Who is breaking in their truck according to the manual?

SILVER SLED · July 30, 2021

I beat the crap out of the truck fresh off the delivery trailer. It ran real good, so I decided to buy it. Beat on it some more just to keep seeing what it could do. Took it to the race track with 800 miles on it. Now that I “know” the truck I drive it pretty normal… for the most part.

Dunn · July 30, 2021

In Feb i purchased my 21 GMC from Arizona and drove 400 miles back to LA same day......I am 53 yrs old, idk 8 or 9 new trucks.....always drove them normally from day 1 never an issue.......if it was that critical it would not be covered by warranty if you drove outside the manual recommendations, and no way everyone follows it and they know this......truck is 100% fine and they arent as fragile as you may think!

know guys get 1 tons and tow heavy right off the bat.....fleet trucks probably the same

Edited July 30, 2021 by Dunn

CamGTP · July 30, 2021

The fleet trucks that I know plenty about near me are pretty much off the delivery truck, get a few stickers, DOT numbers and it'll be either jammed with 2,000+ lbs of tools/welder/boxes or hooked up to a trailer the first day on the job. Maybe 10 to 30 miles on them if that.

Think of hot-shot drivers too, new truck meets gooseneck on the first day and away they go lol.

Dunn · July 30, 2021

23 minutes ago, CamGTP said:

The fleet trucks that I know plenty about near me are pretty much off the delivery truck, get a few stickers, DOT numbers and it'll be either jammed with 2,000+ lbs of tools/welder/boxes or hooked up to a trailer the first day on the job. Maybe 10 to 30 miles on them if that.

Think of hot-shot drivers too, new truck meets gooseneck on the first day and away they go lol.

thats what i figured......they are there to make money!.....and cant do that waiting to break it in

KARNUT · July 30, 2021

I mat the throttle on the test drive. Wouldn’t want to buy a dog. Usually when buying a performance vehicle I show it off to my father and brothers. Redline and smoky burnouts. My very first car Mazda RX3. I had my permit still. We bought it 45 miles from home. My father raced a car at the first red light. Spent the first night showing cousin, uncles, brothers. They all had their go flat shifting, redline smoking tires. I remember the salesman saying keep it under 2K RPMs. My father laughed you got it. My uncle had a Shelby the other had a Chevelle my dad drove a SS elcamino. They were broke in easy too.

Edited July 30, 2021 by KARNUT

JimCost2014 · August 1, 2021

Little off topic, this is from the new C8' s owners manual. Most of what they are recommending is controlled by the car's computer. Both HP and Torque are limited until the car reaches certain mileage.

New Vehicle Break-In

Follow these recommended guidelines during the first 2 414 km (1,500 mi) of driving this vehicle.

Parts have a break-in period and performance will be better in the long run.

During the first 800 km (500 mi), engine torque will be limited in low gears.

For the first 322 km (200 mi):

To break in new tires, drive at moderate speeds and avoid hard cornering.
New brake linings also need a break-in period. Avoid making hard stops. This is recommended every time brake linings are replaced.

For the first 800 km (500 mi):

Avoid full throttle starts and abrupt stops.
Do not exceed 4000 rpm.
Avoid driving at any one constant speed, fast or slow, including the use of cruise control.
Avoid downshifting to brake or slow the vehicle when the engine speed will exceed 4000 rpm.
Do not let the engine labor. Never lug the engine. This rule applies at all times, not just during the break-in period.

For the first 2414 km (1,500 mi):

Do not participate in track events, sport driving schools, or similar activities.
Check engine oil with every refueling and add if necessary. Oil and fuel consumption may be higher than normal.

Recommended Service Schedule

The Corvette Owner’s Manual also offers this handy chart for the servicing of various components based on the mileage of the car. Unlike the previous generation that required an oil change after 500 miles, the 2020 Corvette’s first recommended oil change and service comes at 7,500 miles and the dual-clutch transmission canister filter is also changed at that time.

Kanon Morris · August 1, 2021

If the engineers who built the truck advise a break-in period, then why not? What harm will it cause for anyone to not eat their engine for the first 500 miles? Especially considering what the truck costs. Seems like a no-brained.

What may have worked in the past for other types of cars may not work today. These vehicles are so different from cars of the past that it’s an apples-to-oranges comparison.

Edit: I’ll add, with the reports of lifter failure and oil consumption, why not do what the company recommends?

Edited August 1, 2021 by Kanon Morris

Grumpy Bear · August 1, 2021

2 hours ago, Kanon Morris said:

If the engineers who built the truck advise a break-in period, then why not? What harm will it cause for anyone to not eat their engine for the first 500 miles? Especially considering what the truck costs. Seems like a no-brained.

What may have worked in the past for other types of cars may not work today. These vehicles are so different from cars of the past that it’s an apples-to-oranges comparison.

Edit: I’ll add, with the reports of lifter failure and oil consumption, why not do what the company recommends?

I think people just don't liked being told what to do no matter how much it may benefit them. Humans are quite self destructive.

diyer2 · August 1, 2021

I believe if you get a good motor from the factory, it doesn't matter how it's broken in.

JimCost2014 · August 1, 2021

I get what you are saying about the engines, some are going to fail no matter what.

Showing a little respect to a new drivetrain will never hurt it.

GN2018 · August 3, 2021

I tried, but then I got invited to golf with a friend and the only practical way to get there was the expressway. Then I realized that the difference in RPM’s between 55 and 70 was very small. Somehow I don’t think that difference will make any difference in the long term life of the engine or truck in general. I drove it calm for awhile and don’t drive rough normally, so the truck is treated well. I just did my first oil change at 5K miles and I think that along with every 5K mile oil changes will go a long way in improving the odds of the engine lasting a good long time.

Grumpy Bear · August 4, 2021

On 8/2/2021 at 10:16 PM, GN2018 said:

I tried, but then I got invited to golf with a friend and the only practical way to get there was the expressway. Then I realized that the difference in RPM’s between 55 and 70 was very small. Somehow I don’t think that difference will make any difference in the long term life of the engine or truck in general. I drove it calm for awhile and don’t drive rough normally, so the truck is treated well. I just did my first oil change at 5K miles and I think that along with every 5K mile oil changes will go a long way in improving the odds of the engine lasting a good long time.

But the difference in load, BMEP, is great.

GN2018 · August 4, 2021

17 hours ago, Grumpy Bear said:

But the difference in load, BMEP, is great.

Please explain. Load - Towing? Wasn’t towing anything. BMEP? Not even sure how to guess what that is.

Grumpy Bear · August 4, 2021

2 hours ago, GN2018 said:

Please explain. Load - Towing? Wasn’t towing anything. BMEP? Not even sure how to guess what that is.

Motor load sir. Brake Mean Effective Pressure aka BMEP. The faster you drive the more power it takes. Further you have the throttle open the higher the mean cylinder pressure. This is the pressure that acts on the piston ring backs forcing them to the wall. Like pushing your hands together with more pressure when you are cold to generate more warmth. You can create all the load the motor is capable of generating without towing an ounce of anything. Hope that helps.

GN2018 · August 5, 2021

That helps. Of course I’m way past any ability to change how I drove the truck for the first 500 miles (I’m at 5400 miles). It would be interesting to know how much difference that could make - driving 70mph versus 55mph given that the rpms only changed by a small amount (thinking it is about 200rpm but I’ll check the next time I’m on the e-way). I’m assuming from your tone that it must be a logarithmic increase.

FWIW, I am a believer that the engineers who design the product are most likely the ones to know best. I just wonder how much from best could that have been. Im thinking not much.