A good rule of thumb is don't get on it at all until 500 miles. After 500 miles, you can get into it a little bit a couple of times, but not too much. At 1000 miles, you can pretty much start driving it hard, but also make sure you get that first oil change done. With most engines, you need that initial break-in period to allow the seals to, well, seal.

 

Here's some good info and a link on this subject. Simply put, break it it like you're going to drive it normally.

http://www.wrxtuners.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7685&highlight=Engine+break

 

and i highly suggest synthetic oil! i think you are supposed to wait until you are going on your 3rd oil change? but i dont know how true that is.. either way, i suggest mobil1 synthetic oil, or if you wanna pay more for "better" synthetic oil get redline.. but mobil1 should be just fine.
not everyone noticed a difference but i noticed a bit quicker response, and it coats things better.. whether you notice it or not, your engine does for sure!

 

drive it like you stole it.

once it warms up.

 

back in the day "beak in" was very important because all motors had flaws in them and the break in period helped minimis damage. car engines are made to such exact specs these days and put together by machines so they are all put together the exact same way the break in period isn't as important as it use to be. but it never hurts to be safe.

royal purple is also a very good synthetic

 

i broke my car in for about 2000 miles, but that was just me not wanting to do anything to hurt my baby. and on a brand new clutch you are supposed to drive it for a couple hundred miles before really getting in on it.. and i had a new clutch and tranny after 179 miles...lame ass defects.

 

I drove it under 4K RPM's for the first 1000 miles while once in awhile pushing it to 5K RPM's. I use Castrol GTX 10W40 non synthetic.

 

hmm i've got a question that might help the lucky guy with a new sti.

HOW DOES SWRT BREAK IN THEIR ENGINES FOR RALLIES? HOW DOES RENAULT BREAK IN THEIR ENGINES FOR F1s?

does anyone know? then that's exactly what i'd do!

note: substitute "engines" with "cars"

 

let me put it this way: if the techs at the dealership you bought it from are anything like the ones i used to work with, it was well broken in when it was PDI'd.

 

let me put it this way: if the techs at the dealership you bought it from are anything like the ones i used to work with, it was well broken in when it was PDI'd.

or in my case that 179 miles on my odometer was a free "break in" haah they broke it in so well that it left the tranny ready to "break out"

and joker that is a good question but at the same time those are TOTALLY different motors.

 

I know most motorcyle manufacturers have very specific guidlines for breaking in your bike

 

hmm i've got a question that might help the lucky guy with a new sti.

HOW DOES SWRT BREAK IN THEIR ENGINES FOR RALLIES? HOW DOES RENAULT BREAK IN THEIR ENGINES FOR F1s?

does anyone know? then that's exactly what i'd do!

note: substitute "engines" with "cars"

And how often are they replacing parts, clutches, seals, gaskets, etc? I don't think they get 150k-200k miles out of their engines, now do they. Just because a race car does it, doesn't mean it's ok to do on a daily driver. I mean, I wouldn't want to have to break down my engine and replace all the gaskets, plugs, etc every 1/4 mile like top fuel dragsters do

 

And how often are they replacing parts, clutches, seals, gaskets, etc? I don't think they get 150k-200k miles out of their engines, now do they. Just because a race car does it, doesn't mean it's ok to do on a daily driver. I mean, I wouldn't want to have to break down my engine and replace all the gaskets, plugs, etc every 1/4 mile like top fuel dragsters do

wait... are you serious everytime i get home i have to put it up on the rack and replace all my internals...

 

And how often are they replacing parts, clutches, seals, gaskets, etc? I don't think they get 150k-200k miles out of their engines, now do they. Just because a race car does it, doesn't mean it's ok to do on a daily driver. I mean, I wouldn't want to have to break down my engine and replace all the gaskets, plugs, etc every 1/4 mile like top fuel dragsters do

i would agree. just because a F1 team does something, dosent meen you should. its a completly diferent car.

 

good article on break in

The '06 March Issue of MotorTrend has a good article on break in called , "break in, schmake-in." on Page 34.

I think the jist of the article is that for modern automobiles, it's better to drive it easy for the first few hundred miles.

 

as anyone should, especially with a new sti.. a lot of car to get used to.