1000 Mile Break-In Period?

[Snickel Fritz]

Wow... lots of gonzo wacko stuff in this post, but I'll address only two points:

1) The evidence is overwhelming -- not just in this thread but in the world at large -- that no special driving technique is necessary for proper engine break-in other than what is recommended in the owner's manual.

2) If you're going 15 mph on busy streets, thus causing numerous other drivers to tailgate you and have to pass you "aggressively," then the "idiot" is YOU.

As per point #1
I didn't really say otherwise. This does however mean that if one is forced to frequently drive at speeds in excess of 75 mph (highway), or drive at any constant rate of speeds and RPM (supposedly something to avoid according to the manual) or routinely slam the breaks to avoid collisions... well, that kinda defeats the purpose, doesn't it?

As per point#2 You apparently didn't understand what I was referring to. The suburbs around Hartford are mostly short, narrow, and full of foot traffic at night. There are also many, many vehicles parked on both sides of these narrow streets, which are also poorly lit. Oncoming traffic? Enjoy seeing next to nothing, because 4Rs have poor stock lighting (even my halogen upgrades get washed out). Oh, and enjoy the errant children, thugs and junkies wandering out in the streets (suburbs don't always mean "good neighborhood" bub). That's the reason for having to travel at 15 mph.
You're in Oregon though, so you wouldn't understand that... and I didn't expect anyone not from around Hartford to understand.
So yeah, I was't "holding up traffic", nor was I being a presumptive prick. Oh wait, that wasn't me...

 

[WNY PAT]

There are numerous videos online detailing how new motors are broken in at the factory. The contaminants that you’d find in a brand new motor are flushed at the factory. Crazy as it sounds to us old timers, Toyota engineers have determined a 10K oil change interval.

 

[Snickel Fritz]

And boy, are we glad for it! I watched some of those videos, and read some of the Blackstone Labs results- very impressive. Now if they could only find a way to break the engines in at the factory, and eliminate the discrepancies with fluid levels and such... without costing a whole lot more.
Still, I'm pretty happy with my 5th gen. The lighting is abysmal, the entune/backup system is useless in bright light or inclement weather (and yes it has clumsy nav), and there are maybe a few other things that keep it from being "perfect"- but it'll do. It'll do just fine, because it's still a major improvement over what we had 30 years ago.
I am curious, how long have you had yours? Any quirks or foibles noticed when it was new to you?

 

[TrailHeadWorthy]

Is there a break in period for the 4X4 systems?

Should the 4Runner be at a certain mileage before using: 4wd, 4Low, Crawl Control or Rear Locker?

Just picked up a 2018 OffRoad and anxious to take it on the trails but going to wait untill at least 1,000 miles before anything technical and steep.

 

[Cndnmax]

Is there a break in period for the 4X4 systems?

Should the 4Runner be at a certain mileage before using: 4wd, 4Low, Crawl Control or Rear Locker?

Just picked up a 2018 OffRoad and anxious to take it on the trails but going to wait untill at least 1,000 miles before anything technical and steep.

I went off-roading with 700miles on the ODO and 50miles on the suspension. Tried every gadget on there. There’s really no major break in period anymore. Just long enough to burn off the oil shine they put everywhere in the engine compartment lol.

 

[Judd94]

There’s no real break in for the 4wd system.
With that being said, here’s what i do.
— the more you use it the easier it all engages.
— pull the shift lever with authority don’t be too gentle.
— the Toyota recommended 10 miles in 4wd per month. If it’s raining on the highway that’s usually what I do. Had a Toyota master tech tell me you drive on dry straight highway to do. But I personally don’t like that idea.
— I occasionally engage my rear locker and 4Lo. Engage and disengage a few times with some driving in each setup. Usually I do this in a gravel parking lot and I play with the crawl control and atrac so that I can vaguely remember how to use it if and when I need it. There’s so many settings it gets confusing.

