jcm

Yes I meant 2000 rpm. Although the engine is revved to max from the factory, its the other moving parts that require running in. There are mixed opinions on this. The European manuals are diffeernt as well. I just follow the manual because if something major happens, they can read out the snitch box and see your engine speeds. It is a major pain because all you want to do is rip through the gears.

Skunk Workz

That's perfectly ok...I'm not here to argue either...but that means that every single time you change tires or brake pads at at track day you have to drive slowly around the track 40-50 times to bed everything...or else the tires and/or brakes will fail. Every person that has driven a car at a track and done this knows this is not the case.

No part of the drivetrain rubs directly on another. If they did,they'd fail in no time. That is why there is oil in the gearbox...to prevent direct contact. To have direct contact,means that you run with dry gearbox,dry driveshafts,dry wheel bearings...now that is the recipe for disaster. All moving parts are supported by lubrication of some kind....there's nothing to "wear in",because no parts actually TOUCH. Anyone on this thread that sees the logic...??

Gary R.

While I understand the basic physics of lubrication you stretch them a bit, no? The parts DO wear and there is a property called "friction" involved (which in turn causes other elemental changes to occur). If we follow your "logic" nothing that is lubricated would ever wear out, which we all know is not the case.

Porsche took the time to print what they feel is a general guide in the owners manual for a reason., and I don't have any data to contradict it.

Skunk Workz

Of course they wear out in time...due to the little friction/heat that still is there. That's just like the fact water can wear down a mountain. It takes time. BUT....every time the car has stood still for any longer amount of time,you do have contact without lubrication because the lube isn't there for the initial few seconds...that is what wears it out the most.

Of course you don't have that...they don't want to tell you that the reason they want you to baby it the first 1000 miles is because they don't want to be sued due to new drivers flooring it when new and killing themselves...

rss997

I am on the side of no long term break in needed. I think after the first couple weeks and or 500 miles or so you should just drive the car.

Do you really think if you hit 4500 rpms the engine will be more inclined to fail? My dealer even said it is ok to hit redline in the first 1k miles, just not to stay at red line for a long period until the 1st 1k miles...

They just don't want people going out the first week and killing it....or themselves for that matter.

BHANE

Haha! That got the fluids goin...

Brian Wilson

When I went through the factory last year they said that there is no breakin period for the driver. Like the fellow said before, they're tested under load for a substantial amount of time. It's for breakin and to make sure that the engine meets the advertised HP. They also take every one out and road test them up to top speed. If the tires and brakes aren't broken in after a hard drive like that then they'll probably never be.

CO997

Brian. If what you say is true from the factory, why do they put it in the owners manual saying we have to stay below 4200 rpm for the first 2000 miles? If it is already broken in and ready to go why torture us by making us wait so long to really enjoy the car??

Skunk Workz

Because their lawyers are afraid you'll "enjoy" the car so much when it's new to you it'll bite you and you'll die/get seriously injured..

1999Porsche911

They recommend that you baby the car so you WILL have problems in the future. There is no scientific OR logical reason why an engine is better off letting it go through 5 million revolutions or just 1 million. Keep following Porsche's recommendation and you continue to 1) not enjoy the car, and 2) continue to have irritating problems requiring Dealer visits. There is a proper break in method for a new engine, but it is not even close to what the major car manufacturers recommend.

But, some people will continue to take the word of Porche, as that of GOD. A good rule of thumb is: Once you get any car off the showroom floor and into your garage, stay as far away from the dealer as you can.

Fast40th

I'll be honest. My experience during break-in (finalized 500 mi ago), and given that this is the first P-car that I have owned and driven for more than 5 mins, is that part of those 2000 mi were seriously devoted to "driver" break-in. How I drive my 911 today compared to how I drove it off the dealership, is seriously different. I am now "one with the car" whereas before I was "boy I can get in serious trouble fast!"...

So I wonder if Porsche wants to add a safety factor for new owners by keeping them with cool heads (and cool right feet), so they can become accustomed with the car's dynamics and capabilites, and thus the limits on keeping RPMs in the low 4000 during the first 2K mi.

My 2 centavos.

Skunk Workz

No better way to cool your head/right foot than to tell you "If you run it over 4200rpm for this and that long,you'll have a totally wrecked engine/car"...puts the fear of WOT in every man..

Alan Smithee

For those who subscribe to the notion that manufacturers' break-in periods are for the driver and not the car, could you explain why every BMW E46 M3 that is currently undergoing connecting rod bearing replacement is subject to the same break-in period recommended for the car when it was new? I find it hard to believe after three years and 36k miles I need to very slowly become familiar with my car again.

I'd bet a dollar that the many remanufactured motors going into Boxsters and 996s with RMS failures come with a break-in procedure as well.

Alan Smithee

Any person with extensive track experience knows there is a bedding in procedure for new brakes, and driving slowly around the track 40-50 times isn't it.

And any person with extensive track experience will not push a car with brand new, unshaven, non-heat-cycled street tires.

Brian Wilson

Why do american porsches have door buzzers and german ones don't? Beats me. The reason the guy at the factory said is that mechanical parts are machined so much closer to spec than they used to be and, like i said, porsche runs the car quite a bit before it even leaves stuttgart.