breaking a motor? oldschool or still valid?

[mindpenn]

hi,

I've heard of breaking the motor when someone gets a new car but does it apply to the new cars ? I plan to get a new versa sl within a month and I've never had a new car. So is this method an oldschool thing?

And for those of you who had to break a motor back in the day what does it consist of? How do you break a motor?

thank you!

[proxim2020]

zerothread?id=237877 zerothread?id=220278 zerothread?id=194485

[BBISHOPPCM]

I find the most effetive method of BREAKING a motor is to dump 1.5 cups of beach sand into the crankcase and rev it to 3,000 RPM.

[bone_stock_240]

That way works well. What I like to do is to remove the oil pan plug start it up and run it to redline for as long as it takes. That breaks an engine really really fast.

[mindpenn]

I like your method, I will try it.Thanks

[bone_stock_240]

In all seriousness though, I do not see why breaking in a motor would not be as valid now as it used to be. It might not be as necessary but there isn't really any harm in doing it. If I had a new car, I know I would follow the break in instructions exactly. May be a little inconvenient for the first little while, but why chance it on a new engine?

[Nismo V]

Yep.. why chance it on a new engine... I don't talk to hondas...

[BBISHOPPCM]

Very important; DO NOT use synthetic oil while breaking in a new motor (unless it's a turbocharged motor). I've been told that it is unwise to switch to synthetic within the first 10,000 miles. Synthetic oil reduces friction, which is great, but on a new engine you want the bearings, journals, cam lobes, rings, and cylinders to "wear into" each other (hence the term "break-in"). Once this process is complete, feel free to switch. Any thoughts on this?

[KimberKenobi]

umm... the rules for 'breaking in' your new Versa are printed in the manual... Good luck... (they're not difficult per se, it's just that the stuff you're not supposed to do is so tempting...)

as a note: my understanding is that the CVT especially requires care during the break in period so that it can adjust properly and reduce slip.

[achr]

Don't shoot the messenger!

I have always subscribed to the "Hard Break-In" methodology as described in the link below. I've NEVER had an engine failure and all my cars & motorcycle have run stronger than factory specs and, with the exception of Toyotas and Hondas I've owned, I've been able to exceed the manufacturer's fuel economy ratings. As an example, my current vehicle coming off lease runs WAY beyond manufacturer's specs. It is a Chrysler PT turbo 5 speed and Chrysler's posted number for that vehicle is 15.8 seconds @ 88 mph. Mine has run 15.0 flat @ 94+ mph on the dragstrip. If you understand drag racing, you'll know it takes a tremendous horsepower increase to achieve that kind of performance gain. That PT is now four years old and still runs strong and faultless. Oil consumption is nil. That vehicle engine hit RedLine on the way home from the showroom and needless to say my new Versa, which I pick up this Saturday, will do the same (even if I have to hit the OverDrive button on the CVT to do so). If I bust it, I'll let you know. My father broke in cars this way even in the '60s and his vehicles also ran strong with no premature failures.

Each to his own, (and I can't blame people for following the owner's manual), but for what it's worth, do yourself a favour and read through this link. If your Versa has some miles on it, it's too late already to achieve the benefits of this method.

http://www.mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm

[achr]

Don't shoot the messenger. I have always subscribed to the "Hard Break-In" methodology as described in the link below. I've NEVER had an engine failure and all my cars & motorcycle have run stronger than factory specs and, with the exception of Toyotas and Hondas I've owned, I've been able to exceed the manufacturer's fuel economy ratings. As an example, my current vehicle coming off lease runs WAY beyond manufacturer's specs. It is a Chrysler PT turbo 5 speed and Chrysler's posted number for that vehicle is 15.8 seconds @ 88 mph. Mine has run 15.0 flat @ 94+ mph on the dragstrip. If you understand drag racing, you'll know it takes a tremendous horsepower increase to achieve that kind of performance gain. That PT is now four years old and still runs strong and faultless. Oil consumption is nil. That vehicle engine hit RedLine on the way home from the showroom and needless to say my new Versa, which I pick up this Saturday, will do the same (even if I have to hit the OverDrive button on the CVT to do so). If I bust it, I'll let you know. My father broke in cars this way even in the '60s and his vehicles also ran strong with no premature failures.

Each to his own, (and I can't blame people for following the owner's manual), but for what it's worth, do yourself a favour and read through this link. If your Versa has some miles on it, it's too late already to achieve the benefits of this method.

http://www.mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm

[KimberKenobi]

Dude, the overdrive is always on with the CVT unless you desire to turn it off...

p.s. ever done that 'hard breaking' with a CVT?

[MinisterofDOOM]

zerothread?id=220278

Pay particular attention to what LA02MAX has to say in this thread.

Nissan's VK-series V8 (used in the M45, Titan, Armada, QX56, and new Q45) had fairly serious oil consumption issues early on. Some still do. A lot of people had the issue. Some didn't. But it was common enough to be a huge issue. Nissan eventually recommended driving the car harder during the break-in period in order to better seat the rings. This tended to solve the problem. As Proxim said in one of those threads, you obviously don't want to drive it like it's an endurance race or something, but the myth that babying the engine during the break-in period is exactly that.

Now, obviously the Versa's MR doesn't have the oil consumption issues that the VK does, but the example still applies.

I've said before, my personal experience with various cars, most Nissans, supports the same conclusion. My car has 225k miles on it as I'm always proud to say. Runs great, doesn't burn a drop of oil, revs nice. This engine definitely falls under the "driven hard" category and always has (yes, even during "break-in"). I see that at the very least as a sign that such driving habits are not necessarily bad for a motor.

