Extended driving during break-in period

[DaveJ]

Our new '09 Escape has only about 200 miles, and I may have to make a 9 hour drive before the 1000 mile break-in mileage period is reached. I know I'm supposed to vary the speed during break-in, but I can't vary it that much while driving 9 hours on the freeway. At best maybe a plus or minus a couple hundred RPMs every so often.

 

Do you think it's still safe to make the trip and do whatever I can to vary the RPMs? Thanks.

 

Dave

[akirby]

Our new '09 Escape has only about 200 miles, and I may have to make a 9 hour drive before the 1000 mile break-in mileage period is reached. I know I'm supposed to vary the speed during break-in, but I can't vary it that much while driving 9 hours on the freeway. At best maybe a plus or minus a couple hundred RPMs every so often.

 

Do you think it's still safe to make the trip and do whatever I can to vary the RPMs? Thanks.

 

Dave

 

Sure - just try to change speeds every 15 minutes or so and I'd get off the freeway for a few minutes every hour or two.

[DaveJ]

Sure - just try to change speeds every 15 minutes or so and I'd get off the freeway for a few minutes every hour or two.

 

Thanks akirby. If I must make the trip I'll plan on a few extra stops along the way.

 

Dave

[CoalMiner]

Good advice above. I wish it were more exacting when they say:

Your vehicle does not need an extensive break-in. Try not to drive

continuously at the same speed for the first 1,000 miles (1,600 km) of

new vehicle operation. Vary your speed frequently in order to give the

moving parts a chance to break in.

 

Drive your new vehicle at least 1,000 miles (1,600 km) before towing a

trailer. For more detailed information about towing a trailer, refer to

Trailer towing in the Tires, Wheels and Loading chapter.

I can read a lot of different variations of 'speed changing' into that. How frequent is "frequently"? Every 5 minutes, every 10? Every two minutes?

 

OTOH, it's clear driving 1000 miles at a constant 65 MPH is not what they want you to do.

[Arniect]

Spend a few minutes with Mapquest and get a route that takes you off the interstates for part of the trip. May take you a couple hours longer but you will see some of the Country side.

 

As an example in upstate NY take US Rt 20 instead of the Thruway. Most interstates run close to the routes of the old US routes, I-95 and US 1 for example.

 

Good luck with the Escape, my wife loves hers.

[DaveJ]

I was at the dealer today and I asked the service manager about the break in period. Funny, he said to just drive it normally and forget about doing anything special for the first 1000 miles. He said that is a thing of the past. He said the tolerances in today's engines aren't as tight as they used to be so the engine components no longer have to break in. He also said that's the same reason it's OK to wait till about 3500 miles for the first oil change.

 

As for me, I'll still watch my RPMs and if I take a long trip, I'll still try to vary things a bit.

 

Dave

[matsharris]

Three weeks ago I bought my new '09 Escape Ltd., and asked my dealer the same question. I was told that there were no per se break in requirements, but he told me that the brains of the car learns your driving habits and suggested that I "gun it" every once in a while.

[bbf2530]

Hi guys. :D The Owners Manual Explains exactly what to do for the first 1,000 mile of initial break-in (gee, who would ever think!).

 

Here is the copy and paste from the beginning of the 2009 Escape Owners Manual:

 

BREAKING-IN YOUR VEHICLE

Your vehicle does not need an extensive break-in. Try not to drive

continuously at the same speed for the first 1,000 miles (1,600 km) of

new vehicle operation. Vary your speed frequently in order to give the

moving parts a chance to break in.

Drive your new vehicle at least 1,000 miles (1,600 km) before towing a

trailer. For more detailed information about towing a trailer, refer to

Trailer towing in the Tires, Wheels and Loading chapter.

Do not add friction modifier compounds or special break-in oils since

these additives may prevent piston ring seating. See Engine oil in the

Maintenance and Specifications chapter for more information on oil

usage.

 

And while it does not specifically mentioned it in this passage, regardless of what someone from a Dealership may say, you do not "gun it every once in a while". Just accelerate and brake normally. No "gunning it". You drive your car normally and do not drive it unnecessarily hard for the first 500-1,000 miles so that the car can break-in normally. You do not need to baby the car, simply drive normally. Let the engine warm up before more spirited driving (when temp gauge is in the "Normal" range), and do not "drive it like you stole it". It is contained in the Owners Manual, I just did not have the time to find the exact passage to copy and paste it.

 

Most of what we all need to know about our cars is contained right in the Owners Manual. It is our best resource for information.

 

Hope this information helps.

 

Good luck. :beerchug:

Edited April 5, 2009 by bbf2530

[Ralph Greene]

It's not the engine that needs a few easy miles as much as everything else that benefits from a few heat cycles. Think tires, brakes, transmission, transaxle, etc. Take the trip....just drive normally as noted above. You'll make some stops along the way, and give everything a few heat cycles.

Edited April 6, 2009 by Ralph Greene