VVG

In that case, a base Macan and a 911 GT3 should have different recommendations based on their vastly different engine construction, but they don't. Also, I would think that if there was damage, it would be on a mechanical basis, not a thermal basis, as the heat is readily dissipated by the cooling system of the engine. I am not aware of engine coolant temps being hotter early in the life of the engine due to a higher frictional component. And even if they were a few degrees higher, I sincerely doubt this would be enough to cause any thermal damage. In fact, the faster you are up to operating temps, the better for your engine. With that in mind, a better recommendation would be not to drive at high rpms until the engine oil is properly warmed up, irrespective of the miles.

Archimedes

Lotta nonsense. Make sure the oil is warm, and refrain from extended high RPM running (i.e., track use) for the first few hundred miles. Running a properly warmed up car to redline once in a while isn’t going to do anything to the motor. There’s a good chance the motor in your car had that done at the factory before it was shipped to you.

Break in was invented by lawyers to help reduce the number of idiots who wrap their cars around trees in the first 200 miles before they have proper feel for the car. Some of the European manuals didn’t even have break in recommendations.

VVG

^^^THIS^^^

mjw930

I disagree, initial run in is not nonsense, what’s in the manual and 90% of what you’ll read on the internet is.

Modern metallurgy and production techniques have made “what you’ve always done” for anyone over 40 obsolete but it hasn’t changed the fact the proper engine run in is all about ensuring all of the mating surfaces in the drivetrain are properly meshing and temperature hot spots are minimized until that is accomplished. It’s much more about running time and heat cycles, very much like how you scrub in tires and bed brakes. If everything is properly assembled and within spec, and one would hope they are considering the kings ransom we all paid for our Porsches, the occasional journey to redline has no measurable negative effect to the longevity of your drivetrain regardless the number of miles on the odometer.

blackland

Every M car I owned had a break-in period followed by a special service that BMW paid for at the end of the break-in. I would think that these Porsche cars also have a break-in period even if no special service is required.

Bartleby7334

Gradual, progressive Break in is meant to, over successive gradually increasing heat cycles, allow critical engine parts (like rings) to smooth away microscopic irregularities.
Followed by an early oil flush and change, to remove those fine metal particulates if any. At least, this is what I was taught starting from my early driving days and none of the vehicles (cars or motorcycles) that I have broken in myself have ever exhibited significant oil consumption.

However, manufacturing techniques and tolerances have gotten so precise over the years that the benefits of gradual break-in may not actually be significant any longer.

I trust AP’s recommendation, though.

boatracer

Btw, I previously owned and raced a 718 GT4 Clubsport MR, which shares a decent amount of common stuff. There was zero break in, WOT at track from beginning and car never missed a beat. My new Spyder will get a good highway trip home and biggest item will be no cruise control to keep engine speed moving around a bit.

tigerhonaker

Greetings my fellow Rennlist members,

As I have followed this thread and read all the comments I think it's time for my 2-cants.
Here is exactly what I think on the GT4 Porsche Break-in-Procedures.
Everyone do as you wish because the Bottom-Line is no one really cares what you do it's your Porsche so have at it.

Now in my case/situation I'm going to at least try to do what Porsche has said they recommend.
And the simple reasoning on my end is I don't really have $130,000.00 US dollars to throw away.
Seems to me that ^^^ being the case I'll just Stay-Calm do the Break-In and then Romp as much as I care to.

Terry

flytosail

That is so the new Corvette owner that after 20 years of driving a minivan with the kids that are now out of the home will not wreck it pulling out of the car dealership’s lot.

VVG

And who exactly is "Porsche"? Is the people who wrote the manual or the head engineer for Porsche GT? Because they both say very different things.

CZ718GT4

I mean, yes to the extent that I rather search on google and restrict search results to "rennlist.com"

tigerhonaker

VVG,

Well my wording was probably not the best in the above post No-Doubt.
I'll try again ............
It really makes no difference what Porsche says in a manual or for that matter any engineer working for Porsche.
What all this actually comes down to is simple as can be.
I can say with all certainty the majority of members here are going to make their decisions regardless of what any one of us says, Porsche, or an Engineer.
People do what they decide to do and in a lot of cases those same people will argue with anyone and everyone that what they decided to do was the correct decision.
At 75 I learned a long time ago people do as they wish and they could actually care less what's in an Owner's-Manual or what any Engineer has to say.
You can think what you wish but if you want to take the time go back to post #1 and read all the way to the end of this thread and then you decide for yourself if you really-really think anyone is going to change what they have decided to do Break-in-Wise.

In my case as I said I'm going to try my best to follow the Break-in-Procedures from Porsche.
What I'm not going to do is suggest what anyone else should do and that certainly includes following me and what I do.

Terry
USA

daaa nope

My methods for breaking in brand new sportbikes that eventually got converted to race bikes is below. Usually I'd buy the bike off the floor, put ~1000 miles on it on the street, then convert it.

100 miles: gentle. Varied RPM, no redline, basic gentle drive. Change oil and filter, use same factory oil.
101-1000 miles: varied RPM but definitely "run it in" - full scale on the tach (redline etc). Change oil and filter to "good" oil (usually Motul 300V). "Break in complete"

Each of the bikes I broke in, in his manner, were very obviously "stronger" than identical models broken in "by the book" and frankly never generated significantly less HP on the dyno than my later Supersport motors.

Once I started having Supersport-spec motors built? Those were broken in on the dyno. Usually one gentle full heat cycle with light load, oil change, two more heat cycles with full load, oil change.... ship it.

My Spyder will be my first NEW sportycar in over 20 years. Currently researching what the common "best" methods are..... but I know what's served me well in the past.

ausgang

....hoping to avoid getting flamed here, but most typically break-in procedures are initially based upon the sum of the inputs from engineers for each system or subsystem. And, as the link provided earlier in this discussion pointed out, 'break-in' is not limited to the engine. Far from it.

Each systems group can submit what they believe to be suitable parameters for initial use. Often times these suggestions come from Tier 1 suppliers and not just in-house or contracted design engineering staff. It falls to the leadership of "After Sales" at the OEM to decide on the specific limits which are recommended in owner's manuals. In that sense they "own it" because their budget presumes control of warranty-related issues and all quality costs. The final decisions are outside the realm of the design engineers. If anyone wants to go 'down the rabbit hole' on this topic --- there are plenty of papers published by engineering members of SAE, DIN, BSI, UNI, etc. that are available to members of automotive engineering associations. (Although one might find the Aerospace, Off-Highway Vehicle, or Class 8 truck publications more detailed due to their heavy focus on minimizing longterm operational costs.)

A very short list of AE concerns include the following: Early life electronic component failues, Short term relaxation of fasteners, Joint embedment, Heat cycling of dissimilar metals/materials, Metallographic accommodation of surfaces ('Hertz stresses'), property changes to thermoplastics and other polymers, strain hardening of metals.

Bill Mitchell

Everybody had an opinion of break-in, so let me throw this one out: I was at PEC Atlanta yesterday picking up my new CGTS 4.0, and the instructor pointed out some new track cars sitting beside the building, and he told me they put 100 miles on them and then hit the track . So that's their break-in period, 100 miles. Probably a little drastic for me but they get really thrashed on the track (I know I thrashed the one I drove) and then after a few thousand miles they are sold to customers. I will follow Prueninger's advice myself.