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Engine Break In Procedure?

ADK Tiro

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Your first new vehicle, or experience with a dealer?
Nah! Just the first time I’ve ever ordered from the factory, so all this talk about what the factory puts into it got me thinking, “what DO they do with a new vehicle off the truck?” Now I know a bit more about it! My apologies to the thread police for thinking out loud...
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ShadowsPapa

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Nah! Just the first time I’ve ever ordered from the factory, so all this talk about what the factory puts into it got me thinking, “what DO they do with a new vehicle off the truck?” Now I know a bit more about it! My apologies to the thread police for thinking out loud...
Just wondering as all new vehicles, even those on the lot, either have gone through prep or will.
I guess I was surprised that someone figured they could drive one right off the truck and leave with it - but then not everyone has worked at a lot or dealership, etc.
They can't be transported across states all ready to go.

(some on the lot don't have all the plastic removed - I've been on lots where some vehicles have just been through enough to set them out)
 

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Ok. Google is a great thing! A PDI and sticker/plastic removal and thorough washing seems it takes a few hours, if your service department isn’t backed up- and ours is pretty busy most of the time.
The PDI is a little more than just removing plastic protective covers and giving it a wash. The vehicles are transported from the factory in a "ship mode" electronically. Certain computer modules are put in either a limited function or sleep mode to keep the transportation porters from hot rodding your vehicle above certain limits. When the dealership tech actually does the PDI, they have to use their scan tool to actually bring these modules out their sleep or ship modes in a certain order to build up the Can Bus architecture to make it a deliverable vehicle.

I learned this one the hard way when I bought my then new 2018 JL that was a across town dealer transfer. After waiting quite awhile for it to get to the selling dealership, I basically told them to forget the wash and interior plastic cover pull PDI portion of the delivery as I was in a hurry to another appointment. The delivery dealer just assumed the electronic portion of the PDI was done at the transferring dealership they got it from and handed the JL over to me. Drove off the lot and was no further than a mile down the road and the whole dash lit up like a Christmas tree with just about every warning light and degraded power. Limped it back to the selling dealer and they knew what happened and cause. Took them another 45 minutes in service to do the electronic portion of the PDI to wake it up out of ship mode.
 

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Nice explanation. The process has evolved greatly over the decades. It was never truly simple - and now even less so.
 

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Nice explanation. The process has evolved greatly over the decades. It was never truly simple - and now even less so.
I think there is a quicker and easier was of getting it out of ship mode that only takes a couple of minutes with a few sequence button pushes inside the vehicle and/or removal or switching of a fuse in the fuse block.

In my JL example the way the dealer tech explained it to me, is that if you excessively exceed or try to exceed some of the parameters while it is in the factory ship mode, it basically locks the vehicle down hard and that is what causes the lengthy need for the tech to bring out their scan tools to rebuild up the Can Bus architecture of the system.

On a related note, when I ordered and picked up my JT from Tri-City in NC, they wait until you are on the lot to do the PDI. Watched it go into service for PDI and it still took an hour to get it out.
 

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Is it possible that some of it is theft prevention, etc.? I know when I was in college, they talked a lot about GM and rail cars and the trouble they had with theft, vandalism and so on - as a reason they made certain changes not only to the car, but to how they were shipped. (and the reason for enclosed rail cars and certain other changes)
 
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Is it possible that some of it is theft prevention, etc.? I know when I was in college, they talked a lot about GM and rail cars and the trouble they had with theft, vandalism and so on - as a reason they made certain changes not only to the car, but to how they were shipped. (ond reason for enclosed rail cars and certain other changes)
Could also be theft prevention as a side benefit. I know my JL ran fine off the lot until I got above 45 MPH and it seriously detuned the engine and I was lucky to get about 30 MPH limping back to the dealer.
 

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Is there a recommendation on when the truck can begin towing after purchase? Or should the initial break-in miles be reached before towing?
 

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How many of us follow this procedure when test driving a vehicle?
Which procedure? A lot has been said in this thread............
Test drives don't usually count - they are short, rarely more than a few minutes tops, depending on dealership, their protocols, traffic, location, etc.
And everyone is different - I never take a vehicle on a test drive and cruise at a slow speed for half an hour. I vary the speed, and merge into traffic to see what they've got.
 

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Is there a recommendation on when the truck can begin towing after purchase? Or should the initial break-in miles be reached before towing?
As a long-time engine builder myself, I'd say after a couple hundred miles, DEPENDING on those miles and the situation, AND depending on the weight of the trailer - I'd say tow. If the trailer is heavy and it's going to be a load, I'd likely wait longer. If not, then not longer.
True break-in happens fairly quickly, it's "wear-in" that can take a few thousand miles - where you get your better mpg and more power due to things wearing and fitting in and reducing drag and friction.
But 'break-in', if that hasn't happened fairly soon, then it likely won't. We were taught a couple hundred miles and it's good to go.
I'd have to look in the book to see what FCA says about it.
 

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Is it possible that some of it is theft prevention, etc.? I know when I was in college, they talked a lot about GM and rail cars and the trouble they had with theft, vandalism and so on - as a reason they made certain changes not only to the car, but to how they were shipped. (and the reason for enclosed rail cars and certain other changes)
Ship mode helps keep the battery from being discharged as quickly as it normally would.
 

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Ship mode helps keep the battery from being discharged as quickly as it normally would.
May well be, but I'd hope that the batteries would hold up longer than the short time they'd sit on transport. Once unloaded, they would normally be moved around every so often - at least they are here. But then some dealers are so big that some may sit for 2 or 3 months un-started.
OTOH -
If my JT can't sit for 4-6 weeks without draining the battery, I won't be very happy.
 

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As a long-time engine builder myself, I'd say after a couple hundred miles, DEPENDING on those miles and the situation, AND depending on the weight of the trailer - I'd say tow. If the trailer is heavy and it's going to be a load, I'd likely wait longer. If not, then not longer.
True break-in happens fairly quickly, it's "wear-in" that can take a few thousand miles - where you get your better mpg and more power due to things wearing and fitting in and reducing drag and friction.
But 'break-in', if that hasn't happened fairly soon, then it likely won't. We were taught a couple hundred miles and it's good to go.
I'd have to look in the book to see what FCA says about it.
Thanks, as the manual doesn't state anything about towing or hauling during or after engine break-in.
 

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What's the engine break in procedure if you're planning to own long term and not lease for just 2 years? lol
Drive it like you stole it, mwuhahahahaha…….shit I broke the engine, lol :CWL:
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