How To: proper break-in period on your new Subaru 

I love how you make the videos none of the others are making etc... thanks heaps ☺

Pistons move in 2 directions: You have 2 on each side of the Boxer and the at in opposition (e.g., 2 on the left, 2 on the right); so they move laterally left/ride at the same time mirror image. That's it.

For some reason I’m expecting a Sasquatch to tackle him down

Thanks so much for the info! I just ordered my first brand new Subaru Crosstrek so this was really helpful!

Would like to have had this information when we got the vehicle. Bought it in one city, and had to drive Interstate & multi-lanes for over 100 miles to another city to get home. Nothing indicated at dealer, and waaay too much in the multiple handbooks & massive vehicle bible for the first few days.

Should I change my oil after first 1,000 miles?

My 2013 outback was part of the Class Action Law Suit for Oil Consumption. 5L over 6,000 km (I'm in Canada). I don't have the pretty blue light other models do. How long do you suggest I wait before driving it???

This seems like a lisf of "I did everything opposite of what you said....in day 1 😖

Are there any break-in period suggestions for a new transmission? I just got a new transmission in my '10 Outback. Thank you!

I accidentally went over 4000 rpms and am junking the car because I don’t want it to fail down the road. I will make sure I’m more careful with my next one 😀

Brendan! You forgot to explain how the Flux Capacitor works during the first 1,000 miles! 2018 Sti Limited "lip" owner, 305HP on tap and 6 piston calipers to stop on a dime. No break in needed, car is a ROCK.

another big thing about break in with engines is let them warm up before take off. people who buy new GM dont do this and new fords are plauges with all kinds of oil burning problemsand by setting the cruise when the engine is fresh.

great info man, 🆗👍🏼🔰🕹🇯🇵 not to many ppl give this advices

Moving piston up-n-down with same RPM will generate the same wave, a non linear, bore oscillating piston rings. Primary break in period is to make it as smooth as possible, so variation will cut those wave hills, along its going full length up-n-down. Rings should sit properly as possible, avoiding those imperfections thus generating full pressurizations and oil burns.

Perfect advice,This is exactly the same info for Porsche 911's during the 1,200 mile break in.

I got mine from a non-local dealer. I pulled out the manual to look up something else and saw "don't drive at the same speed for long periods of time for the first 1000 miles" right after driving three hours home in cruise control... oops 😂

Shopping for a new wrx. Noticed some show high peak boost. Are those cars to be avoided?

Well done - a good list of ideas to consider. Please note that you need to avoid 'braking' heavily , not 'breaking'heavily, as you spelled in point 3 of your list!

Don’t forget to rotate your sneakers too!

in automatic transmission, does your rpm exceeds 4000rpm before it shifts gear?

Pistons only move in one direction. Top dead center to bottom. There is no range of motion change to this. It is only the speed in which it goes up and down.

Does increase in RPM actually increases piston travel? or does it just make the pistons move faster? I would think that the change in RPM affect the transmission more than the state of the pistons.

I see no mountains in the background. Cruise control on interstate in an area with mountains will certainly result in a variety of engine speeds/rpms.

Never broke in my Ford Focus ST and it lasted almost 300k miles with zero oil consumption before the deer totaled it

130 km/h works car happy

What about a turbo engine? Do you have to break it in also, and how?

When should you change your oil in the brake in schedule ?

break in: vary your speed, and accelerate slowly or moderately. That's it!

These engines were factory tested before it was installed in the car.

Thanks for trying to help, some people just want to criticize everything and everyone. Instead of taking the time they spend writing stupid comments and using it to try and make a video to help others, they try and pick at other peoples info.

Lol Not over 4000 RPM and vary RPM as to make sure all the pistons travel in the right direction???? (Add hand gestures here). Oh my.... This is a terrible way to explain proper wear in procedures.

i went over 4k RPM in sprint mode for about 1 second at about 250 miles on the car.. can anyone tell me how much of a problem this could be if any at all?

I used cruise control going to michigan from Chicago for my first 1000mile 😱 is my car okay?

Follwed the procedures religiously, and cars routinely get in excess of 100,000 miles.

Nice package again Brendan

I have a new Forrester with less than 400 miles on it. I am obeying all the break in rules. I want to put a million miles on her. I just got 18 years out my GMC Sierra so I want to see if my Subaru can beat it.

Sorry but the pistons will move the same distance no matter what rpm the motor is at. It just moves faster or slower...

3. Braking*

Brendon, you know that your pistons always follow the same path to to bottom, they don't move further at higher rpm, so you're cruise control rationale is flawed.

What about a 45 min. drive home from the dealer at turnpike speed with the new Impressa?

Let’s see...broke in the engine on our 2011 Outback as per the proper way...and it blew a head gasket at under 60,000 miles...so our new crosstrek break in was a straight 1000km run....my advice...just drive it like normally would...no special driving crap

Where to begin? I've been building sports cars and motorcycles for forty years and have never seen a full break-in check list anywhere. This is what I do. Warm up the engine every time you drive, even if it's still warm from the last drive. Sixty seconds is good, it warms the oil so that its viscosity is correct and can lube the engine well. Remember the engine is turning over fifty times a second at 3000 RPM, so it needs to be lubricated well. Drive easy for the first mile because the transmission and differential warm up by friction, not engine heat, and they need proper lube, too. In a new engine, because it wears in, there are a lot of metal particles that get into the oil and recirculate in the engine causing wear you don't want. The first oil change should be at about five hundred miles to get that waste out of the engine and replace with fresh, clean oil. A side note; When I build an engine myself, I use a special oil called "Break-in oil" for that first five hundred. As to dyno testing at the factory, it does not run in or break in the engine. A new engine doesn't even produce full power until it's broken in. The factory tests to be sure the engine will be reliable and has no immediate problems, though some do sneak through anyway, but they don't break them in. About 1970 dealers started telling customers that they didn't need to break in "these new cars". There is no such magic, the Otto engine is basically the same as Heny Ford built in his bicycle shop. Dealers do like to sell more cars,, though.

