Hey guys, as you can see from my post count, I'm brand new to the forum! In fact, I haven't even got my corolla yet! It will be here soon though, in a few weeks. I was wondering if you have to break in a corolla (obviously I"ve never bought a new car before) and if so, how you do it? Thanks!!

Should be in your owner's manual.

Try not to make hard stops in first few hundred miles.

Try to not operate at a steady speed - vary your speed.

Don't tow anything.

Really just common sense.

Enjoy your new Corolla.

I'd add to Bob's list the fact that there is no real need for an "early" oil change. Just wait for the first normal service interval of 3,000 miles to arrive, then make the change. Be sure to use a genuine Toyota oil filter, regardless of the type and brand of oil you select.

All good advice. When you get your car, refer to your manual. You'll see even more pointers on the break-in period.

I am also planning to get a new car and need your advice. I drive around 90 Miles to work (45 miles one way) a day mainly on highways (70 MPH limit) and roadways. Any advice on breaking in?

So I finnally got my car. When I picked it up, I asked the dealer about breaking it in and he told me just to not make abrupt stops for the first few hundred miles. I looked in the manual and it points out some stuff and like somebody said, all pretty obvious. However, one thing I'm having problem with.... my friend told me in the past your supposed to vary your speed to "get even wear on your piston rings." This makes me wonder how much I'm supposed to vary my RPM's. Naturally, being a new car, I don't really wanna redline it but right now I'm shifting at about 2500 RPM's and I"m thinking that maybe thats too low because although my rpm's are almost never constant, it only ranges about 1500 rpms.

From comparing aftermarket with Toyota air filters, it appears that Toyota's are very well made.

The oil filters are most likely the same high quality.

Since you can trust Toyota filters, why not use their oil filter just to be sure.

Like everyone else is saying VARY YOUR SPEED. Keep it under 60 mph. No sudden stops. Basically baby the car for the first 1000 miles. The engine is filled with a special break-in oil so don't change it for 5000 miles.

As for highways with 70 + mph traffic, just stay in the right lane and maybe put your hazard lights on.

I faced this exact dilema when I had to break-in my Rolla. Have thick skin and keep your windows up. There will be no shortage of horns, flashing brights, curse words and middle fingers directed towards you!

UOA of OEM motor oil out of 9th gen Corolla's show nothing out of the ordinary (as opposed to Honda's being filled with high-moly break-in oil).

I don't think there is anything wrong with a couple WOT early on in the engines life, nor with going to red-line once or twice after a few hundred miles are past. I can just imagine slow wear on the inside of the cylinders only up so high on the walls, creating a little ledge which the pistons never go past...until one day you DO have to red-line it (for whatever reason) and the pistons ride up over into fresh territory (maybe I just have a vivid imagination, but ever since I read that scenario somewhere I've made sure to take my car to 6000 once a month after its been well warmed up).

I've also read that deceleration is good for a new motor, something about the vacuum pulling oil past the rings, and the alternative forces & wear (some people put the clutch in and ride it to stops from like 40MPH out...tsk tsk).

G

I never took it easy breaking a car in, Ive always driven them normally and Ive never had any problems.

The engine in my '03 Corolla LE has never been operated WOT and the RPM's have never exceeded 4,000 RPM, even in forced acceleration shifting the auto transmission manually. I cannot imagine revving up to 6,000 rpm. Ever. If I ever did and the engine blew up on me, I'd consider it to be my own damn fault!

Anyone who does WOT acceleration on their Corolla and gets the RPM's up to 6,000 RPM can not reasonably expect the same kind of long, dependable life out of their motor as it is capable of giving.

I agree with Larry. I have never operated WOT nor have I taken the needle past 4000 RPM. Garrett's treatment sounds like unecessary abuse.

aha!

I'm not doing it 24/7, just once out of what, every 2000 miles of operation.

