Break in period oopsie.

[Catahoula7]

So, as the title.

Last night I was finally able to get myself a 2024 Jeep Gladiator Rubicon. I am super thrilled. I am a little worried about the break in period though.

I purchased it with 41 miles on the clock. After I had an 80 mile trip home. Unfortunately my phone died hard and would not charge as I was negotiating. I checked the manual in the glove box for break in instructions and all it was was quick start info and safety stuff. The dealer didn't say anything either. I know that RPM variability is pretty important, but I figured there was no set standard now because new cars are better, blah blah blah.

Long story short, I spent the next 20 miles doing about 40-55 one they way to the highway, and then made the next 60 miles home. I tried to keep from kicking the piss out of it while keeping my speed a little varied. The apps says this whole trip averaged 50 mph, but that my max speed was 90. (It is downhill a lot of places and so there was some coasting faster without realizing it.)

I am now at 120ish miles. How likely is it that I have now created an oil guzzler? Can my next 170 miles save it?

Thanks.

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[Camaroboi13]

There’s no such thing as a break in anymore. The materials used now are different than the old rings and camshafts from the 60s. I did burnouts right off the showroom floor.

 

[DanW]

So, as the title.

Last night I was finally able to get myself a 2024 Jeep Gladiator Rubicon. I am super thrilled. I am a little worried about the break in period though.

I purchased it with 41 miles on the clock. After I had an 80 mile trip home. Unfortunately my phone died hard and would not charge as I was negotiating. I checked the manual in the glove box for break in instructions and all it was was quick start info and safety stuff. The dealer didn't say anything either. I know that RPM variability is pretty important, but I figured there was no set standard now because new cars are better, blah blah blah.

Long story short, I spent the next 20 miles doing about 40-55 one they way to the highway, and then made the next 60 miles home. I tried to keep from kicking the piss out of it while keeping my speed a little varied. The apps says this whole trip averaged 50 mph, but that my max speed was 90. (It is downhill a lot of places and so there was some coasting faster without realizing it.)

I am now at 120ish miles. How likely is it that I have now created an oil guzzler? Can my next 170 miles save it?

Thanks.

You didn't hurt anything. They run the new engines through a test regime that seats the rings before they are ever shipped to the factory to be put in a Jeep.

Manufacturers know that many of their vehicles are leased. And many go to rental fleets. NOBODY leasing or renting gives a crap to take it easy on the brand new engine. Yet they last just fine.

It is nice to break them in properly, but it's more to feel good than anything else. What I do with mine, though, is change the oil at about 1500 to 2000 miles. Just to get the crap out of there. And there is LOTS of crap. I did a UOA on the factory oil in my 2018 Wrangler and it had really high iron other wear metals, and silicone. That's normal. It would have been fine not to change it, but I do it because I keep most of my vehicles a long time. I really don't think it is necessary.

 

[Minty JL]

Drive it like you stole it......best break in there is.

 

[Catahoula7]

You didn't hurt anything. They run the new engines through a test regime that seats the rings before they are ever shipped to the factory to be put in a Jeep.

Manufacturers know that many of their vehicles are leased. And many go to rental fleets. NOBODY leasing or renting gives a crap to take it easy on the brand new engine. Yet they last just fine.

It is nice to break them in properly, but it's more to feel good than anything else. What I do with mine, though, is change the oil at about 1500 to 2000 miles. Just to get the crap out of there. And there is LOTS of crap. I did a UOA on the factory oil in my 2018 Wrangler and it had really high iron other wear metals, and silicone. That's normal. It would have been fine not to change it, but I do it because I keep most of my vehicles a long time. I really don't think it is necessary.

Thanks for the input and peace of mind. I tend to keep my vehicles for forever. (I still have my first "car", a 1990 GMC Suburban.) I would like to keep this one for the next 30.

This is the first new vehicle I have ever purchased though, so there's a lot of anxiety.

There’s no such thing as a break in anymore. The materials used now are different than the old rings and camshafts from the 60s. I did burnouts right off the showroom floor.

