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Engine Break-In

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Old 05-17-2008 | 05:21 AM
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Default Engine Break-In

I see a lot of you guys appear to be going really easy on your new xB engines in an attempt to save fuel. I was wondering how you've chosen to break the car in. Everything I've seen said that going easy and doing it the way that the owners manual says is NOT the correct way to do it and that doing so will actually hinder the power and fuel economy of the vehicle. Check this out.

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

Whenever I get the xB I plan to alternate between hard acceleration and cruising. It makes sense to me.
Old 05-17-2008 | 06:26 AM
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dude, i'm sure toyota tested far more of their own engines to figure out the best way to break them in.

it isn't all about the piston rings, it is making sure that all the moving parts of the engine settle and seat properly.

but if you want to chance your new car by trying this process out, be my guest, your car, your money. and when you engine starts burning oil or blows a rod, tell your toyota service advisor how you decided to go WOT from every stop to cruising speed because some guy on the internet told you that is the proper way to break-in an engine.

also, he has absolutely nothing backing up his study, he should have lots of charts and graphs labratory procedures for how he was able to replicated the different results.

so who are you going to listen to? a major motor company with an a huge R&D budget for testing engines and break-in procedures or some guy on the internet using speculative reasoning?
Old 05-17-2008 | 06:34 AM
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Wow, they make 'em smart in Maryland (in best Larry the Cable Guy d-r-a---w-l possible)


Old 05-17-2008 | 07:04 AM
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bah, i'm not smart, i know know not to believe everything on the internet.

if i did, i'd have a 9 second tc using a turbonator that runs on water with magnets on the fuel line so i could get 100 mpg.
Old 05-17-2008 | 04:01 PM
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I think you misunderstood what I meant. I don't mean I would accelerate hard to a cruise all the time. I meant that I would mostly do normal, light acceleration but would do some hard acceleration every once in a while. I believe doing that is going to help the piston rings to seal better giving you more power and better fuel economy. What he says in that link does make sense. As far as Toyota goes, they have legal concerns to think about.
Old 05-18-2008 | 04:43 AM
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but in day to day driving, you have to accelerate hard once in a while, when pulling out into traffic, or merging onto a highway. your not going to do it lightly when people are there.

and how would you even know the difference anyway? are you and another guy with an xB going to try your separate break-in techniques? and then dyno them later and see if there is any difference?

are you going to open your engines and examine the piston rings to see if tehre is a difference?
Old 05-18-2008 | 08:02 PM
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i rode mine like a cheap call girl oh yeah give it hell you only live once life is to short to care lol plus im doing a full motor build in about 2 months lol
Old 05-18-2008 | 10:29 PM
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Originally Posted by draxcaliber
but in day to day driving, you have to accelerate hard once in a while, when pulling out into traffic, or merging onto a highway. your not going to do it lightly when people are there.

and how would you even know the difference anyway? are you and another guy with an xB going to try your separate break-in techniques? and then dyno them later and see if there is any difference?