I've read somewhere that engine wear increases substantially once you start exceeding 80% of the normal RPM range (ie, once you exceed 5000 RPM). They then set the red line so that it also can be attained, but should never be exceeded. Therefore, I typically shift at 4000, occassionally at 5000 if I am trying to merge on the highway, etc etc, and once a month to 6000.

Between my UOA, using synthetic oils, and my monthly self-abuse, I'm not losing any sleep about damaging my engine:

http://www.pcspecialties.com/oil/UOA1.jpg

http://www.pcspecialties.com/oil/UOA2.jpg

Yes pushing your engine isn't going to push it into sudden death.

In a car and driver, or whatever magazine they had a good breakdown of a "break in schedule"

Was something like this...

0-100 mi stay below 3400 rpm , twice into 3800

100-300 stay below 3700 rpm, twice into 4200

300-600 stay below 3900 rpm , twice into 4800

600-1000 stay below 4200 , twice into 5200+

At 1500 mi i changed the oil....just seemed to make sense.

now that is just ruff estimates...but makes plenty of sense to me. (same thing as garrett was sayin sorta) But i change my oil sooner then the 5000/6mo mark (usually 3500-4200, and/or 4mo)

I like to give h'er hell once in awhile....up into the 5000+ rpms, i don't think it is quite WOT, i don't think i have ever had her truely floor'd...but maybe haha. THe corolla is such a peppy engine , its quite easy in my opinion to get into the 5000+. (used to old minivan from parents, and 2001 saturn sc1 (115hp).)

Garrett:

Re: Your monthly "self abuse" please do not elaborate!

We were more concerned about your occasional abuse of your Corolla.

[Your monthly "self abuse" please do not elaborate!] lol larry.

in all of our brand new cars we gunned it full rpm's on the way home, and in alot of drives since too. we enjoy our cars and have had no breakdowns. remember, we had an 85 corolla sr5 with 250k miles and it wasnt driven like it was fixing to break down if it was ever gunned or high rpm'd so I choose not to live in fear. the motor has a 6k rpm limit, it wouldnt be designed that way if it couldnt handle it so I for one intend to use it.

I am new to the Corolla, however I am NOT new to the Celica or the 1zz-fe engine. It is a STOUT little engine and it can handle just about any abuse you throw at it. As mentioned before, Toyota set the redline at the highest SAFE rpm. Trust me, they are not going to put a redline at a point that may require them to pay more to fix your car under warranty! There has always been a big debate on proper engin breakin but this is where I stand with it....You should very your engine speed as much as possible. Don't hammer on the car too hard but for the most part break it in the same way you will drive the car. That is, don't specifically change your driving habits for break in (unless you driving habits include redlining every gear).

There are people pushing 200+whp out of the stock 1zz internals and that have been doing it for thousands of miles no problem. I REALLY doubt that city driving with the occasional redline shift will have ANY negative effects on the life span of your engine.

I think motorcycle engines are a great example of how much abuse a small 4 cylinder engine can handle. I had a 600cc motorcycle that I sold at 35,000 miles. On the freeway at 80mph this engine ran at 7000 RPM in 6th. It saw redline several times every day it was ridden. It spent 2000+ miles on the racetrack where it was ridden between 9000-14000 RPM. I killed the transmission just before I sold it from too much clutchless shifting. I pulled the motor apart to inspect the transmission (they share the same cases on a motorcycle). The main bearings still looked almost new and it never burned a noticeable amount of oil.

THere is alos a story of a 900cc engine that was only filled with regular non-synthetic 10W30 automobile engine oil. They changed it every 3000 miles and after 100,000 miles, it was still running strong.

I don't think automobile engines are significantly different in terms of durability.

toyotas anyway. I see alot of mustang motors being rebuilt before 100k miles, in the 60k-70k mile range. lol

Ive heard the same with my tractor engine, dont run it full rpms you'll wear the engine out fast. Ive always cut the yard with it running full rpms and 8yrs later it still runs like a dream. just the other day the neighbor was tripping out over it and said "that motor sounds great"..."sounds like a motorcycle"..."man it sounds good". he wouldve croaked if I told him we got it back in 97. lol