Bought my 3rd GTO (2005 Black/Black w/6 speed) here in SoCal.
Have driven nearly every performance car brand on the road, Ferrari, Porsche, Audi, Saab, Lexus, BMW, Jaguar, Corvette, Dodge, Ford... and been into performance cars for forty years.
Thought I'd start a thread about engine break-in and share what I've found so far.
First, my uncle and cousin, both serious pro mechanics and performance buffs for fifty years, have both told me "never break in your engine the way the manufacturer says... unless you intend to drive it that way forever. You break it in the way you like to drive, gradually bringing up power and speeds as the miles climb into the 100s."
Another GTO site sent me to this post which gave some good data: http://www.mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm
On my car, new with 23 miles...
The '05 comes stock with Mobile 1 5W-30. Not dyno or break-in oil.
I decided to run mine on the Mobile 1 for break-in. It's very slick stuff... slicker than petroleum-based oil.
Took her easy for the first 25 miles or so, not pushing her beyond about 3,200 rpms. Got her good and warm and took her on some semi-power runs up to 80+ mph for brief periods. Ran around town several nights on mild drives to 45-60 mph. Done with and without engine braking.
(Don't shove the brakes hard the first 200 miles... they take longer to seat than the engine bearings and rings.)
At around 200 miles started pushing her a little harder up toward 5,000 rpms. Never let her run long that way and kept her mostly below 80 with a brief run or two up to 90.
Be sure to check that dipstick during that first week or two. A new engine has blow-by (spent gases into the oi, and oil into the combustion chamber). That's because the rings aren't well seated yet. So, you check the oil. You're checking four things... (a) level, (b) color - burnt?, (c) smell - gasoline?, (d) grit - metal, etc. Those first couple hundred miles are most critical so keep an eye on that oil. Check it fresh from the new car lot, and keep checking it. See how it changes as you break her in. If you smell STRONG gas, take her back right away. If you see her burnt brown... you probably didn't read the rest of this post. If you see her more than 1/2 quart low top her off while she's hot.... exact same oil as she has. If you see metal... take her in to the dealer for a look-see. If you EVER have (b), (c) or (d) above you are either running her wrong (see below) or are waiting WAY too long for oil changes.
Only spun the wheels briefly once during first 600 miles. A few harder starts and harder runs toward 5,000 rpm, up through the gears, never close to 6,000 and never smoking the tires. Then took her in for an oil change.
Up to this point car was averaging about 10 mpg running Shell 91 octane around town, 20 mpg on highway.
After first Mobile 1 and filter change at 624 miles, engine immediately loosened up, mileage jumped slightly and engine breathed a LOT better. A key point here is low power starts in 1st gear... with factory oil during first 600 miles engine was tight with no piston slap or lifter dance.
After oil change at 624, low power 1st gear (grandma acceleration) gives brief, tiny amount of piston slap. GM says this won't hurt and it's not a bad sign, just indicates the engine has loosened up and now likes a little more than grandma behind the wheel.
Engine now sounds more throaty and noticeably responds better on acceleration, particularly that transition at 4,000 rpm from 2nd to 3rd where she really starts to come into her own. You can bark the tires now at 40 mph!
Just dusted a BMW 745i on a mile-long 4 lane slalom.
I'm gonna run her this way and bring that speed up to 100+ for brief periods until I get to 1200 miles.
Then it's back in for another Mobile 1 and filter change, and Slick 50.
At 2500 miles I'm gonna drain and flush the 6-speed and the differential, and slick 50 those. I'll let you know as things progress.
The long-term engine regimine will include fresh Mobile 1 and filters every 2,500. And fresh Slick 50 every 25,000.
Five best basic rules for long engine life in a performance car are:
1. Change the oil and filters - all filters - way more frequently than the mfr says. Use good oil and DO NOT use engine additives! These are usually solvent-based (to help soften and close old seals) or resin-based (to help oil stick to metal). They only hide and mask engine symptoms and permit undiagnosed problems to progress further.
2. Keep that cooling system and fluid in top shape. GM says coolant is good for 125,000 miles but I'd NEVER consider that.
