Break in period for new owners

AWSD said:

Straight from the manual. My dealer also recommended doing an oil change at 1000 miles.


Break-In Period
No special break-in is necessary, but a few precautions in the first 1,000 km (600 miles) may add to the performance, economy, and life of the vehicle.

• Do not race the engine.
• Do not maintain one constant speed, either slow or fast, for a long period of time.
• Do not drive constantly at full-throttle or high engine rpm for extended periods of time.
• Avoid unnecessary hard stops.
• Avoid full-throttle starts.
• Do not tow a trailer.

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I saw my brother-in-law this weekend for our Easter get-together. He’s a recently retired ExxonMobil exec (chemical engineer) and one of the patent-holders for Mobil1 synthetic oil. (How cool is that?) I asked him this very question about new vehicle break-in periods yesterday. His answer to me was simple: There was a time when cars needed a break in period because manufacturing materials and tolerances were such that the break-in was needed to properly seat the mechanical components correctly. Do it wrong and you would reduce the life of those parts — bearings, piston rings, etc. But the newest steels, the greatly improved ability to machine parts to exacting tolerances, and the latest lubrication technologies have made break-in periods irrelevant. You can drive it like it’s got 25,000 miles on it on Day 1 — as long as you drive like a rational human being and not a crazy person hell-bent on tearing up your car. 🤣

As for the early oil change, he said do it if your owner’s manual recommends it or if your warranty requires it. But, as far as he’s concerned, it’s not necessary until you hit the 5,000 mile mark. I must admit I was surprised. (For the record his is a two Mazda family — a 2011 Mazda 3 and another newer 3. They’re just now starting to shop for a Mazda replacement for the 2011 which has 175,000 miles on it. After checking out my new wheels he may well end up in this forum too before too long.)