Breaking in question, need answer ASAP
 

Hello everyone!

OK, so tomorrow I have to go to the Doc which is about 20 miles away and I was going to hop on the highway. Now, the thing is...

The manual states that while breaking it in you should not keep it at a constant RPM for long periods. Basically sounds like don't use the highway for long periods. I think I'll be on the highway for about 20-30 minutes, and then after the vist take the highway again.

Is this OK? Remember, I only have 270 miles on my 8 and I want to break it in nice and slow, I don't want to mess up my Rotary.

Let me know...soon, it's tomorrow...THANKS! :D

That's not far. Just don't use the cruise; you'll vary the RPM's naturally with traffic.

Vary your speeds and RPM's and you'll be fine

EXACT SAME TIME G-Rex LOL

It will be okay.

Just do the following:

1) Don't go over 4,000 rpm if you can help it, going to 5,000 for a short time is okay.

2) As you drive, go in the slow lane, speed up, and then drop down your speed, just vary it +5 mph, -5 mph. If there is no traffic, you can vary things even more. Basically try not to stay at one specific RPM range for a long period of time. You can even shift between 5th and 6th to keep the rpm ranges changing (Don't do this if you're going 70+ mph though)

You'll be fine!! Good luck at the doctor!!

- Irish :cool:

THANKS, I feel better now.

So far, this has been my breaking in system:

No rev's past 5k
Normal shift point 3-4K
Cruise rpm under 3K

All in city driving

So, in the highway I'll keep it going up and down with traffic. If there is no traffic, I'll change speed from 55-65.

Sound good?

i broke my car in on the highway, not in city. I didn't like the idea of stop and go traffic, the starts are harder there. I drove my car when traffic was low, I could go 30 mph up to 70 mph, in 4-6th gear that means I can keep the needle moving quite a bit.

Perfect!! Set the cruise, just be aware to adjust your speed. Funny thing... the cruise is so sensitive. I drove to Houston this past weekend, touch the button and vvvvooooooooommmmm the car takes off!! :D

- Irish :cool:

THANKS EVERYONE, for your quick response...I'll be taking my 8 over 60 for the first time tomorrow.

I drove my car like a stole it from the day I picked it up. I did avoid frequent redlines, but wasn't afraid to do it occasionally ... these cars are much tougher than you think.

Of course, I only need mine to last 48 months and 48,000 miles ... it's a lease.

It's 48 months and 50k miles, but that's not fair for the next owner... hell, you could be that next owner!

Nope ... when it goes it goes, and when it's gone, it's not my car ... :)

I really don't think it's critical to keep the revs under 5k... that's pretty hard to do with such a free revving engine. I tried to keep mine from exceeding 6-7k for the first 1000 miles, and always wait for the engine (oil and water) to reach operating temp first. Now at 10k miles, it runs very strong.

Well being that the manual never specifically state to keep the rev under specific RPM. Only to vary the RPM when driving, so I never kept an eye out on the RPM. IT's a rotary, shouldn't kill the engine like it would with a piston.

Heck, you don't have to treat the 8 like fragile glass, just drive it and enjoy as you would normally drive any other car. Only caveat, just don't rev it up beyond 7k rpm until after the first 1k miles. After that, give 'er.

That's exactly my theory. I sold Mazdas back in the "first generation" RX-7 days (1984-85) and the Mazda reps said that for the engine, they didn't recommend constantly high RPM running just for temperature purposes, not wear, but occasional redline runs were perfectly fine. And the breakin period of "more gentle driving" was more for the rest of the chassis than it was the engine.

I think the gentle break-in is mostly for the driver! The handling limits of this car are so high it takes time to work up your nerves and retrain your reflexes.

Of course I had 15 years of Taurus and Jeep between RX-7 and RX-8, so it's likely I was a bit rusty. I only "beeped" for the first time last week, at 5500 miles or so. I wanted to beep it again in 4th but the damned on ramp was too short! :D

To vary the rpm on the highway during the break in, I shift periodically between 5th and 6th. Since the manual makes no mention of limiting the rpm, I had no plans to do so, within reason. I'm trying to keep it below 6-7K for all shifts. In most driving, I am usually between 3000 and 4500 rpm.

