New truck break-in

[zelmo]

I know that I am strange.  I often read the manual for things before I buy them to be sure I don’t have any surprises. 

 

Vehicles are on the list of items I research thoroughly before purchasing.   The manuals for these trucks have always said for the first 500 miles don’t tow and to keep it under 55 mph. After that keep it under 55 for the first 500 miles of towing.  Over the years I haven’t come across any car salesmen who know that.  

 

I doubt that most buyers know that either. That leads me to believe most new trucks are not treated that way.  The wording in the manual says it will perform better in the long run if these guidelines are followed.  

 

How important is this?   What does perform better in the long run mean?

[mike5511]

Got a friend that has worked at a GM dealer his whole life. He says the demos always run the best. And you know how those salesmen drive them. He never noticed them in for more repairs than any of the others on down the line either. He breaks his in that way. I broke mine in the same way I broke my new Harley in. You dog them around and they will always be a dog.

[zelmo]

Careful - it sounds like you are saying GM put that in the manual to generate revenue for the service departments!

[Grumpy Bear]

Whack O' Mole

This cockroach will just not die. 

Must be Troll month.

 

[Dunn]

ive never had a problem with any truck or racebike in mx.....just run em normally

[MNTIM]

My T1 is being broke in by a nice coating of Amsoil HDMP all over “minus the frame” at 100 miles exactly. 
i won’t be towing until boating season comes around and I have been using L9 and no auto stop as much as possible. I’m not sure how cylinders dropping will help seat rings?
 

i will also do rear diff fluid around 5-10k for peace of mind only. Other than that..  just going to drive it. While avoiding a heavy foot for a little while I suppose. 

[JimCost2014]

1 hour ago, zelmo said:

I know that I am strange.  I often read the manual for things before I buy them to be sure I don’t have any surprises. 

 

Vehicles are on the list of items I research thoroughly before purchasing.   The manuals for these trucks have always said for the first 500 miles don’t tow and to keep it under 55 mph. After that keep it under 55 for the first 500 miles of towing.  Over the years I haven’t come across any car salesmen who know that.  

 

I doubt that most buyers know that either. That leads me to believe most new trucks are not treated that way.  The wording in the manual says it will perform better in the long run if these guidelines are followed.  

 

How important is this?   What does perform better in the long run mean?

Depending on your age, and the number of new cars you have bought in your life, what do you feel comfortable doing?

 

This kind of comes down too, if all of your friends and neighbors are buying toilet paper at break neck speed, are you going to do the same?

 

Your truck, do what makes you sleep easier at night.

[2016 Sierra Owner]

When I traded my 16 in on my 20 back in November. I didn't change my driving habits at all.

 

[zelmo]

6 hours ago, JimCost2014 said:

Depending on your age, and the number of new cars you have bought in your life, what do you feel comfortable doing?

 

This kind of comes down too, if all of your friends and neighbors are buying toilet paper at break neck speed, are you going to do the same?

 

Your truck, do what makes you sleep easier at night.

I am 67 and have always bought new, followed the recommended break-in, and kept them about 10 years.  I would guess this would be about 10 cars between my wife and I.

 

I am asking the question because I can buy a 2019 1500 Sierra at a big discount, but it has 1100 miles on it.  Salesman said no break-in required.  When I showed him the manual he just said the owner had used it.  I really doubt the correct procedure was followed.

 

I think I would be ok with that as long as it wasn't used for towing.

[KARNUT]

All growing up my family was into performance vehicles mostly. They all tried to coordinate buying their Chevelles , GTOs, Shelbys together. Then they would have a break in party. They would chastise each other if they didn’t follow the break in period. They would all stop at their favorite oil change place at exactly 500 miles and change the oil. What a lovely time of togetherness it was. We, brother and cousins try to maintain that tradition. NOT. More like a deserted stretch of back roads to see who really had the fastest car. The smell of paint burning off those new engines went really well with the smell of burning rubber. It interesting that those cars had no problem lasting just long as the grandparents cars. I heard stories of their younger days too.

 

 

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[Thomcat]

1 hour ago, zelmo said:

I am 67 and have always bought new, followed the recommended break-in, and kept them about 10 years.  I would guess this would be about 10 cars between my wife and I.

