Today I hit 1200mi and I could't wait any more to take it to redline, took it to redline in 1st, 2nd and 3dr, maaaann this thin has amazing torque. Thank god for the red shiftup light (now set at 6000 ) becouse the car never seems to loose any accelarating power as the revs climb.

Now that I think about it i have to go to the beach (Mexico City, where I live, is 8200ft above sea level). I can't imagine how the car performas at sea level.

P.S. Do you guys think it would be a good idea to change oil, and if so what else should i look into.

Thanks

 

I was wondering about this myself posted and never check.

I am at 1000 miles. I have gone over 4k a couple of times.

But is it wise to just punch it as soon as you have 1200 miles? Or should there be additional 100-200 mile to 5k line and 100 to 6k before hitting redline?

 

at 1000 miles you can start going to 5, or 6k, 1200 is not a magic number, dont do it before, but after is fine.

 

I went to redline when I had 1400. I have a 5AT was in manual mode and hit close to 7000rpm. Auto mode never goes over redline. I had at least 4000miles when this happened. Right now I have over 5000miles and hardly ever full throttle or redline it. Only when I have a good challenge

 

I had my 350Z to 6000 RPM before it had 100 miles on it, and I have been very careful to take it to 6000 RPM every time I drive it. My car is solid as a rock and I expect that it will be so for many years to come. I also believe that my car is much free-er revving than yours and that I have, long-term, a stronger more willing engine than you have.

I shudder to think of the pain and frustration that you must have gone through, driving this speed monster for 1200 miles without taking it above 4000 RPM. I just can't imagine driving this car without winding it out, as it demands! I also despair that you have possibly done your engines long-term harm by training them to be grandma-mobiles.

This is a premium sports car. It is meant to be driven like a premium sports car. The 1200-mile 4000 RPM limit is a MYTH.

I'm running super-premium synthetics in the engine, transmission and differential. This car has never burned anything but Amoco Ultimate. I have done extensive research on this subject and you won't convince me that I have done damage to my car by revving it freely. I have thoroughly enjoyed this fine sports car from the day I bought it while you poor suckers who sheepishly believed the propaganda have been suffering under false limitations.

Free the 350Z! Take it to redline!

(all true but somewhat tongue-in-cheek)

 

also totally unsubstantiated.

dont bust his ***** to make you feel better about the fact that you dont have enough self control to follow the manual directed break in procedure.

for a useless practice, odd that all cars reccomend it, and those that dont have their engines broken in from the factory.

altho I have not personally been able to find evidence either way for it, it may not really help, but your deluding yourself if you think an engine will run stronger or better by pushing it. it is metal, metal does not become stronger by pushing it. as for seals, still unlikely.

 

My statement was strong, so is yours.

My position is not unsubstantiated. Please read this thread and don't fail to follow the links to the Lycoming airplane engine manufacturer's website discussing engine breakin.

https://my350z.com/forum/showthread.php?threadid=3120

Your statement that "all cars reccomend it" is also untrue. AFAIK most modern car dealers/manuals recommend no breakin period at all for new cars. "Drive it from the start the way you intend to drive it forever" is the standard line with modern engines. From what I have seen the 350Z is unusual in recommending a signifigant breakin period and I attribute that to the fact that it's the first model year & Nissan is being overly-conservative.

 

every car Ive seen had a break in procedure.

the most I could understand is that it does nothing, I just dont buy that it helps to rev it. if it does nothing, no harm no foul. I bet a majority of accidents in a new car happen in the first 1000 miles before the driver is used to it. so its not a total loss to take 1200 miles to get acclimated.

 

I've been told over and over that there is no breakin on new cars. The manual on my 1998 V6 Accord says to avoid full-throttle starts, rapid acceleration and hard braking for 600 miles but says nothing about RPM.