Drive it like you stole it......best break in there is.

I know the manual says to stay around 50-55 for the first 300 miles, but that may just be a holdover. One would figure every fleet and rental car ever driven would be dead in 5 minutes if that was super game breaking.

 

[Hootbro]

Do not sweat it. The no towing rule the first 1K miles is more important than the engine break in rule.

I picked up my 2020 Gladiator out of state and drove it home 400+ miles in one day with 90% of it on the interstate with the cruise on. Did multiple oil analysis on it while I had it and was no worse for wear.

 

[kevman65]

You have 36 months or 36,000 miles to break it.

Quit wasting time.

 

[Minty JL]

Thanks for the input and peace of mind. I tend to keep my vehicles for forever. (I still have my first "car", a 1990 GMC Suburban.) I would like to keep this one for the next 30.

This is the first new vehicle I have ever purchased though, so there's a lot of anxiety.




I know the manual says to stay around 50-55 for the first 300 miles, but that may just be a holdover. One would figure every fleet and rental car ever driven would be dead in 5 minutes if that was super game breaking.

Well look in the high performance world. The last LS I built for my Tahoe PPV. Head, cam, complete valve train, Intake, injectors and 3200 stall converter........warmed up for initial base map.......then ripping it on the dyno at WOT for about 10 runs to dial the tune and about another 5 for the full trans tune.

Break in is a myth.......except for clutches (MT)

 

[Bjeepz]

I have a habit of doing a brake stand burn out before leaving the lot with all of my new vehicles, sales ppl love it!

 

[Lost1wing]

Do you think those 1st 41 miles were treated with breakin period in mind? I wouldn't sweat it. Enjoy it!

 

[Jakeyou]

You didn't hurt anything. They run the new engines through a test regime that seats the rings before they are ever shipped to the factory to be put in a Jeep.

Manufacturers know that many of their vehicles are leased. And many go to rental fleets. NOBODY leasing or renting gives a crap to take it easy on the brand new engine. Yet they last just fine.

It is nice to break them in properly, but it's more to feel good than anything else. What I do with mine, though, is change the oil at about 1500 to 2000 miles. Just to get the crap out of there. And there is LOTS of crap. I did a UOA on the factory oil in my 2018 Wrangler and it had really high iron other wear metals, and silicone. That's normal. It would have been fine not to change it, but I do it because I keep most of my vehicles a long time. I really don't think it is necessary.

I work at the plant that makes the 3.6 we stopped hot testing engines about 15 years ago we only cold test.

 

[Mr._Bill]

I found that the ACC works quite well for varying the throttle during break-in.

 

[NC_Overland]

You’re completely fine. Just don’t hammer on it for the first 500 miles and you’re good. Funny thing about my 3.6l is I was never hard on it till like 7k miles when I wailed on it for like 20 miles trying to keep up with a friend on some mtn roads. I was in manual mode and it was 4-6k RPM wide open for the whole time. It started getting a lot better mpg after that. I was annoyed that it never came close to the EPA figures and then after that it started getting EPA figures. Actually, slightly better. It’ll get 22-23 mpg on the hwy going 75 mph on 285/70/18s. It came with 255s and I still have the stock 3.73s. It used to only get 18-19 mpg hwy. It’s been like that for years now. It’s a 2020.

 

[DanW]

I work at the plant that makes the 3.6 we stopped hot testing engines about 15 years ago we only cold test.

That is great! Glad to have you here to give some good info!

How many revolutions do they do in a cold test? If it's spinning, then oil should be flowing even if pistons are not firing. And rings should be seating, at least initially.

 

[Jakeyou]

That is great! Glad to have you here to give some good info!

How many revolutions do they do in a cold test? If it's spinning, then oil should be flowing even if pistons are not firing. And rings should be seating, at least initially.

To be honest I don't know how many revolution. I have never worked in that department. But I do know at a final Assembly Plant once the Jeep is all put together they'll run it on a dyno until it gets to operating temperature at different RPMs before they put it out in the yard. That could help with seating the rings.

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