>
> There has always been some discussion about how to drive a new vehicle with 0
> miles on the engine.... Can you really "get on it" right away? Should you not drive it
> at highway speeds for the first 200 miles? Don't let the rpms get too high while there
> is under 1000 miles on it, and so on and so forth. I think we have all heard an old
> wive's tale similiar to this at one time or another.
> I had the chance to tour a Ford Ranger assembly plant last nite and saw alot of
> interesting things. Most noticeable was the drivetrain test done on the truck near the
> end of the assembly. The trucks are pulled up on rollers, all 4 wheels, (looks like a
> big dyno), and the drivers are instructed to go through all 5 gears and bring it up to
> 65mph and hold it there for 30 secs. As you can imagine they want these trucks
> through the dyno as quickly as possible so the drivers REALLY get on the pedal
> and run through the gears ( the smell of burnt rubber is fresh in the air) and the engine
> is worked pretty hard. At the end of the line, the trucks are driven out of the factory
> to a large lot to await shipment. Again the drivers waste no time getting them to their
> spot, the rubber is roasted, the engines are screaming, and I swore a couple of them
> almost caught some air going over some parking lot moguls.
> Anyways, any thoughts I had of going easy on a fresh engine have definitely been put
> to rest. Does anyone have thoughts to the contrary?
>
> K.
>
>
But you forget one thing, those aren't there vehicles so it doesn't matter
to them if anything happens, if it does they'll just blame it on a defect
somewhere. Besides, 30 secs at 50mph, and driving through parking lot
isn't enough time to do any harm anyway, where it might be on your vehicle
over first 1000 miles (Which is recommended breakin in every owner's
manual I've ever seen. If I were you I'd take it easy, if you drive much
it won't take you long to reach 100 miles, and it just might mean the
difference between a long dependable life for your ride or a short
problematic one, so personally I'd just do as they say for first 1000
miles then drive it like you want to....Just my opinion.
Bruce
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Fri Jun 20 2003 - 12:07:53 EDT