992 Break in procedure

[Norville]

As a mechanical engineer, the idea of 1875 miles never exceeding 4K then redline at 1876 makes no sense.

I add 500 rpm each tank of gas until I hit the recommended break in mileage. So 4000 for the first tank, 4500 second, 5000 third. I don’t keep cars very long, but my wife’s 98 M3 was broken in this way and still pulls hard and uses no oil at 90k miles.

[RBM_911]

As a mechanical engineer, the idea of 1875 miles never exceeding 4K then redline at 1876 makes no sense.

I add 500 rpm each tank of gas until I hit the recommended break in mileage. So 4000 for the first tank, 4500 second, 5000 third. I don’t keep cars very long, but my wife’s 98 M3 was broken in this way and still pulls hard and uses no oil at 90k miles.

Yeah, that was a bit tongue in cheek but it's pretty much how the manual reads.

Gradually increasing rpms to a certain mileage makes more sense.

This was an interesting video. Not Porsche specific, more general discussion:

[blueline]

I finally had a bit of time to watch the break-in video - it's good! It reinforces much of what's been discussed here, what's been recommended for a lot of years by vehicle power-plant engineers, and what I've generally followed to one degree or another. Some of the caveats mentioned were the type of car (for instance a mass produced engine in a daily hauler vs a high performance sports car), the type of driving (day-to-day vs track), and other related variables.

For the new engine, again taking into account the type of car and driving, the recommendation was to vary the load, no constant RPMs, no thermal shock (avoid temperature extremes), stay away from redline, and no lugging the motor for the first 500 or so miles. Stay off the track when the car is new. Also alluded to was paying some attention to the manufacturers recommendations.

The take-away for me was the wise advice to use a bit of common sense and don't wring out a brand new motor, especially if you want it to last.

Interestingly, the video also briefly touched on oils and how dramatically improved the synthetics really are and the effect that has had on today's engines.

Thanks for the video.

[Arne2]

Gee, do you suppose the cars at the Experience Centers get the full break-in routine in the manual? I don't think so...

[blueline]

Gee, do you suppose the cars at the Experience Centers get the full break-in routine in the manual? I don't think so...

The experience centers definitely do break them in - every car is kept below 4,000 RPM until broken in. It's a rule from Porsche - the cars are theirs.

All newly arrived cars are driven by instructors only and the break-in miles are done by those instructors on-track during lead-follow beginner level programs driving at various speeds and loads. The engines are properly warmed up and are not allowed to be lugged.

While the break-in miles listed in the owner's manual are, in my mind, on the high side to provide a margin of error, they are there for a valid reason. The advice I've seen is to never discount the importance of a proper break in, especially for high-performance vehicles.

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[nvbirdman]

This thread reminds me of my dad when he went from Los Angeles to Detroit to pick up his brand new 1936 Plymouth. It was winter. It was going to be driven in So. Calif. so who needs to pay the extra cost for a heater. Keep the speed down to 35 or so for the first five hundred miles. He picked up a hitchhiker and after a few miles the hh said he'd rather walk. My dad said he felt the same way.

[blueline]

This thread reminds me of my dad when he went from Los Angeles to Detroit to pick up his brand new 1936 Plymouth. It was winter. It was going to be driven in So. Calif. so who needs to pay the extra cost for a heater. Keep the speed down to 35 or so for the first five hundred miles. He picked up a hitchhiker and after a few miles the hh said he'd rather walk. My dad said he felt the same way.

Talk about something to remember - great story!


Speaking of a hitchhiker, I couldn't resist:

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[Arne2]

The experience centers definitely do break them in - every car is kept below 4,000 RPM until broken in. It's a rule from Porsche - the cars are theirs.

All newly arrived cars are driven by instructors only and the break-in miles are done by those instructors on-track during lead-follow beginner level programs driving at various speeds and loads. The engines are properly warmed up and are not allowed to be lugged.

That's nice, in theory. But I've talked to 2 different people who drove cars at the LA Center that had less than 800 miles on them. One of these people asked about that, and was told not to worry about it.

[ram_g]

We are picking up our 2024 C4S on Saturday and I'm reading up on the break in procedure.

<snip>

But, nearly 2000 miles under 4000 rpm seems like a loooong time.

<snip>

I sympathize. Recently had to do the same thing for our new Macan S and it was torture. Can’t imagine the self-restraint needed with a 911!

[djwhite911]

Interesting take on it from a dealer: https://www.porscheriveroaks.com/breaki ... orsche.htm