You're telling me the pistons move up and down higher and lower depending on RPM? That's a strange engine. The best way to break in a new subaru is the take out the lower dash and rip out that damn seatbelt chime. Most annoying car chime. Ford - through the speakers is a close second.

So don't go on the freeway?

using brakes: s/be spelled braking!

People who are not technically knowledgeable should not attempt to speak technically. The explaination of why was painful to listening.

Hope this guy doesn't work at the R&D department.

Basically dont drive it .. Like you Stole it😁

A symptom of youthful business folks today.....they invent explanations instead of simply saying "I'm not sure why" or ......"I was just told by someone who's an expert". I find time and time again young people trying to act like they know something and looking foolish instead of a simple "I don't know" . Personally, I know very little about car engines....(maybe a 6 out of 10 in understanding). But even I knew the reasoning given for changing rpm was way off base.

this is hilarious, what era is this guy from?

lol you wont get satisfaction i got to 250k on my 05 FXT and 180k on my 2014 FXT now i had a wrx 2012 (EJ25) that just cracked a cylinder sleeve at 60k... they just don't make them like they used to... break in or not head gaskets fail all the time, constant rough idle issues with the new FA20 motor. Oh BTW they are about to redesign almost all the cars subaru sells that are worth buying....

Just drive the shit out of it, its under warranty.

Seriously? You don't want to have the engine rev above 4,000 RPM in the first thousand miles to give "all the pistons to move through and properly lubricate..." That is, how can I put this nicely, a pile of crap that even a Subaru would have trouble plowing through. That said, the 2017 v. 2018 video was pretty good.

The pistons travel the same distance and same stroke no mater what RPM they are running at... they don't do a different patter if there running at a different speed... so you have no clue what your talking about... bad information... go back to school before you try to lecture people on a subject you know nothing about...

back to toyota

. . . now I don't know about Subaru - but I don't think they are an exception - the fact is engines are redlined at the factory so that you don't need to do the 60's brake-in period. In fact you want to load the engine like when going uphill so that the piston rings expend against the cylinder wall and wear square - to avoid rounded ring edges under light load - that will cause oil burning down the line. And this is important the first 200 miles. So in fact this braking the engine period is a recipe for disaster. Now we are not talking about rough driving. The manufacturer does not want you to go nuts and get in an accident. This is the main reason why they limit you the 1000 miles or 1000 kms.

All good and correct information. However, #4 is something I never do. That's just crazy hard on any car. As an old gear head I can say, yes, you can use cruise control during the break-in, however, you must change the speed every 5-15 minutes depending on how long of a trip you're on. The basis here is to not continually drive at one speed. Vary the speed.

1:39 is the most bullshit explanation I have heard. Really? So...at low RPM the piston does not move "fully" or in "all directions"? Really ? is this is best explanation Subaru can give.?

"Pistons moving in all of the different directions"?? He's talking nonsense off a badly written script. Plus the clip can't spell "braking". What he says on varying engine speed is correct though.

It's good that you guys are doing this video, but...Pistons travel in the right direction and varying ranges? That makes noooo sense to me. Can you at least do your homework before making a video?

how to break in a Subaru, drive it like you stole it.

Maybe it is a USA thing, but around here you break-in horses and run-in engines.

This guy is pissing off those of us that know how engines work. Typical salesman bullshit.

Funny. All motors are tested on a dyno for hours before being installed in the car.

Interesting video but learn to spell BRAKING

This guy should stick to talking about something he understands - he has NO clue how an engine works or WHY break-in is important.

Here's what I can tell you all these modern engines can be driven normal within the break in period just don't beat on the vehicle just drive it like an 80 year drives on Sunday ease into the throttle lightly take off slowly make sure you let your engine worm up for 10 minutes before going anywhere be easy on the brakes no last second stopping no slamming the brakes unless you have too rotate you tires when your supposed to change your oil every 3,000 miles and your oil filter use the proper oil type and weight and make sure it's synthetic oil don't buy cheap oil or cheap oil filters I use Castrol edge synthetic oil or Mobil 1 synthetic oil and I use Mobil 1 oil filter or Bosch oil filter. Make sure your drive your car normal and don't beat on it for the first 5,000 miles if you fellow my advice you vehicle will last well over 200,000 miles even after 5,000 miles try not to floor it too often only every once in while and try not to do 100 mph that much you will end up killing your engine and never ever go over 100 mph just drive normal 80% of the time only open it up every once in a while after the first 5,000 mile break in period. Make sure you keep an eye on your fluids never let then get low always change your oil every 3,000 miles and your oil filter change your air filter every 15,000 miles and change your transmission filter every 15,000 miles. And change your transmission fluid too at 15,000 miles flush your coolant every 20,000 miles make sure you check your front and rear end fluid every 5,000 miles to make sure it's not low.