C63S Break in - Is it necessary?

[BAMG]

Grow up mate, it's just a car.

Couldn't you just wait a few days?

It would take me a few weeks, not days.

 

[renault12ts]

I'm not going to rag it, the only deviation from the breaking in instructions, will be putting it in Sport +. I will still try to keep below 4500 rpm for 1000 miles. I simply can't purchase a c63s coupe and put it in Comfort.

In that case I'm not sure. But can't imagine why you couldn't.

 

[flowrider]

I'm not going to rag it, the only deviation from the breaking in instructions, will be putting it in Sport +. I will still try to keep below 4500 rpm for 1000 miles. I simply can't purchase a c63s coupe and put it in Comfort.

Best not buy one then if you cant be sensible. Just saying!!

 

[AlexM]

Do a couple of hundred miles around town to wear the gearbox clutch packs in, then sport/sport+ should be OK but observe the engine rpm and load recommendations.Don't just drone up and down the motorway - build up the load and driving progressively. The engine in part in particular wants to be run in with reasonably brisk acceleration and varying load, but not to be lugged from low rpm. This will seat the piston rings optimally and give more power ultimately and lower engine oil consumption. Gearbox break-in is for the reasons I said before - clutch and bearings need some running to get to optimum condition before experiencing high loads.

Anyway, you asked if running in is necessary, the answer is that that is the manufacturer's recommendation and it's made for a reason. Be patient and reward yourself with some anticipation. Only little kids don't understand delayed gratification (just kidding!)

 

[TeeCee]

Do a couple of hundred miles around town to wear the gearbox clutch packs in, then sport/sport+ should be OK but observe the engine rpm and load recommendations.Don't just drone up and down the motorway - build up the load and driving progressively. The engine in part in particular wants to be run in with reasonably brisk acceleration and varying load, but not to be lugged from low rpm. This will seat the piston rings optimally and give more power ultimately and lower engine oil consumption. Gearbox break-in is for the reasons I said before - clutch and bearings need some running to get to optimum condition before experiencing high loads.

Anyway, you asked if running in is necessary, the answer is that that is the manufacturer's recommendation and it's made for a reason. Be patient and reward yourself with some anticipation. Only little kids don't understand delayed gratification (just kidding!)

This is exactly the approach I have been told is best - apart from anything else it's almost impossible to touch even briefly on 4.5k revs in comfort so bed in with comfort - comfort all the way till the engine oil and diff are at full temp (the Amg menu will tell you this in thr MFD) and then a bit of sport+ to flex the engine between low revs and the 4.5k suggesed limit - personally , no matter who owns the car or how it's purchased it seems wrong to rag it straight out of the box - if you really can't wait go for long weekend away .

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

Go on holiday in it, come back and it's run it. Easy peasy

 

[Petrol Pete]

I'm not going to rag it, the only deviation from the breaking in instructions, will be putting it in Sport +. I will still try to keep below 4500 rpm for 1000 miles. I simply can't purchase a c63s coupe and put it in Comfort.

Maybe you should have bought something else instead.

 

[FateSynchro]

Engine break in and gearbox break in are EXTREMELY important, it allows the piston rings to seat correctly in the bores, if you set off ragging it from day one you will glaze the bores and it will either burn oil excessively or lose power.. or probably both.
Anything mechanical that is new has to have some form of break in using break in oils, it allows for the two metal surfaces to bond and wear together in a uniform manner.
Back in the day if you didnt break in an engine properly it was basically scrap, bearing caps and shells need to be heat tempered via varying revs to seat and wear to the metal surfaces.
They dont just ask you to do it for the crack, its a genuine procedure that is VERY important

You dont see people spending big money on huge engine builds giving it barry big boost as soon as its built, they run them low boost gently for the running in period.
All race cars and engines sit on a engine dyno before going in a car to cover a few hundred "running in" miles.

So would i risk knackering a 20k engine for the sake of a 1000 miles driving gentle... no chance, i have too much mechanical sympathy anyway.

I'd play it like this

First 200 miles gentle Comfort mode no more than 3000rpm using the gears and light throttle.. then 200-500 i'd gradually increase throttle to medium and no more than 4000rpm
Then 500-800 i'd be using upto 5000rpm and med to high throttle (no kickdown) and then after 800 id slowly stretch the car up to the redline every 50 miles or so.
So say 850 then take her to 5500, 900 take her to 6000 and then around the 950-1000 mark you can take it all the way.
I mean all this in small bursts btw not like every gear and never full throttle, your just stretching it slowly, you have to remember the engine has NEVER been upto to these RPM's before.

Then once 1000 is covered your sorted, i'd still keep it easy ish for 500 miles after that (by that i mean no track days and keep the oil temps below 120)
Also bearing that in mind, when running in and stretching the engine make sure it is AT CORRECT OPERATIING temp, take it very easy when she's cold as tolerences are much tighter and giving it too much when its cold will cause the same issues as ragging it from 0 miles.

Good luck

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

Also important for effective running in, is to make sure that the engine speed varies. Sitting at 80 kph all the way down to Italy would cover the miles, but would not be as effective as normal driving which requires a greater variety of road speeds, and there for engine speeds.

 

[Petrol Pete]

I would book a hotel many miles away and drive there and back just to get the job done so I could start 'using' the car. I sympathise (a bit) with the OP as I have bought brand new motorcycles that needed running in and that is no fun either. At least in a car like this you can play with ,( I mean STUDY) all the toys while the scenery glides slowly past. On a bike its torture.

 

[Adamccc]

So would i risk knackering a 20k engine for the sake of a 1000 miles driving gentle... no chance, i have too much mechanical sympathy anyway.