 

I am asking the question because I can buy a 2019 1500 Sierra at a big discount, but it has 1100 miles on it.  Salesman said no break-in required.  When I showed him the manual he just said the owner had used it.  I really doubt the correct procedure was followed.

 

I think I would be ok with that as long as it wasn't used for towing.

1100 miles is a used car. Regardless of a break-in period, a moron can destroy a car in a few hundred miles, like riding in second gear limp in mode with the engine at the redline to get up to normal speed for a few hundred miles to get home.

 

More likely it's a lemon that's being dumped as a trade in which is what I'd do if it pi$$ed me off in it's infant stage........like an engine or tranny problem......heck with the warranty coverage, better to lose a few bucks than go through aggravating, time wasting bull$hit lemon law.

 

Or worse, my son smacked up a two week old Cirrus with less than 1K miles sliding on ice into a curb collapsing the wheel, breaking suspension parts and popping the airbag.....then the moron tow truck driver dropped off at the dealer's lot without supporting the frame and just dropped it smashing the bottom of the engine/transaxle. Insurance adjusted the next day and paid under collision minus the $200 deductible, check in hand directly to me since I owned the vehicle outright. Walked into the showroom and negotiated a cash buy on a new vehicle and then said I had my trade in his body shop next door with a $4800. repair estimate and to deduct that amount from the KBB value in excellent condition (since that is what condition it will be in when his body shop repairs it) and I'll sign over the insurance check and the difference in cash. Dealership manager call the body shop manager and 4 hours later it's taillights down the road with a new Cirrus. Car was repaired and on their lot less than a month later......looked brand new.

 

No waiting for repairs, no loaner, single car accident repaired in house and no Carfax on it either.....  ripe for pitch from the preowned car salesman that an "old lady didn't like the car because it was too small and traded up" to foist it on some poor sucker as an ultra low mileage "creampuff". New cars are only a virgin once.

[KARNUT]

I remember a sign at a use car lot. Everyone drives a used car.


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[Cpl_Punishment]

10 minutes ago, KARNUT said:

I remember a sign at a use car lot. Everyone drives a used car.


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Maybe so but I like being the only one who's used it. 

[zelmo]

37 minutes ago, Thomcat said:

1100 miles is a used car. Regardless of a break-in period, a moron can destroy a car in a few hundred miles, like riding in second gear limp in mode with the engine at the redline to get up to normal speed for a few hundred miles to get home.

 

More likely it's a lemon that's being dumped as a trade in which is what I'd do if it pi$$ed me off in it's infant stage........like an engine or tranny problem......heck with the warranty coverage, better to lose a few bucks than go through aggravating, time wasting bull$hit lemon law.

 

Or worse, my son smacked up a two week old Cirrus with less than 1K miles sliding on ice into a curb collapsing the wheel, breaking suspension parts and popping the airbag.....then the moron tow truck driver dropped off at the dealer's lot without supporting the frame and just dropped it smashing the bottom of the engine/transaxle. Insurance adjusted the next day and paid under collision minus the $200 deductible, check in hand directly to me since I owned the vehicle outright. Walked into the showroom and negotiated a cash buy on a new vehicle and then said I had my trade in his body shop next door with a $4800. repair estimate and to deduct that amount from the KBB value in excellent condition (since that is what condition it will be in when his body shop repairs it) and I'll sign over the insurance check and the difference in cash. Dealership manager call the body shop manager and 4 hours later it's taillights down the road with a new Cirrus. Car was repaired and on their lot less than a month later......looked brand new.

 

No waiting for repairs, no loaner, single car accident repaired in house and no Carfax on it either.....  ripe for pitch from the preowned car salesman that an "old lady didn't like the car because it was too small and traded up" to foist it on some poor sucker as an ultra low mileage "creampuff". New cars are only a virgin once.

I hadn't thought of those possibilities.  Any of them would kill the deal for me.

 

Same dealer has a very similar 2020 on the lot with 5 miles on it.  The difference in price is $2200.  It might be worth that for my peace of mind.

[greco2003]

I bought my 19 back in september it was a demo/loaner I haven’t had any problems with it had 3600 miles on the clock. Factory warranty doesn’t start till its sold. I got a good deal on it and am happy with it.