First new car ever...and I bought an HHR!!!
to the site and 
on your first brand new ride!!!
07-01-2007, 09:23 AM
#12
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Join Date: 05-26-2007
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Posts: 1,554
Stangable, do not use cruise control on the trip. Vary the speed up and down throughout the trip. Try to make as many "pit stops" (bathroom, food, drink etc) as possible. When accelerating back up to speed, give it generous throttle but don't floor it, but enough to qualify as brisk acceleration. Watch the tachometer and let off before exceeding 4500rpm indicated.
Do not exceed 4500 rpm until 500 miles are on the vehicle. Why 4500? Rule of thumb is don't exceed 75% of redline rpm until 500 miles are up. Dash tachs are notorius for being off by a couple hundred rpm so I use 4500 to be on the safe side instead of 4875 which is actual 75% of 6500.
Short version: Don't baby the engine during the first 500 miles but don't flog it to death either, avoid cruise control during the first 500 miles, and vary the speed (i.e. rpm's).
Do not exceed 4500 rpm until 500 miles are on the vehicle. Why 4500? Rule of thumb is don't exceed 75% of redline rpm until 500 miles are up. Dash tachs are notorius for being off by a couple hundred rpm so I use 4500 to be on the safe side instead of 4875 which is actual 75% of 6500.
Short version: Don't baby the engine during the first 500 miles but don't flog it to death either, avoid cruise control during the first 500 miles, and vary the speed (i.e. rpm's).
07-01-2007, 09:36 AM
#13
Senior Member
Join Date: 05-26-2007
Location: ...
Posts: 1,554
A completely subjective non-scientific personal observation about break-in: Our PD is over 300 personnel and we usually add about 10 - 15 new uniform cars to the fleet each year. Once they're outfitted with equipment (radio, emergency lights, etc) and decal'd they're put into patrol service. Now these cars don't get babied. They get flogged from day one. They do just fine. They actually tend to be stronger runners throughout their lifetime than the detective cars which don't get run as hard from day one. Go figure.
I really love the look of the interior. GM should have done that from the start. 
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