Tacet-Conundrum

You know all this break-in time for the USA tickles me pink because of the test-drive cars they, Porsche, uses at the Zentrum. From the second you get in it they tell you to drive it like you stole it.

Galion

My manual nor my dealer says anything about breakin-in the car.
Not necessary here.

Jay-S

Here is an interesting read on break-in:

http://yel.pca.org/porsche-engine-break-in/

chuck911

I think if you really want to understand this complex subject then the best advice I can give you is to study this to death: http://www.logicalfallacies.info

This will enable you to confidently discount of 99.9% of everything you will encounter in the way of "advice".

Next best thing, google around, searching for and studying articles along the lines of http://www.machinerylubrication.com/...ng-lubrication and, if you're really into it, http://www.annualreviews.org/doi/abs....010173.001153

Bear in mind those are just two examples, taken almost at random. What I'm talking about here is basically, every time you read some claim or opinion, to check it out. If someone claims break-in is necessary in order for parts to "wear-in", then you must really think about what that means and research it in terms of lubrication, the mechanics of polishing, and so on. To take but one example.

That's what I did, and the conclusions I came to are pretty surprising: proper break-in really is important, it consists of thorough warm-up followed immediately by repeated full throttle full range loads (ideally, take it on the track), and that the window of opportunity for effective break-in is only around the first 20-200 miles.

If your car is past 200 miles and you haven't been giving it full throttle every chance you get, well I wouldn't lose any sleep over it. Lots of people have bought into the baby it story, and their cars aren't exactly littering the roadways. But if you're still in the window then by all means make the most of it.

LonnieR

Early cars had no mention of breakin in the European manuals. I guess they must have updated them.

alexneo

This comes in contradiction with the general view on how the break-in procedure should be done.
Which is exactly my point in starting topic...
I am not sure why there is no official response from Porsche on this, the manual explanation is very vague especially for those who would want to follow the process by the book.

LexVan

I have not read the owner's manual in a long while, but what I remember is pretty straight forward and easy:

1) stay below 4,200 RPM for about 2,200 miles

2) don't lug the engine

3) vary your speed and RPM's on long road trips

4) don't jam on the brakes right out of the box

5) let the tires scrub in for a couple hundred miles

Something like that.

Porsche911_S

I buy cars and just drive them. I'm not concerned about anyone but the drivers around me on the road. If I can afford a car I will do whatever I want with it and sort out any issues afterwards. And I say this with a grin on my face.

dakota111

Did a Euro delivery on a C4S this spring. I asked the delivery tech people at Porsche about break in and they only suggested that you vary the throttle in the first few hundred KM.

DvidzBlk991

My 2014 C2 still isn't coming in for another 3 weeks +/- ....ugh, the waiting! I think Break- in is especially an issue for us first time Porsche owners who aren't as familiar with Porsche engines etc.

DvidzBlk991

Nice find....The article that was posted here in the PCA-Yellowstone website I thought shed some light on the question of break-in period. It just sounds like you just need to vary your revs, let the car warm up some before racing out of your driveway, try not to take short drives all the time, and keep the revs to around 4k at the max for the first 2k miles. Its along time to wait, but a small price to pay for driving Nirvana.

http://yel.pca.org/porsche-engine-break-in/

alexneo

My car feels stiff, and it hesitates a bit. Asked the service manager, he said it's normal till about 1500 miles. Then it will "loosen up", oil and fuel consumption will go down. And the driving experience will dramatically improve.
Has anyone felt a difference in performance after 2000 miles?

bccars

I think that's normal. Mine had exactly the same for a few hundred km (I'd say about 3-400 km). It did loosen up !

chuck911

There are plenty of "official" responses from Porsche- at least that is if by "official" we include official Porsche employees like for example Andreas Prueninger. As I recall he made the ridiculous (sorry, but it truly is) statement that you should increase your break-in limit by 1000 rpm per 500 miles. Don't quote me, but do your own RL search, what he said worked out to like 50 rpm per 100 miles. As if its all so scientifically calibrated. I can only imagine the poor souls fretting over the permanent damage inflicted when they revved to 3000 rpm in only the first 50 miles!

On the other hand, there are perfectly good reasons why Porsche might want to stick to their "don't open it up" advice, especially in the US market. The US is a highly litigious country, with absurdly slow speed limits (nowhere near as absurd as Canada, but still...) drivers who're real motor vehicle operators with no real driving skills, and a nanny state mentality that has everyone in thrall to the idea that we're supposed to be protected from ourselves. (Don't stand as high as you can on the ladder, etc). No. The last thing you will ever hear from Porsche is that their break-in bunk is a lot of, well, bunk. And meanwhile, all their endurance racing teams will continue doing what they've always done, which of course is to ignore the sacred factory advice with abandon.

bccars

Funny, that's exactly what I'm doing now. Exactly what I did with all my cars. All were strong performers and not oilburners. So to me that is not ridiculous ;-)