Hello, I was wondering how many of you handled the break-in schedule for your new maximas. I was reading the owners manual and it states that for the first 1200 miles you basically cant drive at a constant speed for extended periods, no acceleration at full throttle, avoid quick starts and avoid hard braking etc... Im sure this is true of many, if not all cars, but are these to be followed religiously? Im afraid to be on the freeway too long because of "constant speed for extended periods". What are your thoughts?

 

You can vary your highway speed safely by 10 to 15 mph. Why take a chance for 1200 miles with a 30 thousand dollar machine?

 

yeah, but you'll have a lot of angry highway motorist behind you if you constantly keep dropping your speed.

 

hmm, how long would you consider an extended period of time to be? 15 mins, 30, 2 hours? etc...

 

I just drove mine a bit mellow until I hit a bit over 2000 miles on it. Than I drove it a bit harder. Now, about 3900 miles, already had the first oil change....I can hammer it at will now if needed. I never really beat on my cars and this is not really a street race car, but in my opinion, any new car, at least until you have the first oil change, just drive it normal but not agressive. Just my 2 cents. If you have to do a quick merge on the highway or hammer it a few times to get out of trouble, no worry.

 

I would say, vary speed every 15 to 20 minutes.

 

I agree, put it this way, just don't use the cruise control during the break in period. Take it easy on it, but do not be so afraid to drive it that you hold up traffic....that is my point.

 

Driving at a constant speed during the breakin period is not nearly as bad as such things as turning 5500 rpms or abrupt stops from speed.

When making freeway trips, either let your speed drop about five mph, or raise it about five mph (whichever best suits the situation) for a mile or two every fifteen or twenty minutes.

I see you are in LA. Things must have changed greatly since I lived there. I was never able to go for fifteen or twenty miles/minutes without other traffic causing me to have to change my speed.

 

What happens if you don't abide by the break in period? I think I did pretty good breaking my girl in, although I do wonder about the idle difference between my freind's sl and my 6sp. When I took it in for my 15k maint. service noted everything was good.
So I guess it's supposed to be a slight difference.

 

my rpm's differ when i switch from auto to "manual" so that may be why his auto and your stick differ. sure break in has nothing to do with that. I'm sure you really have to drive extremely hard during break-in to damage anything.

 

There is leeway between them. I wouldn't worry about that in the least, unless you car is idling particularly high or particularly low. If your engine sounds beautiful, then ignore the idle, as long as it's a smooth idle.This is a maxima; 1200 miles on the odo it's worth like half that

 

ok cool, i was just a little paranoid about the break in schedule. i bought the car from a dealership about 30 mins away from where i live and i drove it home on the fwy the night i bought it. i did vary the speed because the guy at the dealership told me to do so, and now i drive it normally (not agressive, but i dont interfere w/traffic). I guess i love my car so much i don't wanna mess anything up.

 

You're lucky. Most dealership personnel wouldn't devote a second to explaining how to take care of your car during the breaking-in period.

 

Not true....during the first 500-600 miles, driving at a constant speed on the highway is worse than short blasts to 5500 rpms.

The reason why they ask you to vary engine speeds is because the vaccum created in the cylinders during engine braking -as is when u are coasting- will actually 'pull up' (suck up) oil mist in the crankcase up thru the oil control ring and provide added lubrication to particularly the top-most piston ring, minimizing scoring other baaaaad things on your cylinder walls.

This is particularly easy to do....just drop a gear to where u are in the range of 2500-3000 RPMs and get off the gas for 5-10 seconds, that's it.

 

Galo - we will just have to slightly (in a convoluted way) disagree on this.

The situation you describe with the engine is, of course, correct.

My only 'disagreement' is based on the logic that I can't imagine many places or situations where a driver would not be automatically doing pretty much the equivalent of what you describe as being needed on almost any non-freeway trip he takes, and on most freeway trips around where I live.

The exception, of course (as you pointed out, and where you are absolutely right), is when one gets on an unjammed freeway having driven thru no traffic on surface streets at either end, especially if driving more than a few dozen freeway miles. In that situation, I (as you suggest) would vary my speed, especially during the 1200 miles.

My 'problem' is that almost any driver anywhere can take a new Max off the lot to 'see what it can do', revving it up to the 5500 rpms with single digits on the odo. Nobody will ever convince me that might not drastically affect the long-term life of even a Maxima engine. I never let the tach get over 3500 the first 600 miles, over 4000 the first 1200 miles. Or over 5000 the first 2400 miles.

But then I probably over-baby my Maxima. I think in terms of 'long life' rather than 'great performance'. My first Maxima had 205,000 miles on its original engine when I sold it. And the engine was still great.

It is important that engine and brake parts be allowed to 'seat' themselves completely before enduring severe stress.

You are correct that dropping a gear at speed when between 2500 and 3000 rpms will help properly lubricate (hence seat) that top ring.

In thinking about this, and in consideration of the original post that started this thread, maybe we aren't really disagreeing after all.

 

Hey, Light...this may be one of those bass-ackwards 'dont do as I say but do as I do as I do' because- truth be told-I babied my Max (and all my other cars prior) just as you say and as u did.....