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Engine "break in" period

20K views 20 replies 17 participants last post by  FLHamster 
#1 ·
Hello from the "Onyxboiz"

This Soul will be our first "new new" car - what is the correct way to go about "breaking in" the engine??

I know the obvious, no hard accelerations etc but is there anything else?

Some people Ive talked to said to not really go about 3000RPM for the first 3000kms or so and to avoid highway speeds .... that last one will be hard for us as we are picking up our Soul near Toronto and driving 2.5hours back home on the 401 (very busy 6lane highway across Ontario- - speeds will be 110km/h.)

any advice would be great.

thanks!
 
#2 · (Edited)
My only suggestion is don't race the engine no hard acceleration and vary your speed as you drive (this shouldn't be hard on the 401 because if you are not bumper to bumper most of the way I'd be surprised!) Allow your engine to stretch into higher RPMs and speed but don't drive at any one sped for extended periods (don't drive at say 110 the whole way home) Lived my whole life in TO/Mississauga and never had a good run on the highway except at like 2AM...
My only other suggestion is once you have approx. 1000km get the oil and filter changed. I would go with Castrol GTX 5W30 until your 8000KM regular oil change then go synthetic with AMSOIL or Mobil 1 5W20 or better yet 0W20.
 
#5 ·
Are there any data to suggest one break-in method is better than the other?

Just because a break-in method is "new" doesn't make it revolutionary or better. But if there are good technical reasons why revving the engine all the time is a superior break-in method, I'm interested in them.
 
#6 ·
I've always was told to drive it during the break in period just like you will after-wards, in other words don't baby it drive like you normally would.
 
#7 ·
So many schools of thought on this. NoBoZo is correct on this and the manual from Kia will also let you know how to do this properly. Kia is where the warranty is, not the people who recommend something other than Kia. They won't pay your warranty. Good luck.
 
#8 · (Edited)
seems kind obvious

New motors have a harder time lubing up. The metal is not yet seasoned plus the tighter tolerances. Sure a race engine only being used a few times you want the rings to seat very nice and pounding on it will work. For our cars we want to last very long time your best to keep revs 2k to 3.5k. Timing chains like my car last thing you want to do stretch it. Go easy on your car. Dont slam on your brakes for first 1000 miles, let them settle in slowly. Wheel bearing also like to be broken in slowly. Most metal parts that heat up to temp and are allowed to cool season like front drive axle. Diesels have even higher comps so going up steep hills and loading the motor is good idea for the rings. FYI ive never had an engine problem with any new or used car ive owned guess i baby my stuff. If you dont trust kia then trust bmws advice on subject.
 
#11 ·
i strongly disagree with the "baby it" mentality. the increased pressure and load from running the engine to its capacity will do a far better job at seating the rings than just putzing around. the seals and lube are already where they need to be, its not going to get any MORE lubed up over time, it was lubed during the build and the first time it was ever fired up the oil made its way thru the entire system. factory instructions will always tell you to baby a car because they dont want to see the car come in for warranty work due to abuse, but taking a car to redline while in gear is not going to damage it in any way shape or form. if that were the case, it wouldve been programmed into the computer to limit its abilities for XXX amount of miles. factory will also recommend you change your oil every 3000 miles as well still in many cars, but as technology advances and clearances get tighter and efficiency gets better, oil lasts longer as well. it's not 1970 any more folks. we've come a long way.
 
#13 ·
I know it is a different breed but the outboard engines we install at work require three hours at 3000 rpm with 6000 being redline if I remember correctly. That's right out the box half throttle for three hours nonstop. Noone ever does it though. We run them for an hour or so variedspped up and down the river including at least two wide open throttle runs and we never have warranty issues. Engines these days are near about bullet proof.
 
#14 ·
This is taken directly from the Owner's Manual:

VEHICLE BREAK-IN PROCESS

No special break-in period is needed. By
following a few simple precautions for the
first 1,000 km (600 miles) you may add to
the performance, economy and life of
your vehicle.
• Do not race the engine.
• While driving, keep your engine speed
(rpm, or revolutions per minute)
between 2,000 rpm and 4,000 rpm.
• Do not maintain a single speed for long
periods of time, either fast or slow.
Varying engine speed is needed to
properly break-in the engine.
• Avoid hard stops, except in emergencies,
to allow the brakes to seat properly.
• Don't let the engine idle longer than 3
minutes at one time.
• Don't tow a trailer during the first 2,000
km (1,200 miles) of operation.
 
#15 · (Edited)
follow kia's advice

They have a break in period for a reason! No one has mentioned transmissions being brand new. If you think that doing anything other than what the manufacter suggests your crazy. Engines dont brake with proper care it's everything else. I dont plan on doing my first oil change for long time 3-5k. Im going to check the oil level as new motors burn oil FYI. Diesel's burn alot of oil new and throughout life of motor check your oil level alot! Outboards like new optimax 2stroke be dam sure you have warmed up motor all the way before making any runs dood or boom.
 
#16 · (Edited)
Hello from the "Onyxboiz"

This Soul will be our first "new new" car - what is the correct way to go about "breaking in" the engine??
It's written in the OWNER MANUAL. Quote from my 2011 (Introduction, page 5):
For the first 1000km
- Do not race the engine
- Keep RPM between 2000 and 4000
- Don't keep a constant speed for long, vary the speed
- Don't let engine idle longer than 3 min at a time
- Don't tow a trailer the first 2000 km
 
#21 ·
Well, that had to come from either the bean counters or the lawyers, and definitely not from any Engine Expert. Intermittent FULL RPM is actually healthy for a new engine. They do that on the Factory Dyno too.

I guess I blew that one all to He** on day two, when on I-75 I ran my new Soul up to 110 mph, for just a few seconds, before I ran out of open highway. On day three, I experimented with the Manual Mode on my AT, to see if it would still shift while under full acceleration. (Pedal to the Metal)
It did, but it would only shift when the Tach was reading just below the RED LINE, which is also the top of the Power Band. *

* I found that you cannot RED LINE the Soul engine. The rev-limiter kicks in just a few rev's below the RED LINE to protect the engine.

In the past, I've seen engines explode, when the driver missed a gear and OVER-Rev'ed the engine.
That will never happen on the KIA Soul.

Happy Holidays, Y'all!
FL Hamster :cool:
 
#18 ·
I can say like everyone else is (and the manual) that you should not be harsh on the engine to the point of hard revs all the time... launches from a stop, and harsh turns and breaking.


I just got my 2017 soul... and ive put about 3600 miles on it. But i go by my dads (the mechanic in the family) suggestion that you ahould generally take it easy on the car for the first 5,000 miles, Or first oil change for the soul so 7500 is my personal break in period where i just stick to the normal break in procedure in the manual over an extended period of time.



The whole time, i think my dad just tells this to his family, friends and customers with new cars so they get used to conforming to a driving style that focuses on the longevity and overall health of the car.


Thats my 2 cents brosef :)
 
#19 · (Edited)
NO NEW CAR should ever go 7500 miles on the factory (break in) oil.

On every new car I've bought since 2000, the service manager told me to bring the car back in at ~3000 miles for my first oil change. That was no problem, since that's been my normal oil change interval for the past 60 years.

That works great, and your engine will last a long time. My little Ivanka always seems to quicken her step (so to speak) after an oil change, so I know it's having a positive effect on the engine.

Happy Holidays Mates!
FL Hamster :cool:
 
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