Tips for breaking in a brand new engine?

[Maverick]

I have heard though, for the first 150 km's, giving the car a flogging will help create a seal around the rings/and seat the valves or something. Apparently once they set, thats it.

The wharfies take care of this for you.

[REXman]

The wharfies take care of this for you.

+1 That put a smile on my face!!

[Corey_R]

I have always been a guy, who warms up my car till normal temp, and takes off. After the annoying morning one, usually during the day they are much quicker to warm up. (due to the previous drive I guess).

You sit there an let the car idle for 15 minutes??

[brad]

I have always been a guy, who warms up my car till normal temp, and takes off. After the annoying morning one, usually during the day they are much quicker to warm up. (due to the previous drive I guess).

So how exactly does sitting in the driveway help warm up gearbox & diff oils, wheel bearings, brakes, etc?

To each their own but I just can't see the point. Possibly my attitude has been swayed slightly as many years back while still living at home, I had a string of very loud cars. My parking spot was outside Mum & Dads window. Dad told me in no uncertain terms where he'd be parking my car if I persisted in sitting outside his room at 6.00am idling the car for 10 minutes.

[G-rig]

So how exactly does sitting in the driveway help warm up gearbox & diff oils, wheel bearings, brakes, etc?

+1, it doesn't do anything and I think the manual actually says not to do that, but to drive off straight away.

[Idle]

Since I've no choice but to reverse up a long narrow drive, my cars idle for several minutes after starting.

It's never seemed to do them any harm.

[Corey_R]

And you're correct Idle, it doesn't really do them any harm*, but it just doesn't do anything useful either. Hence why for quite some time now, every manufacturer recommends just driving smoothly/lightly until the car has warmed up. This way you're warming up all the required components of the car, rather than just wasting fuel warming up the engine and nothing else.

*long periods of idling does cause some issues which then require more regular servicing, but ask someone else what those issues are cause I'm not a mechanic.

[REXman]

Hey Im comfortable in saying that I warm up my car. I believe that warming up the car and letting the engine oils warm up without any load is good enough an advantage. And then driving off slowly so that those other things can warm up is a must for long car life.

And yes I wait like 15 mins. Oh well its what I do and no one has successfully changed my mind. I could not drive off a cold start!!

I have been doing it (the warm) for years obviously, but my GF's car has a turbo on it and it actually has a blue light on it that dissappears when it the car is ready to go. Its an 09 model so Im pretty sure that its current logic..

[Corey_R]

I have been doing it (the warm) for years obviously, but my GF's car has a turbo on it and it actually has a blue light on it that dissappears when it the car is ready to go. Its an 09 model so Im pretty sure that its current logic..

Out of interest, what make & model is your girlfriends car? And how long does that blue light stay on for a typical cold start?

[Transporter]

And you're correct Idle, it doesn't really do them any harm*, but it just doesn't do anything useful either. Hence why for quite some time now, every manufacturer recommends just driving smoothly/lightly until the car has warmed up. This way you're warming up all the required components of the car, rather than just wasting fuel warming up the engine and nothing else.

*long periods of idling does cause some issues which then require more regular servicing, but ask someone else what those issues are cause I'm not a mechanic.

It is spot on.
It takes longer to warm up engine while idling on the spot and longer engine idles, more unburned fuel enters the sump and degrades the oil. I let the engine idle for 20-30s and then drive gently until the engine is at operating temperature.