Hi, I've recently purchased a 2010 Rubi Unlimited and have a quick question about the break in period. I've never purchased a new vehicle, all my previous vehicles were purchased used.

I've been hearing two different arguments for break in:

1) take it for a long trip on the highway
2) go no higher than 3500 rpm / half throttle got the first 1000 km and stay away from extended highway travel

Anyway, I've been practicing option 2. Not beating on it but still giving it enough so everything seats right.

Just wondering what people think.

On a side note I had a 92 YJ and really enjoyed it. I was pretty surprised what it was able to do on the trail. It's been two kids and three cars since I had my butt in a Jeep... Feels good to be back!!

 

Thing to remember about break-in is that it's not just all about the motor; the gearbox, diffs, and the rest of the drivetrain need to break-in too.

Motor aside, all the seals and moving components in the diffs, gearbox and transfer case (as well as brake rotors, power steering components, etc) need to seat in and during this process they are susceptable to heat build-up, so mechanics usually recommend that you avoid high speed and prolonged highway driving right at the start. If you have to hit the highway straight off the lot, take a break every half hour to 45 minutes or so for 10 minutes to give the drivetrain a chance to cool off a little.

As for the motor, they do run a little hotter when they're new & tight though the modern efficient cooling systems take care of that so longer drives aren't a problem. Main thing is to vary the engine speeds regularly and give it a burst of WOT (wide open throttle, or foot-to-the-floor) every now & then at lower RPMs to help the rings seat properly & avoid issues with blow-by & high oil consumption later on. This also helps the PCM computer hit all it's targets on it's look-up tables and "learn" all the different throttle positions and fuel/air mixtures for the fuel injection system, meaning more power & better mileage sooner.

 

Our friend ''downunder'' has hit the nail on the head. Varied driving speeds and RPM's will give you good service down the road....

 

You may want to do an early engine oil change, too. I like to get the factory oil out somewhere between 500 and 1000 miles.

Since you have a 2010, I would check the build date on the door sticker. I would change the oil by six-months after the build no matter how many miles.

Welcome to the forum.

 

Thanks for the info! I do suffer from foot on floor disease so I'll make sure I satisfy my itch.

Thanks again!

 

I checked my oil level at 500 miles and it was full, but now at 1200 miles it is dropping maybe half quart tp 3/4s. Is this normal??

 

Yes your going to cook some oil at first

 

I have always been taught #2 is the way to go. The thought being trying to reduce heat in the motor to avoid glazing the cylinders.