RedEyeZ88

Hey everyone, just grabbed my G friday night and loving it to death already.

I have a few questions, and they may have been answered all over the forum already. I did some searches but I wasn't able to locate where the thread may have been. So please just help me out or point me to the right location...

I wanted to know how best to care for my car from the ground up. This means, what do I do for the break in period. As of now, I believe it is stay under 4 RPM for 1200 miles, and vary speeds below 65mph.

When is a good time to install the intake? I know many people do it immediately, and many wait to break in.

Should I change my oil every 3,500?

Does the dealership use synthetic oil when doing so?

Thanks so much! I just want to make sure to do whats best for the engine.

Itchytoe

There really isn't a break-in period for vehicles anymore. They're not built like they were in the 70s and 80s. They are built with much tighter tolerances than before and "break-in" by the time you make it home. Besides, someone probably test drove your car before you picked it up. Do you stay under 4000 RPM and below 65 mph when you test drive?

Even if I'm 100% wrong, do you want to break it in nice and easy, then drive it like you stole it? All that will do is re-break-in the engine, so drive it like your normally drive. Go ahead and change the oil early, but don't drive any differently.

Install the intake whenever you have it and want to. The car will have to learn it no matter when you do it, so do it when you're ready. It won't help or hurt anything by doing it early or late.

I change my oil every 5-10,000 miles. I do a UOA for the first few changes to figure out the right interval, then leave it there. That's always been between 5,000 and 10,000 miles. Your can do your first change early, around 3,000 if you like. You are likely to have higher than normal amounts of wear initially, which you've probably already had, so it's just sitting in your oil.

Nissan uses an ester based oil which if I'm not mistaken is synthetic. I would suggest doing your own oil changes and using whatever oil you're going to use from the start.

Wait till the next guy posts something, I'm sure it will be totally different. Everyone has their own recommendations for "break-in" and oil changes and intakes and conventional vs synthetic. I'd be willing to bet everyone's is different too. FYI My opinion is normally not mainstream. I never was a good lemming.

ANMVQ

iTrader: (13)

He is right above, LOL Cause my thoughts are different. All tho cars are not like the old ones-70-60's- But the manual still says something about breaking and how to drive it. I some what follow the manual as I have had first hand experience in driving a car with unseated pistion rings at 8000 miles becasue the first owner drove it like he stole it.

So I drive it pretty easy for the first 700-1000 miles and then start to get more agressive till about 1500 then drive it pretty hard. I also change my oil( Synthetic) every 2500-3000 miles like clock work-With my first change at 1000 miles( After break in).

Intakes most guys are going to say Stillen Gen 3's including me, Worth it IMO. I installed mine around 600 miles. Like above not saying my way is right just how I do things. I have been doing things this way for years-- 20+.. :/..

hobbs

and have broken in every car I have owned this way.

Break In Secrets--How To Break In New Motorcycle and Car Engines For More Power

Elim Garak

It isn't synthetic. It's just priced like it is.

I do like your oil change strategy, though. You're getting your money's worth out of the synthetic, and using it as it was really intended.

cy7878

iTrader: (1)

My logic side tells me it doesn't matter how I break-in the car,
but I'm at 1800 miles and my emotional side still prevents me from redlining the car.

I kept the RPM under 3k the first 1000 miles and always varied the RPM on the freeway.
I kept the RPM under 4k from 1001- now and will do so till about 2000 miles.

It's completely stupid I know, since the last 3 cars I owned I didn't bother do it this and they lasted a while, almost new still when I sold them....

MurderedG37s

There is no break in period anymore..

mikelebron

I have followed this method on my Harleys, Suzukis and Honda MCs... I have also followed this on my Maxima, BMW and now G37...

For sure it works... My VROD should eat at least 1 quart per oil change - It eats 0 quarts...

Here is what I have followed for many years reading a similar article.

up to 300 miles - change oil at, dont go above 3000 rpm and no WOT

up to 800 miles - change oil at, dont go to red line but use the entire range 1k below redline. You can do WOT but NO prolonged spirited driving.

1500 miles - you can go to red line, WOT, put in what ever oil you want.

Key points to engine breaking - Get on the engine hard without going beyond the above points. Also, engine breaking is also key... Its easier on a manual but should also be done with an auto. Fluctuate your speed always.. never set it to cruise until its full broken in. Make sure you have nice cool down periods where the metals can fully contract.

Generally once your MPG has increased to what the manufacturer has stated your engine is 90% broken in. (if there was no break-in then why would your MPG increase) - at least the components that need wear. Your full break in will happen within the 1st 3k miles. You wont know but you will notice the engine revs up very quickly; it feels loose. All components then are fully broken in.

The key to breaking in is generating enough heat to fully expand all components and letting them contract to their set state. If you do not heat up the components enough the contraction and wear will not happen to the ideal state. "Ideal state" depends on the individuals engine and how they drive, what octane they use, what altitude they are at, etc. etc.

Of course this is at your own risk and is not scientific just my personal experience over the many years...

Kirkster

According to the owners manual there is a break in period. If memory servces me right it was 1000 miles. It tells you to avoid full accelation and hard stops during the break in period. There is no break in oil change. I changed mine at the recommened interval of 3,750 miles. My car came with the first year of servcie paid for and the dealer told me to come in at 3750 for the first change, so I did.

Coprolite

Other manufacturers put special break in additives in the factory fill. Those will note in the manual to keep the FF in for as long as possible (i.e. no short OCI). Infiniti only mentions the limited RPM and no cruise/varying speed for the first 1200 or so miles.

The manual tells you what you need to know, everything else is purely personal taste/opinion.

bcnole

I just ordered my G37 coupe (2011 journey, premium, nav, sport wheels, black on black, wood trim). Sadly I have to drive 180 miles to the dealership and then 180 miles back home. The dealership said no break-in period, but I've read (on this forum) that the manual states otherwise.

Knowing that I have to drive 180 miles on an interstate to get home during the break-in period, what's the best approach? Avoid cruise control?

Coprolite

Avoid cruise and vary speed (thus RPM). People using cruise will think you are crazy, but who cares?

movinon

I follow the owner's manual break-in procedure.
Why would car manufacturers even bother putting a break-in procedure in their manual, if it doesn't help?
Just as important as the drive-train break-in, is allowing the brakes to set in properly.

bythabay

iTrader: (2)

I have to repsectfully disagree with the above statement, as Nissan's ester oil is simply a conventional oil with a very low ester additive content (at least as far as I have been able to determine). I found some interesting papers published by Nissan's scientists that reveal the composition of this mystery oil - Turkov's Blog: The Truth About Nissan Ester Oil

RedEyeZ88

I also had to drive ~160 miles from the dealership to my house, and then another 200 miles to school the next day. I kept my speeds around 75-80, but varied in RMPS. I never let it pass 3.5 RPM. Im not sure if thats the right way to go about it, after reading what everyone has posted, but thats what I did. I kept it mainly at 2.5-3 RPMs, and probably averages 70mph.

Everyone, thanks for all the responses. I understand the owners manual is what they suggest, but I am glad to see peoples responses and opinions on other methods to help take care of our car.