So from this (to extend your logic) you're saying that you would feel comfortable taking a car that has been driven for 50,000 miles never exceeding, say, 4000-4500 RPM (as you would drive your typical American auto-transmission sedan) and running it up to redline several times over the course of an afternoon? I wouldn't feel comfortable doing that, not by a long shot.

People get this mindset that a machine is a machine and that's all there is to it. I disagree. Like organisms, machines form patterns of use and if you abruptly alter those patterns you're liable to experience failure. If you spend an afternoon autocrossing a car that's used to being babied you're much more likely to experience a failure than if you autocross a car that's used to being revved. My point is that if you get a car used to being babied then it might not behave well if it's pushed hard.

Red herring. Totally irrelevant to the discussion at hand. We're talking about how machinery reacts to treatment.

 

This engine break-in thing is a mystery. I was looking at a G35 and the salesman took me out for a "spin." We got in the car and he said "hold on." Next thing I knew we were hauling *** down a highway doing 100 mph. I then drove and kept it below 100. Told him I was impressed with the speed but what about running a new engine like that. He said it would do no harm with this engine.

Test drove a Z. When leaving the lot, salesman said "don't get it over 4000 rpm's.

Later bought a Z. Before leaving with the car I mentioned something about a break in period. He said the engines are broken in at the factory- don't worry about it.

I drove the car home (did not go over 4000), read the owners manual and to be on the safe side kept it below 4000 until my 1200 miles came up last week.

If in doubt, follow the book. But it's hard to do with this car.

 

I just broke my Z in too, like a day ago! Power is incredible, especially in 1st, and 2nd. I'm in love

 

ummm but no. machines are not like organisms, metal is metal, it does not heal itself or adapt. only thing you can adapt is by slowly wearing a track into the metal, for a better seal. but why would this track be any different at 4000 vs 6600, except that I know when sanding and sawing, if I sand or saw at full speed, its jagged, for a smooth cut you have to take your time and slowly work it away.

if thats a fair comparison, I dont know, but I do know that my engine is nothing like me, I heal, my cells can adapt to the enviroment, and can reform to a previous shape.

 

FYI, probably like you, I don't believe I have all the answers. ;-)

Contrary to your "metal is metal" argument, a modern automobile is an extremely complex system. Yes, there is a lot of metal but it's not all block; there are also many finely machined pieces of different metals with different expansion characteristics (rings and valves) and there are also many other different precisely-configured components, each with their own expansion/contraction, malleability and flexibility characteristics: seals, gaskets, hoses, tubes, never mind all the computers! ;-)

No, they don't heal, but trust me: the more complex a system the more it logically behaves like an organism.

I think we've probably taken this discussion about as far as we can take it! :-)

Brian

 

the seals I wont intend to understand the best way, I try for the slower is better method of grinding em in, as I said, but is there a right and wrong of it? is doing it fast better than not? probably not, at best, they are likely the same.

in which case thats where I call in the tie breaker of breaking yourself into the car. it has zippo to do with the engine, but that doesnt make it unrelated.

 

See ares I tend to agree with what the other guy has to say. Maybe not the whole orangism thing.

But to me its somewhat rediculous to keep the engine under 4k for a period of 1200 and as soon as u are at 1201 you can push it to 6600. I think this would cause more bad then good.

Anyways I don't know what Ferrari does differently but I was a passanger on a drive in a brand new 400 miles on the odometer and we took it staight to the redline in first and second.

They guy driving was 52 and had a ferrari ever since he was 31 so I think he would know a thing or two about breakin I never asked but wouldn't that be a little strange.

 

ferrari would be one of the cars that comes broken in from the factory. they run the engine in their complex for a while to the proper breakin that they want. Im not sure what their procedure is, but they break it in anyway.

 

Actually, it can sometimes! Heat cycling and stress hardening are very real. And I think there is definate validity to the machine/organism analogy. Look at it the other way: consider the mechanics of a human body. Then you might be able to see what this guy is talking about. It' all pretty interesting, really.