Hi guys, I just bought a new 09 civic si a week ago and family and friends have recommended me to this site for assistance. I was curious on the correct way to break in the engine. I wouldnt want to try it without any information and having to end up damaging my engine due to my lack of experience. This is my first honda and I want to treat it right.
Thanks.

 

owners manual should tell you everything you need to know

 

what are the current miles?

 

got it at around 8mi now its at about 207

 

just drive it normally as you would any other car. dont abuse it, and you should be fine

 

 

Good break in is usually 500-1000 miles where you are suppose to basically baby the car. Suppose to stay under the 50mph zone I believe.

 

stay under 70

 

how about stay under 17 mph i mean where the **** are you guys guys getting these numbers from?


500 miles of normal driving then the motor is ready to go. just went throught this with my wifes new si.

 

if you open the owners manual there is actually a section of the honda recommends you to do during this time period.......but just to let you know whomever PDI'd the car (pre delivery inspection) most likely pinned gas pedal down during the test drive anyway so whatever.

i only know this cause myself and everyone else who gets SI's v6 accords, s2ks, etc do the same

 

if only you knew what ur cars go through before you buy them lmao i was a sales porter at honda when i was in high school and yeah.. lol im sure most cars have done a few burnouts at the dealerships before u even saw it lol

 

wow, there sure are a lot of experts in this thread.

What does MPH have to do with break in? It's about load and RPM.

Breaking in the engine really has to do with seating the piston rings and there is a very small window of opportunity for optimum results. Babying the car won't get you anything, but listen to the experts in here they know.

I have been using the methods in the link below well before it made it to the inawebz.

http://www.mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm

I am also advocating every person use it too.

 

he missed the window

 

drive the **** out of it and don't misshift

 

Dude look before you post...https://honda-tech.com/forums/honda-civic-2006-2015-79/09-civic-si-break-period-2598167/

 

I did a ton of research into this and posted on this forum for the exact same thing. Some people will baby it, some people won't. Whatever you do just make sure you get the car nice and warm and then enjoy it.

I don't think limiting your speed to 50mph/70mph matters that much. What do those people say about going 51mph/71mph? does your engine explode? is 49mph/69mph too close for comfort?

Use your own judgement.

 

Good post!!

 

My first 2 hondas, I had for 8 years each. I did not have any repair bills and (on each) the fuel mileage improved after 6,000 miles.
The same holds true for my 2 Integras, which I still have 2000, 2001.

My 2 rules are:
Do not maintain a steady speed for a long period of time. Ie... no cruise control during the first 500-1000 miles.

Do not test the rev limiter bulb to see when it will flash vs when it will stay on constantly.

 

the whole breakin it in is a load of crap....every motor in your car was first put on an engine dyno and ran for up to 20 minutes at 75% power as well as the transmission...u dont have to rag the dog **** outta it but it wont absolute kill you like everyone else recommends

 

When I used to work for a brand's distributer back in the early 90s, that rule was always broken whenever a car needed to move from A to B. On TT Supras, it was WOT using only the first two gears. And on Lexus LS, it's 90mph on the freeway. It wasn't joy riding. It was work. Getting the job done as quickly as possible. So understand that your brand new car has already been "broken into." Only cheap boring cars (Corolla, Tercel, etc) get the "baby treatment" with care.

That's what I would still do. When buying a new car as a customer, I like to believe my car was still a Virgin at the time.

 

Owners manual will tell you. Just take it easy for a while and no Vtec .

 

If thats the truth why does the dealership allow you to dog the **** out of it on a test drive? I think the owners manual is good for certain stuff but not breaking it in. Oh an BTW the OWNERS MANUAL has been mentioned at least 3 time already are you reading before you post?

 

Ha because the dealership wants a sale. They won't have to deal with the car after it leaves the the lot.
I was just voicing my opinion on the issue and agreeing with others that the owners manual would be good place to reference for the OP.

 

Actually they do have to "Deal with the car after it leaves" the lot. These cars come with lots of nice little warranties. That is exactly why they want you to do a soft break in, so they won't have to deal with it.

As far as whether or not the engine needs it is a debate between what honda says vs. what external sources say.

 

The sales guy doesn't have to deal with it..... Once the sale is done he is out of the picture.
And not breaking your engine in properly will probably have no effects during the warranty period. If there were really any effects it would be in the 100k+ mile range.