breaking in the new 458

Step 1. Read owner's manual recommended break-in procedure.
Step 2. Follow said procedure.
Step 3. Enjoy!

 

If I remember the dealer told me not to go over 8 grand until 500 miles. But, 458's are really already broken in. The engines are dyno'd, the brakes seated, and track time given to them. You'll probably receive it with 60 miles or so already on it.

I always wondered if it's more a worry that a novice will take it and drive like crazy the first 10 minutes out of the showroom.

Anyway, when you pick up your car, the service manager will go over all this for you. So, don't worry.

 

Don't go over 5k RPM in the first 1000 kms. Do not turn on the car and start driving after it has "rest" for some time (a night for example), let the engine warm a bit.

If the car is stopped by a week for example, turn the car on, wait around 5 minutes before driving it.

Never rev the engine in the break-in time, especially if it is not warmed up (you should never rev your engine, anyway, but some revs after the break in period for fun wont hurt, if the engine is warmed, of course).

Try not to apply full throttle in the break in period.

BTW, you should also bedd-in the brakes.

60mph to 30 brake hard 10 times.
90mph to 40 brake hard 10 times.
(Press the brake pedal to about 80%, do not slam it)

You should never go from any speed to 0 "at a time" if you have not bedded-in your brakes before. (I mean, do not hold the pedal until the car stops, you should: press>release>press>release>... Of course it doesn't apply for really low speed).

Some say you dont need to break the car in, that's my opinion also.. It is up to you..

That's all I remember.
Someone please correct me if I'm wrong!

 

Here is an Audi V10 being tested at the factory. I doubt Ferrari does less.... You guys actually think an occasional burst to higher rpm's will do something bad to the engine after the factory "stress test"???

Let the car warm up to normal oil temps and HAVE FUN! I guess I don't need to mention which approach I took to break in with the 458 or the R8....

Audi R8 V10 Engine testing - YouTube

 

Exactly. I hear about all this "don't rev it high until XXXX miles, break it in" but then we know the factory drives the heck out of it during those ~50 pre-delivery miles...

 

I asked my salesperson about taking it easy during the break-in. She laughed and said It's a Ferrari, it's already broken in." She did say to be careful getting yourself into trouble, though.

 

We have discussed this many times. I would add, as in the case of the Audi, "bench" testing is very different than under "load". I suspect that most Ferrari's are driven fairly hard and even some on the track (Fiorano), but others may have ben taken out during inclement weather and driven more cautiously. Regardless of miles on the odometer, there is no harm in allowing the car to warm up, drive it carefully and under 5.000 rpm, for a few hundred miles. What harm is there in taking your time to get to know the car and it you? We have seen what happens when people are in a hurry to go fast. I have to wonder how many own their cars long enough to really know if it all matters. Probably the 2nd, 3rd, or 4th owner might know best. Best

 

You're wrong.

There's no need to wait 5 minutes with the engine idling. Once the engine is started, the car can be driven gently until the engine is fully warmed.

 

Ferrari is not going to run your engine for 10 hours and conduct a complex series of engine speed changes for you - it would waste a lot of time, space, manpower, money and create a great deal of exhaust that would need to be put through some sort of factory substitute for catalytic converters. This is expensive to do. Why waste so much valuable factory floor space and money on something that owners are expected to do anyway?

People sometimes says modern engines are broken-in at the factory. Right. That's like saying they love to waste money. I think the most they will do at the factory is machine the engines to very high tolerances, run the engines briefly on thin oil while checking the performance specs and then drain, refill the oil before passing the engine.

If the owner's manual specifies a break-in procedure then you should follow it - note it tells you not to run the engine at constant high revs for prolonged periods, so you need to "row" through the gears while on the highway.

Otherwise, please enter your car's VIN below so the rest of us can avoid the risk of owning your vehicle later on

VIN --->
Model:
MY:

 

So, what are those 60-80 delivery miles then? The doc workers in NJ taking them for joy rides to pick up Jersey girls?

 

I would recommend the "break in" period as described in the manual. If you don't and something goes wrong it could be just one of the things that keeps you from a swift resolution. And I am saying "could", so why chance it.

You also need to become familiar with the cars potential after the "break in" period. I would recommend a track event as opposed to doing it on public roads. This car is so fast to fast, that it is criminal to run it any where near its potential on public roads, not too mention how dangerous it can become and how quickly things happen at 150MPH and it doesn't work to tell the cop, but I was just doing 60MPH right back there, so I couldn't have been doing 160MPH right here. Yes you can and the radar confirms it

 

I also try to play by the rules. Though I don't know if it will ever make any difference, it doesn't hurt to gradually get into the car. But I am also curious about whether any of these break in protocols matter in the long run.