are you going to open your engines and examine the piston rings to see if tehre is a difference?
Well, if what they say is true, you would see that the mpg you're getting out of the car is above average. The engine would probably sound a smidge smoother.
Old 05-19-2008 | 03:56 AM
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I just break it in to my driving habits..Just drive normal.. For the first 10000 miles or so try not to go over 3000 rpms in each gear..The car will the be accustomed to your driving habits..
Get this though... Ive been driving normal for me on the trip and the mpg stayed right around 29 mpg. We got gas another time and hopped right on the freeway(my friend was driving this time) she floored the thing(ready to kill her) got it off the entrance ramp, the thing stayed at 36mpg on the highway for like 100 miles.. I was like WTF..Howd you do that? Ever since then it stays highway at 32mpg... Can anyone please explain that??
Old 05-19-2008 | 03:58 AM
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there are way too many variables to test if this method means better mpg. and smoothness is a very subjective measurment. and a "smidge" smoother, that is completely unmeasurable.
Old 05-19-2008 | 04:04 AM
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by not using the rpms you have to generally give it more gas at low rpms i drive hard and still manage 26mpg any one can tell you i drive like i stole it
Old 05-19-2008 | 12:44 PM
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Originally Posted by ravenfox
I just break it in to my driving habits..Just drive normal.. For the first 10000 miles or so try not to go over 3000 rpms in each gear..The car will the be accustomed to your driving habits..
Get this though... Ive been driving normal for me on the trip and the mpg stayed right around 29 mpg. We got gas another time and hopped right on the freeway(my friend was driving this time) she floored the thing(ready to kill her) got it off the entrance ramp, the thing stayed at 36mpg on the highway for like 100 miles.. I was like WTF..Howd you do that? Ever since then it stays highway at 32mpg... Can anyone please explain that??
That's pretty much what I'm saying. The argument is that the pistons will seal better resulting in more gas mileage and power if you occasionally drive it harder than usual.
Old 05-19-2008 | 04:26 PM
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What are the thoughts on taking the XB on vacation within five days of recieving it? I'm heading to Florida next Tuesday (from Louisville, KY about 650 miles one way) and my XB is supposed to be here this week. Should I not take the XB because I'll be on the interstate for a large portion of the trip and most likely driving the same speed for a while. All this break-in period talk has me concerned. This is my first brand new car so I've never had to break one in.
Old 05-19-2008 | 04:32 PM
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just try to vary speeds, change gears to change engine rpm occasionally.

but it should be fine, after only about 120 miles of regular drving, my tC started going to and from my college every week via 125 miles of interstate every week. its fine. not going to really hurt anything.
Old 05-19-2008 | 04:36 PM
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Thanks for the quick response drax!
Old 05-19-2008 | 07:49 PM
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Originally Posted by stinger11723
Should I not take the XB because I'll be on the interstate for a large portion of the trip and most likely driving the same speed for a while.
I bought my car about 700 miles from home. I just made sure to vary the speed every few minutes (from 49 mph to 64 mph to 52 mph to 61 mph to 48 mph to 59 mph etc.) with the cruise on the drive back. I started out changing speeds each time a new song came up on the Ipod, but after a while I was doing two or three times for each song. I always made sure there was at least a 10 mph difference in speeds.
Old 05-19-2008 | 10:12 PM
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Thanks saddy!!

Your post brings up another question. I'm buying my XB from a dealer in TN because my sister-in-law just started working there. They are delivering the car to me for free because I'm buying it from their lot and not locally. With doing that they said the warranty is good at any Toyota dealership so I was wondering what it's like taking it to a different dealer to have any issues taken care of. Does the other dealer treat it like you bought from them? I assume you would take it somewhere locally since you bought it 700 miles from home.

Thanks!
Old 05-20-2008 | 12:49 AM
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Default break in

Interesting article. I have built hundreds of motors. Initially, like it has been said keep the RPM down and vary speed so that the rings get fitted to the cyl walls slowly. Its an abrasive action. Slowing down in gear is also nice to reverse compress the rings.Running the nuts off a new motor is just plain dumb unless its a race motor . The longer the seat in time the better. High speed glazes the cyl walls too quick and can cause blow by. The new owner may not see it but when the mileage increases oil use will become apparent. I also stay away from synthetics until the first or second oil change. You don't want to inhibit break in by cutting down on the friction.
Old 05-20-2008 | 01:18 AM
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Cool. I was looking for that type of response.
Old 05-20-2008 | 02:32 AM
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Originally Posted by stinger11723
I was wondering what it's like taking it to a different dealer to have any issues taken care of. Does the other dealer treat it like you bought from them? I assume you would take it somewhere locally since you bought it 700 miles from home.
Actually I haven't been to the dealer yet. Our xB2 only has about 2100 miles on it and I'm waiting until it hits 3K before the oil change. But I don't anticipate any problems. Service and sales are separate and don't look over each other's shoulder much. If you are nervous about not being treated right just say you bought your car from a relative; they will understand that. I know one guy who told the dealer he was unexpectedly transferred by work a week after he bought the car. But I really don't think it will be a big deal.


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