How to break-in your Porsche

My wife recently finished breaking in a 992 Carrera T that she purchased and is now breaking in a 718 Carrera T.

I have mentioned breaking-in several times in the past on my blog, but this time I will update the points I have noticed since then, and also discuss this breaking-in process.Our way of doing things, our way of thinking.I would like to share with you about the following.

Do I need to break in my Porsche?

Recently, many manufacturers claim that breaking-in is not necessary, but as for Porsche, the vehicle's owner's manual statesIt clearly states that a break-in period is required.

For the GT3, which is equipped with a racing engine itself, the instrument panel will display the following message when the engine is started during the break-in period after 992Follow the break-in setting for a maximum of 1500 km.The message "I am a member of the community" is displayed on the screen.

The manufacturer makes it clear to this point,As far as the Porsche is concerned, you should at least break it in.If you care about your car, you must do it, because it is a very important part of your car's performance, and for racing engines such as the GT3, it is enough to display a message.

This is how we break in our Porsche.

What not to do during break-in

First, before I explain what kind of breaking-in process I am doing, I will list the things I never do during the breaking-in process. In fact, breaking-in is not so much about how you do it, but more about what you don't do. It is more important to say "don't do this" than "how to do this.

1. Do not drive a little (short distance)
2. Do not use the idle stop function
3. I don't use 7th or 8th gear.
4. No sudden movements

First, about the first, this is what the manual says, "It goes against the 'drive as long a distance as possible'.The reason for this is because the engine is stopped before the oil is completely warmed up. In Japan, where the humidity is particularly high, the moisture in the oil will continue to accumulate, causing emulsification of the oil. In addition, since the engine does not warm up, the pistons and other metal parts do not reach their designed values, which take thermal expansion into account, and this is not an appropriate environment for breaking-in.

As for #2, the idling stop function is always off. By the way, even after the break-in period,It is always off in our house and never used.

Turning this on is like daring to deliberately create a little riding environment of one, and the oil warms up slower,It also puts a tremendous load on the cell motor and battery, and does nothing good for the engine.So I turn this feature off.
(For more on the evils of the idle stop function, seeOda Auto's Youtube video(For your reference, the following is a detailed description of the)

3 is, "I know high rpm isn't good, but wouldn't cruising in 7th or 8th gear at low rpm be better?" Many people may think, "I know high rpm is not good, but isn't it good for cruising in 7th or 8th gear? However, we believe that using very low RPM and driving in higher gears on roads with slow cruising speeds, such as Japanese highways, is not a good idea.

Imagine this. Let's say you are pedaling a bicycle.

If you shift your bicycle to a higher gear (heavier gear) and pedal without going fast, it is very hard on your leg muscles. This may be good in terms of building muscle strength, but it is hard to imagine that it is not good in terms of "acclimatization" because of the strain on the joints and other parts of the body.

Cars are no different. Breaking-in is what we humans callRun with a light load, just enough to keep you from getting out of breath.The best "break-in" is to "break in" the car.

So, run as low as possible below 2000 rpm and below 4000 rpm, choosing one, two or two lower gears,Keep the engine running lightly.. Of course, fuel consumption is somewhat lower because of the higher rpm, but the engine is running at a lower load, so the amount of fuel injected itself is not so high.

You might think of it as a bicycle situation where the pedal speed is a little higher, but the gears are lighter, so the leg muscles feel less fatigued.

The fourth is to avoid sudden acceleration, sudden braking, sudden steering, and other "sudden" actions. Some people may think that "sudden braking and steering have nothing to do with the engine. However, "breaking-in" does not only mean breaking-in the engine.

It is also the "breaking-in" of suspension, brakes, chassis, tires, and all moving parts. This is not to say that we should not apply loads. It is important to apply the load to some extent, but not too abruptly, but as gently and slowly as possible. As for the engine, it is not a matter of opening the throttle and raising the rpm to 4,000 all at once,Step on it gradually and let it reach 4000 rpm.This is the feeling that the car is "breaking in". This should also be kept in mind when turning the engine up to the red zone after the break-in period is over.

The state in which the amount of pressure on the accelerator pedal is not in proportion to the increase in engine rpm,Excessive pressure on the accelerator pedalIt is. That means that the engine is being overloaded unnecessarily, so car-friendly driving is to avoid creating such a situation.

What exactly is the break-in process?

After strictly adhering to the above "do's and don'ts," the following specific things are done.

1. Once the car is started, it is always driven for at least 20 minutes and over as long a distance as possible.
2. Run with an awareness of not going below 2000 rpm as much as possible.
3. Use the sport mode a lot.
4. Putting a good load not only on the engine, but also on the chassis and suspension

1 try to run as long a distance as possible, and even if it is short, at least 20 minutes. It depends on the make and grade of the Porsche and the temperature, but even in a car like the 981, which has the lowest oil temperature rise, it is possible to run for more than 20 minutes.After about 20 minutes, the oil temperature approaches the correct temperature.So, we use this as a guideline.

2 except when starting.Running as little as possible in the 1000 rpm rangeThe engine is then broken in. In addition to the above-mentioned break-in load, modern Porsches are equipped with direct injection engines, and many of them are turbo models, which are prone to carbon buildup, even more so at low rpm. Therefore, the engine should be run at low rpm to reduce the carbon buildup as much as possible.

As for 3, the normal mode of modern AT (PDK) is too eco-friendly in its control, so it tries to shift up and down and run everything under 2000 rpm. You could drive in manual mode every time, but in my case, I almost always drive in sport mode except when in traffic. That way, on the contrary, it tries to keep above 2000 rpm as much as possible, and in the case of the Porsche,When set to sport mode, it tries to keep the oil temperature low (in the 90s), which is kind to the oil.(In normal mode, the oil temperature is set to 100°C or higher and the viscosity of the oil is daringly lowered in order to gain fuel efficiency.)

The last 4 means to put a firm load on the chassis so that not only the engine but also the entire chassis is acclimated. So, don't just drive on straight roads, but also apply firm G's on winding roads, flexing the suspension, etc.Appropriate load on all moving parts as well.I am aware of this.

After the break-in is complete.

Basically, I try to change the engine oil and filter. Some people change the gear oil and differential oil as well, but I don't go that far.

By the way, just because Porsche has finished breaking in,Nowhere does it officially say to change the oil.

So, it does not seem that there will be any defects in the product if it is not done separately, nor that it will fatally degrade something faster. So, this is just a matter ofI implement it as ritualistic and moody.(But in fact, when you change the oil, you often feel the engine blow lighter, etc. because it is new oil.)

After an oil and filter change, I try to drive as much as I can. Sometimes I take it to the track and sometimes I run it just before the red zone. Porsche to some extent rather than using it in the low rpm range,It's in better shape if you give it a vigorous engine turn.I was very impressed with the quality of the car and the way it was driven. This was also said by an instructor at PEC (Porsche Experience Center Tokyo). Our Porsche has been abused and tortured, but on the contrary, it is in better shape than most Porsches.

This is our family's way of breaking-in a Porsche. There is no right answer for breaking-in.This is only for your reference in growing your Porsche.We would be happy if you could