[font=Comic Sans MS:4bbd5efd5b]Does anyone have advice on how to break in a new Prius? Is is similar to conventional wisdom of other cars, or is the whole idea bunk?[/font:4bbd5efd5b]
Engine RPMs are only loosely related to vehicle speed in the Prius, so old ideas about how to "break in" a car don't apply. I'd say follow the owner's manual; it's not in front of me but it says something like, avoid hard braking in the first 200 miles, and no excessive speed (which is not defined, but surely at least 60 MPH is OK) in the first 600 miles. "Gentle accelerations" seems to be the principle here. Some recommend an early (1000 miles) first oil change; the manual is silent on this point.
Hi dixie_cox !! You don't mention whether you already have a Prius or one on order, or are considering purchasing one. My 2004 Owner's Manual, page 202 has this paragraph: "Break-in period Drive gently and avoid high speeds. Your vehicle does not need an elaborate break-in. But following a few simple tips for the first 100 km (600 miles) can add to the future economy and long life of your vehicle: • Avoid full-throttle acceleration when starting and driving. • Avoid racing the hybrid engine. • Try to avoid hard stops during the first 300 km (200 miles)." Another valuable resource is John1701's User Manual which you can find online at: http://john1701a.com/ - which reads more easily and contains much useful information.
Months ago there was some talk here that it's good to drive a new prius on the highway for a few hundred miles. From what i remember some people had problems with the O2 sensor getting a gunk on it and making the service engine light come on and it seemed people that picked up their Prius far from home and drove on the highway right away never had this problem
Back in olden times, when craftsmen carefully machined engine components by hand to exacting tolerances, there were many tales told of how to correctly break in an automobile engine. With careful driving it was not uncommon to go 20, 30, even 50 THOUSAND miles without having to rebuild an engine! These legends live on... even today.
one year ago right now I was on the hiway driving my new 2k3 Prius home. 2 1/2 day's and 1,800 km's later we got in the back yard. The dealer wanted $800 to ship it here. 1 year later I've spent exactly $627.16 for gasoline including the trip home. Just drive it like you normally would and you'll have no problems with the breakin.
