Buzz911S

Hello to all. I just bought my first Porsche, a 997 911 S, about two weeks ago. I have about 500 miles on it. I'm following the instructions in the book about break in, but I've heard a lot of different theories about how to do it. I'm keeping it under 4200 rpm for the first 2000 miles. I have done a few brief run-ups, but other people are telling me it is better to just drive it the way I want. My salesman told me he sees brand new cars still with the paper tag on them running at a track day. I'm too paranoid to run it hard until I reach that 2000 mile mark, but this is the longest 2000 miles I've ever been!

Any other 911S owners out there with advice?

Thanks a lot. This board is great!

Buzz

SrfCity

Congrats on the new car. I'd just keep varying rpm's and you should be just fine.

bluelines

My humble opinion is that you should follow the manual... Porsche designed and built the car and I guess they know best how to break it in

1999Porsche911

Proper breakin must be done in the first 100 -200 miles and below is the proper procedure:

1. Always bring engine to FULL operating temperature before high revs.
2. Drive the car easy for the first 10 miles or so, varying the rpm's from 2,000 - 5,000.
3. Then, start bringing the engine up to maximum rpm's and letting the engine bring the revs back down by coasting in gear.
4. Repeat several times in order to create maximum heat in the cylinders.
5. Drive around at lower RPM's for several more miles, remembering to vary the speed of the engine every couple of miles.
6. Repeat number 3, 4 and 5.
7. Park car and let the engine cool down overnight.
8. Repeat all the above 2 more times.

Your engine is now fully broken in correctly and can be driven hard from here on.

Jim

MMD

One thing is a definite must: shift that sucker (vary RPM) every five or ten minutes when you're on the highway. No kidding, I used to shift like an addict just to keep the engine guessing.

As far as strict adherence to RPM limits? Don't be tooooo religious. Give yourself a taste of freedom occasionally more and more frequently as the miles stack up on the odometer.

jnx

I agree with srfcty. I always vary engine speed, I have broken in 2 996's and 1 997 doing this, and had no problems. Like posted earlier, follow the manual, and you will be fine.

Gary R.

Congrats on the new car. I followed the book, except after 1000 miles I pushed 5K a few times...

Buzz911S

Well, with 500 miles on it, I guess it's too late to do the torture break in above. I drive it around but I'm constantly gearing down and rev matching too. I've actually taken it to 6500 once by mistake. I put my foot in it in second gear and it hopped on the cams and buried me in the seat before I got out of it.
I find now, that every time I drive it... I just can't resist one or two runs through the gears, shifting at about 5000rpm. After I'm in sixth gear, I let off and let the engine slow me down.... then downshift to fifth and fourth the same way. So, I'm kinda just doing my own regular driving around under 4200 with brief seconds of blinding accelleration.

I now have a battery issue. It has been raining here for 4 days and I elected to drive my Stealth instead of sliming the Porsche. It sat in the garage for 3 days, and today.... the battery was flat dead. No overhead lights, no horn, no headlights....nothing. I called Porsche and they told me how to jump the trunk release solenoid from the fuse panel by your left foot. I did it with a battery charger and it popped right opeN. Then, I jump started it from the Stealth and that battery would hardly turn the engine over, but it caught and lit up. So, I drove it with all of the elctronics and a/c off for about 25 miles, hoping the alternator would bring the battery back up. I got home and parked it in the garage and shut it off. Headlights were working.... dash electronics were working, but when I tried to start it, it would barely turn the starter over....so I didn't try any more because I didn't want to drain it flat anymore. Porsche told me to put it on my trickle charger overnight because they think I left a light on or something. I can't find anything that was left on. So, it's trickle charging overnight and we'll see if that brings the battery back up to peak. I think I'm going to g et my alternator metered tomorrow to make sure it's "alternating". The bottom line question is, why would the battery go dead sitting in the g arage for 3 days? Another mystery.

1999Porsche911

You might have left some accessory on or left the key in the ignition, A good battery should last months in moderate temperatures.

Buzz911S

No, the car is always locked in the garage. The key wasn't in it. When I discovered the problem it was unlocked. I don't know if I forgot to lock it, or if it unlocked itself. The latter doesn't seem reasonable. At any rate, it is still charging out in the garage. I'm hoping the battery will be charged by morning. I'm going to check the alternator to be sure it is charging. The only other thing I can think of is that I just got a bad battery .... or something in the car is draining it. I am not amused.

1999Porsche911

Meter the battery when it is fuly charged and see what it is drawing when just sitting there.

SrfCity

Good luck finding out what it is. There always seems to be some teething with the new ones. Once you 've got the bugs out you're golden

Buzz911S

I charged it all night, and yesterday morning I took the charger off and it fired right up. I went back out this morning and it lit right up again. I must have left something on. Thanks for the tip.... I'll go put a meter on it now and see if it is draining.

Buzz

MMD

BTW, if I remember correctly, usually when you totally drain a battery you age it prematurely. It gets damaged because salts precipitate out at full discharge and don't re-dissolve. Keep an eye on it-- chances are you'll have to replace it early.

Buzz911S

It's still holding it's charge. There is no way I can meter the battery for a voltage drain, because that landing light in the trunk is on until the trunk is latched. So, I'm reading the drain from the light bulb.

MMD, I'm afriad you are correct about damaging a new battery by having it run totally flat. Tomorrow I'm going to call the dealership and tell them to send me a new battery. Car's only got 500 miles on it, but I didn't pay 90k for a dead battery. Still no idea what drained it.

Buzz