I like that expression...I'm gonna go beep my car on the way home

Two weeks in the 8, about 440 miles on it, and I can't wait to beep it. I'm glad the manual says, "Don’t drive constantly at full-throttle or high engine rpm (over 7,000 rpm) for extended periods of time" when it talks about the 600 mile break-in period, because it's impossible to keep the revs low in this car. I've broken in earlier cars by spending the first few 100 miles under 3000 rpm, and slowly pushing it up over the first 2000 miles. It's impossible to keep the revs low on this car!

Which probably explains the mileage folks here get. Please don't respond to this paragraph - I don't want to start another mileage discussion, but wanted to relate what happened on my first two tanks. I bought the car through my credit union's auto buying service, so it had 130 miles on it when I picked it up. The credit union gets some dude to drive it from the dealer, which is 113 miles from the credit union, so it was pretty low mileage when it was picked up. I filled up gas - 11.391 gal - when it had 233 miles on it, which works out to 20.5mpg. If it was topped up before the dealer handed it over, it would be more than that. I was impressed, until I filled it up this morning - 195.3 miles, 13.677 gal, 14.3 mpg. That's more like it! And I've only been revving it to 5-6000 rpm, a couple of times to 6500 rpm in the past day or two.

Remember, this is my first new car and I'm taking it easy. I know the potential and how hard it is to keep the 8 tame, I really don't want to keep it under 5K but I want to treat my baby...well, like a baby.

I know the car is taugh and it does not max out at 9K rpm for nothing, but I thought I'd take it easy. I want to keep this car for a long long time so I'll be patient.

To compromise with you REVers out there, LOL (I hope to be one too), I'll move up the bar to 6K after I hit 350 which is right around the corner. Then once I get 777 miles on it (7 stands for perfection) I'll push her to 9K. No, I don't have to...I want to.

Then after 1K...the rpm needle will be all over the place...per how I feel at the moment, LOL

Here's what I gathered from the site back when I was a noob. I'm going with the Japanese Rotary Mechanic's procedure (whoever he is). Racing Beat's procedure seems too conservative and the ???? procedure (I don't remember who posted it) is too aggressive for me. The mechanic's is middle of the road and seems reasonable. Enjoy!


RACING BEAT procedure
- For the first 1000 miles (1609km) do not accelerate under full throttle.
- During the first 1000 miles (1609km) do not exceed 4000 RPM.
- For miles 1000-2000 (3218km), expand the RPM upwards - but do not accelerate at full throttle.
- Over 2000 miles (3218km), full throttle and high RPM is acceptable.

Japanese Rotary Mechanic Procedure
0-600 (965.4km) Follow the Manual, but keep it under 4000
600-800 (1287.2km)Open it up a bit, vary accelerations and speed RPM < 5000
800-1000 Drive the car, enjoy it but still keep RPM's < 6000
1000-1250 (2011km) Drive it as it's powercurve intended it to be
RPM's < 7000
1250-1500 (2413.5km) Test the car frequently from RPM's 6000-9000 in
every gear
> 1500 Drive it anyway you want, U DA MAN NOW!!!!!!

????? procedure
0-100 miles 4000 rpm
100-200 miles 4500 rpm
200-300 miles 5000 rpm
300-400 miles 5500 rpm
400-500 miles 6000 rpm
500-600 miles 6500 rpm
600-700 miles 7000 rpm
700-800 miles 7500 rpm

My tip is: Don't worry, be happy. Follow mfg. recommendations until 600, and then let 'er loose. You'll go paranoid otherwise...

I did the Racing Beat recs and it wasn't bad at all. I put miles on 50% faster than my old Probe GT, though. :D
I kept that Probe for 13 years, so if doing the conservative break-in keeps the seals a bit longer, it's worth it.
If the car had quite a few test drive miles on it already, all the rest of us lunatics have already revved the heck out of it, so it may be a moot point.