 

Well, perhaps you are more used to automatic transmissions than manual "stick-shift" transmissions. In classic stick-shift sporty-driving, the driver watches the tachometer, not the speedometer.

The engine break-in is done in reference to the engine and not in reference to the car per se. So engine speed and not vehicle speed is the key measure - notice the owner's manual says nothing about vehicle speed. If you can achieve engine speeds of 4000-4500 rpm (easily done at highway speeds) you can break-in the engine under normal driving conditions. It's arguably the most fun to row the gears, to hear and feel the engine-braking as you gear down. BTW, that means your engine should only rev up to 4000-4500 AFTER you down shift. If you down shift FROM 4000-4500 you will likely go way over the 5000 rpm limit in the lower gear.

As for breaking in the CCM brakes, I agree with you it is easier and safer to do on the track at 100 mph speeds. But you can also do it safely on a long quiet stretch of highway that permits 80 mph speeds. Just make sure there is no traffic close behind when you brake (several times) in succession.

 

Erm, what 60-80 miles? I think they only happen to the red or yellow cars. Mine's white.

 

Just do not go hard (under 5k) until it reaches at least 150ºF oil temp. That’s all you have to care about! Car is prepared for all the rest!

 

I, for one, maybe the only one, have to wonder how so many of us own a Ferrari and still cannot agree how to drive the car when it arrives? We seem to lack a "reliable" source, i.e. some place, some person, etc. we would ALL believe. Many of us sound like we "know" and then someone else comes along and challenges the "expert". Who is there on this planet we would believe? Reading this thread, we are all over the map (literally and figuratively). Some say the car has miles on it when it arrives so it is broken in, others say, "if the manual says so", etc., but others still wonder as to the "motivations" of the manuals writer(s), i.e. for the car or the driver's safety?. How many service technicians have been asked and how many answers have been reported?

I have not read a post where someone claims an engine failure due to a lack of proper break in. However, as I have said before, the overwhelming majority of Ferrari owners never drive their cars enough miles to approximate a point of predicatable failure. Those of us who race cars do not break in motors and they run fine for several races at maximum duress.

I have an idea, why don't we ask those who build and test the motors what they do when they first get their own Ferrari? Anyone visiting the factory? Best

 

Thank you for the correction!

 

i was at 200kmh in first 200km. break in is bogus. that's just my opinion.

 

I visited the Ferrari factory in Maranello last year. Every Ferrari is road tested in Maranello prior to deeming it fit for release which accounts for the mileage on the car when you get the car. Mine arrived this week with 44 miles on the odometer. Start the car, drive until oil temp is between 140-160 and have fun!

 

Break in enginewise is always the same procedure:

changing revs for the cylinders and steady revs for the crankshaft not over

4000 revs for the first 1000 km

5000 - 7000 for the following 1000 km

and then you can higher the revs step bs step

Engine will develop full horsepower not before 8000 km

As already said: after starting wait 1 minute at least to warm the engine,
then not exceeding over 4000 until the engine has at least 80 Cel degrees.

Drive the engine "cool" before cutting it, especially after a fast run and open the bonnet to let the hot air out avoiding that
all sealings and gaskets are under high pressure not longer than necessary - you open the button of your shirt as well if its "hot".

Important as well as breaking in the engine and brakes: breaking yourself in with the new car

Regards
Jimmy

 

Just drive it moderately till the oil warms up which takes 5 to 10 minutes. Then you are good to go. And also don't drive it as you steal it all the time

 

Many opinions on "the right break-in" procedures, and good points of view here.

I've formed a bit of my own viewpoint, partially as a long-time car guy, partially as I've had to tune my daughter's race motors, and mostly from my race team and several Ferrari/FNA techs

General rule- cold engines+high revs are never good regardless of miles, same goes for gearboxes. Warm up is key, get it to some temperature before driving, especially hard. Engines you can idle for a bit, gearboxes and diffs need to be driven to get warm.

"Break-in" is more important for ultimate performance; get all the parts tolerances and seated. How much, how long....that we can debate all day (and seem to enjoy doing)

Dynos make sure the engines work within spec; the factory miles are to make sure the car works with no obvious problems. Neither are really "break-in".

YMMV, but none of the 3 new cars we purchased nor any I've seen or tried had the brakes bedded from the factory. As other threads have claimed, the Ferrari CCM's do best when bedded properly and when used properly, else you may think they are "no good"

These cars, for road cars, are relatively tight tolerance, highly stressed machines, and may require a bit more attention to how you use them than a GMC Yukon.

 

Thought I was clear that pushing the car anywhere close to its limits (after break-in) should best be done on a track and not public roads. I was not recommending that you should break-in the car on a track or break the car on a track either

 

There's advice, good advice and damn good advice, LOL!