New Car Break In Advice

My wife bought a 2014 Cruze Eco today. She went
to buy a 2012, but a new one, because of all the
June rebates, was only $1000 more so she went
with that.

Any tips on break in? I'm reading to change the oil
after the first 500 miles, tranny fluid after first 1000.
Don't take it over 60 for first 500, and vary the speed.

I've never bought a new car, don't believe in it. My
wife got a new Jeep Grand Cherokee in 94 and that's
what she traded in today. In June they have a cash
for clunker rebate of $3500 on any vehicle made before
1986 that's insured and drivable. I hated to see it go,
but it's blue book was only $900 and they gave her
$3500. It had a V8 and only got 12mph. Screw that..

"Break in" went out with the 1960s. Todays cars don't need much. During the first 500-1,000 miles use a good mix of city and highway driving. Even that is no big deal, I tool my new car on 600 miles of highway the first few days I had it.


"Remember When" you had to do all kinds of things to "break in" your new Oldsmobile.

I'm reading the cars that were broken in
properly last the longest and have the
fewest problems.

Quote: Evenbob

I'm reading the cars that were broken in
properly last the longest and have the
fewest problems.

Years ago it mattered more. Today parts are machined far better. Just drive a variety of speeds and avoid hard acceleration the first 1,000 miles.

Quote: AZDuffman

Years ago it mattered more. Today parts are machined far better. Just drive a variety of speeds and avoid hard acceleration the first 1,000 miles.

Some of the guys who changed the oil after
500 miles say it looked like it was full of glitter.
It was the tiny metal shavings from the piston
rings being getting used to being used. One
guy changed his oil 3 times in the first 500
till there was no more glitter.

They say it's a baby car so treat it like one.
No hard revs, no fast speeds, and no running
at any one speed for very long. After 1000
miles 'treat it like you stole it', or how Face
drives every day.

Oil changes are cheap so do one if you like. There should not be "glitter" in oil like that at all. Face can correct me if I am wrong. Piston rings should not have to "get used to being used." A properly installed ring will be at the right tolerance. A properly made ring should not flake. Flaking would indicate the ring is so much softer than the cylinder that it, well, flakes. The flaking would never stop.

Just drive it. There are no break-in recommendations any more. The reasons are a combination of better alloys, better machining, and better lubricants, along with computer controlled ignition systems. From day one through day 10000 your car's engine should run the same.

The only break in procedures I'm familiar with are toys. I ain't buying no new car, ever.

I remember my grandpa doing it back in the 80's. Always changing speeds and throttle inputs. He said it was so it "didn't wear a groove in the engine", whatever the hell that means. I didn't understand it then, and it doesn't make sense now.

When it comes to toys, everyone has a different opinion. The only universally accepted thing was not to cruise for a long time. The most important, and about only thing agreed upon, was to put a load on the engine. Cruising on a flat at the same RPM was said to be "bad". You wanted to load the motor by climbing hills, and to do so often. Something about seating the valves.

The only new toy I ever bought, I followed the break-in procedure for 3 miles. Then I pegged it to red-line and ripped it up to 140. And continued to drive it like that every time I took it out. It ran like a Swiss watch for the entire 3-4 years I owned it.

On the "glitter", every toy I've ever owed had a magnetized oil plug. And yes, for the first few oil changes, there were fine filings attached to it. They were so fine they almost had no substance to them. If you wiped them off by finger and rubbed your fingers together, it was finely gritty, like toothpaste. They were almost completely gone by the second or third oil change. And like I said, that particular machine ran like a raped ape for the life of my ownership.

Basically, I agree with Mosca. Break it in the way you drive it. Just go.

Just out of curiousity, how much was the new Cruze before the rebate? It seems cars are getting more expensive. Cruze is Chevy's entry-level model (well, above the Sonic), and it really is like a luxury car now, and priced like one. Loaded it's around $28,000.

Quote: theodores

Just out of curiousity, how much was the new Cruze before the rebate? .

It was $24K. Has a remote start (which she can't
live without), and a rear view camera as the
only two things that aren't standard on an Eco.
With the rebates, she paid $18.5K, which included
sales tax.