SB

3k mile break in seems really excessive to me. At the rate I drive, it will take me half a year to even rack up that kind of mileage. Lets hear some thoughts on the topic... and how many people are actually torturing themselves until 3k mi?

mtbscott

Porsche's recommended break in is 2K miles, not 3K, and if you search, this subject has already been beaten like a dead horse.

oldman40

+1 on the dead horse....but equally importantly, there is no resolution on the matter!

chuck911

You will find many, many threads and comments on this subject. I myself was agnostic until another RL'er posted this very informative link.

http://mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm

The website is very hard on the eyes, and the writers style takes some getting used to, but he provides loads of solid examples, explanations and images that more than make up for all that. Take the time to read through all 3 parts and you will understand and know much more than just how to break-in your- excuse me- any engine.

axhoaxho

If I remember correctly, the whole 2K miles break-in period thingy was started around the Carrera GT era.

The Carrera GT was a Porsche that really needs some skill and respect to drive fast. Yet, many new owners bought the car, not yet familiar with its performance & behavior, immediately couldn't resist to drive it fast, and ended up crashing quite a few of them.

Some incidents were deadly.

Lawsuits, followed.

I think then the Porsche corporate lawers must have stepped in, and extended the break-in guideline to 2K miles. The idea, as I suspected, was to 'break-in the owners, not the cars.'

speed21

+1 on that dead horse as well. It must be pulp by now.

And re that weirdo website I'm not sure if this guy's expertise is more on music videos lol. It's astonishing how anyone can read sites like this and actually take any notice of the tripe. The web sure is a funny place. It's like hey Mr DJ can you build me a motor bike engine please

Mike in CA

Not........going........to.......comment.........

speed21

C'mon. What about another conspiracy theory for good measure. We've only got the one so far. Another wouldn't go astray lol.

chuck911

Sure seems to me that a MAJOR reason for all the complaining, beating a dead horse type comments is that so very few ever bother actually reading or thinking about anything new. The "tripe" type comments certainly come from this category. In fact, anyone taking the time to go to the above link and actually read the material will find not "tripe" but quite the opposite: a very detailed and in-depth discussion of how engines work, how lubrication functions and travels through an engine, the dimensions, construction and functions of main and rod bearings, photographs of pistons from engines torn down after different break-in methods, a discussion of which bearing almost always fails first and why- and that's just a few of the mechanical aspects covered. There's also some pretty good stuff on psychology and the importance of judging ideas on their own merits rather than by the authority of the person promoting them. And yes even a great and in-depth discussion of why it is in the manufacturers legal interest to tell owners to drive slow for several thousand miles.

Having myself spent some dozen or more hours on this "beaten to death" subject what I've noticed is there are some interesting claims made, and one beautifully metaphorical philosophical view, but nothing that actually addresses any of the very clear points raised here

http://mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm

This should not be so hard to do. Does someone think the Motoman is wrong saying that piston rings are pressed against the cylinder walls more by combustion pressure than springs? Simply say so. Should be easy enough to figure that one out. Anyone think cylinders are just as smooth at manufacture as at 200, 2k or 20k miles? Or are they rougher at first and then essentially polished smoother by the piston rings? There's literally hundreds of basic factual points raised in these three articles.

Maybe if people focused more on addressing certain basic facts instead of name calling that dead horse might just quit playing possum and get up and walk after all.

Zmoney3982

I trust Porsche engineers. I got 2,000 miles in on the first month. Dedication is all it takes. THen again if it takes 6 months to rack up 2,000 miles, maybe paying attention to break in isn't that important.

speed21

Yep. They're not only smart enough to have designed these engines, have infinitely more experience, assembled and tested far more engines than any of these legends in their own lunchtimes could even dream of. As Porsche say's if you want the best out of your engine....it's all there in black and white for those that care to pay attention to it. Why try and think of something new when its all been done for you. LOL.

And if Porsche was able to reduce its warranty claims by advising owners to drive it like they stole it that is exactly what they would be doing.

Based on some of the advice i've read here it seems Porsche is encouraging engine problems I guess Porsche must have figured, well we've gone to all the trouble to have a warranty department so through hell or high water we are going going to use it!!. We need warranties to survive!! LOL! We cannot have our warranty guys sitting on their hands looking into space!

simsgw

Sssssh.

Gary

ScorpionT

Chuck, we are in full agreement. For a long time I had my own theories, based on experience, about engine break in periods. After breaking in fresh engines with a short but "spirited" effort, I found they ran much stronger. Ive driven several cars that were babied the majority of their lives and they are always down on power compared to ones that were driven fairly hard. After I read the article I had more affirmation of the how and why behind my theories.

Its more the lawyers making the suggestion. Its the same reason Porsche will try and deny a warranty claim on a vehicle with an aftermarket exhaust. The engineers know that catalysts and mufflers restrict the engine and arent optimal for performance or longevity, but the lawyers have the final say.

The engineers arent nearly as hands on as you might think. Would you ask a civil engineer to build a bridge, or would you let the post-design work be done by bridge builders with hands on experience? Same goes for engine building, the engineers arent the ones you want doing the work. I trust a select few people with engine builds, and most have built hundreds of engines over the years. I doubt any Porsche engineer can say he has done the same.

Much of the knowledge and technology we have in modern cars is tried and tested in racing, not in large scale vehicle manufacturing.

simsgw

Sorry, Mike. Couldn't suppress it.

Gary

speed21

Now you really are making me laugh

What's so incredibly funny here is how some owners become so emotional and so desperate to excuse themselves from complying to the manufacturers recommendations they will seek to draw upon whatever they can find on the internet to justify their own actions. Whether it's the say so of a guy who built 300 motor bike engines in between listening to music videos (classic), or a mate of a mate who's built a handful of engines that haven't blown up (yet), theres always a reason to over-ride what has been set down by the manufacturer lol. From the conspiracy theories to the (now) Porsche engineers sitting in their ivory towers with little to no hands on experience.....is there no end. But what's really amusing is the offering of this infinite wisdom as a form of gospel to everyone else here to follow that's the icing on the cake. Gotta luv it guys. Some entertainment you just can't pay for.

Porsche Warranty department primarily exists for those that though their own manual was better. LOL!

Next.. ....hey how bout another conspiracy theory.....i quite like those.