Do new trucks still need a break-in before towing?

[Mountain high]

Either follow the owners manual or find a striking UAW union GM worker and ask for their opinion.

 

[TheBar]

My only difference of opinion is: after that first 500, and at least over the following 1,000, don't be shy with the throttle now and then. Obviously I'm not talking about drag strip land speed runs at every chance, just punch it once in a while. It helps the piston rings seat better during the later part of break-in. You'll be less likely to have oil burning problems later on.

When rebuilding motorcycle engines it is common to give it one quick full throttle punch to 5K rpm to seat the rings. I've tried that and babying them instead, can't say I could tell much difference. Cylinder walls have to be honed to a rough surface to seat the rings.

Back in 1955 Chevy had soft engine blocks because they sold so fast the cast iron engine blocks didn't have time to age. When the customer complained about burning oil the dealer's solution was to pour Ajax cleanser down the carb then change oil after 100 miles. That scratched up the cylinder walls and helped the rings seat. That doesn't work on high mileage engines and I wouldn't do that even on a new engine.

 

[Mountain high]

Back in 1955 Chevy had soft engine blocks because they sold so fast the cast iron engine blocks didn't have time to age. When the customer complained about burning oil the dealer's solution was to pour Ajax cleanser down the carb then change oil after 100 miles. That scratched up the cylinder walls and helped the rings seat. That doesn't work on high mileage engines and I wouldn't do that even on a new engine.

It's too bad that the "Lemon" Ajax cleanser wasn't around back then. It would have been a better choice.

 

[Tulecreeper]

It's too bad that the "Lemon" Ajax cleanser wasn't around back then. It would have been a better choice.
View attachment 167730

Yeah, the extra citric acid would have helped with etching the cylinder walls.

 

[Domo]

There is no break-in period when being towed. The truck brakes get the same amount of braking as your MH, but is that is a concern don't attach the braking module in the truck. Hook up and enjoy your trip!
Then when you do drive the truck you can observe all the break-in admonitions.

OP is not towing the new truck. OP is planning on towing a 11,400 lb 5th wheel.

 

[Blaise]

Wow! Thanks for all the feedback! I certainly learned a few things.

@Domo I do indeed intend to follow the manual recommendations (thus the 300 miles I'll be driving over the weekend). I just wanted the benefit of the experience and knowledge of others - which I got in spades!

Thanks again everyone!

Have a peek at my new ride!

 

[Ex-Calif]

Thing about vehicles today is they all have what are essentially black boxes. Wouldn't surprise me if it recorded periods of certain operating conditions that would reveal how the vehicle was used if there was ever a dispute relating to a failure.

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM

I am sure you are right. My dash has an "oil life" remaining percentage. I am led to believe it has a magic algorithm that is probably factoring in at least RPM, load and miles.

I don't think it yet can figure out "dust and dirt levels" so there is still a generic warning in the manual to replace air and oil filters "more often" for dusty environments.

I just change it by the odometer well below the 10k or 0% life left warning.

 

[Skookum]

Yes, modern vehicles do record lots of data and their oil life monitors (specifically, GM) have taken into account several variables in determining remaining oil life.

GM's OnStar even has the Smart Driver program in which you can enroll. It provides feedback on your driving style for safety and fuel economy.

Insurance programs have discount programs in which they require you to plug their communication dongle into your car's OBD-II port. It provides them similar information on your driving style and habits to ensure you are being a safe-enough driver to qualify for their discount. All of this is data collected by the car's computer systems.

I remember "black box" discussions about cars in the early 90's. The airbag module records throttle position and braking force, and the vehicle speed for a few seconds leading up to when the airbag deployed. Lots of Big Brother worries to the extent on some forums, members reported gutting the modules from their cars, disabling OnStar, etc.

 

[TheBar]

Insurance programs have discount programs in which they require you to plug their communication dongle into your car's OBD-II port. All of this is data collected by the car's computer systems.

And there are insurance programs that collect data from your phone instead of the OBD-II port. Which is worse because your phone knows more than the car computer. Allstate's app knows if you are making hands-free calls while driving and even judges you by the route you take and the time of day you drive. In addition to sudden acceleration or sudden stops and speeding. My guess is they collect this data by using the GPS on the phone.

I tried it for a couple of months and worried they might raise my rates instead of getting a discount. You would think they are looking for habitual offenders but is more like zero tolerance. My experience was if you had one violation per month you didn't get a discount. I had exceeded the speed limit by 5 mph (for 100 yards) and had to hit the brakes hard when someone cut me off. Hitting the brakes hard one time in a month meant my reaction time was quick enough to avoid an accident but that actually counts against you.

 

[Gr8bawana]

When rebuilding motorcycle engines it is common to give it one quick full throttle punch to 5K rpm to seat the rings. I've tried that and babying them instead, can't say I could tell much difference. Cylinder walls have to be honed to a rough surface to seat the rings.

Back in 1955 Chevy had soft engine blocks because they sold so fast the cast iron engine blocks didn't have time to age. When the customer complained about burning oil the dealer's solution was to pour Ajax cleanser down the carb then change oil after 100 miles. That scratched up the cylinder walls and helped the rings seat. That doesn't work on high mileage engines and I wouldn't do that even on a new engine.

In the 1950's they were still promoting this.

 

[Tulecreeper]

In the 1950's they were still promoting this.

Yeah, I miss the good ol' days.

 

[Ray-IN]

OP is not towing the new truck. OP is planning on towing a 11,400 lb 5th wheel.

I sure mis-read his post.

 

[Domo]

I sure mis-read his post.

I do that daily!