Breaking in a New Vehicle


There is no bigger joy than driving a brand spanking new vehicle.  A new car can be some of the best days of one’s life, however, special caution should be taken when breaking in a vehicle- over doing it at the beginning can create certain problems down the road.

Shiny Car - Rear Window Detail

Here are some tips:

Get Your Fluids Moving
While a brand new factory vehicle is of course ready to drive, you don’t want to be too hard on the vehicle.  The reason being is that there are plenty of fluids in your car and they need to circulate throughout the engine, transmission, etc to make sure that your vehicle will be working properly and protected from friction and heat.  This is usually the main concern of breaking in a new vehicle – be gentle for the first few weeks so that fluids have a time to circulate appropriately.  If not, you may do slight damage to your vehicle and not know it until problems occur years later.

Keep Speed Down and Your Engine as Cool as Possible
For the first few weeks that you drive your vehicle (consult your car’s manual for the exact time period or mileage), drive your car slower than normal and keep the engine as cool as possible.  For instance, when on the highway, of course you will want to gun the vehicle, but hold off until the time period is done.  And for those with a brand new vehicle, it is not always a good idea to plan a long road trip where your vehicle can become quite hot from driving all day long.

Be Careful with Cold Starts
Besides heat, cold can be damaging as well.  When starting your vehicle in the cold- less than 32 F degrees, let the vehicle heat up for a few minutes.  Don’t just put in the key, turn the ignition and drive off.  Give your car some time to heat up and get the oil circulating.

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