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Break-in, recommended first steps

Adumb

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I have read the basics in terms of 1000 mile break in period...keep the RPMs under 4000, vary speeds, take it easy. Got that.

Does anyone have a recommendation on when to do the first oil change? Specifically what type of oil...conventional instead of synthetic for the first couple?

Is there anything you will be asking your local auto shop to do for basic entry maintenance?
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Rahkmalla

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the easiest break in period you'll ever have is on a leased vehicle. You drive it gingerly until you're out of sight of the dealership you bought it from then start doing neutral bombs. At least that's how I think the guy who leased my last car drove it.

On a serious note, if you want to be overzealous, yes a 1k oil change is a good idea. always use synthetic. below 3500rpm if you can manage. varying speeds is good, keep that right foot off the floor.
 

Spooled

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Refer to your owners manual for oil type.

As far as beak-in, don't take it easy. That's not how you break engines in. Drive it how you are going to drive it.
 

RagnarKon

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Father was a Ford engineer (now retired) so I asked him a lot of these questions.

As far as driving goes... he said just drive it normally until the break in period is over. You don't need to drive super gingerly or anything like that... just don't be a lead foot or tow/haul tons a weight until the break in period is over.

He recommended doing the first oil change somewhere between 500 and 1000 miles. Second oil change ~3000 miles after the first change. Oil changes after that will depend on how you drive it. He typically changes his oil every 5000 miles or so.

As far as the oil type, he recommended full synthetic or a synthetic blend for engines with a turbo (which the Bronco has). The synthetics perform better these days than conventional, and he would only consider using conventional oil if it was a naturally-aspirated engine. He said the dealerships these days are all probably using the synthetic blend oils, as it is cheaper than full synthetic.

Is there anything you will be asking your local auto shop to do for basic entry maintenance?
My dealership provides four free "The Works" maintenance packages (oil/filter/tire rotation/fluids/inspection) with every new vehicle purchase that expire after 2 years. I think that might actually be standard for all new Ford vehicle purchases, but maybe it's just a promotion for my specific dealer.

Either way... I'll probably do the first oil change myself just to get a feel for the vehicle and do my initial first inspection. After that I'll be using up those free maintenance packages.
 

JediMcMuffin

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Refer to your owners manual for oil type.

As far as beak-in, don't take it easy. That's not how you break engines in. Drive it how you are going to drive it.
I agree with this 1000%
 

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DorlanJ

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I'm with Spooled on this one. Many decades ago, had a good conversation on breaking in a motorcycle engine with some gear heads before one guy with some insane money went out and bought several new super-sport motorcycles and took them through all of the different theories and manual based break in periods and then ran each motorcycle for about 10,000 miles (by the way, 10,000 miles on a super-sport is about mid-life on them, they get completely overhauled around 25K miles).

End of the day, his report came back as this: Following the manual or majority of the "Take it easy" mentalities did not get any different results than if you drove the engine like you would in a race or normal every day driving. The only commonality between all of it was: do the first oil change early on as the engine and parts that make it up shave metal.

Bottom line: Treat the vehicle how you want to treat it. Everything else is personal preference.
 

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First oil change at 2,500 miles.

Second oil change at 6,500 miles.

I did not observe any break in period, just drove it, and it idles at 500 so I think it’s good.
 
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Adumb

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Refer to your owners manual for oil type.

As far as beak-in, don't take it easy. That's not how you break engines in. Drive it how you are going to drive it.
I appreciate your frame of mind here. Trust me. But it's not a good idea to buy a car and floor it the same day. (Eventually sure!) You may not have any problems but you're asking for them.
 

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Trust me. But it's not a good idea to buy a car and floor it the same day.
Why not? Your engine was ran harder on the dyno at the Lima engine plant harder than you will ever run it. Flooring it isn't going to hurt a thing. That being said, I'm not saying you should go thrash it. I'm just saying babying it is unnecessary.
 
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Adumb

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Why not? Your engine was ran harder on the dyno at the Lima engine plant harder than you will ever run it. Flooring it isn't going to hurt a thing. That being said, I'm not saying you should go thrash it. I'm just saying babying it is unnecessary.
I guess I just don't see the upside? I can wait 1000 miles until I cut somebody off. Better safe than sorry at a very small cost.

It's just what I've read. I'm asking because I don't actually know.
 

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I guess I just don't see the upside? I can wait 1000 miles until I cut somebody off. Better safe than sorry at a very small cost.

It's just what I've read. I'm asking because I don't actually know.
Directly from the manual.

D208ABCC-CA3B-43E5-8EF0-E7DA4B11E2EE.png
 

MorgansRun

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the easiest break in period you'll ever have is on a leased vehicle. You drive it gingerly until you're out of sight of the dealership you bought it from then start doing neutral bombs. At least that's how I think the guy who leased my last car drove it.
The BMW break-in period on a lease ends after you start up the engine.
 

Merc4x4

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Directly from the manual.

Ford Bronco Break-in, recommended first steps D208ABCC-CA3B-43E5-8EF0-E7DA4B11E2EE
avoid driving at high speeds:
pretty sure there is a limiter ~100mph, so no chance of driving at high speeds.

I don't know how people turn those 2 sentences into 'babying' the engine and not exceeding some arbitrary RPM that is not manufacturers redline. 🤷‍♂️
 

Merc4x4

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Why not? Your engine was ran harder on the dyno at the Lima engine plant harder than you will ever run it. Flooring it isn't going to hurt a thing. That being said, I'm not saying you should go thrash it. I'm just saying babying it is unnecessary.
I haven't looked into Ford engine post-assembly procedure.
Are all engines put on a dyno? I could see someone cutting costs and only dynoing a sample of assembled engines for quality control.
If all engines are put on a dyno, do you know if they replace oil and filter after the dyno session?
 

TRMFAM

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Pretty sure that is more for the driver to get familiar with the vehicle and nothing to do with engine or vehicle life span.
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