Have fun

 

[WNY PAT]

And boy, are we glad for it! I watched some of those videos, and read some of the Blackstone Labs results- very impressive. Now if they could only find a way to break the engines in at the factory, and eliminate the discrepancies with fluid levels and such... without costing a whole lot more.
Still, I'm pretty happy with my 5th gen. The lighting is abysmal, the entune/backup system is useless in bright light or inclement weather (and yes it has clumsy nav), and there are maybe a few other things that keep it from being "perfect"- but it'll do. It'll do just fine, because it's still a major improvement over what we had 30 years ago.
I am curious, how long have you had yours? Any quirks or foibles noticed when it was new to you?

Well the 4R was my wife’s choice, not mine. I’m glad she picked it, although I wish I could’ve talked her in to the ORP, but alas, that was not to be. Ours is still quite new, under 2,000 miles. The only factory defect I encountered was a bad door seal which resulted in a slight whistling sound as speeds increased. The dealer ordered a new seal and it took them literally less than 5 minutes to take the 4R and replace it. It’s been fine since. The only other annoyance for me is a clicking sound intermittently from the driver’s seat when accelerating. I don’t have any issues with the Entune screen in the 4R or the Tundra. I agree that the stock headlights in both the 4R and the Tundra leave a lot to be desired. At least there’s a fix for my Tundra - the new ‘18 Tundra LEDs are available with a plug and play harness for about $750 or so. At some point, I’ll upgrade the Tundra lights. The 4R - IDK - my wife hardly drives it anyway and whenever we go anyplace, we’re in the Tundra.

In terms of break in, I used to be a true believer in dumping the oil at 1,000 miles, etc.. After sending in my own samples to Blackstone and reading others’ experiences with Blackstone, I don’t ever recall seeing a single report that said the oil should have been changed sooner than the recommended factory interval. So, I still will dump the factory oil at 5K miles in the 4R (as I did for the Tundra) because Inam too set in my ways to go 10K on the factory oil. But, honestly, I’m just wasting my money and I know that in the rational part of my brain. After that first early change though, I’ll be following the 10K interval and not worrying about it at all. Happy driving in your 4R! There might be some old tech, but it sure looks and drives great for a truck that can hit hardcore trails right off the showroom floor with no mods. These body on frame tanks won’t be sold forever, get them while they’re here!

 

[Toffees]

Bought mine and immediately drove 250 miles of Interstate and State Highway home. 2 years later I've got 50,000 miles on it and the tires still don't rub.

I even ran a few hundred miles over the recommended oil change timing once or twice.

 

[MidnightOffRoad]

Avoid absolutely flogging it for the first few hundred miles and try (if possible) to vary the rpms and not drive extended periods with the same RPM.

All you're really doing is trying to get the rings to seat properly and all the rotating and mating components to develop their proper grooving and mating before you ask the engine for all it has.

Until the rings are seated properly, if you absolutely flog/redline it, you get the possibility of oil blow by (which reduces octane rating), which leads to potential engine knock and preignition (which is bad/hard on a motor).

With modern sensors and what not, the knock sensor is supposed to recognize this.

Basically I'd avoid mashing the go pedal while going uphill in 90F in the highest gear until the engine is completely worn in. That's a recipe for engine knock WITHOUT blowby.


Modern engines have ways around some of the old pitfalls, but there is NO way around ring seating and if you do a leakage test on the engine you'll find that the compression goes up after they properly seat. It doesn't take long though. Just don't want to flog the engine until that happens.

 

[mallurunner]

Reading through the manual on my new 4runner and came upon this:
■Breaking in your new Toyota
To extend the life of the vehicle, observing the following precautions is recommended:
●For the first 200 miles (300 km):
Avoid sudden stops.
●For the first 500 miles (800 km):
Do not tow a trailer.
●For the first 1000 miles (1600 km):
• Do not drive at extremely high speeds.
• Avoid sudden acceleration.
• Do not drive continuously in low gears.
• Do not drive at a constant speed for extended periods.

I've abided by this as best as I could except for the driving at high speeds. Also thank you MidnightOffRoad for explaining the reason why.

 

[Jammer]

My Toyota service tech told me that there are no break-in periods for my 18 TRD. I had to ask other service techs and they all concur.

However, they reminded me that Toyota recommended 10 miles in 4wd once month.

For new owners, did you guys get the same info?