“Break in” period info, please

NJPriusA · 11-18-2007, 10:56 PM

It’s becoming apparent that if we want to get the Touring that we would like, we’re going to have to buy out of state and drive the car for about 10 hours home to New Jersey. (We have been told it will be six months at the earliest before we can get the car in our region.) Because we’re going to begin ownership with a long drive, we want to be sure that we have good information on any need to “break in” the hybrid system so we don’t muck things up right off the bat. Although we’re without access to an owner’s manual, we’ve come to count on forum members to have accurate information and sure would appreciate any advice, recommendations or a summary of what the manual says on this topic. Thanks very much for any help you can send our way.

David Beale · 11-18-2007, 11:35 PM

Breakin is very simple. Don't overheat the engine. With the Prius, you pretty much don't have to worry about it. The system varies the engine RPM all over the place, even when on cruise. Even slight hills will cause the engine RPM to vary. Unlike a "normal" car. Just don't take off in a new car at 75 MPH for hours. Drive at more moderate speeds, like 60-65 MPH. Take some secondary roads, if you can, just to mix in some slower driving. After about 500 miles the car has pretty much finished any "breakin" you need to worry about. My car saw RPMs from "redline" (5000 RPM) for short periods, caused by climbing a steep hill out of a river valley, to slower speed cruising around 1700 RPM, but I watched the RPM vary almost continuously (using a Scangauge II) on the highway. My first trip was on a secondary highway to southern Alberta, about 300 km each way (from Edmonton to Drumheller to visit the Royal Tyrrall Museum). Also don't do repeated panic braking. Brake gently for the first few days. Again, this usually is automatic with the Prius, as most of your "normal" (non-panic) braking uses mostly regeneration.

daniel · 11-18-2007, 11:55 PM

Modern engines really don't need much of a break-in. For the Prius, no jackrabbit starts, no hard breaking (unless it's an emergency). But those are good rules anyway.

Lots of folks have bought their Prius out of state and had a long drive home as their first time in the car. Drive safely, and don't worry about the car. Once you pick it up, check the owner's manual for the actual distance they say to drive gently.

As David says, the Prius engine RPM is actually not under your control, and the computer knows how to regulate it.

mingoglia · 11-18-2007, 11:59 PM

Although with engine tolerances the way they are in new engines it's not *as* important to break them in as it's been in the past it's still pretty important. Most importantly however are the other components of the system, especially the tranny and differential. In the Prius, yeah the engine runs at various speeds during it's normal operation so the general rules of thumb don't directly apply. I'm not sure what the complications may be in the Prius' "tranny" as it really isn't a transmission like I'm used to. Differential gears on the other hand really like to be broken in properly. In my offroad vehicles I do my own gears and you'd be amazed at how hot (measuring the differential cover with a non-contact thermometer) new gears get compared to broken in gears.

Mike

lefat1 · 11-19-2007, 08:56 AM

I had a similar problem, I wanted a touring package 6 black/bisque...Put deposit on it from local dealer September. Still to be seen, I thought of going out of state as well. A dealer in Oklahoma said he could get me one in 6-8 weeks. Then I thought, do I want to spend the extra $ on airfare etc and have a new car with 1600 miles on it when I get home. Last week I searched the local dealers and found they had a spectra blue mica, just sitting on their lot....Hmmm, sure like black, but, was I ever gonna get one? Looked at the blue one and it was love at 1st sight. Maybe it was the lighting at night in the prep room..lol..I waited for this day for almost 6 months....Moral, patience is a virtue and for me, now when I see a black Prius, I don't care for the actual abscence of color..Sorry to all who have black, but spectra blue mica and most of the other colors are as nice..So if color is getting in the way, and you can have an alternate color, watch out, you might find one in your garage tonight.
Peace out girl scout<----my daughters fav line
JT

lonestarslp · 11-19-2007, 12:43 PM

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(NJPriusA @ Nov 18 2007, 09:56 PM) [snapback]541410[/snapback]</div>

Quote:

