How important is the break in before highway driving?

[Miqie]

A few posts mention 'thermal cycling' during break-in. It's currently summer, but I wonder if turning the heater on max every so often if your bringing your new truck home on the highway would help with this cycling. You would be dumping excess heat from the engine.

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[soupy1234]

I think thermal cycling would be getting the engine fully warmed up, then shutting down until it cools. I doubt that running the heat cools the engine significantly.

 

[Tsturbo]

Just drive it, no sudden stops, no full throttle and vary your speed on the highway for the first 1,000 miles.

 

[TurboTruck!]

Just drive it, no sudden stops, no full throttle and vary your speed on the highway for the first 1,000 miles.

That is exactly what Toyota recommends in the owners manual. Yah you will have to just drive it. How you drive it for first 1000 miles can have unforeseen consequences in the lifetime of your vehicle. You could get lucky or you could be left stranded. Break in procedure is a touchy subject. Some say send it! have to seat the rings! Others say extreme baby steps. And then like you mentioned exactly what Toyota recommends is outlined for owners.

 

[Tsturbo]

That is exactly what Toyota recommends in the owners manual. Yah you will have to just drive it. How you drive it for first 1000 miles can have unforeseen consequences in the lifetime of your vehicle. You could get lucky or you could be left stranded. Break in procedure is a touchy subject. Some say send it! have to seat the rings! Others say extreme baby steps. And then like you mentioned exactly what Toyota recommends is outlined for owners.

And NO TOWING during the initial 1,000 miles!

 

[entropy]

Crap, now I have to try to put another 800 miles on it before i tow an ATV with it in two weeks. Completely forgot about the break in. Thankfully only had to highway drive 78 miles to get it home from the dealer. How terrible would it be if I tow something before the 1k miles?

Anyone know where in the manual it discusses break in procedure? I can't seem to find it.

 

[TurboTruck!]

 

[Gfenza89]

I have yet to take mine above 65mph. I have 650 miles on mine and I just drive around town at varying speeds and Rpm’s like the Manuel says. Hills, flat roads, down hills. I’m really trying to break this truck in and keep it for a long long time

 

[Miqie]

I have yet to take mine above 65mph. I have 650 miles on mine and I just drive around town at varying speeds and Rpm’s like the Manuel says. Hills, flat roads, down hills. I’m really trying to break this truck in and keep it for a long long time

.357 or 38 Special?

 

[Gfenza89]

.357 or 38 Special?

What?

 

[StreeTaco]

Yeah, what a stupid picture to post on here.

 

[Zebrajacket99]

My TH came with 300 miles on it since Toyota screwed up and delivered it to the wrong state. Hope the driver took it easy during transport. Nothing I can do about that besides baby it for the next 700.

 

[TurboTruck!]

Continue to follow Toyota break in procedures and you will be all cool. Break in procedure is a sensitive subject on forums very opinionated like engine oil, lemon law and MPG discussions. I had an instructor at a regional training facility tell all of us technicians to break it in like you stole it. He said you have to seat those rings! He was referring to piston rings for all the non mechanically inclined. I personally did what Toyota recommended with my 24 4G mostly……. I chirped the tires a few times and boosted a lil in sport mode. My rings are seated.

 

[dunder]

I hadn't thought about break-ins in years. What does Toyota do before their vehicles leave the factory?

I have owned many German cars and have even watched them being dyno'd through the entire rpm range as part of the final step before leaving the factory. When I picked up my cars in Germany, I always did what I call an Autobahn break-in, which was to take it up to 155mph within the first 50 miles. The BMW 4.4L V8TT had a terrible oil consumption problem, such that a quart every 750 miles was considered acceptable by BMW for warranty purposes. Myself and others found that these engines needed to be pushed hard and not be limited to cruising around at 35mph. My 4.4L V8TTs went 15-20k miles before burning a quart of oil.

I'm not saying one should do this with a Toyota, but curious about what Toyota does at the factory. If we are in fact their beta testers, then I'll plan to take it easy during the break-in.

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