Gary R.

I'm at 200 miles (after 2 days), and the weather up here is taking a turn for the worse. I was thinking of changeing out the original oil/filter at around 3-5K miles to remove the 1st round of particulates that come with the running in of any new motor, and again at 12-13K. I mean really, what are we talking - $100.00 US each oil/filter change?

Is there any problem with doing this that i am overlooking?

Thanks!

RR

Donny J wrote

"Always break the engine in and during this break in period try to keep the revs down for a few mins when starting the car until the engine warms up also change the oil after the first 1200-1500 miles. Forget this macho crap about going hell for leather when you first get the car.

DonnyJ"


There is nothing "macho"or non macho about running your car properly during break in.

The motor should be allowed to fully warm up anytime, break in or not, but there is no point to limiting the revs on the engine (once it has been warmed up) during the break in period. The car should be driven throughout its rev range ESPECIALLY during the break in period. You should alternate between full throttle ons and full throttle off's immediately after. I think you are doing yourself a disservice if you follow the break in period that Porsche gives you. Below 4000rpm for 1000miles is ridiculous.

The only reason Porsche puts this in the manuals is to protect themselves just in case the tranny/drivetrain and the engine/brakes etc, don't work together in unison and an accident occurs. The break in period is for all these moving parts which have been manufactured stand alone on separate assembly lines and then mated with each other in the car.

Road and Track did an article on this back in the 80's and they found that cars that were broken in softly, never had the oomph compared to cars that were broken in with normal/spritied driving (of course after the engine was fully warmed up).

I've had 2 Porsche's and I broke them in normally, again once the engine was fully warmed up. Now I didn't drive around town in first gear redlining it all the time, but I drove it how I normally drove it - and I did not limit myself to 4000 rpms.

DonneyJ

Don't quite understand your point ....I didn't say there was anything macho or non macho about running your car in properly

I know that there is alot of conflicting advice about this ...surely there is a correct acknowledged way to run a porsche in and an incorrect way

AndrewSS

this is an interesting debate... my fathers 997s has about 450-500 miles so far and we hate shifting at 4200rpm's... I accidentally took it to 5000rpm's and he has taken it to atleast 6000-6300 a few times. From what I hear around on these forums is that what we have done it ok... and it probably is, these are modern engines i would expect them to be pretty solid, plus the factory tests them too. Now my question is factory oil synthetic or natural??? When do you guys think the first oil change should be??? And what kind of oil, what porsche says right?

So basically you guys think in the first 2000 miles let the engine warm up, rev it low, except an occasional* above 4200rpm rev it totally acceptable, in moderation and vary revs... ok well i hope this is all correct

riotgear

I'm keeping my car under 4200. I've gone over a few times, but I'd rather be conservative until after break-in. I have another 1700 miles to go.

rss997

I wonder how many 996's were "broken in properly" and still had the RMS leak???????

Warm it up, drive it like you mean it and enjoy it! 4200, 5200, 6200 are all good for it once warm.

1999Porsche911

You better drive your car hard from the get go is you want to to last. Babying the car is the wrong thing to do in my opinion. 27 cars and trucks so far and never an engine problem. Redlined them all of the showroom floor. I would be courious as to what a poll would show of who has had more engine problems..those that follow the breakin period religiously or those who bounced off the redline in first gear every time they drove.

bhakti

This 2000 miles period is hypothetic: why intend to stay under 4200 rpm for the first 2000 and jump to whatever rpm you like beginning 2001 miles...? In the european manual, we are told to stay under the limit for the first 3000 kms. However 3000 kms is not 2000 miles.

For some of you who have already break-in or going to, do you intend to go at any rpms and jump to the 6000s right away or have you conceived a step by step procedure [another break-in period, but this time small] to go up the rpms?

Gary R.

Personally I will start pushing hard at 1865 miles....

Actually I am *close* to adhering to the 4200 RPM suggested in the manual. I may haave seen 5000 RPM once or twice but thats it. I'm only at 625 miles now due to the bad weather here but will pile miles on as soon as its possible to do so. The manual also states that oil isn't normally changed until 20,000 miles and I have no intention of waiting that long. At around 4000 miles I will change oil/filter and again at around 12000. Oil is CHEAP insurance IMHO.

bhakti

Gary, are you going to change the oil/filter by yourself? If that is so easy as I've been told on Porsches, I might do it myself as well.

Gary R.

Absolutely. All you need is a way to get the car up a bit, an oil filter wrench and socket to fit it. There is a tutorial here (along with a TON of good info):

http://www.renntech.org/forums/index...iy&code=diy_oc

Become a Rennlist Member, its a cheap way to keep this invaluable asset going!

bhakti

Thanks for the link Gary!

CO997

There seems to be alot of people saying that there is no need to do the break in period. Someone even suggested that doing the breakin would do damage to the car. Is there any real data out there to support that theory? I get the the breakin period is probably just a safety precaution for Porsche and is probably a bit conservative, but I have never seen any data saying that you will damage your car if you do follow the breakin period. The most common reasons I have heard for doing the break in are to allow the seals to set completely, and to allow the parts to "get used to working together". For those of you saying it is bad for the car, exactly what damage have you seen a break in period do to a car?

fahren affair

forgetting it's a porsche, i've always run my cars in hard from day one till it's retirement. i had a bmw m5 motor (stroker) rebuilt by a race shop. they told be to drive 500 miles straight away at 80-90 mph (high revs) to seat the rings... i've got 95k miles on my 996, no leaks, burns little oil and still pulls strong. if it were me, i would drive it as i pleased from day one. keeping the revs below a certian range, contrasts with some engine builders and race shops that insist on keeping the revs up (?).

wbgordon

My dealer advised me to avoid excessive rpm (4,000) and same-motor-speed driving for the first 1,000 miles, which I did. At 1,050 miles, figuring the engine was broken in, I cranked the carin 6th speed (under 5,000 rpm) up to 125 mph. Bad idea? I don't know if I'm imagining it or overworrying, but the oil temp never seemed to go above 210 degrees before I cranked the car to 125 mph. Now it routinely goes to 220 degrees.