It’s becoming apparent that if we want to get the Touring that we would like, we’re going to have to buy out of state and drive the car for about 10 hours home to New Jersey. (We have been told it will be six months at the earliest before we can get the car in our region.) Because we’re going to begin ownership with a long drive, we want to be sure that we have good information on any need to “break in” the hybrid system so we don’t muck things up right off the bat. Although we’re without access to an owner’s manual, we’ve come to count on forum members to have accurate information and sure would appreciate any advice, recommendations or a summary of what the manual says on this topic. Thanks very much for any help you can send our way.
[/b]

I just drove mine back from Arkansas to the Dallas/Fort Worth area. It was about 300 miles. I was pretty careful to vary the speed and the roads were mildly hilly and a mixture of interstate, state highway, small town, and high traffic areas. I had no problem driving back, and I have had no problem so far. I have an '08 Touring.

Mr.Vanvandenburg · 11-19-2007, 07:22 PM

The old school way is to have a fully warmed engine be moderately loaded with acceleration followed by coasting, over and over. This seats the rings and wears down the bore wall honing ridges faster, without overheating the wear points. Travelling on the highway is a good opportunity to break the rings in this way the first 10-50 miles. It is much better than having multiple cold starts the first few miles.

NJPriusA · 11-20-2007, 12:14 PM

Just wanted to thank all of you for the insights you've provided. We really appreciate your taking the time to help resolve a concern we had.

richard schumacher · 11-20-2007, 12:27 PM

When you pick up the car take a copy of the pick up checklist:
http://www.vfaq.net/docs/pickup_checklist.html
It was written for the 2004 but most (all?) of the differences between an '04 and an '08 are invisible with respect to the checklist.

Before you drive away spend a half-hour sitting in the car on the dealer’s lot reading the relevant sections of the owner's manual.

11-18-2007, 11:35 PM	#2
David Beale Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Edmonton Alberta Posts: 2,337 My Car: 2007 Prius Model: Package: B Thanks: 4 Thanked 136 Times in 103 Posts Friends: 0	Breakin is very simple. Don't overheat the engine. With the Prius, you pretty much don't have to worry about it. The system varies the engine RPM all over the place, even when on cruise. Even slight hills will cause the engine RPM to vary. Unlike a "normal" car. Just don't take off in a new car at 75 MPH for hours. Drive at more moderate speeds, like 60-65 MPH. Take some secondary roads, if you can, just to mix in some slower driving. After about 500 miles the car has pretty much finished any "breakin" you need to worry about. My car saw RPMs from "redline" (5000 RPM) for short periods, caused by climbing a steep hill out of a river valley, to slower speed cruising around 1700 RPM, but I watched the RPM vary almost continuously (using a Scangauge II) on the highway. My first trip was on a secondary highway to southern Alberta, about 300 km each way (from Edmonton to Drumheller to visit the Royal Tyrrall Museum). Also don't do repeated panic braking. Brake gently for the first few days. Again, this usually is automatic with the Prius, as most of your "normal" (non-panic) braking uses mostly regeneration. __________________ Edmonton Alberta "Pearl" is a 2007 Driftwood Pearl Prius.

11-18-2007, 11:55 PM	#3
daniel Cat Lovers Against the Bomb Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Spokane, WA Posts: 11,726 My Car: 2004 Prius Model: Package: #6 Thanks: 76 Thanked 278 Times in 174 Posts Friends: 0	Modern engines really don't need much of a break-in. For the Prius, no jackrabbit starts, no hard breaking (unless it's an emergency). But those are good rules anyway. Lots of folks have bought their Prius out of state and had a long drive home as their first time in the car. Drive safely, and don't worry about the car. Once you pick it up, check the owner's manual for the actual distance they say to drive gently. As David says, the Prius engine RPM is actually not under your control, and the computer knows how to regulate it. __________________ Daniel Primary car: Zap Xebra SD, 100% electric. 1.9 cents per mile. Range: 40 miles total, or 32 miles to 80% discharge. Top speed 35 mph. Faster downhill. Uses electrons generated from water power. Gas guzzler for when I have to travel farther than 30 miles: 2004 Prius. "If voting changed anything, they'd make it illegal." -- Emma Goldman "Anyone who has ever looked into the glazed eyes of a soldier dying on the battlefield will think long and hard before starting a war." -- Otto von Bismarck

