Break-in vs. Cruise Control

[Shawn Clark]

Originally Posted by kittykat

Ok, I have a further question about this. My dealer said I shouldn't use CC for 1000 miles. Not that I trust anything this dealer says. I just finished reading the manual & I didn't see anything in there about how long you should not use it. Where are y'all getting your information from? Thanks for the input.

The manual on page 121 says this about "Breaking in your new Toyota"

"For the first 180 miles (300 km):
Avoid sudden stops.

For the first 621 miles (1000 km):
Avoid sudden acceleration.
Do not drive continuously in the low gears.
Do not drive at a constant speed for extended periods."

Obviously the dealer has 1000 km and 1000 miles swapped, but this is understandable. If he said "for the first 621 miles" you would probably think he was joking or was from outer space.

This section sounds like boiler plate, especially the part about driving continously in the low gears since this vehicle has a CVT and doesn't have "low gears" as far as I know.

By saying "don't use the cruise control" he has in effect covered "do not drive at a constant speed for extended periods." Of course with a Prius this will matter to fewer components because of the nature of the drivetrain's operation. (More boiler plate sounding.)

The part about sudden stops is very sound advice as with any new set of brakes (and/or a car you are not yet familiar with.) As for the rest I've never heard any really compelling arguments about how important any of it is.

I can come up with some theories about various components but I'm not sure they amount to much. Avoiding running the car hard (sudden acceleration) sounds reasonable. There are some parts that probably benefit from settling in under less demanding initial service rather than being under heavy load for their early cycles. Wearing down any major burrs, etc. might be less likely to wallow other parts out if it is done gradually to get rid of the worst part. Plus if you do an initial oil change at 1,000 you should get rid of any crud, burrs, or debris from assembly that has fallen into the oil sump.

And of course from Toyota's perspective if you avoid hard acceleration for the first "621 miles" you are less likely to break any marginal parts right away...perhaps giving them some minor relief if a part goes belly up later, like say within 621 miles after the powertrain warranty expires.

[cycledrum]

I read yesterday about someone who flew from San Diego up to SF Bay Area to get their Prius ... then drove it home on the interstate for break-in. I've heard it is best to avoid constant speeds on a new engine, so I wouldn't do a long freeway run when new.

Saw a sedan being test driven yesterday. They stopped on the loop and floored the car off the line.

[richard schumacher]

Originally Posted by Shawn Clark

The manual on page 121 says this about "Breaking in your new Toyota"

"For the first 180 miles (300 km):
Avoid sudden stops.

For the first 621 miles (1000 km):
Avoid sudden acceleration.
Do not drive continuously in the low gears.
Do not drive at a constant speed for extended periods."

Does that quote come from a *Prius* owner's manual? If so, which model year?

[Shawn Clark]

Originally Posted by richard schumacher

Does that quote come from a *Prius* owner's manual? If so, which model year?

Yes, Prius manual for 2008...not even a month old yet.

[jcfsusmc]

Originally Posted by Shawn Clark

Yes, Prius manual for 2008...not even a month old yet.

Well, I can certainly see the problem with that info - What gears!

But alas! I have a 2008 and on page 121 I see the same thing.

Things that make you go hmmmmmmm.