[drskorzy]

Hey hi there! Just took my brand new '10 Forester home tonight! Got a couple questions about what the dealer told me. I want to make sure I understood him correctly.

1. He said to not use the SportShift or cruise control for the first 1000 miles. Rather, to accelerate and decelerate "normally" for that break in period. Maintaining a constant speed (like with cruise control) didn't break the engine in correctly. I always thought the opposite was true; be gentle!

2. To *not* use fully synthetic oil in the car until it was 12,000 miles old. He said their chief mechanic told them that new engines don't "seat" correctly when brand new under synthetic oil. Reason is its so efficient, so slippery, that the engine rings etc. don't "seat" and break in right.

Is any of this really true or am I mishearing it?

 

[SubieOutlaw]

Hi and welcome.

1. Do not use cruise control is correct. Sport shift is fine to use.
2. Correct. apparently there is a coating on the cylinders and you are not suppose to use synthetic until 12,000 miles until this film has been removed naturally using dino oil.

 

[pleiad7]

You might want to read your owners manual too because break-in is covered in there.

 

[snajper69]

The best thing when braking in your engine is to beat the leaving s...t out of it always worked for me. There are few school of thoughs when comes to braking in, one is drive it like you stole it, second go easy on it, since this is not my first new car (I have '10 forest as well) I always fallow the rule to drive it like you stole it I had no issues with all my cars fallowing that advise, and most of my friends fallow the same rule, at the same time we beat on our cars a lot, and all my friends cars and my last way past 100,000k mark with minimal change (minimal for means only engine oil, and filter change).

 

[snajper69]

Oh yeah the sport shift is actually the best way to brake in new engine. When I brake in new engine I use the sport shif to dawnshift that way my car is worked through the whole range of RPMS

 

[snajper69]

Oh yeah first thing I do with my new cars is take them through the whole range of RPMS (all the way till I hit redline) so that all the seals will close fast. Most mechanics and sport drivers belive that everything seals within few miles of driving.

 

[retirednak]

You don't want to use the synthetic oil till you fill comfortable. In my opinion 12000 miles seems excessive. When I build engines,after 6000 miles I always switch over to synthetic oil. My last build I had the pistons coated with a Teflon type coating to see if I had any reduction in friction and heat. The company that coated the pistons said synthetic oil was safe after 3000 miles. I was told by a GM engineer in the drive train division that new motors don't really need to be broken in any longer. Its the transmissions,transfer cases ect that need the break in. He said its easier to tell the general public to break in the engine,rather then the drive train as not to confuse people. (I just confused myself) Also the engines are cold run at the factory that do the breaking in. Don't shoot the messenger here, just passing on what I was told.
That's my 2 cents for the day.

 

[drskorzy]

You might want to read your owners manual too because break-in is covered in there.

I just found the break-in section in the manual last night. Buried deep in the middle of the book. I'd think it'd be up in the first chapter for new owners!

 

[drskorzy]

The best thing when braking in your engine is to beat the leaving s...t out of it always worked for me. There are few school of thoughs when comes to braking in, one is drive it like you stole it, second go easy on it, since this is not my first new car (I have '10 forest as well) I always fallow the rule to drive it like you stole it I had no issues with all my cars fallowing that advise, and most of my friends fallow the same rule, at the same time we beat on our cars a lot, and all my friends cars and my last way past 100,000k mark with minimal change (minimal for means only engine oil, and filter change).

I'm not an aggressive driver anyways, but I think I will drive it "normally". Owners manual says no 4K RPM or redlining.

Thanks!

 

[drskorzy]

You don't want to use the synthetic oil till you fill comfortable. In my opinion 12000 miles seems excessive. When I build engines,after 6000 miles I always switch over to synthetic oil. My last build I had the pistons coated with a Teflon type coating to see if I had any reduction in friction and heat. The company that coated the pistons said synthetic oil was safe after 3000 miles. I was told by a GM engineer in the drive train division that new motors don't really need to be broken in any longer. Its the transmissions,transfer cases ect that need the break in. He said its easier to tell the general public to break in the engine,rather then the drive train as not to confuse people. (I just confused myself) Also the engines are cold run at the factory that do the breaking in. Don't shoot the messenger here, just passing on what I was told.
That's my 2 cents for the day.

12,000 miles does seem excessive to me! I think "oil change #2" would be the good time to switch.

Also, I've been reading about the Subaru oil filter info on this forum. Apparently people don't like the "new" blue OEM filters Subaru makes. On my 19 year old, 236K mile Toyota Tercel, I used either Mobil 1 filters or Napa Gold for almost its entire life. The results can't be argued with. I think I''ll stick with that winning combo.

 

[The Black Box]

I just found the break-in section in the manual last night.

You're headed in the right direction. Listening to a salesman and misinformed internet anecdotes is not recommended...

 

[danykane]

You're headed in the right direction. Listening to a salesman and misinformed internet anecdotes is not recommended...

I just reached 1022kms on my Foz. I'm doing so many business road trips to try and get up to the recommended 1600kms. DYING to drive this thing the way it should be driven.

Anybody need me to pick anything up? I'll drive!!!

D.

 

[The Black Box]

I remember that... Now I think about how I drove so many miles in the first year. Must drive less...

 

[Tuned200]

You might want to read your owners manual too because break-in is covered in there.

x2. SOA knows what to do for proper break in.