3. Keep the injectors clean with a gas additive every month or two, and run good gas. I run Shell... period. It has additives to keep the engine clean. It's what NASCAR has used for forty years, and was the only gas Enzo Ferrari would allow on his test track in Marenello, Italy. Anyone who says all gas is basically the same - including those amateurs over at Discovery Channel - doesn't know what they are talking about. It make look same on paper, may test same in the lab, but gasoline is part of a system that includes the engine, the driver habits, the driving environment, weather, etc. Shell has devoted hundreds of millions to this symbiosis to stay on top in the racing world for decades, including Sieberling, Le Mans, Daytona, Indy, etc. Also, Shell stations have better quality control on pump filters and storage tank conditions than your mom and pop gas station. One more tip on gas... if you see the filler truck at the station, drive on. The filler truck stirs up inevitable sediments and water in the storage tanks while filling. Go back the next day after that's settled down, and fill your car from the cream off the top of their underground tank.
4. Don't run her hard until she's good and warmed up. I saw a Ferrari 348 engine ruined in a one-block run that way - salesman who couldn't buy a Ferrari if he wanted. And after she's been run hard, let her cool down with some milder driving for a bit. Engines generate lots of heat and don't dump it easily due to the mass involved (basic physics). That's why you need a cooling system. Just as you let her warm up for hard runs, let her cool down afterwards by milder cruising. It takes longer to cool down than to warm up. It's called thermodynamic intertia. That's what the pros do... run hard, cool down. Unless they run hard non-stop for hours. Then they sure don't let it cool down for ten minutes. Those 10-second pit stops are as important to the well-being of a hot engine as they are to the race position. So, if she's hot, run her hard. If you're gonna keep running, keep running hard. But, if you gotta do multiple hot runs, give her a good warm up, run her hard, then give her ten minutes to cool down with some mild driving and idling... THEN WARM HER UP A BIT before you punch it again! That inhibits long-term metal fatigue.
5. Don't freakin' red line her! On the GTO, the computer's gonna record if you redlined her, and that voids your mfr warranty right there. So, just stay off that redline.
One final point... not related to engine break-in but to safety... I check my tires visually every single time I get in. I look at ride height (visual air pressure), well clearance (shocks, springs), and sidewalls (cuts, scrapes, balloons). Just a quick knowing look. If you're gonna run at 100, I don't care what kind of tires you have, one slow leak can kill you at that speed when the tread separates... which happened to me on brand new Pirelli's and a Porsche Boxster S. This tip might save your life, and someone else you love.
I'll keep you posted as things develop.
Dan Rieke
Orange County, California
Have driven nearly every performance car brand on the road, Ferrari, Porsche, Audi, Saab, Lexus, BMW, Jaguar, Corvette, Dodge, Ford... and been into performance cars for forty years.
Thought I'd start a thread about engine break-in and share what I've found so far.
First, my uncle and cousin, both serious pro mechanics and performance buffs for fifty years, have both told me "never break in your engine the way the manufacturer says... unless you intend to drive it that way forever. You break it in the way you like to drive, gradually bringing up power and speeds as the miles climb into the 100s."
Another GTO site sent me to this post which gave some good data: http://www.mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm
On my car, new with 23 miles...
The '05 comes stock with Mobile 1 5W-30. Not dyno or break-in oil.
I decided to run mine on the Mobile 1 for break-in. It's very slick stuff... slicker than petroleum-based oil.
Took her easy for the first 25 miles or so, not pushing her beyond about 3,200 rpms. Got her good and warm and took her on some semi-power runs up to 80+ mph for brief periods. Ran around town several nights on mild drives to 45-60 mph. Done with and without engine braking.
(Don't shove the brakes hard the first 200 miles... they take longer to seat than the engine bearings and rings.)
At around 200 miles started pushing her a little harder up toward 5,000 rpms. Never let her run long that way and kept her mostly below 80 with a brief run or two up to 90.
Be sure to check that dipstick during that first week or two. A new engine has blow-by (spent gases into the oi, and oil into the combustion chamber). That's because the rings aren't well seated yet. So, you check the oil. You're checking four things... (a) level, (b) color - burnt?, (c) smell - gasoline?, (d) grit - metal, etc. Those first couple hundred miles are most critical so keep an eye on that oil. Check it fresh from the new car lot, and keep checking it. See how it changes as you break her in. If you smell STRONG gas, take her back right away. If you see her burnt brown... you probably didn't read the rest of this post. If you see her more than 1/2 quart low top her off while she's hot.... exact same oil as she has. If you see metal... take her in to the dealer for a look-see. If you EVER have (b), (c) or (d) above you are either running her wrong (see below) or are waiting WAY too long for oil changes.
Only spun the wheels briefly once during first 600 miles. A few harder starts and harder runs toward 5,000 rpm, up through the gears, never close to 6,000 and never smoking the tires. Then took her in for an oil change.