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11-18-2007, 10:56 PM	#1
NJPriusA Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 12 My Car: 2008 Prius Model: Package: #6 Touring Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Friends: 0	It’s becoming apparent that if we want to get the Touring that we would like, we’re going to have to buy out of state and drive the car for about 10 hours home to New Jersey. (We have been told it will be six months at the earliest before we can get the car in our region.) Because we’re going to begin ownership with a long drive, we want to be sure that we have good information on any need to “break in” the hybrid system so we don’t muck things up right off the bat. Although we’re without access to an owner’s manual, we’ve come to count on forum members to have accurate information and sure would appreciate any advice, recommendations or a summary of what the manual says on this topic. Thanks very much for any help you can send our way.

11-18-2007, 11:59 PM	#4
mingoglia Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Gilbert, AZ Posts: 834 My Car: 2008 Prius Model: Package: #6 Thanks: 1 Thanked 3 Times in 3 Posts Friends: 1	Although with engine tolerances the way they are in new engines it's not as important to break them in as it's been in the past it's still pretty important. Most importantly however are the other components of the system, especially the tranny and differential. In the Prius, yeah the engine runs at various speeds during it's normal operation so the general rules of thumb don't directly apply. I'm not sure what the complications may be in the Prius' "tranny" as it really isn't a transmission like I'm used to. Differential gears on the other hand really like to be broken in properly. In my offroad vehicles I do my own gears and you'd be amazed at how hot (measuring the differential cover with a non-contact thermometer) new gears get compared to broken in gears. Mike

11-19-2007, 08:56 AM	#5
lefat1 Fat Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Sunny S. Florida Posts: 1,447 My Car: 2008 Prius Model: Package: #6 Touring Thanks: 31 Thanked 39 Times in 21 Posts Friends: 9	I had a similar problem, I wanted a touring package 6 black/bisque...Put deposit on it from local dealer September. Still to be seen, I thought of going out of state as well. A dealer in Oklahoma said he could get me one in 6-8 weeks. Then I thought, do I want to spend the extra $ on airfare etc and have a new car with 1600 miles on it when I get home. Last week I searched the local dealers and found they had a spectra blue mica, just sitting on their lot....Hmmm, sure like black, but, was I ever gonna get one? Looked at the blue one and it was love at 1st sight. Maybe it was the lighting at night in the prep room..lol..I waited for this day for almost 6 months....Moral, patience is a virtue and for me, now when I see a black Prius, I don't care for the actual abscence of color..Sorry to all who have black, but spectra blue mica and most of the other colors are as nice..So if color is getting in the way, and you can have an alternate color, watch out, you might find one in your garage tonight. Peace out girl scout<----my daughters fav line JT

11-19-2007, 07:22 PM	#7
Mr.Vanvandenburg Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 157 My Car: Model: Package: Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post Friends: 0	The old school way is to have a fully warmed engine be moderately loaded with acceleration followed by coasting, over and over. This seats the rings and wears down the bore wall honing ridges faster, without overheating the wear points. Travelling on the highway is a good opportunity to break the rings in this way the first 10-50 miles. It is much better than having multiple cold starts the first few miles.

11-20-2007, 12:14 PM	#8
NJPriusA Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 12 My Car: 2008 Prius Model: Package: #6 Touring Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Friends: 0	Just wanted to thank all of you for the insights you've provided. We really appreciate your taking the time to help resolve a concern we had.

11-20-2007, 12:27 PM	#9
richard schumacher Destination: Eschaton Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: United States Posts: 5,841 My Car: 2004 Prius Model: N/A Package: #6 Thanks: 137 Thanked 193 Times in 124 Posts Friends: 0	When you pick up the car take a copy of the pick up checklist: http://www.vfaq.net/docs/pickup_checklist.html It was written for the 2004 but most (all?) of the differences between an '04 and an '08 are invisible with respect to the checklist. Before you drive away spend a half-hour sitting in the car on the dealer’s lot reading the relevant sections of the owner's manual.