How to Break in a New Engine (7 Tips to Extend Your Car’s Life)
Buying a new car is exciting. Nothing beats the new car smell and ease of maintenance that comes with a new engine. If you just bought a new car, you’re probably hoping that your new engine will last you 20 years, or at least until you upgrade. How you break in a new engine can affect the life and condition of your engine over time.
“Breaking in a new engine” refers to the process that is performed on a new or remanufactured engine to ensure that all components fit correctly and function smoothly. During the break-in period, the engine’s moving parts, especially the piston rings, cylinder walls, camshafts, bearings, and other components, wear in a controlled manner to form tight, efficient seals.
Break-in typically involves operating the engine under various loads and speeds for a specific number of miles or period of time. Manufacturers often provide specific guidelines for this process.
The goal is to match and wear engine components to promote longevity and performance. Proper break-in helps the engine perform as designed, maintain good fuel economy, and reduce oil consumption and emissions over its lifespan. Breaking in a new engine is very simple. Here are some general tips to help your engine outlast your vehicle:
1) Follow the manufacturer’s recommendations.
No one knows your vehicle better than the engineers who designed it. If the manufacturer has break-in instructions in the owner’s manual, you should follow them (even if they differ from these instructions). Many manufacturers provide engine break-in guidelines, such as: Vary engine speed, avoid full throttle, and keep below 4,000 rpm for the first 1,000 miles. Modern vehicles store telemetry data in the ECU. If you need to bring your vehicle in for warranty repair, the technician will likely check your vehicle’s computer to see your driving speed, max throttle, and max RPM. Driving your vehicle hard before reaching the break-in period target mileage can cause engine warranty issues.
2) Avoid redlining
As an engine breaks in, the bearing surfaces and rotating components connect with each other. Small metal parts wear out during the first few thousand miles of operating the engine.
Running an engine at high speeds before breaking it in can actually damage the engine. This can damage the bearing surfaces, cylinder walls, or piston rings. This is especially true if the engine gets hot while revving.
3) Avoid full throttle (at least at first)
For the same reasons you want to avoid the redline, you should also avoid full throttle if possible. Full throttle puts even more stress on the engine, which in turn puts stress on components that are not yet fully broken in.
An engine that is not properly broken in can experience increased blow-by and oil consumption as it ages. In extreme cases, the bearings may even spin. If the bearings are spinning, an overhaul of the lower engine section is necessary.
4) Be careful with the clutch
If the engine is new, the rest of the car is probably new too. This means that there are other components, such as the clutch, that should break in up to 1,000 miles. If your new car has a manual transmission, it is quite normal to notice a slight smell of burnt clutch, even if you use the clutch lightly while driving. This smell should mostly disappear within the first few thousand miles.
5) Vary the engine speed (avoid cruise control)
Varying the engine speed during the break-in period helps the piston rings wear evenly. Cruise control does not put much strain on the engine, but extended periods of cruise control during the break-in period can disrupt this process. 6) Avoid idling
For the same reason you want to avoid cruise control, you should also avoid idling. When idling, the engine runs at a low single speed. The engine also needs to be put under some strain.
Engines work best at different operating temperatures and under different loads. If you are driving many kilometers on a new engine, you can gradually increase the maximum load on the engine.
7) Driving in the city
When driving around town, it’s an easy way to naturally vary the load on the engine. In stop-and-go traffic or traffic light to traffic light driving, light acceleration and coasting are good for new engines.
Engine wear and break-in
Common elements found above average in oil reports include copper, aluminum, and silicon. As you drive your vehicle long distances, these numbers can drop to parts per million (PPM).
A healthy engine will also consume less fuel than normal. Following the break-in procedure will put you on the right track and give you the chance to have a great driving experience in your new car.