HofstraJet Posted December 30, 2020 Share Posted December 30, 2020 With modern engines, is new vehicle break in still necessary/recommended? Checking the 2021 Navigator manual doesn't mention any break in period. I never cared before since my normal driving patterns fit within the traditional break in recommendations, but I may have to take a 7 hour road trip shortly after getting my 21 and am concerned that all that highway driving on a brand new engine may not be the best idea. FWIW, I am leasing and will be giving the vehicle back in 3 years, so if any problems caused by not breaking in would show up after that, it's less of a concern. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fuzzymoomoo Posted December 30, 2020 Share Posted December 30, 2020 It's not so much a thing anymore but I would still advise not driving it too hard for the first few thousand miles or so, and I know Ford recommends not towing anything for I think the first thousand. It takes up to 100 miles for the TCM to learn shift patterns. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted December 30, 2020 Share Posted December 30, 2020 The manual should say not to tow for at least 500-1000 miles and to vary your speed for the first 500. If you’re taking a long trip use manual shift to change gears while cruising to vary the RPM every 10 minutes or so and make a few stops. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HofstraJet Posted December 30, 2020 Author Share Posted December 30, 2020 (edited) Thanks, everyone. Won't be towing or driving it hard so that's not a concern - was worried about long stretches at the same speed. Will vary gears as suggested - great idea! And there will be plenty of stops with the crew I'm hauling. ? Edited December 30, 2020 by HofstraJet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted December 30, 2020 Share Posted December 30, 2020 10 minutes ago, HofstraJet said: Thanks, everyone. Won't be towing or driving it hard so that's not a concern - was worried about long stretches at the same speed. Will vary gears as suggested - great idea! And there will be plenty of stops with the crew I'm hauling. ? Driving it hard isn’t an issue. When they put it on the rollers at the end of the assembly line they go WOT right off the bat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Label Posted December 30, 2020 Share Posted December 30, 2020 I won't pretend to know a lot about this, but isn't allowing the brand new seals, etc., in a brand new engine time to seat in properly the reason we go easy, vary speeds, etc., for the first 1000 miles to break it in? Is there anything different about that these days? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akirby Posted December 30, 2020 Share Posted December 30, 2020 1 hour ago, Black Label said: I won't pretend to know a lot about this, but isn't allowing the brand new seals, etc., in a brand new engine time to seat in properly the reason we go easy, vary speeds, etc., for the first 1000 miles to break it in? Is there anything different about that these days? My understanding is that’s all done before the engine leaves the factory. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Label Posted December 30, 2020 Share Posted December 30, 2020 12 minutes ago, akirby said: My understanding is that’s all done before the engine leaves the factory. I missed the part about the rollers in your comment above mine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dlcorbett Posted December 31, 2020 Share Posted December 31, 2020 The way I see it, plenty of people travel across state lines to buy cars they want off the lot, then drive it back on a mini vacation. You should be fine, the engine is tortured to handle more than a leisurely highway ride. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbf2530 Posted December 31, 2020 Share Posted December 31, 2020 10 hours ago, HofstraJet said: With modern engines, is new vehicle break in still necessary/recommended? Checking the 2021 Navigator manual doesn't mention any break in period. I never cared before since my normal driving patterns fit within the traditional break in recommendations, but I may have to take a 7 hour road trip shortly after getting my 21 and am concerned that all that highway driving on a brand new engine may not be the best idea. FWIW, I am leasing and will be giving the vehicle back in 3 years, so if any problems caused by not breaking in would show up after that, it's less of a concern. Thanks! Hi gang. As of the 2018 and 2019 Lincoln model years, the break-in recommendations were listed in the Owners Manual. Essentially no towing, hard driving and avoid long periods of constant speed driving for a long period of time for the first 1,000 miles. If you must take a long drive, then vary speeds every ~20 minutes or so by 10+ mph. Doesn't matter much what people may do on their own ("people" do all sorts of stupid things), but that is Ford's recommendations for the best results for your vehicle break-in. Perhaps that verbiage has been eliminated in the 2020/2021 Lincoln Owners Manuals...? I don't know. However, it sure wouldn't hurt to treat our expensive vehicles with that much TLC for 1,000 miles. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HofstraJet Posted January 5, 2021 Author Share Posted January 5, 2021 Update FWIW - vehicle won't be here on time for the road trip, which is good as I have a ton of unused miles on my lease as I was home for most of 2020 (85 mile round trip work commute). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevbo Posted February 7, 2021 Share Posted February 7, 2021 People will say you don't need to, but I took it easy for the first 500 miles. Once I get to 800 miles, I'm getting the oil changed. Small price to pay for potentially removing contaminants from a new engine. No need for anyone to say it's overkill b/c its not that big of a deal. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Label Posted February 7, 2021 Share Posted February 7, 2021 27 minutes ago, Kevbo said: People will say you don't need to, but I took it easy for the first 500 miles. Once I get to 800 miles, I'm getting the oil changed. Small price to pay for potentially removing contaminants from a new engine. No need for anyone to say it's overkill b/c its not that big of a deal. Yeah, I went easy to 1000 miles and changed the oil myself. Can't change the oil too much, right? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fuzzymoomoo Posted February 7, 2021 Share Posted February 7, 2021 21 minutes ago, Black Label said: Yeah, I went easy to 1000 miles and changed the oil myself. Can't change the oil too much, right? Technically no, but at a certain point you’re just wasting time and money. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Label Posted February 7, 2021 Share Posted February 7, 2021 1 minute ago, fuzzymoomoo said: Technically no, but at a certain point you’re just wasting time and money. Oh, I agree with that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrentM Posted February 22, 2021 Share Posted February 22, 2021 Just drove my brand new 2021 Gator from Naples FL to Boise, ID. 3,100 miles total and had 25 miles on it when I drove it off the lot. I did many hours long stretches of freeway doing 90 to 95 mph on that brand new motor. It is broke in now fer sure. Ha Ha! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
20Navigator Posted February 22, 2021 Share Posted February 22, 2021 1 minute ago, TrentM said: Just drove my brand new 2021 Gator from Naples FL to Boise, ID. 3,100 miles total and had 25 miles on it when I drove it off the lot. I did many hours long stretches of freeway doing 90 to 95 mph on that brand new motor. It is broke in now fer sure. Ha Ha! I guess she is! Congratulations on the new purchase, what's the trim/color? Wow, you went from one extremes to the other weather wise. How warm was it when you left FL (did you need AC) and what was the temp back in ID? I'm guessing you got quite the deal for driving that distance? So what are your impressions of the new ride, what were you driving before it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrentM Posted February 22, 2021 Share Posted February 22, 2021 Flight Blue exterior with Chalet interior. 80's in Florida... got down to 9 in Texas & New Mexico. 32 here in Idaho right now which is normal... No deal at all and no negotiating . It was the only Gator on the lot. They had sold all of their 2020's and got this one in 4 days earlier. Take it or leave it. Love the vehicle. Ride is awesome and for a cross country road trip cruiser it is perfect for us. My wife drives a 2020 Nautilus and loves it also. We have always been Lincoln fans. I have a 2019 F-150 Raptor which is my favorite Ford truck ever. And I have had a lot of them. Been a Ford guy all my life. I don't know yet what to do with it. Maybe I will sell the Harley which does not get used much these days and keep the Raptor. I love that truck. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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