Break-in Period

[cpost6]

I've driven every new car/truck I've ever owned, like I stole it right when I left the dealer.

Hasn't bit me in the ass once.

This one sure as fuck isn't going to be the exception.

Yep, my break in ended after first 30mi! Just not accelerating to high rpm’s for extended periods. Run at least 90 mph everywhere I go.

 

[El Jefe]

Well...........here is a bit more info to understand before using that type of "break in" approach. The computer in your TRX is recording EVERYTHING, all your RPM and speed during break in and after. So, if you dont follow the break in and you have an issue, they could simply say NOPE: Owner abuse and you have ZERO warranty.
Here is how I know.
Brand new 2019 Hellcat RE, I followed the break in to a T and then some, and documented all my oil changes using SRT oil and Mopar filters. I traded it on my TRX, and the dealership sold it the same day. The new owner took it to the track and ran the living shit out of it, until it went into reduced power due to overheating. Instead of doing a cool down, the guy turned it off. Pistons seized to the cylinders and locked the motor, motor is trash. The new owner takes it to the Dodge dealer saying it just stopped running. The techs plug it in to the computer and see the RPM, speed and overheat recorded in the history (performance pages). They call the owner and say he caused the damage and there is NO WARRANTY and the new engine will be $30,000, he replies its was (me) the prior owner who abused it. They tell him, NOPE we can see in the computer that the first owner broke it in properly and did not abuse the car. Just when you think, no one is watching..........someone IS watching. FYI.

. . .this is why I'm being OCD about the break-in period.

 

[Two]

Meanwhile, I do it because I don't want to have to deal with any warranty work...or dealers.

 

[El Jefe]

What's to be lost by following the break-in instructions vs. flogging it out of the gate? 2 hours initially and another 6-8 after that of incrementally less conservative driving? For a vehicle with an $80-100k price tag, that doesn't seem like a huge price to pay. I know cost is relative, so $80-100k has varying levels of significance for each person but it's hard for me to understand why exercising a little (more) patience is such a big deal for someone who likely waited 3-6 months for the vehicle. $.02

. . .agree completely. My logic dictates why do they put a break-in section in the owners manual if it wasn't important. Bottom line, it only takes a short amount of time to put your first 500 miles on the truck - why take any chances?

 

[El Jefe]

Meanwhile, I do it because I don't want to have to deal with any warranty work...or dealers.

. . .this too.

 

[Pumphry Bigelow]

I agree as well. I am extremely fussy about following break in periods. What is the big deal for 500 miles. To me it is worth it if it prevents trouble down the road. That is why I never buy used vehicles, because you just never know how they were taken care of and broken in. I read how people just hammer these types of vehicles right from the start, and to be honest, it seems like people keep them a few years and get rid of them to move on to something different, so if that is the thought process, I guess it is not as big a deal if you know you will be getting rid of it, and passing the problems on to somebody else.

 

[El Jefe]

I agree as well. I am extremely fussy about following break in periods. What is the big deal for 500 miles. To me it is worth it if it prevents trouble down the road. That is why I never buy used vehicles, because you just never know how they were taken care of and broken in. I read how people just hammer these types of vehicles right from the start, and to be honest, it seems like people keep them a few years and get rid of them to move on to something different, so if that is the thought process, I guess it is not as big a deal if you know you will be getting rid of it, and passing the problems on to somebody else.

. . .this too.

 

[F8Demon]

i heard a lot of dealers don't even tell you abt the engine break-in. so if i was not told at the dealership, does it make the warranty still valid?

Yes, the warranty is dependent on what you were verbally told. When you bring it in for warranty work, they ask if you were told something, and then take that as truth, and make a decision. Ya can't make it up!! LOL! So funny!

 

[RedEyeTRX]

So when it says shifting manually, doesn't it want you to go right up against the rev limiter?

Oh yeah! Bump that bitch off the RL, like its a dirt bike!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (kidding)
Manual shifting up to the RPM (at part throttle) as listed in the break in procedure based on miles driven. It gets you to the proper break in RPMs, and keeps your MPH lower.

 

[RedEyeTRX]

i heard a lot of dealers don't even tell you abt the engine break-in. so if i was not told at the dealership, does it make the warranty still valid?

You are fully responsible to read and understand your owners manual. Like El Jefe says, READ IT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You have ZERO recourse if your fallback is "You were not told".

 

[Onyx8810]

I’m just curious has anyone actually had an experience where the dealer denied work on the truck because it was driven hard? IMO the break in is a recommendatio.. just a suggestion not something they say you must do. Wording is everything legally, so i just don’t see them denying claims unless you did something wreckless like the other guy mentioned. Heat soaking and overheating the truck until the pistons siezed and participating in a track event. Of course they’re not going to cover that. I just don’t see them saying know if the engine breaks under normal circumstance.

 

[10mpg]

Last August I flew into NYC and drove my TRX home from NY to VA. That was my break in. Faced NYC traffic, torrential rain downpours on 95 half the way home, flew through every toll without paying (because I didn't have tags on so they couldn't see sh*t). Got up to ~100MPH in the first 200 miles. Furthest I've driven the truck since ownership. In 2 weeks it'll be sitting over 800whp and only 6k miles. Point is, break in periods as well as things going wrong with your vehicle are all luck of the draw. Be careful, don't be careful, I don't think it really matters.

