# Piston rings on a brand new vehicle. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 14, 2014, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/piston-rings-on-a-brand-new-vehicle/681378 "2014-02-14T22:39:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mangosteen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Mangosteen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangosteen)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2014, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/piston-rings-on-a-brand-new-vehicle/681378/1 "2014-02-14T22:39:29Z")
My wife just got a 2014 Honda Odyssey. Some people have told me that the rings are broken in at the factory and others say one has to baby the engine a bit at first. We’re planning a road trip to AZ from where we live in southern CA. Will the constant speed on Highway 10 damage the new engine? ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2014, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/piston-rings-on-a-brand-new-vehicle/681378/2 "2014-02-14T22:43:02Z")
What does it say in the manual about a break-in period? I know, the manual. What am I thinking? ---
**Author:** ![JerrySTL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e274bd/32.png) [@JerrySTL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JerrySTL)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2014, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/piston-rings-on-a-brand-new-vehicle/681378/3 "2014-02-15T00:46:47Z")
Like Airman Doors (shouldn’t he be an SRA by now?) said, RTFM. My wife’s Nissan said to drive it easy for the first 500 miles and vary the speed a lot. I guess that 360 mile trip at 70 mph we took the week after buying the car wasn’t ideal, but so far, so good. ---
**Author:** ![Mangosteen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Mangosteen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangosteen)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2014, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/piston-rings-on-a-brand-new-vehicle/681378/4 "2014-02-15T00:54:00Z")
Manual has “nada” on _break in period_. 2011 manual has a section on it, but since then the Odyssey manuals are silent. Maybe they have taken care of it somehow at the factory. ---
**Author:** ![iMouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e9c0ed/32.png) [@iMouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iMouse)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2014, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/piston-rings-on-a-brand-new-vehicle/681378/5 "2014-02-15T01:48:40Z")
They ‘say’ that you no longer have to break-in new vehicles, but I choose not to go that route. Keep your RPM under 4K, and vary your speed, for the first 500 miles. Like a little chicken soup, it can’t hurt. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2014, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/piston-rings-on-a-brand-new-vehicle/681378/6 "2014-02-15T02:04:12Z")
Here’s what the manual for my 2010 Honda Fit says about the break-in period: > [@](#): > > Break-in Period > Help assure your vehicle’s future reliability and performance by paying extra attention to how you drive during the first 600 miles (1,000 km). > During this period: > ● Avoid full-throttle starts and rapid acceleration. > ● Avoid hard braking for the first 200 miles (300 km). > ● Do not change the oil until the scheduled maintenance time. > You should also follow these recommendations with an overhauled or exchanged engine, or when the brakes are replaced. Nothing in what they’re saying indicates a problem with a long drive at highway speeds. ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2014, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/piston-rings-on-a-brand-new-vehicle/681378/7 "2014-02-15T02:27:13Z")
> [@Mangosteen](#): > > Manual has “nada” on _break in period_. > > 2011 manual has a section on it, but since then the Odyssey manuals are silent. > > Maybe they have taken care of it somehow at the factory. I’ll be honest… I didn’t believe you. So I checked the manual. Imagine my surprise when there actually wasn’t anything in it. So I apologize for the smart-ass comment. That’s the first manual I’ve ever seen that didn’t have anything in it about a break-in period. So here’s my advice: do it anyway. It can’t hurt. Follow the advice in the old manual. For something that represents such a large outlay of money and is going to be expected to last a long time, maybe even a decade or more, assuming it’ll be OK because they did it at the factory doesn’t strike me as a particularly good idea. It’s a short period of time and it can only benefit you in the long run. ---
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2014, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/piston-rings-on-a-brand-new-vehicle/681378/8 "2014-02-15T04:08:51Z")
When you stop to think that after driving your car 150,000 miles the wear is almost not measurable then you realize how insignificant a break in period is. I think it is good not to really push a new engine but nothing really changes much from break in to well worn in. My manual has nothing on break in as well. ---
**Author:** ![watchwolf49](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9c0ed/32.png) [@watchwolf49](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/watchwolf49)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2014, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/piston-rings-on-a-brand-new-vehicle/681378/9 "2014-02-15T04:16:54Z")
I’m shocked that one manual says to _not_ change the oil until the first maintenance check. I changed the oil at 100 miles and the drippings had noticeable metal shavings in it. Did I miss a memo someplace? All the auto mechanics I’ve talked to say it’s a great idea to change the oil right away. ---
**Author:** ![realmarine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/90ced4/32.png) [@realmarine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/realmarine)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2014, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/piston-rings-on-a-brand-new-vehicle/681378/10 "2014-02-15T05:50:13Z")
Mangosteen, while times & technology have changed engine science,design, materials, [in the case of your que, piston rings] , the song pretty much remains the same. I-Mouse nailed it. Differing throttle conditions [without going to extremes] is and for 99% of new vehicles is the way to go. An important part of Piston ring break in is to have short bursts of high combustion pressure to force the rings to seat, Up to an unmeasureable point. Dewey Finns advice is safe & sound with the exception on rapid stops. That’s more pertinent to pad & rotor break-in. If his thought was oil starvation, All oil pan & oil pump pick-ups are fully baffled to prevent oil starvation in such situations.Respectfully, watchwolf 49,Changing the oil too soon can be a bit of a mistake.Most new cars [with the exception of High performance engines that come from the factory with Synthetic oils], have friction modifiers. These additives are meant to create an environment that causes almost a rapid wear time to not just the piston rings,piston side walls, cylinders & all bearings, that all components do so in a prompt fashion. The end result is to create a harmonious balance of reduced friction, while still doing their respective tasks.If you own a new Corvette, Ferrari,Lotus, Jaguar or even a V-8 Mustang or Camaro that come factory equipped w/ synthetics , an early & expensive oil change rules don’t apply. For the rest of us, follow the Manufacurer’s recomandations. We all know about planned obselescence.They do not, however, want grenaded engines as a selling tool. That will not bring them repeat customers. When in doubt, follow the Mfgr’s directions. More often than not, they are in your best long term interests… realmarine ---
**Author:** ![watchwolf49](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9c0ed/32.png) [@watchwolf49](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/watchwolf49)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2014, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/piston-rings-on-a-brand-new-vehicle/681378/11 "2014-02-15T14:52:03Z")
Thanx, **realmarine** , too late for this rig but I’ll be more mindful next time.