What Is Break-in Service?
Breaking in a brand new vehicle is a highly recommended practice by most manufacturers. You may ask, what is a break-in service?
It involves procedures to test and mate your car engine’s friction surfaces to one another in the smoothest manner possible, so they will rotate or seal with less friction or leakage, especially as the car reaches its highest level of performance.
It likewise involves precautions and maintenance tasks like oil change, filter replacement, tire rotation, and more to provide utmost care to your new vehicle and help extend its lifespan.
Break-In Practices Recommended by Experts
Most manufacturers give guidelines on how to drive and maintain new vehicles in certain ways for a specific period of time. Below are further recommendations by experts.
Do Your First Oil Change After 50 to 100 Miles
You should do the first oil change sooner than what is instructed in your car’s manual. You should do this again after the break-in period. Most experts consider the first 500 miles as a good time frame. We, at Northside Motors, offers an affordable oil change service.
Keep Revs Below the 3,000 RPM Mark
Keeping revs low can help the piston rings lock against the cylinder bores properly and prevent oil leaks. Revving your engine can mess up this process. Completing the break-in period and allowing your piston rings to settle will impact your car’s performance.
Drive at Speeds of 30 MPH and 50 MPH in Intervals of 5 Minutes Each
Never exceed the posted speed limits. Driving in stop-and-go traffic in urban areas, where you rarely get to drive at constant high speeds is preferable for the first couple hundred miles.
Aside from the above-mentioned break-in recommendations, there are a few more things you can do to help secure your car’s performance and extend its life span.
Change the Air and Oil Filters As Recommended in the Manual
Dirty and clogged filters will require your car engine to work harder to achieve the desired performance. This may increase your fuel consumption. Our expert mechanics can change your filters and oil quickly!
Always Check Your Fluid
The level of transmission fluid, brake fluid, power steering fluid, oil, and antifreeze should be monitored regularly and topped up as needed. This is very important to help improve your car’s reliability.
Tire Maintenance
Part of a break-in service are tire rotation and proper inflation. It is best to rotate them every 3,000 to 6,000 miles. Tires that are worn evenly can help improve gas mileage. For tire inflation, it is best to follow the recommended pressure written in your manual.
Tire pressure is greatly affected by temperature. A rise in temperature will also increase tire pressure. Therefore, it is important to keep an eye on tire inflation during weather changes.
Why Bring Your Car to Northside Motors for A Break-In Service?
As mentioned earlier, the practice of breaking-in a new car has decreased in recent years but that does not mean that you can go ahead and push your car to its limit from the moment you bought it.
No matter advanced car technology is now, you should still take it easy for the first couple hundred miles. If you are looking for a break-in service in Spring, Texas, visit us at Northside Motors.
Our ASE-certified and experienced mechanics can guide you well during the break-in period. Our services also cover pretty much everything you need from oil, filters, tires, antifreeze, brakes, and more!