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Technical Saturn Sky Discussion Technical and performance aspects of the Saturn Sky Roadster. Sky Problems | Solutions | Repairs | Recalls | Tech Bulletins | Tech Tips | In the Manual Basic Tech

       
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Old 05-01-2006, 10:42 AM   #1 (permalink)
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break in period

hey i just got my car thursday. i read somwhere times you should drive harder to break it in becuase it helps with all the seals and everything at least on newer cars. last night driving home on the highway now with 200 miles on it i picked up the speed to a little just to see what it was like. realy nice let me tell you. but interested in knowing if thats bad for my car or maybe even good to do that once in a while. i only want the best for my red sky
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Old 05-01-2006, 12:09 PM   #2 (permalink)
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Originally Posted by bigd2114
hey i just got my car thursday. i read somwhere times you should drive harder to break it in becuase it helps with all the seals and everything at least on newer cars. last night driving home on the highway now with 200 miles on it i picked up the speed to a little just to see what it was like. realy nice let me tell you. but interested in knowing if thats bad for my car or maybe even good to do that once in a while. i only want the best for my red sky
Your SKY manual says not to exceed 70mph for the first 500 miles!
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Old 05-01-2006, 12:35 PM   #3 (permalink)
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I know it says don't exceed 70, but a bit of reality has to be applied here. I have exceeded 70 twice when passing (actually surprised me because - 1 it got there so quickly and 2 it was so smooth doing it), but only for a second or two. A quick short pass in normal driving shouldn't be a problem. However, if you zip up to 100 or stay at 80 for 100 miles or so, you could cause some lasting damage as the various moving components and rings have not set yet. The reason for the break in period is to allow the moving points to seat properly. They use to have a special break in oil that required a complete oil and filter change at the 500 or 1000 mile point. Several motorcycles still require that, but most cars have gone away from "break in" oil change. You also might notice that the oil change period is now 5-10K miles vice 3000 miles as in the past.
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Old 05-01-2006, 12:43 PM   #4 (permalink)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bigd2114
hey i just got my car thursday. i read somwhere times you should drive harder to break it in becuase it helps with all the seals and everything at least on newer cars. last night driving home on the highway now with 200 miles on it i picked up the speed to a little just to see what it was like. realy nice let me tell you. but interested in knowing if thats bad for my car or maybe even good to do that once in a while. i only want the best for my red sky
the real key is to vary your speed, don't run at the same speed for long periods of time for the first 500 miles, and not over 70 if possible.
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Old 05-01-2006, 12:57 PM   #5 (permalink)
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Don't exceed 70 for 500 miles! Oh my...this might be tough.....
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Old 05-01-2006, 03:53 PM   #6 (permalink)
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There is a lot of debate on this still on the motorcycle community. Some say just follow the manufacturers guidelines. Other's say drive it like hell (but not at a constant speed so no highway cruising) for 30-50 miles then change the oil right away. They say the heavier use actually helps the seals seal better and you will be surprised how much metal crap is in the first oil change. People have been doing both ways with no ill effects for years. I have tried both ways also with no problems. But personally now I just follow the manufacturers guideline, as I trust their engineers. If I was racing the car/bike I would probably go the drive it like hell route with the faster oil change.

Is anyone switching to Mobile 1 after their run-in? Do you just take it along with you. When I bought my Porsche they give you two quarts of mobile 1 to add if needed during the run in time. Of course services on the Porsche are only every 20,000 miles! But expensive as hell. Can you say $200 for a dealer oil change!
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Old 05-01-2006, 04:47 PM   #7 (permalink)
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I have followed the guidelines... and now since my baby is almost to 1K..... i will be taking her out on the great big ROADS....... i feel a ROADTRIP IN MY NEAR FUTURE...... sounds good to me.... willl take pics of her adventures along the way,.... just not sure where we will go first...... SkyBaby-07
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Old 05-01-2006, 05:56 PM   #8 (permalink)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by krazygoat
Is anyone switching to Mobile 1 after their run-in? Do you just take it along with you. When I bought my Porsche they give you two quarts of mobile 1 to add if needed during the run in time. Of course services on the Porsche are only every 20,000 miles! But expensive as hell. Can you say $200 for a dealer oil change!
I ran a syn oil in my BMW RT until the dealer told me not too. Didn't allow things to seat properly. It was, like the Porsche, oil cooled, which for some reason leads to higher oil usage. Most totally water cooled vehicles don't or shouldn't use oil. I have almost 60K on my diesel truck and it does not use a drop of oil, and neither should the Sky.
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Old 05-01-2006, 07:49 PM   #9 (permalink)
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It also states not to use the cruise control for the first 500 miles. You should also avoid "jack rabbit" starts and any hard braking. YUP!!!
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Old 05-01-2006, 08:37 PM   #10 (permalink)
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Originally Posted by TexSon
I ran a syn oil in my BMW RT until the dealer told me not too. Didn't allow things to seat properly.
Your dealer was correct. Synthetic oil in a new engine absorbs in to the cylinder walls, not allowing the piston rings to seat properly during the break-in period. I have personally seen this happen to more than one motor. We verified it through compression tests on motors running synthetic and non-synthetic oils. New engines need that little bit of extra friction between the ring and the cylinder wall. The synthetic oils do not allow that. But you can't just switch back to a non-synthetic once you've broken a motor in on synthetic. Once it's absorbed in to the cylinder walls and the rings have had their chance to seat the way they want to, it's pretty much there to stay.
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Old 05-01-2006, 08:40 PM   #11 (permalink)
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Originally Posted by VegasDoug
Your dealer was correct. Synthetic oil in a new engine absorbs in to the cylinder walls, not allowing the piston rings to seat properly during the break-in period. I have personally seen this happen to more than one motor. We verified it through compression tests on motors running synthetic and non-synthetic oils. New engines need that little bit of extra friction between the ring and the cylinder wall. The synthetic oils do not allow that. But you can't just switch back to a non-synthetic once you've broken a motor in on synthetic. Once it's absorbed in to the cylinder walls and the rings have had their chance to seat the way they want to, it's pretty much there to stay.
Hmm...that's interesting seeing that Harley-Davidsons now all come with SYN3 in all 3 holes straight from the factory.
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Old 05-01-2006, 08:40 PM   #12 (permalink)
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When i pulled into the driveway after work tonight, my SKY turned 503 miles...I am ready for some fun driving now!
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Old 05-01-2006, 08:45 PM   #13 (permalink)
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Hmm...that's interesting seeing that Harley-Davidsons now all come with SYN3 in all 3 holes straight from the factory.
It's not going to be a HUGE difference, but if you were to do a compression test on a vehicle that ran non-syn from the first time it was started, and on a vehicle that ran syn from the first time it was started, you would see a few points difference.

