Got 08 2lt on friday, only 30 miles on it, had to make a trip on sunday, unavoidable, from daytona to jacksonville, s I was on I-95 for alittle over an hour, tried to stay around 65 and stopped at two rest stops just to vary speed like the manual says-hope I did not hurt my new baby. It was a great ride though-picked up last friday and now have almost 500 miles on already.

 

Congrats!

stay away from grocery stores.

 

Dont baby it Lake. Keep an eye on the temp gauge, seat those rings! The varying speed thing or whip effect is a good thing. No hard acceleration from a dead stop. Smooth winding up to speed accelerating is good.

 

I have made two trips from Jax to Daytona but I have more miles on mine that yours does.....also two trips to Alabama with highway mpg between 34 and 36 makes for nice driving range on a tank.

 

Strong accel from a stop is okay as long as its a quick but steadily increasing press on the throttle and not a slam down. You want maximum cylinder pressure over and over again to seat the rings, but you need to keep it below 75% of redline on the tach, i.e. don't exceed 75% of redline. If the redline is 6500rpm then 75% would be 4875 rpm.

Also, observe all applicable traffic laws and posted speed limits, and drive defensively.

 

Thanks I pick mine up soon and this is how I will break it in.

 

Hard acceration after 200 mi. Run it up to the red-line on occasions. Don't use the cruise control until you've around 500-600 miles. I know you need to obey all speed laws, but run it up over a hundred when you have to pass somebody and keep it there long enough to see if there are any unusual vibrations or noises.

Consider an oil analysis with your first oil change. See why here:
http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/whatisoilanalysis.htm

The reporting lab will usually tell you if there is anything abnormal. Make sure you let them know this is the first oil change, since there should be more metal residues in this than any other change, but if anything is out of whack they can give you a heads up.

 

Break it in the way you are gonna drive it. The Ecotec motor is nearly bullet-proof. Drive that sucker like you stole it!

 

No, do not take it all the way to redline until you have at least 600 miles on the odometer. Below 600 miles, do not exceed 75% of redline rpm, but do engage in strong acceleration runs up to the speed limit, but without tire spin.

This is how I broke mine in, and using regular conventional oil (Mobil Clean 5000 5W30) the oil level on the dipstick shows no apparent drop come oil change time, which I do 4000 mile oil change intervals with the Mobil Clean 5000 (Oil Life Monitor @ about 50%). Also, the DIC is currently indicating 29.6 mpg for majority of weekly driving being the following work commute: 12 mile route each way, dotted with 14 stoplights and a couple four way stop signs, speed limits of 35mph, 45mph, and a 1/2 mile stretch of four lane w/ 55mph limit (i.e. town driving). Keeping in mind that I try to maintain about 40 or 45 except on the 1/2 mile 4 lane part, because @ exactly 40mph indicated on the speedometer the auto trans locks down the torque converter and rpm's settle @ approx 1500. 45mph seems to show about 1600 or 1700 rpm. This appears to be optimal in-town mpg speeds. Just a hair slower @ 35- 39mph and the trans does not lock down and the tach indicates around 2000 rpm, so mpg is actually worse below 40mph.

I think the whip schedule break-in worked well on mine (see sig for engine and trans config)

 

reason why not to use the cruise contol til 600 miles are more?
thanks for your reply !
Lake