Best rule of thumb IMHO is to vary the RPMs. Avoid long drives at constant speed.
During the first 1000 miles don't slam the brakes or come within 1000 RPMs of the redline, and never keep the RPMs steady for long periods, especially the latter since it can lead to stuck piston rings.
O,yeeeah I seriously doubt that's ever going to be an issue with a new well built engine.
Jedi, just more or less follow the manual if you want ultimate piece of mind, but don't be afraid to drive it spirited either. Hell I took mine on a 6 hour road trip the week I got it and I just drove normal. 15k later it drives better than ever, these engines (at least mine) seem to have a noticeable break-in and get nicer after doing a few thousand.
It doesn't matter with a Mazda. The engine will outlast the body by years.
Drive the vehicle around the city with liberal use of the throttle, but nothing crazy and no lugging. The rings need combustion pressure so they are pressed out into the cylinder wall. Worst thing you can do is baby the thing.
:thumbsdown: Don't do this. Just follow the owner's manual recommendations. This is a daily driver, not a race engine. This is horrible advice.The manufacturers recommendations typically contain a healthy dose of conservative advice aimed at keeping people from hurting themselves. Don't think you will read too much in the owners manual suggesting liberal use of the throttle on a vehicle you may be unfamiliar with, yet this is what the engine needs most.
I've seen engine assembly production lines and first start up on the dyno and the technican pretty much punches the thing under significant load. After the engine gets installed in the chassis, first start up is on rollers where again the throttle is floored. Inside 1 min. the vehicle will be ripping up to common freeway speeds on the rollers. So much for keeping the rpms way down on a new engine.
It doesn't matter with a Mazda. The engine will outlast the body by years.
His car is an automatic. It would be nearly impossible to lug the engine in a modern automatic transmission car.
:thumbsdown: Don't do this. Just follow the owner's manual recommendations. This is a daily driver, not a race engine. This is horrible advice.
Hah! Tell that to the CX-7 my buddy's wife drives that we've had to take the head off twice for unrelated problems.
Manufacturer's recommendations are for idiots who can barely follow directions and are only intended to keep the engine within limits during the warranty period. For long lasting engines with little oil consumption, hard break-ins provide the best results.
and you have hard scientific proof of this fact?
Lets see, a bunch of internet know-it all's vs hundreds of engineers doing hundreds of tests for years, and all seem to come to the same basic conclusion:
Drive rather gently the first few hundred/thousand or so miles.
There are two schools of thought: the gentle break-in, and the hard break-in. Don't think anyone has been able to prove one is better than the other, and with modern engines it may not even matter. Simplest way is to follow your owner's manual.
Manufacturer's recommendations are for idiots who can barely follow directions and are only intended to keep the engine within limits during the warranty period. For long lasting engines with little oil consumption, hard break-ins provide the best results.