Obviously, ALL of this is contingent on how well you take care of the car, though. Even a proper break in period can't save a poorly maintained car from death, and vice-versa. No amount of post-break-in maintenance could save an oil-burning VK. Nissan's fix was a replacement.

[mindpenn]

Let us know when you get your Versa, I've also heard that of that method (Hard Break-In). At the beginning I thought my friend was B.Sing me but he is a mechanic and a pilot so I give him points for knowledge, after all he and most of you know more about cars and motors then I'll ever know. Reading your post at least I know more people use this method. It has worked for you past cars why not this one, right?

If your Versa has some miles on it, it's too late already to achieve the benefits of this method.

If you buy a new car with 20 or less miles do you consider that too late?I guess you're right, each to its own.

[proxim2020]

If you buy a new car with 20 or less miles do you consider that too late?

The true break in just doesn't exist anymore for most cars. It's been stated before that Nissan runs these engines through a simulated 500 miles before they are put into any car. The break in most cases has been completed within the first 20 miles, something that these cars will have missed already by the time you get them. As the manufacturing tolerances in modern engine have gotten smaller so has the amount of time to get everything broken in as far as the engine goes. Manufacturing tolerances of before were much wider. This is why there were longer break in periods, the use special oils known as the break in oil, and you normally had to run 10w30 for everyday use.

Although I doubt I had a real opportunity, I hard broke in my truck with Syn oil, which is the same thing that I've done with the V. I continued to beat it up over the last 105,000 miles. I like to have fun in my vehicles. I have yet to experience any oil consumption issues, emissions issue, or one engine problem. She still has all her power available to give out whenever I want it and she still purrs like the overweight cat she is

I just thought of this, but be mindful that that break in period doesn't just exist for the engine. A car is an amalgam of dissimilar parts. Although things are bolted down tightly, things tend to shift slightly from time to time. Although I don't think it's a wise idea to pussyfoot the car around town, you definitely don't want to start redlining and take corners at high speeds constantly. My advice: take the care come, have some fun, but not too much fun. A little bit of common sense can go a very long way.

[bone_stock_240]

Hmmm, interesting. This thread really opened my eyes to this form of breaking in a motor. I would have never considered driving a new motor hard. I don't think I am in any jeopardy of having a new motor to thrash anytime soon since I am pretty broke.

[mindpenn]

When you say Pussyfoot do you mean to drive the car with excessive care?

[proxim2020]

Yea. I think you should at least drive the car like you would normally. Or if you're an overly aggressive driver, then drive like you're trying to save a little bit of gas.

[achr]

Dude, the overdrive is always on with the CVT unless you desire to turn it off...

p.s. ever done that 'hard breaking' with a CVT?

I realize that the O/D is always active unless I bypass it with the button. In order to increase the revs to Redline, it will probably be necessary to disengage the Overdrive on the CVT. On the CVT equipped Versa SL I test drove, the revs pegged at 5,000 rpm when I floored it. I give Nissan credit for this calibration curve as the Versa's torque peak is at 4,800 rpm and the horsepower peak is at 5,200 rpm. By controlling the CVT to hold steady at 5,000 rpm's under full throttle conditions, Nissan should be pretty much maximizing the available acceleration. Engine noise is also reduced by using this strategy. Although Chrysler uses the same CVT from Japanese Automatic Transmission Company in their Caliber, their engineers are still on the first generation of electronic controls. Flooring that car takes the revs north of 6,000 rpm and the engine is just screaming. However, since the Chrysler 2.4 liter engine makes peak torque at 4,400 rpm, they've probably actually reduced acceleration by following this particular electronic calibration strategy. From everything I've read, it appears that Nissan is on at least the 3rd calibration curve for their CVT's. I've been told it performs more admirably in the Versa than it did in previous Muranos.

I'm only interested in taking the Versa's revs higher during the break-in period to promote ring sealing. After that, I'll let the CVT controls do their thing. This will be the 1st time I've ever tried the hard break-in procedure on a CVT equipped vehicle. I'm just not into snowmobiles but I do ride a motorcycle and love it.

It's interesting to note that as little as a decade ago, pushing anything beyond 100 hp through a CVT was just asking for trouble. If Nissan didn't have several years experience with this design in the much heavier and more powerful Murano, I probably would have passed in favour of the 6 speed manual.

Time will tell how it all works out. I opted for a two year lease so if things don't pan out, I can walk away in relatively short order, certainly before the warranty expires. I think Nissan has some pretty nifty products but feel that their dealer network is sadly lacking. Where I live, there is only one dealer within 60 miles so they pretty much have a captive audience for anyone seeking these vehicles. I've heard plenty of horror stories about them and may be about to experience my first run-in. My specially ordered Versa has been sitting on their lot for over a month awaiting the expiry of my current lease. Last Thursday, I stopped in and asked for delivery this coming Saturday. No problem was the response. Any time after 9:00 a.m. Well, I've driven around the dealership a couple times, including tonight and the car is still sitting there with a SOLD sign on it and all wrapped in that white plastic crap they put on for shipping. In a way, I kind of hope it's still sitting there in that state tomorrow evening. I'll be hitting them up for an additional discount if it's not ready Saturday morning as promised. Strike One!

[KimberKenobi]

Well, I can easily get my little V to 6500 rpms with the overdrive engaged. (I have the CVT)

Besides, if a Nissan engine is already broken in before it goes in the car, I don't see any reason to potentially slip the CVT, but that is just MHO. You do what you want.