 

[Mjaestewart]

. . .agree completely. My logic dictates why do they put a break-in section in the owners manual if it wasn't important. Bottom line, it only takes a short amount of time to put your first 500 miles on the truck - why take any chances?

I'm with you on this one. My truck currently has 350 miles on it.

I bought it a week ago from DC which is 3.5 hours from where I live in NJ. For the first 100 miles I was driving ~52mph through DC/Maryland. People probably hated me lol

At 102 mile I stepped it up to not go beyond 70mph. I made it home with 168 miles on the truck.

Today I have 350 miles and I am using the paddle shifters to accelerate through 5500RPM but not opening up the accelerator. Just gradually easing the pistons to adjust to these upper RPM limits.

After doing this for 500 miles I plan on going another 500 miles (1000 miles) with some intermittent acceleration patterns to max out the RPM. After 1000 miles I'll start having fun.

So far I've followed the proper engine break-in for this truck. 1000 miles comes quickly so I'd rather be patient and safe then have fun than reckless fun and broken with headaches of dealing with dealerships and warranty work if something did go wrong as a result of not following the recommendations.

One thing to point out tho.... The break-in period is strictly a recommendation from the manufacturer and not a requirement. They are very different terms with very different meanings. I'm a patient man... and I love this truck so I'll follow the recommendation

 

[Cali_TRX]

Staying under 55mph for the first 100 miles is gonna suck...

Drove mine back from Iowa to Cali. The first 100 miles I had people on the highway just eyeing me and probably wondering why a TRX is driving so slow

 

[Mjaestewart]

I had a car pull-up along side of me in Maryland with the windows down, cellphone pointed at me, and hollering for me to punch it! Lol I was screaming back to him “I can’t! It’s brand new!” I was going slow enough for them to hear me until he responded “Oh you just got it!” Then just drove off.

I also had a 4 series BMW try to race me. Then at one point a new Raptor pulled up on me. However, I remained humble knowing the T-Rex would squash em’ all like bugs if the beast was released. Kings of the kingdom always know when and when not to attack.

 

[PhoenixTRX]

Left Granger, IA for Phoenix, AZ... Amber recommended under 70mph, vary throttle and under 2500rpm for 500 miles. I followed as such then about 60 miles outside OK City (night stop) it ticked to 501. Next morning was 1000 miles home on I-40 and appropriate speeds and some WFO application.

 

[Two]

Amber recommended under 70mph, vary throttle and under 2500rpm for 500 miles.

You would've been better off following the break-in procedure in the owners manual.

 

[Rockin98]

Break in period is bogus.
Run a heat cycle in gear. Rolling starts. No launching. 30-50 miles. Be nice to it.
Let cool over night.
Then hammer down rolling starts again. Don't hammer from stop. Use paddle shifters and very rpm high and low shifting.

Anyone in the racing world knows you don't baby the engine or drive train. Drive it hard. Seat the rings.
Change the oil at the 501 mark.

Just hit the 501 mark today on mine.
Changed everything but transmission fluid today.
Diffs looks pretty clean other than black from heat cycle. Tcase was clean. Engine oil was pretty dirty.

Been driving hard from day 2 after heat cycle on gears.

If break in really matters why does Chevy put a brand new corvette on the dyno after the build line. Hard pull bouncing off Rev limiter. I've been to the factory and seen this is person.

Hellcat motor is a race motor. Build for power not babied.

I would also like to add you don't get full power till you hit 501 miles.

I saw on average 450-525 horse power.


At 501 hard pull it showed 698 horse power.
Havnt used launch mode yet.

 

[2Papi]

Break in period is bogus.
Run a heat cycle in gear. Rolling starts. No launching. 30-50 miles. Be nice to it.
Let cool over night.
Then hammer down rolling starts again. Don't hammer from stop. Use paddle shifters and very rpm high and low shifting.

Anyone in the racing world knows you don't baby the engine or drive train. Drive it hard. Seat the rings.
Change the oil at the 501 mark.

Just hit the 501 mark today on mine.
Changed everything but transmission fluid today.
Diffs looks pretty clean other than black from heat cycle. Tcase was clean. Engine oil was pretty dirty.

Been driving hard from day 2 after heat cycle on gears.

If break in really matters why does Chevy put a brand new corvette on the dyno after the build line. Hard pull bouncing off Rev limiter. I've been to the factory and seen this is person.

Hellcat motor is a race motor. Build for power not babied.

I would also like to add you don't get full power till you hit 501 miles.

I saw on average 450-525 horse power.


At 501 hard pull it showed 698 horse power.
Havnt used launch mode yet.

Yes those Dodge engineers have no clue, just launch it when you take it from the dealer right on public streets and keep it in the redline at least for 5 mins Every time you drive it.

 

[Jesse56]

You all have it wrong you are supposed to take it right to the field, strap some tires in the back with bungie cords and jump it 50 ft like street speed that gets all the parts that move lined up and ready to go for the long haul.