2012 370Z Oil Temp

mhcoss

Yep. Nissan engineers that designed the break in recommendations know far more about their engine's inner workings than we do. That said they are far more qualified to make break in recommendations and I trust their recommendations more than any theory crafting.

I'm getting a 'brand new z' with 100 miles on it. I'm kinda worried about what kind of abuse it received in that first 100 miles though

ImportConvert

Nothing you can do about it, just finish out the other 1100. Remember, this car is meant for people, and I know an awful lot of people who do dumb crap. I'm sure Nissan does, too. There is certainly some leeway for improper procedure within limits.

Obsidian

I am at 700 miles of my break in and it's misery. It can reach 100+ at 4K rpm in 6th though, lol.

I say follow the break in procedure ... I had an '03 Evo VIII I broke in properly and it burned very little oil. I had an '05 Evo VIII where I did not follow proper break in and I had to add oil weekly.

BigT

I'm actually glad you brought up an evo. I bought a brand new Evo X back in '08 that had 8 miles on it when I drove it off the lot. What was the first thing I did? A WOT pull from 2nd gear up to 4th gear. This is quite literally as soon as I passed the vicinity of the dealership. Why did I do this? I wanted to break the piston rings in the hard way. I didnt launch the car until 16,000 miles, but I shifted hard and boosted every single mile before that. It didn't burn one lick of oil and I owned the car until 28k miles. It hit 27psi on the stock turbo almost every single day and I never had a single problem with that car. It sounded smooth as butter and it actually shifted a ton better then my friend's Evo X's.


To add to this topic, I called the dealer I bought my Z from last week. I wanted to schedule an oil change as my break-in miles are almost complete and also to verify that when I do bring the Z in, they will always use the specific Z oil. The service manager confirmed that they are using the correct oil and then began to give me a whole lecture how breaking in a brand new car doesn't really exist like it used to. He actually told me, "yea the manual says 1200 break-in miles, but that's not really it. They just don't want anyone "breaking" the car before they learn to drive it." So, yea... He then politely told me not to schedule an early oil change.

LakeShow

I broke in the car under 4k for 1,400miles and now at 3k with Synthetic Mobil 1 and everything seems to be working very well and very powerful.

__________________
|2013 Audi S4|Ibis White/Black|S-Tronic P+|
|2013 370z|PearlWhite/Persimmon|Touring/Sport/Nav|F.I. CBE 18" CF|
|Sold|2011 370z|Gun Metallic|Touring/Sport/Nav|

SMJane_Again

I found this link that seems to corroborate what you're saying to some extent. Granted, it's focused primarily on motorcycle engines, but I have to imagine there's some crossover for this approach. Link below.

New Engine Break-in Procedure

S.

__________________
~S.M.
"Don't look back. Someone might be gaining on you."
-Satchel Paige

ImportConvert

Your car, your business.

Had a crate motor that was broken in your way, and used tons of oil. Broke my 'vette in my way, and never used a drop past the break-in period.

As to "leaning to drive the car", that sounds good, until you consider that they don't advise heavy towing with trucks for a certain time, etc. etc. Your service manager would also make a great bartender.

SS66

I have to agree with you dealership contact comments. Old school GM big blocks etc. would run 70 -80 thousand miles with some starting to smoke etc. Cars engineered today are totally different. Engines built today run for 200 thousand plus miles with no major issue other than the normal maintence.

ImportConvert

That's because of the cheap material used in the blocks, etc.

I have taken cars in on trade from OLD ladies who never revved it beyond 3K rpm. Yet NONE ever came back for snapping rings when some kid bought it from us. (Former Ford employee). Why? Because the blocks are a lot better (or the cylinder liners, car dependent), and don't wear so readily. No "ridges" of import are formed on them to snap rings like older cars developed, which is why you used to be told that if a car had been babied for 50K miles or whatever, never un-baby it or it will die like a dog.

SS66

I agree with your comments 100 percent. Engineering and much better materials 100 percent. Love the hell out of my new Z but they will have to pry my dead cold fingers off that old BB car. LOL and yes I will be dead someday.

gbrettin

I bought my car used so I'm not exactly sure how it was broke in. I did but my motorcycle new,2002 R6, and drove it normal. The main thing I did was give it oil changes at 500, 1000, 1500. During those 1,500 mi I never kept it at redline for any extended periods.

It ran like a champ... until it was stolen (55,000mi).

Gauge

Why don't they just run the motors before putting them in if this is the case?

ImportConvert

Time and money. The 370Z is not that expensive to justify the extra cost in their esteem. The brakes in the GT-R are bedded by the factory though, as I understand it. Maybe they also do a bit for the engine/transmission?

Nick911sc

IIRC All motors are run to redline prior to leaving the factory regardless of auto maker...

ImportConvert

The one in my Z06 was not, unless someone loading it onto the car got a hardon and did it. I cannot speak for other cars, as I did not watch them being produced like I did my Z06. I further spoke to one of the LS7 engine-builders who said the engines were run on CNG at 2,000rpm for 2 minutes or so, after being built. Nothing near redline. Just an engine-dyno to assure that it would make the 505bhp, calculated by extrapolating the dyno curve from 2K.

The highest it was run to was about 4400rpm (4K rpm I think is the max, anything above something like 45-4800 or 80mph gets a phone-call from GM corporate, as that machine is wired into them and monitored) on the dynamic alignment machine as they checked my car's alignment.