walterwu

Think about it. Why would Porsche give different advice to owners in different countries? Why would the advice be the same for all models of its cars? The American legal system, of course!

If I had to guess, statistically, There is probably some engine related risk that is present in all cars, but if it is going to happen at all, is going to happen in the first 2000 miles, regardless of the rpm. However, if it happens at higher rpm, more damage or more liability may result.

If this is the case, then this recommendation is merely a risk limiting guidance provided by Porsche, and actually has nothing to do with breaking in the engine. That would be consistent with all of the empirical information out there, lawn mower engines aside, that engines don't need to be broken in (or certainly not broken in over 2000 miles).

I will say that when I got my 2014 C2S with only 12 miles on it, for the first 60 miles or so, there was definitely the smell of burning oil after each trip, but it went away after that. My oil level never dropped, and when I brought my car for its free 60-day wellness check offered by the dealer, the car had a clean bill of health. For this reason, I might recommend going easy the first 50-100 miles for true break-in purposes, but my suspicion is that what is recommended in the owner manual serves another legal purpose for Porsche.

LexVan

Suzy posted one several months ago, iirc.

Weim911

I tried to find that thread and the only one I could find was for the i-manual for USA. I couldn't find the german link.

Weim911

Found it.

https://rennlist.com/forums/991/777684-is-break-in-or-run-in-really-required-7.html

And that answers that. Break in period in America is for attorneys and not the owners. Warm it up and then full out - except for long periods and no launch control. Why can't they just say that?!?!?

chuck911

You already answered your own question! And you got it right! Hang around a while and be amazed how many STILL will not get it! Yes even after the factory quotes and manuals.

Now the next thing, if what the factory tells Americans is pure unadulterated BS legal CYA (which it is!) then what, if anything, is the correct way to break in a Porsche? Or any internal combustion engine, for that matter?

Well, the key is piston ring seal, and the key to good piston ring seal is plenty of full throttle during the first few critical hours of operation. http://www.avweb.com/news/maint/1828...l?redirected=1 http://www.mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm

Care to imagine what would happen if Porsche- or anyone!- came out and told customers the truth? "Warm it up then go flat out as much as you can the first few hours. Do this and the engine will make more hp, burn less oil, and last longer."

Mayhem. Lawsuits. Bankruptcy.

But they make Porsches, so they have to play both sides. This perfectly explains what balaclava was told by Porsche Stuttgart:No wonder some have called this the best thread on RL. https://rennlist.com/forums/991/8250...ery-diary.html

wanderfalke

Porsche really muddies the waters on break-in procedure. German owners should drive as they normally would after warm-up, we are told to hold down rpms. until 2000 miles. If that is not confusing enough we hear reports form factory reps. that our 2000 mile procedures are dictated because of lemon laws. That implies that you are more prone to developing problems that take more than three service calls to resolve.

The only way that any of this makes sense if the warm-up takes 2000 miles. :-)

walterwu

Anyone familiar with statistical quality control in manufacturing processes will understand how the recommendation came about. The engineers and science folks on this website might understand, But those of you who earned your Porsche money from sales and marketing, don't worry your pretty little heads about it.

wanderfalke

Walter which recommendation are you referring to stateside or euro? I think you are referencing stateside. Are you saying that statistically a few motors will be enough out of tolerance and that limiting revs. during break in will decrease Porsches liability if all h#ll breaks loose at 2000 or less miles on the clock.

walterwu

I don't think there is any significant technical difference, or statistical quality difference, between the Euro and US vehicles. It's only when you overlay the US legal system do you end up with the different US recommendation.

As for "break-in", if there was a measurable benefit from it, i.e. measurably reduces risk of break down or warranty work of any kind, believe me, Porsche would be telling everyone worldwide to do it. They don't.

There is probably a small percentage of vehicles that have some risk of a problem in the first 2000 miles, unaffected by break-in, but the effect when it occurs is rpm dependent.

Thus break-in does not affect the frequency of adverse outcome in the first 2000 miles, but the rpm you're at when it happens will increase the severity of the adverse outcome.

wanderfalke

From a customers point of view it may be better to blow a out of spec. engine big time, and go for a replacement rather that have bits and pieces replaced. I wonder if they can tell if you were driving it like you normally would the first 2000 via the onboard computer?

Mondrian

Traditional belief has always been that a properly run-in engine will outlast one that has been thrashed, so if problems arise it will be long after Porsche warranty has expired on the car.

chuck911

You're absolutely right about the first part. The second part, warranty work, is more complicated.

Start from the premise of the best break-in. Lots of deliberate full throttle loads the first few hours of use. Think running up and down Stelvio all day. Launch control, to really drive the baby-it crowd batty.

But while you're happy as a clam knowing you now have a snappy motor with more power burning less oil and lasting longer- all thanks to great piston ring seal- in the process of getting there you more than likely put a lot more load on brakes and suspension and drive train than the guy who ruined his engine by babying it.

The baby-it guy, likely as not he won't ever really notice anything. How's he gonna, keeping rev's so low? And most of these guys, they are now imbued with undue fear of high revs. Most of these guys will go on to baby their cars the whole time they own them! Sure, they'll get warranty work done. But because they babied it for however many thousands of miles, which in a lot of cases is a year or more, then as far as Porsche is concerned Job Well Done! These guys simply are not going to experience excessive brake wear, tire wear, or any other kind of wear. Maybe clear coat, from excessive polishing. Excessive spending on designer bags for all the oil they'll be carrying around for life. But not transmissions. Not anything Porsche would care about.

In fact it seems to me the deeper one looks the more reasons there are for Porsche to tell the whole world to baby it. Pure BS, but its hard to see the downside. And yet they don't. What they do instead is exactly what one would expect them to do if they do in fact know its BS, but have to do something in order to sell cars in certain markets. Read the sig.

Cheekymonkeyman

Hallelujah! At last someone has applied some science to the debate and referenced a bloke on the internet and a worker at the porsche factory (who must know what he's talking about because they only employ internal combustion PHDs to build cars...) I can now have nightmares worrying about that 6 week babying i did, fearful in the knowledge that i will never go WOT and might succumb to endless miles of burning oil, low power misery... And god forbid... Ensuing mechanical failures. Maybe that's why i have a rattle? My god! What gave i done to my baby?

MarcusG

Lol !!


Ha ha. Oh man. You said it.

I on the other hand did baby my car as well but feel great about the WOT part since I'm sure the porter who filled my tank of gas before I wrote my check used Launch Control at least twice between the dealership and the gas station. Hope he used premium!

Key Left

For reference, Porsche classifies two types of countries...fast and slow. Guess which one the United States is? Right! Slow....

Our C2 has been cruised not abused to 21K. Three oil changes and virtually no oil use, ever. Also a silent idle now that it's fully broken in. Take it from there....but I do believe in stretching your piston rods to prevent ridges from forming at the top of the cylinders (just a personal superstition).