car with me. With his head through the passenger window his last words were "now be careful for the next 500 miles... no sudden stops and please baby the engine." With that I shook his hand and proceeded to pop the clutch and burn a patch all the way down the block until he (whose eyes were now bulging from their sockets) was out of sight in my rear view mirror.

Ah... those youthful days...

PS When I sold it, it had over 90,000 miles on it. That engine never gave me any trouble; in fact, it was a free revving fast performer. Maybe the "break-in" thing is a myth!

MB_Owner

Both camps are quite passionate about their beliefs on that subject. I've "babied" new engines and I've driven new engines "normally" from day one and, frankly, haven't been able to tell much difference if I use oil consumption as the metric. Just too many variables and production engine tolerances aren't all that tight; thus, quite a variance is possible due to cumulative distribution tolerances from engine to engine coming off the same line.

We pretty much followed the book recommendations with our GLK and it was ready for a quart at 2000 miles. Don't know if that's going to change as I get more miles on the engine and start taking longer trips. But it's consistent with what I see on my other two European cars. They all seem to burn more oil than Japanese engines which typically don't need any topping off between oil changes.

MBRedux

I see your point... although the very best way to seat the piston rings for max. seal is to perform a good engine brake once in a while down hill during break-in.

QSHIP

Old rules of break-in drive your hard but different speed, do not cruise longer on steady speed

lkchris

That is BS and represents lack of knowledge of the process.

When I was a technical writer and wrote manuals for USA nuclear weapons, there wasn't a single word in the manual not approved by the design engineers. You can count on it that it's the same way with your Mercedes owner manual.

There is no "debate:" what the manual says is what should be followed.

BTW, I toured the V-gasoline engine plant in Unterturkheim in 2006, and there is no factory "break-in." There is an electrical spin-up (i.e. engine not started) to verify various parameters, etc., but that's it.

But, folks are a bit behind the curve as regards "break-in" in any event, as the latest cylinder production methods pretty much eliminate the need for much of it. See, for example, http://www.enginebuildermag.com/Arti...way_to_go.aspx

QSHIP

Drive like you want to drive it. Just don't revs to the red line. If you baby this engine it will not remember to get mature. Have fun this German engineering. Remember to go slow to warm it up first.

SL2003driver

It's not the engine that has to be broken in its the transmission.

3Stars

+1
the most complex gearing in the vehicle

ryhchan

I just passed 1500km on my way home right into the garage...woohoo...I am going to spin this baby real hard tomorrow morning! Couldn't look for an excuse to have a run to the grocery store tonite tho...lol

Sathinas

This argument is as old as engines have been around. Some say to take it easy for xxxx amount of miles. some say drive it hard. Some, just got down to the science of it and figured it out.

I've broken in several new engines using the methods in the link and I have NEVER had any engine rotating assembly issues.

Read. Learn. Then decide who knows better. You or this guy.

http://www.mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm

GLKKa2H

Engine is only one - 1- reason why MB recommends (in the GLK Operator's Manual) a break-in period, the three other ones are: the front differential, the rear differential and the transfer case. The latter currently being in question in another thread.

Having examined (large) gearboxes from different systems after "break-in periods", noted metal debris from the toothwheels (naturally) grinded off during the "run-in-process", had I no doubts in following MB's recommendation.

As well should another "break-in period" follow any replacement of the units.

GLKKa2H

Mind the sentence in the GLK Operator's Manual: "After 1 000 miles (1 500 km) you may gradually increase vehicle and engine speeds to the permissible maximum."

Enjoy the

Sathinas

I don't know how much truth there is to this, but I have heard that each 65 (CL, SL, S, etc) engine is actually Dyno tested for advertised power and broken in at the same time.

Of course, I have no proof to back this up, all I can say is that I remember reading about it somewhere. Granted, I could just have been having a stroke at the same time I was looking for internet **** and just imagined the whole thing.

~shrug~

NYCGLK

like somebody said...owners manual is written by lawyers not engineers. They don't want you to go 100mph right away in case factory worker screwed something up.

n5160u

The European owners manuals have the exact same cautions and wording as the USA versions and they very likely don't have lawyers writing the owners manuals in Europe since being a lawyer isn't as profit driven as being a lawyer is in the USA.

n5160u

The European owners manuals have the exact same cautions and wording as the USA versions and they very likely don't have lawyers writing the owners manuals in Europe since being a lawyer in Europe isn't as profit driven as being a lawyer is in the USA.

gsrjc

Did anyone change all the fluids after the break-in period? I plan on getting an oil change but wondering if the transmission fluid and differential fluid should be changed as well since the tranny is what really needs to be broken in.

3Stars

Change GLK's Transmission and Differential fluid at Service A? NOoo

gsrjc

Reason being.... you don't want to pay or because you think it is useless. I figure the transmission is what sees the most wear and tear in the beginning so flushing it out would be good. i remember when i flushed out the LSD after the first 1000 miles of one of my previous cars and saw metal shards in the fluid.