£20k?! Try £53,222.40 - that's how much the bloke on youtube was quoted for a new engine for his Hydrolocked C63S

 

[BAMG]

Engine break in and gearbox break in are EXTREMELY important, it allows the piston rings to seat correctly in the bores, if you set off ragging it from day one you will glaze the bores and it will either burn oil excessively or lose power.. or probably both.
Anything mechanical that is new has to have some form of break in using break in oils, it allows for the two metal surfaces to bond and wear together in a uniform manner.
Back in the day if you didnt break in an engine properly it was basically scrap, bearing caps and shells need to be heat tempered via varying revs to seat and wear to the metal surfaces.
They dont just ask you to do it for the crack, its a genuine procedure that is VERY important

You dont see people spending big money on huge engine builds giving it barry big boost as soon as its built, they run them low boost gently for the running in period.
All race cars and engines sit on a engine dyno before going in a car to cover a few hundred "running in" miles.

So would i risk knackering a 20k engine for the sake of a 1000 miles driving gentle... no chance, i have too much mechanical sympathy anyway.

I'd play it like this

First 200 miles gentle Comfort mode no more than 3000rpm using the gears and light throttle.. then 200-500 i'd gradually increase throttle to medium and no more than 4000rpm
Then 500-800 i'd be using upto 5000rpm and med to high throttle (no kickdown) and then after 800 id slowly stretch the car up to the redline every 50 miles or so.
So say 850 then take her to 5500, 900 take her to 6000 and then around the 950-1000 mark you can take it all the way.
I mean all this in small bursts btw not like every gear and never full throttle, your just stretching it slowly, you have to remember the engine has NEVER been upto to these RPM's before.

Then once 1000 is covered your sorted, i'd still keep it easy ish for 500 miles after that (by that i mean no track days and keep the oil temps below 120)
Also bearing that in mind, when running in and stretching the engine make sure it is AT CORRECT OPERATIING temp, take it very easy when she's cold as tolerences are much tighter and giving it too much when its cold will cause the same issues as ragging it from 0 miles.

Good luck

Thanks for the thorough post... I'm going to follow your advice.... at what point would you allow Sport + mode? Would it be okay after 200 miles, providing I keep the rpm low?

 

[HB]

Remeber , the car records how you drive it. If you rag it during running in and something goes wrong, kiss your warranty goodbye.

Also relax, it's too dam fast for the road anyway. You won't be able to keep your foot in for more than 7 seconds.

 

[Doc matt]

Am I the most boring person on here when I say the last 4 cars I've owned have had launch control and I've never ever used it? I'm not really a quick off the mark guy, more of a country lane twistie guy.

 

[Deleted member 113659]

Am I the most boring person on here when I say the last 4 cars I've owned have had launch control and I've never ever used it? I'm not really a quick off the mark guy, more of a country lane twistie guy.

Not at all. I'm the same with the seat lumber adjustment. Never used/adjusted it once.

 

[FateSynchro]

Thanks for the thorough post... I'm going to follow your advice.... at what point would you allow Sport + mode? Would it be okay after 200 miles, providing I keep the rpm low?

Personally I wouldn't bother, it states in comfort mode for a reason.
S+ changed the shift patterns, it could inadvertently stick you into 2nd at high revs, I'd wait till your around 800+ before using s+

 

[GeeJayW]

Also key to break the brakes in correctly too. Otherwise expect problems in the future.

I've not owned anything like a C63s, but have driven and worked on very high-performance cars as part of my job before retirement, and enjoyed growing into them before jumping all over the pedals and 'having fun'. Doing this too soon and too enthusiastically is a recipe for damaging the longevity of the car and going straight to the scene of the accident.

Chill out, you have an enviably quick car. Treat it like a fine wine and savour it, don't gulp it down like a cheap can of lager.

 

[FateSynchro]

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[Alex]

I believe street car engines are broken in at the factory. Do you honestly believe a car manufacturer would trust the single most expesnive part of the car in the hands of the first owner they've never met? It doesn't make any sense.

Besides, car manufacturers stipulate breaking in for 1k miles but not changing oil? Then how about all this swarf and shavings? Most likley because breaking in has already been done on the stand and oil flushed hot before the engine has been put in the car.

Follow the mfr instruction, yes, but don't fret and exercise common sense - you're not going to ruin it.

 

[FateSynchro]

I believe street car engines are broken in at the factory. Do you honestly believe a car manufacturer would trust the single most expesnive part of the car in the hands of the first owner they've never met? It doesn't make any sense.

Besides, car manufacturers stipulate breaking in for 1k miles but not changing oil? Then how about all this swarf and shavings? Most likley because breaking in has already been done on the stand and oil flushed hot before the engine has been put in the car.

Follow the mfr instruction, yes, but don't fret and exercise common sense - you're not going to ruin it.

If this was the case then it wouldnt state that break in for 1000 miles was needed in the owners manual, and there would be no issues with running it flat out from day one.
But it states that you only use comfort and avoid high revs.

Engines are bench tested yes, the intial break in is carried out on an engine dyno when they test to make sure the engine is functional.
IT IS not a full break in, it equates to about 100 miles i think, but either way i'd still be taking it easy and doing as the video says.
Infact, i'll fire an email away to MB UK and see what they get say.

Oil is not changed because owners find it an inconvience, engines have evolved over the years granted and oil technology is much greater but 10-18k miles on things like 2.0 Turbo engines (Audi S1) and even the E63 with its 12k intervals, mental for a 5.5l V8 twin turbo lump that runs 100+ oil temp.
Mine gets dropped every 4000 miles or after anything that creates a long high temp situation