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2005 Corolla Le




Guest SCV

I just got a Silver Automactic 2005 Corolla LE, with 5000 down, i pay $203 a month.

Is there anything I need to know about this car? Good and Bad.

How Do I break the engine?

Hmm...

I just tried to keep the RPM's under 3000 for the first 300 miles, under 4000 for the first 1000 miles.

I might have gone higer a handful of times but not much.

Tried to say off the highway as much as possible.

I don't think the engine is very picky about being broken in.

Change the oil around 500 to 1000 miles, and again at 5000 or so.

There are guidelines listed in the manual, I sorta went by those.

G

Just keep revs below 3000 till the engine gets up to operating temperature.

My technique of bedding in the rings is feeding the throttle in 3rd gear till redline and driving on hills and putting load on the motor, never missed a beat yet on all my cars.

Guest SCV

My freind said don't "baby your car" as in treat it with care because it was nice. He said going 4500RM is good. Is he right or terribly wrong? and thanks for the information so far.

I would only go to 4500 once or twice before 500 miles. I've read that loading the car a couple times when it is new is good for it...but I wouldn't drive consistantly like that until 1k or 2k has gone by.

Everyone is different, and I don't think it is wildly important exactly what you do as long as you aren't beating it everyday, nor coddling it like it is a delicate baby...

I did the 'gradual increase' method, as miles went by I'd ocAssionally go to higher RPM's, while driving daily conservatively.

Just make sure the engine is warm before you start taking her above 3000 RPM regardless default_wink

How to properly breaking in the engine is a debate that probably will not have any clear winners. There are two camps - the ones that take it easy and the ones that drive it hard. Which method is the best?- depends on a few factors. Looking at break-in methods for marine engines, aviation engines, gasoline/diesel engines - you will see that the primary impediment to a proper break-in is heat and glazing of the cylinder walls.

Universally - they suggest break-in should be completed with conventional oil and and the first oil change as soon as possible. As for break-in procedure - to avoid glazing and too much heat - a gradual approach is better. But to maximize the bedding of the rings to the cylinder walls (wearing away the "peaks" in the honed walls) - you have to get the gas pressure high enough to get behind the compression ring and press it into the cylinder wall.

So the correct method is actually both - don't run it to redline or higher RPMS right out of the box, don't overly load the engine (bogging, chugging), and don't be afraid to give it some gas. The method indicated in the Toyota manual is very general - different people will interprete it different ways. But the agreed method seems to lean toward mixing it up at operating temperature and then start taking to higher RPMs.

I've done it both ways and the results are about the same. Don't know what will happen 300K miles or more down the road (one has 95K, other has 186K) - but neither one uses any oil - one of the signs of a proper break-in.

Good Luck.

Guest SCV

Wow that was a very good post about break-in. Thanks for all the information. feel free to post any more information though ^^;.

Guest modestMouse

wow, just the post I was looking for. I'm about to purchase a 2005 S. I plan on taking a road trip about 2 weeks after I get the car. The trip will put on about 1.5K on the ODO. I was wondering if I should have the oil changed after I get back?

I did the same thing, a road trip to Boston and back (about 1000 miles) with 1000 miles on the odometer.

Make sure you get a lot of mixed driving in first. I've read that highway miles are very easy on a car, and that you DON'T want to use the cruise control for hours on end on a new engine.

It wouldn't hurt to change the oil either right before you leave or right after you get back. Supposedly, the first oil change is one of the most important. Depends on how many miles before you leave for your trip, I guess.

Guest Corollasroyce

from what i have read break-ins arn't really that big of a deal anymore, with newer cars i mean, the engines are built to last for a long long time and generally unless your really boggin the engine the piston rings should set properly and such. I think the best method ive heard is drive the car like you always drive it, don't baby it. on that note don't drive the piss out of it either, and don't rev it above 3000 rpms before it reaches normal operating temperatures, there is a few good websites online about engine break-ins but i still say drive it like you normally do and my last car made 160,000 miles with no engine problems at all or without excessive oil burn.

edit: as for the road trip i would say it will be fine if your car already has 1000 miles on it. otherwise i would defently make sure your fluxuating your speed quite a bit and dont leave it at one specific RPM or engine speed for the whole trip, and don't use cruise controll either (if your car has it)



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