I've heard a lot of preferences on proper break-in procedure:

1-drive it easy
2-drive it as you would normally
3-drive it "moderately", if it is different from #2 :p
4-drive it hard

Well, the manual says to drive it easy at varying loads and revs.

#4 seems to be preferred by peopel with racing backgrounds. Something about it forces the pistons to seal properly or something. I'll have to look it up.

 

just drive it like you normally would. try to refrain from redline all the time within the first 500 miles or so.

 

I notice a big difference in the way cars run everyday. some 320 cars are sluggish and some run like a 430. To me it seems like the customers that drive 4 mph all the time have the fastest cars. The old people that leave the trans selector in "W" all year. So I would highly reccomend to drive it like a pansy for the first thousand miles. Also since we got our new ML350 roadside truck its been beaten severly and it runs like crap with 4000 miles on it right now.

2003 c230 magma, c5, c7, 6spd

 

That's my reccomendation also, not only do you have to break in the engine but all the other parts also.

 

Just the opposite. I have had the fastest stock cars of any I have seen and I do it by taking the engine through the entire rev range from the start. Don't floor it or 'lug' it or run at a constant rpm for any amount of time. You are setting up wear patterns that are forever so get the engine used to spinning at all rpms. My engine also last with no problems.

 

My experience crosses hipo cars like the Corvette Z06 (02), my 96 E300 Diesel and my 02 Chysler Minivan.

Each of these cars was broken in using the methods from the 60's and 70's. The result: the vette has 375HP at the rear wheels (high end of the stock Z06 engines) and oil consumption of 1 qt / 6000 miles ( very excellent experience with this engine).

The minivan has never been back at the dealer after 25k miles.

With 100k miles on the Diesel, no oil consumption, no engine issues period.

My previous Dodge minivan went 285K miles before i donated it to charity. Never any engine issues except the seals started to leak at 275K miles.

All facts. I do my own oil changes and I use Mobil 1 after first 5k miles

My method is under 60 first 1000 miles, vary speed and keep the rpms under 2500 rpm.

On one of the other forums some guy is bragging having rebuilt 200 engines in the past 18 months with hispeed breakin In my estimation this is no test. IN three to five years how will engines perform and will he still be in business to honor the warranty on the engines? that is the true test.

 

All of my full rpm range engines have gone over 100k with no oil consumtion problems or undue wear. They are smoother and more powerfull than the same engine in friends cars that do the easy break-in. To each his own.

 

what kills me is WHO has decided that 1000 miles is the holy grail of engine break in time? with synthetic oils, and new metallurgy techniques it is hard to say what will wear and when. JUST DRIVE THE CAR!

Look at AMG, they take their engine after assembly and run it on a dyno immediately to make sure it produces the desired hp. the run the crap out of this engine from the start and have no longevity issues. its like anything mechanical if you abuse it, it will fail eventually. if you baby it, it to will also fail eventually. no ne on the board can predict when or where a part will fail, waer out or whatever. this all has to do with meterials used, were certain processes applied correctly, was it built correctly, did one bolt or nut have a flaw in it from the factory that was not noticed and maybe it wont be noticed until 200000 miles or so, but driving the car slow as compared to fast has nothing to do with when a part will fail.

 

here is part of an article about AMG in the march 2003 car and driver.

 

I stick with the facts. My experience is real. I am an engineer and I am well aware of metalurgical improvements over the years in casting methods and materials. Even the heat treat and machining process is far superior with better inert atmospheres and CNC 4-5 axis machines.

The source of 1000 miles is unknown, but who cares if you get results. Someone asked so I answered. In my business, aerospace, nearly everthing is calculated. The automakers 30 years ago who knows.

I don't speculate, again results is what counts.my 2c

 

I have always pondered about this wonder figure of 1000miles/1600km as the ultimate range for breaking in an engine. What scientific/engineering evidence is there to support this distance for a brand car`s break in period?

Whilst searching on Scoobynet.co.uk I came across this site.. Break in secrets?
Let me know what you think of this

 

Follow the advise of Motoman and your car will run like a raped ape.

I know its hard to run your new baby hard as hell, but that engine will love you forever.

Jeff

 

Yeah, tell me about it... I used Motoman`s technique on my Subaru WRX MY02 with the prodrive performance package (this was added to the car at about 2000km`s)- I have driven my friends` cars with identical spec and all I can say is that my scooby has no hesitation .. pulls stronger from lower revs.. I can only hope that at 12000kms on the clock the engine lasts for the next 50000km (thats how long I intend keeping it) I wonder what our sl500 will think of motomans Rx once it arrives in a few weeks time... I hope it doesn`t run like a raped scoobydoo though... its too classy for that..

 

The better the rings seal to the cylinder walls the better your engine will run.

Less blow-by past the rings will increase your engine longevity. Expect many trouble free miles and little to no oil burning as a result.

Jeff

 

I was told that you should just avoid keeping the car at a constant speed because the parts seal better if you vary the rpm's.

 

Yep.

 

My salesman told me to drive it anyway you want, but don't use cruise control for the first 1000 miles.

 

cruise control = constant(almost) rpm

 

Its simple really,
Thank the nice salesman for the shiny new car, start the engine and let it warm up(donot idle), preferrably by driving slowly to a quite long stretch of tarmac, once warm.. floor the throttle at different speeds, accelerating to certain speed ranges, slowing down and repeating foot to the floor acceleration in all the gears through the speed ranges(30-60, 60-80, 90-110 mph) then after about 5 reps in each set, return to dealer, (should be about 20-30 miles round trip) immediately switch off engine and tell them to change oil and filter, to remove microscopic metal particles that are now circulating in your new engine... Then feel the difference in power and endurance of your engine for the rest of its service life..

 

Blade, good advice.

I would only add that to be really positive of getting a good ring seal that after you change the oil the 1st time to repeat your process one more time and run the car even a little harder.

JEff

 

A dumb question, but does it matter that you stay below a certain speed during the 1000 mile period, local dealer told me to stay below 60mph, any truth to that or it is another old wives tale?

 

Was true with old engines and old metalurgy. Not true any more.

 

coz the dealership here give us some crap about staying below sixty, any point to that, provided RPMs are low, as thats all the mannual refers to in terms of breaking in, it makes a comment about amg cars staying below 85, but no comment on other models

 

It's helpful if you occasionaly allow the engine to coast down from the maximum rpm limit that you have limited yourself to during break-in. If you're close to the end of your break-in, run the engine up to about 75-80% of total rpm, and then let off the throttle and allow the car to slow down from engine braking (be sure to hold trans in gear). Engine, or compression braking, builds up crank-case pressure, which in turn expands the lower piston rings (the oil control rings). Otherwise, I still follow the gradual break-in process versus the "drive-it-like-you-stole-it-break-in". Comparing performance between two cars can be very difficult as A.), it's difficult to tell who's cars are faster by seat-of-the-pants, and B.) Your car may have more miles/more complete break-in than the other, the may be production differences, different driving styles/conditions, load, tire pressure, etc... See now, my cars and bikes always seemed to be consistently fast for stock, or in the case of my motorcycles, they would dyno well, but that may not be due to my more careful break-in procedure. Mercedes is pretty particular about proper break-in, so when in doubt, I always play it safe. I can tell you that I can't wait to finish the break-in on my CLK55...


Best regards,
Matt

p.s., keep in mind that MB can very easily determine how the car has been driven over its lifetime, so why give them any reason to give you a hard time?