Re: Plan on driving a new car on a 3000mile highway trip. Bad idea?

How do you know that the speeds that the cars were driven at had anything to do with these "strides"? And why would driving a car a particular speed cause this?

I think you don't know what you're talking about.

From the owner's manual for a 2008 Pilot:

"Help assure your vehicle?s future reliability and performance by paying extra attention to how you drive during the first 600 miles (1,000 km). During this period: Avoid full-throttle starts and rapid acceleration. Do not change the oil until the scheduled maintenance time. Avoid hard braking for the first

200 miles (300 km). Do not tow a trailer. You should also follow these recommendations with an overhauled or exchanged engine, or when the brakes are replaced."

Note what the manual says about the first oil change.

what??? read the manual??? no freakin' chance buddy! we're all going to have a retardation contest here on usenet and take the words of nameless idiots with our new multi-thousand dollar investments, not the experts that researched, designed and manufactured the freakin' thing!

imagine these guys in aerospace: "yeah, but this guy said those cracks didn't matter".

Some people develop superstitions, and live their lives by those.

Car owners are especially susceptible.

Go by your owner's manual. Things do change over time, and things that were appropriate back then don't apply now. But you'll never get over the superstition.

snip

I think that this is great advice regardless of make of vehicle. It's how I've always done it. Of course I drive older cars...

JT

The cars I have had new and have broken in myself have not had this problem. The couple of cars I bought used that do this have a tendancy to 'settle' around 45 and 65 or so. The 7 new cars I broke in didn't do this. And two of them were identical models.

And my Supra seems to settle around 60. It's a Canadian car, and whne I say 60 I mean 60 KmH.

But, you never think I know what I'm talking about anyway, so I just consider the source.

You have had how many cars >230,000 miles?

Feh.

Some things change, some things don't. Rings and cylinder walls are still about the same as they were 20 years ago.

So do I. ;-)

I think I've probably broken in more new cars than you have.

The manual also probably recommends changing the oil every 7.500 miles whether it needs it or not.

I've had a half dozen successes with my method, and was trying to pass on

*experience* to the OP. Don't like it? Don't follow it! Simple!

Touche!

Seven and a half miles? Gee, my mechanic is more than 7.5 miles away.

So was I, which is, follow the manual, not some guy you don't know on the internet.

It has long been rumored that there are people who are totally clueless twits who write on the internet.

So which makes more sense: To follow the advice of the people who actually build the cars or someone who may or may not know what they are talking about?

Jeff

GONE in 60 seconds.

a few actually. 306k was my highest [verifiable] mileage. but wtf has that got to do with inability to read manuals???

"about the same"??? you want to be imprecise so you can claim whatever you want that way??? or are you saying "about" you don't actually know the details??? [rhetorical]

it's untrue if you think there are no changes - there are small but subtle changes to lip profiles that help with power and economy, and there are improvements to honing processes giving better cylinder wall finish, and quality.

"success" as defined by "it didn't break down" is not the same as "success" defined by the manufacturer based on their research.

because you /did/ do a complete tear-down, analysis and comparison with other engines given factory treatment before declaring "success", didn't you?

Let's see...one car, 245,000 miles and it needed a water pump. Next car...260,000 miles and it needed an alternator rebuild. Next car...240,000 miles and it needed timing belts. And it was a Honda.

Not a single one burned a drop of oil.

All I said was, it works for me. That's good enough for me. And I gave the OP my opinion based on my experience.

Why turn everything into a friggin' arguement?! If you don't like the advice I gave...DON'T FOLLOW IT, MORON!

You just gotta argue about everything, don't you?

The guy's not talking about a gentle break in, he's talking about a coast to coast trip with a new vehicle, presumably as quickly as possible.

I gave him the benefit of my experience. You, as usual, offer nothing.

Matter of fact, I can't for the life of me ever remember when you actually did something other than question and obfuscate what others have said.

If you leave tomorrow, I don't think you'd be missed. Don't let the door slap you...

I doubt the manual was written with a 3,000 mile all-at-once break in in mind.

All the more reason to pay particular attention to the break in period, especially when driving long distances during that period.

Presumably? Well, considering that the guy posted about two different vehicles on two different newsgroups, I don't think there is a real purchase.

Bull! I gave him the benefit of *my* experience and knowledge. And my experience is that these trucks and cars are changing and evolving over the years. There are newer and better oils, better manufacturing and machining methods and better ways to assemble the engines, resulting in different break-in requirements.

The people who build the cars know more than you or I.

What applies to cars made 10, 20 or 30 years ago may or may not apply to cars made today.

You must have a very limited life.

However, questioning is far better than giving out-dated and incorrect advice, as you did.

You know, there is something called a filter, aka, kill file that comes with newsgroups. Please feel free to put me on yours.

Jeff

you're making no sense whatsoever.

your "success" is based on the fact that they're toyotas or hondas, both of which are almost impossible to kill, even by people like you that can't be bothered to read the freakin' manual.

as to your "advice", it's utterly baseless and uninformed. every single freakin' time. if you don't like being called on that, don't give it!