Up to this point car was averaging about 10 mpg running Shell 91 octane around town, 20 mpg on highway.
After first Mobile 1 and filter change at 624 miles, engine immediately loosened up, mileage jumped slightly and engine breathed a LOT better. A key point here is low power starts in 1st gear... with factory oil during first 600 miles engine was tight with no piston slap or lifter dance.
After oil change at 624, low power 1st gear (grandma acceleration) gives brief, tiny amount of piston slap. GM says this won't hurt and it's not a bad sign, just indicates the engine has loosened up and now likes a little more than grandma behind the wheel.
Engine now sounds more throaty and noticeably responds better on acceleration, particularly that transition at 4,000 rpm from 2nd to 3rd where she really starts to come into her own. You can bark the tires now at 40 mph!
Just dusted a BMW 745i on a mile-long 4 lane slalom.
I'm gonna run her this way and bring that speed up to 100+ for brief periods until I get to 1200 miles.
Then it's back in for another Mobile 1 and filter change, and Slick 50.
At 2500 miles I'm gonna drain and flush the 6-speed and the differential, and slick 50 those. I'll let you know as things progress.
The long-term engine regimine will include fresh Mobile 1 and filters every 2,500. And fresh Slick 50 every 25,000.
Five best basic rules for long engine life in a performance car are:
1. Change the oil and filters - all filters - way more frequently than the mfr says. Use good oil and DO NOT use engine additives! These are usually solvent-based (to help soften and close old seals) or resin-based (to help oil stick to metal). They only hide and mask engine symptoms and permit undiagnosed problems to progress further.
2. Keep that cooling system and fluid in top shape. GM says coolant is good for 125,000 miles but I'd NEVER consider that.
3. Keep the injectors clean with a gas additive every month or two, and run good gas. I run Shell... period. It has additives to keep the engine clean. It's what NASCAR has used for forty years, and was the only gas Enzo Ferrari would allow on his test track in Marenello, Italy. Anyone who says all gas is basically the same - including those amateurs over at Discovery Channel - doesn't know what they are talking about. It make look same on paper, may test same in the lab, but gasoline is part of a system that includes the engine, the driver habits, the driving environment, weather, etc. Shell has devoted hundreds of millions to this symbiosis to stay on top in the racing world for decades, including Sieberling, Le Mans, Daytona, Indy, etc. Also, Shell stations have better quality control on pump filters and storage tank conditions than your mom and pop gas station. One more tip on gas... if you see the filler truck at the station, drive on. The filler truck stirs up inevitable sediments and water in the storage tanks while filling. Go back the next day after that's settled down, and fill your car from the cream off the top of their underground tank.
4. Don't run her hard until she's good and warmed up. I saw a Ferrari 348 engine ruined in a one-block run that way - salesman who couldn't buy a Ferrari if he wanted. And after she's been run hard, let her cool down with some milder driving for a bit. Engines generate lots of heat and don't dump it easily due to the mass involved (basic physics). That's why you need a cooling system. Just as you let her warm up for hard runs, let her cool down afterwards by milder cruising. It takes longer to cool down than to warm up. It's called thermodynamic intertia. That's what the pros do... run hard, cool down. Unless they run hard non-stop for hours. Then they sure don't let it cool down for ten minutes. Those 10-second pit stops are as important to the well-being of a hot engine as they are to the race position. So, if she's hot, run her hard. If you're gonna keep running, keep running hard. But, if you gotta do multiple hot runs, give her a good warm up, run her hard, then give her ten minutes to cool down with some mild driving and idling... THEN WARM HER UP A BIT before you punch it again! That inhibits long-term metal fatigue.
5. Don't freakin' red line her! On the GTO, the computer's gonna record if you redlined her, and that voids your mfr warranty right there. So, just stay off that redline.
One final point... not related to engine break-in but to safety... I check my tires visually every single time I get in. I look at ride height (visual air pressure), well clearance (shocks, springs), and sidewalls (cuts, scrapes, balloons). Just a quick knowing look. If you're gonna run at 100, I don't care what kind of tires you have, one slow leak can kill you at that speed when the tread separates... which happened to me on brand new Pirelli's and a Porsche Boxster S. This tip might save your life, and someone else you love.
I'll keep you posted as things develop.
Dan Rieke
Orange County, California
, but is it the motor loosening up a bit? I got up under it with it running and listened for any leaks and didnt hear any.... Any comments or thoughts? Thx Guys.
