I just got my new max se last week and there is nothing in the manual about break in period. The sales guy said just do not keep it at the same speed for more then ten minutes at a time. I have to beleive that there is more then that like keep below a certain RPM or something.

Anybody know of any other break in suggestions?

Thanks...

 

The manual says that for the first 1200 miles:

- Avoid driving at constant speeds for long periods either fast of slow
- keep it under 4000 rpm
- do not accelarate at full throttle in any gear
- avoid quick starts
- avoid hard braking
- and do not tow a trailer for the first 500 miles.

...and good luck controlling yourself...it's very tempting to let her rip !

Bob

 

VERY TEMPTING!!!

 

too tempting...

 

The manual says nothing about tires, but I have always tried to keep speeds below 60MPH for the first hundred miles or so, and below 70 for another hundred.

This is something I picked up many decades ago, and may no longer be applicable. This was a three-part theory.

First, this allowed the tires to 'break in' gradually before full stress was applied.

Second, this enabled the tires to become firmly seated on the rims.

Third, it was said that the new car may have been sitting for weeks, and there could be sort of a 'flatish' spot where the tires were pressed against the pavement. That spot comes out completely over a period of one or two hundred miles of driving. I have found from experience the flat spot is pretty much unnoticable after just twenty or thirty miles.

As I remember this 'flat spot' theory, it only applied to tires with either nylon or polyester belts. I think many tires today still use nylon or polyester belts, although an outer steel belt was sometimes used from the 1960s thru the 1980s.

But having said all that, I'm sure many folks have had their Maxima over 80MPH within the first thirty miles; this car just begs to be driven fast.

 

Lightonthehill,

That would make sense to me. It would go hand in hand with not driving like a maniac right from the start and giving all components a chance to "break-in".

Bob

 

Thanks for the info everyone.

I think I broke a couple of the rules already, Whoops...
- I know I have gone over 4000 RPM's (not over 6200 though )
- I know I have stomped on the gas a couple of times
- I know I have gone over 80

I will try to baby it for a while now though.

 

I really don't think your car is going to start falling apart because you didn't follow some of the general break-in rules, so don't sweat it! The MAX is made to run anyway, so just baby it a little more from here until the 1200 mile mark and you should be fine... I really didn't start punching mine until around 1400 miles anyway, just to play it safe...