As far as bikes go, I couldn't tell you. I'm not a bike guy.
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Old 05-02-2006, 01:03 AM   #14 (permalink)
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That rumor about "synthetic oil being a no-no during break in" always seems to resurface. It is complete BS !! Many, if not most, high performance autos come straight from the factory with the crankcase filled with synthetic oil. New Dodge Vipers and Corvettes come with Mobil 1 synthetic. Engineering tests have proven that synthetic oil actually benefits the break in proceedure.
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Old 05-02-2006, 01:43 AM   #15 (permalink)
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That rumor about "synthetic oil being a no-no during break in" always seems to resurface. It is complete BS !! Many, if not most, high performance autos come straight from the factory with the crankcase filled with synthetic oil. New Dodge Vipers and Corvettes come with Mobil 1 synthetic. Engineering tests have proven that synthetic oil actually benefits the break in proceedure.
This is false. Motors that come with synthetic are broken in at the factory.
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Old 05-02-2006, 02:53 AM   #16 (permalink)
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This is false. Motors that come with synthetic are broken in at the factory.
You learn something new every day. I was not aware of this. I just assumed they filled them with synthetic on the way out the door.

And the synthetic oil claim is not "b/s". Of course, it really makes no difference who claims what as I have compression test numbers to back up my claims.
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Old 05-02-2006, 05:25 AM   #17 (permalink)
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How is i broken in at the factory, my Porsche has like 10 miles on the OD when I got it and it is Mobil 1 from the factory, and they actually give you two quarts of Mobil 1 for top offs during the break in period?
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Old 05-02-2006, 09:09 AM   #18 (permalink)
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Originally Posted by Ernest
It also states not to use the cruise control for the first 500 miles. You should also avoid "jack rabbit" starts and any hard braking. YUP!!!
I can't do that. If that is the case, I guess I will have to leave my car with the salesman or machanic so they can break it in correctly.
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Old 05-02-2006, 09:13 AM   #19 (permalink)
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How is i broken in at the factory, my Porsche has like 10 miles on the OD when I got it and it is Mobil 1 from the factory, and they actually give you two quarts of Mobil 1 for top offs during the break in period?
Maybe the engine (as opposed to the whole car) was broken in on a test stand or something.
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Old 05-02-2006, 09:29 AM   #20 (permalink)
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Don't exceed 70 for 500 miles! Oh my...this might be tough.....
If one drives slower than 70 mph on the I-285 speedway, one will get runned over! But, I guess it will be far right lane for me for a bit...once I get the car.
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Old 05-02-2006, 12:11 PM   #21 (permalink)
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Originally Posted by DarkkstaR
This is false. Motors that come with synthetic are broken in at the factory.
That's kinda true, most engines have a break in period of testing prior to going into the car. The LE5 and the LNF more then likely will have the exact same ammount of time spent on some sort of test bed. The LNF more then liekly wont get any more 'break-in' time then the other engines. As stated it comes with Mobile 1 as does the LSJ Cobalt SS engine from the factory.

People keep thinking with their blinders on, break-in isn't only for the engine. It's for the entire car.
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Old 05-02-2006, 12:25 PM   #22 (permalink)
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This is false. Motors that come with synthetic are broken in at the factory.

Not to start an arguement, but only a select few engines are pre run at the factory, and then only for a short period...not nearly long enough to break the engine in. Do you think the factory fills the crankcase with mineral oil to pre run then drains it