I just picked up a new fully loaded steel blue GC SRT8 on Monday night. My question is how long do I have to abstain from letting it slingshot me from red light to red light (responsibly of course!)? Ever since I got it, it's been snowing here in DC and it's driving me crazy knowing that even when things clear up I have to go easy on the pedal for the first 1-3K miles or so. I've read the posts about the "official" break-in procedures, but wanted to get a sense of what you guys think is the unofficial time/mileage to wait. Come on Doc, give it to me straight....how bad is it?

Follow the procedures for 500 miles and let the hammer drop! Over and over and over. Kinda like wash, rinse, repeat!! Take some time (and $$ for gas) this weekend and put the break-in miles on it -- and then go have fun. I broke mine in in Germany and believe me it was REALLY hard not to hammer on this thing right out of the box. Being passed by trucks in the slow lane sucks. Have fun with it and be safe.

300-500 miles, but do go WOT when you are moving when conditions are safe to assist in the break-in.

Damn right! And the manual even says so!! And I think there are many of us on this forum that gave our engines LOTS of assistance with break-in...... Gotta love it! :)

I was told, almost a year ago, and did (with MUCH delight), is drive it out of the dealer lot - LIKE YOU STOLE IT!!!. The factory will tell you that our engine's future preformance is dependant on how we INDIVIDUALLY break it in. If we granny it, then we will not see the optimal "beast power" down the road. The engine has "driver memory" and will break in depending on how we treat her from mile 1, like a female. That doesn't mean that we should beat on it. Just use the autostick aggresively AND also play in full automatic aggressive as well. I personally dumped the factory oil after 500 miles and replaced it with AMS Oil. I just hit 6K miles an hour ago and I cannot be happier with the roar and power - AND I HAVE NO MODS YET. Every 3 tank fulls, I will give her a little extra octane boost - especially in the NY winter.

Thanks everyone. Great comments! This forum has been phenomenal at answering the 3,000 questions that I had and that the dealership had no idea about.

The STEALership knows nada. 5 star my toukis! I have learned more from the folks on this forum in the last couple of months than I had all last year. keep your questions comin, we all learn.

Congrats on your purchase!

I vote for a ban on anymore usernames with SRT8 in them. You guys are getting hard to tell apart. :D

And all you guys buying them in the DC area are pissing me off. Can't any of you live in the Baltimore area?

Alex

I waited 150 miles before getting on it. After that it was pure bliss.

When conidering a proper break in period think about this. When they assemble that gorgeous motor at the factory what do you think they do? Put it together an leave it alone? Assume everything is ok for the hell of it? No. They run the piss out of it. By the time you get your vehicle it has already seen redline, for a not so short period of time. Every time I sell one of these I tell my customers exactly that. The trans learns your habits, an that starts from day one.

Str8DC -

Congrats on your purchase. By chance, did you pick it up at Tysons-Dodge Jeep? If so, I test drove that one - don't worry, I was gentle. :) I decided to hold out for the 08's...can't wait to place my order. :D

Alot of people bypass the break in period and just hammer away right at first start up. Me personally I gave it its required 300 mile break in the way it states in the manual and then slowly brought it up to WOT at about 450-500 miles

You have to let all the seals break in properly when she is new if not you may have issues later in the vehicles life. Be nice to her now and she be nicer to you later. IMHO

Oh and keep it the hell away from Westbury Jeep in LI, NY thats another way to maintain longevity.

Only problem I see is when they are test driven. I know they get beat on pretty good. Mine did!!:D Hopefully I'll have no problems.

Yes, I got it at Tysons. They actually let quite a few people test drive it (140 miles when I bought it!). I was a little nervous, but thankfully the price I was able to negotiate, in my mind, made up for any possible wear and tear.

As for breaking her in, I was doing really well keeping my foot light on the pedal.....until a new saab came shooting past me on 66. No way I was going to let him get away with that. This car is incredible.

That said, anybody else notice how this car just skips whereever it wants to go at higher speeds? Any suggestions to counter-act besides just hanging on for dear life?

Str8DC -

Congrats on your purchase. By chance, did you pick it up at Tysons-Dodge Jeep? If so, I test drove that one - don't worry, I was gentle. :) I decided to hold out for the 08's...can't wait to place my order. :D

That said, anybody else notice how this car just skips whereever it wants to go at higher speeds? Any suggestions to counter-act besides just hanging on for dear life?

Other people have mentioned this, but I just don't notice it. Maybe it's just second nature to counteract the pulling for me, and I don't realize I'm doing it. Guess that's my superior driving skillzzzzzz. :rolleyes:

(that would be a joke)

Alex

I did the "modified" breakin where you increase the rpms and load you show the engine, and also the runtime of the engine itself. several WOT's in low gear increasing the final rpm where you get out of it, then increasing the load(higher gear WOTs). After 500mi I had it on the bahn doing 160+. I did have the oil and filter changed at 100mi. Im at 1900mi now and no probs, I hit 165+ almost everyday back & forth to work.
http://www.mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm
this link has the gist of what I did, most important, I waited until oil temps are above 150 before any wot stuff.(still do). Once its warm, beat the hell out of it!!

also, I've noticed no oil usage between my 100mi change and now.

Str8DC -

Congrats on your purchase. By chance, did you pick it up at Tysons-Dodge Jeep? If so, I test drove that one - don't worry, I was gentle. :) I decided to hold out for the 08's...can't wait to place my order. :D


I worked out the one at Safford in Springfield..... The dealer rep made a funny noise in the back seat more than once on the test drive....


Then I didnt buy at that dealership. HA HA.