Got a new car? Congratulations! In many regions, buying a vehicle is a clear sign of personal progress, and I know anyone in that situation would be eager to take it for a spin as soon as possible. However, there are technical details to consider. Mechanics have debated for years whether new vehicles need to be broken in, or "run-in" as it's called in some countries. Each manufacturer has its own series of recommendations for the first few kilometers, but today we're going to present a handful of five general rules that you should at least keep in mind.
I once accompanied my father on a trip to break in the engine of a truck that had been completely rebuilt. It was a long ride, but the engine behaved beautifully, and everyone involved in the process was satisfied. A quarter of a century later, the world of mechanics is still debating certain practices. Some defend the action of running-in, while others say it's no longer necessary because of the tests the engine and vehicle receive before going on sale. Now, "factory conditions" is not the same as "street conditions", and I imagine there are notable differences between testing an engine on a bench and doing the same once it's installed. These days, manufacturers talk about recommendations for the first one or two thousand kilometers, and the Engineering Explained channel reviews them:
Five General Rules
The first two are closely related: don't go full throttle, and don't shift at the limit. Basically, the goal is to preserve the health of the piston-ring-cylinder assembly (my apologies if you know it by another term; that's what I've called it all my life), as well as to ensure everything seats and seals properly. Shifting up finds its optimal point at or very near the redline, but in the first few kilometers of the car, it's suggested to do it at much lower revolutions. Varying the engine speed is important to register how the engine behaves, which leads us to the third recommendation: don't use cruise control at first. With the last two suggestions, we find broader consensus: no short trips, and don't tow anything. Some vehicles need only 400 or 500 kilometers, but trips that are too short don't allow reaching a stable operating temperature. Finally, towing something stresses the engine, which brings us back to the first recommendation.
Examples from the Video
The video also gives us specific examples of cars with a reputation for high performance: For the Nissan GT-R, the recommendation for the first 480 kilometers is not to exceed 3,500 revolutions per minute and to keep acceleration at 50 percent or less, which is very striking because Nissan reports a maximum of 311 kilometers per hour on that model. Then we move on to the latest generation of the Acura NSX, which already leaves the factory with an equivalent of 240 kilometers and various loads on the engine, never exceeding 4,000-4,100 revolutions. The last example we'll mention here is the Chevrolet Corvette, with similar instructions: don't exceed 4,000 RPM in the first 800 kilometers. As expected, the comments are on the brink of a flame war, which exposes the subjective profile of automotive mechanics in general, but we're talking about data from manufacturers. If they didn't know what they do and say, it would be a serious problem.
