Call me old fashioned but I used to break in Otto cycle IC engines by taking it easy for the first 3000 miles, but once in a while gun it pretty hard to get the rings seated. This was back in the cast iron, with chrome nickel rings day. I know this engine is a Nikasil bore, with med steel rings, but wondering about any special break in procedures. The owners manual doesn't give any advice except to avoid high revs(no tach anyway) for the first 5000 miles. If you know of any Toyota info that discusses this, please share.
Yes, My v manual suggests I vary the speeds for the first 1000 miles. I bet the c manual says something similar. - http://www.toyota.com/t3Portal/document/om/OM47784U/pdf/sec_02-01.pdf
we're old fashioned too but experience in rebuilding competition engines confirms the need to not drive at steady rpm for 5 minutes or more and vary rpm as much as possible. And ndeed don't whack the engine power but do take the engine to red line briefly and occasionally. All this helps keep the bores mooth thru out the operatig range. Even tyhough its minute even to high poered inspection tool doing anythig that puts a crease in the cylider wall has an effect on power, mpg, and life. Piston stroke changes minutely with increasing rpm but that piston can feel it; often your finfger can too. So your idea is good in my opinion of 76 years though I think you can shorten the break in to a thousand miles but 3000 isn't wrong. Also, changing oil at about 500 to 1000 miles has proven beneficial getting assembly trash out of the lube system.. I cannot emphasize enough that good synthetic oil is mandatory for longer life, higherr mpg, and more power.
Thanks, this is my thinking as well. We'll see if the dealer will change the oil at 1000 miles, but I doubt it. I'll have it done anyway, and we'll possibly take a sample of the oil for anal.
Since the E-CVT transmission strives to operate the engine as efficiently as possible at all times the only "break in" advice as shown in the manual that I worried too much about or made a conscious effort to follow for the first 1000 miles was the "avoid driving at a constant speed". So for the first 1000 or so miles I simply did not use the cruise control, and if on the freeway I tried to kind of vary my speed. Otherwise I think the Prius is kind of a hands off "Break In Period" vehicle.
I used a scangauge during my break in. There isn't much worry about going the same engine speed for extended periods in the C, even with cruise control on. The slightest hill, dip, or wind will alter the engine speed since there's no direct gearing between engine and tires. RPMs would vary as much as 500 for anything. My only concession to break in was easy stops and not hotrodding it, along with oil changes at early intervals.
I'll translate for you. Talk about experience... said experience is apparently 76 years... Don't overdrive the car during break in... *Insert Enginey words to attempt to prove experience* Follow outdated and misguided information as well as follow the Owners Manual. All while being written from what is, apparently, a cell phone that has the worst auto-correct feature ever.
Same here. I was a bit concerned since mine came with 150 miles on it and the dealer went on the highway at high speeds to deliver it from out of state, but also over a lot of hills and stuff so the rpm and speed did vary, just not much. I picked it up and drove it home, still on the highway for another 100 miles, but at a much slower speed. Doesn't really matter, mine has 1000+ miles on it and it seems fine. I'm not even sure if it's technically "broken in" yet.
