Hi guys,

Just bought my 09 civic si and it comes brand new out the gate. I can tell you right away with my own excitement and that of my friends, I will want to VTEC this engine. Is there a safe break in period before I should do this? I don't plan to VTEC the engine all the time, but I would like to show it off!

 

Like Nike says, "Just Do It."
BTW "You don't VTEC an engine." But you do let the VTEC kick in.

 

my friend just bought 09 si, it probably has seen vtec 20 times and it has less than 100 miles

break it in hard

 

Let it fully warm up without placing much (if any) load on the car.
Rip it, hard, to redline, repeatedly, in as high of a gear as you safely can. Off of a dyno, that's probably 2nd gear. On a dyno is the safest (and probably the only legal) way to do this.
Break in is done, go enjoy!

 

lulz...no

Honda suggests waiting until at least 600 miles before hard-driving.

 

I'm with fiji. But hey, it's your car do what you want.

 

Really? So you guys actually did not push your car to 6000rpm within the first 600km? Also, the car I test drove had 150km on it and the salesman insisted that I push it to see how the car goes, now this car I bought has not been test driven (showroom car), if you can't push it within the first 600km, how do you guys know that your cars weren't beaten during test drives?

 

A 8 grand visit here or there is ok. Just dont hold it out at rev line for 5 minutes or anything stupid like that. I may not launch the car till 500miles due to clucth breakin but I imagine there some of that done at the factory. Like someone else said "always let it fully warm up".

 

i smashed as soon as i left the dealership lol
and my car had 0 miles on the odometer.

 

if you read the owner's manual it tells you what you should do...

 

i doubt your car had zero miles on the odo...they have at least 2 miles on them when we get them from the factory, and then we're supposed to take them for a test drive of a couple miles. ours dont leave with under 5 miles on them ever...

but back to the o/p, 600 miles is a pretty good break in period. also, it is suggested that you dont hold the RPM's at ANY steady spot for more than a half hour during this period. example, if you were to take a highway drive of 3 hours, every half hour you should downshift, let it rev out a bit, and then drop it back in your cruising gear.

just a suggestion and what i've been told by honda...

...skeeter...

 

There is no break in for production motors. They're ready to go right out of the box. Of course, be sensible and don't rag on it when it's cold.

 

Factory clutches do not need to "break in"... That would make as much sense technically as breaking in a set of brake pads.

 

or a motor

 

My car only had 4 miles on it. I'm not worried about 4 miles of abuse. That mileage probably consisted of driving it off the boat, driving it onto the truck, and then driving it into the showroom.

Abusing it for the first 5000 miles, however....

My car was showroom, as well.

 

the only thing i could suggest is check your oil level every time you fill up with gas. Mine seemed to use about 1/3 quart at each fill up, but it has gotten a lot better.

 

mine seemed to use about a quart within the first 2000 miles which were all pretty much highway milage.

 

i had maybe put 3/4 of a quart during my first few thousand miles, i have since then have about 8k miles and haven't put in any oil. break it in like the book says 600mi isnt that long just wait then mash on it. all it is, is honda saying make customers drive for at least 600mi then something out of the rare case wont happen. at 600mi everything is guaranteed to be seated in place. clutch, pads, rings, bearings etc.

 

I read an article from an engine builder in an old Honda Tuning issue about 5 years ago and he said that the rings, valves, bearings ect. will never fully seat or "break in" unless you put the car under full load at high rpm. He also said that by waiting 600 or 1000 miles all you do is delay the inevitable.


I've always waited myself before nailing it but an interesting concept that I cannot argue with. The guy blue printed and designed motors.

There was also a car and driver issue that told the same story by a different guy.....it was pretty convincing.

 

Actually, you should "break in" brake pads. Its referred to as "bedding" the pads. Doing so, scrapes off any residual pad from the rotor and lays down a fresh layer of the new pad, allowing correct function.

Actually, that's just to give you time to get used to the car, so you don't crash it.

But, don't believe just me, do some searching.
http://www.google.com/search?q=break+in+engine+hard

 

people are gonna tell you all different type of ways to "break in" your car.

but honestly, do what you feel comfortable with. if you feel its ok to mash on it, go for it. if not, then baby the car until about 600 miles as honda recommends

 

i just got my 09 si too, it had 5 miles and when i hit the highway i nailed it till i reached 100, i let the car slow down on its own under load and did it a few more times. This is how i broke in my lsvtec and no oil burning at all. good luck

 

well considering the fact that i had to wait 4 days for my car to come from michigan, the distance up the back of the truck wasnt enough to rack up .1 on my odometer. and i backed it off the truck and test drove it with the factory transport wrap on it still. my honda dealer doesnt play around when you buy a new si. honestly i would say it was somewhat close to my experience at the mercedes dealer last week.

 

Exactly

 

No offense, but I'll believe the 2008 Honda Civic Si Coupe owners manual, for determining how long the break-in period is for my 2008 Honda Civic Si Coupe, over an obscure google search of, "break in engine hard".

"Get used to the car"? It's a Honda, not a Bugatti.