Brand new

[msh26]

pics

[DLennox]

http://forums.rennlist.com/rennforum...1&d=1247445207

[flatspin]

A proper break-in is essential for a tight, strong, long lasting engine. The break-in period accomplishes two things inside the engine on parts that rub against each other (bearings, piston rings, etc).

One is conformity on the parts. Internal lubricated components, such as bearings, are separated by a film of oil. Since no two parts are exactly perfect, it takes time for any parts to "wear" to a point that they are smoothly operating. This is not as critical in a modern motor due to the improvement in manufacturing tolerances, but it is still a consideration.

The second major function of an engine break-in is surface preparation. The surface of the inside of your cylinders looks like a rugged landscape under a high power microscope. As the engine breaks-in, the piston rings "lop" off the tops of these high points and slowly wear them down. The surface never really gets completely smooth; nor would you want it to, since the low areas collect oil and help lubricate/cool the motor.

This part of break-in is something of an art. If you are too easy on the engine, the rings might not completely "seat" and you will get "blow by", and increased oil consumption. This is from the rings not knocking down enough of the high points on the interior surface of the cylinder (These descriptions are VERY overly simplistic, and I am using them to emphasize the points). Conversely, if you run the engine too hard, too early; the rings will knock out large (relatively) chunks of cylinder wall. This will also decrease engine power and efficiency.

I personally find manufacturer recommendations to be very conservative, and by 500 miles most motors should be broken-in. You just need to be very gentle until the engine is up to operating temps (which you should be doing anyway ), use smooth throttle applications, vary your engine speed (no droning along on the highway for hours), limit your maximum rpm’s, and do occasional ¾ throttle accelerations to help the rings seat. I always stick to manufacturers recommendations for the first 100 miles, then increase the rpm limits by 1000 rpm for every 100 miles until the motors broken in.

You’ll find lots of opinions on breaking in a motor. So you need to take my opinion (and anyone else’s) with a grain of salt. Since your car already has over 1000 miles on it, this entire discussion is mute. The only reason I went to the trouble of listing all this info is in case someone else does a search and comes across this post. Congrats on the new car btw. 

[DLennox]

Thanks for everyones input. I have worked at new vehicle dealerships for 20years and have had many many new vehicles for company cars. My routine for driving a new car is pretty standard. I don't use cruise control till after 2000 miles, wait for engine to get to normal temp, I wait for idle to settle down on engine start up before taking off. I check oil and fluids regularly and don't push things until things are broken in. About the only thing the manual says for this car that is a little hard to stick to is not exceeding 4200 rpm......it gets there pretty quickly in 1st and 2nd so I have to watch it...other than that, I am not at all concerned with my driving habits or the break-in of this car. It is my first car of this kind and I am going to take care of it.
Dave

[fast1]

I bought my first sports car, a Porsche 911 in 1968. Since then I've owned a variety of performance cars which I've kept for a minimum of five years and some much longer. During this 40+ year time frame I have never exceeded a company's recommendations for maintenance including oil changes, regardless if it's 3 months/3K miles or 2 years/15K miles.Although I have put over 100K miles on a few of these cars, I have never had to undergo the expense of an engine rebuild.

To me the most important factors in promoting an engine's longevity is to religiously follow factory recommendations, and to not take it easy on engine until it has been warmed up. I have to applaud BMW for their use of amber and red lights around the tachs of the M3s I owned. Some may think that it's overkill, but I thought it was a nice reminder to not wander in the 5K+ rev area until the engine is warmed up.

Although I admit that I would like to buy a used car from someone who has been as conscientious as some of the posters on this thread, I'm not certain that there is any evidence that these super maintained engines will last any longer than those that are maintained in accordance with factory recommendations.

[Gibson]

Congrats DLennox, nice color which definitely stands out amongst all the greys (me included!).

If you care about paint maintenance you might look into claybar & polish to keep that red looking hot (I like Zaino).

And Macster, that's just amazing, 222k mi on a single engine/clutch!

[DLennox]

Thanks Gibson. A neighbor informed me about Zaino. Looks like a lot of work!! My plans so far are for this to be a nice weather car, so the California duster, a nice coat of carnuba wax and hopefully I can stay away from the claybar. I am thinking about doing the Zaino process, I just have to find the time!!
Dave

[msh26]

Dlennox, try Klasse All In One for ease of application and great results. I have used several waxes and polishes and I have been extremely pleased with the glossy shine and durability. When I want a really lasting job with Klasse I put a coat of carnuba (P21S) on as the last step. There are several threads on Klasse. You also might check the 997 forum as well. Thanks for the pics.

[racer]

I know salt can be a deterrant to driving your PCar in the winter, but I enjoyed driving mine when it was cold out. Made it seem a little bit warmer Plus, if Porsches get tested in scandinavia, driven to the alps etc, why not use it in the winter too?

[DLennox]

I forgot to mention that I bought my car from "likemystoppie". Chris says to say hi to the fine folks here that know him and "whats up peeps?". I just saw him for my first oil change at 2000 mi. Still love my car!

[pdxjim]

say hi to stoppie!

[Besty]

Hi Dlennox, in your opinion is the PASM option worth it? I am in the process of speccing a 2.9 PDK in the UK and thought the ride was pretty smooth without it on the 3.4S demonstrator i tried. I did some forum reading but none of it seems conclusive......

[DLennox]

Betsy, in every day driving, I would say it is not worth it. The car I bought was on the lot, so I took what it had. If I were to spec it out, I might not have picked the option. This care won't see a track while I own it, that is where you may see the difference. It does lower the car a little, so you do get that, but I haven't noticed a performance difference.
Dave

[Chris C.]

Nice car, best of luck with it.

[DLennox]

Thanks Chris, hoping to trade up into the 911 in a few years. We'll see...