break-in weirdness

thanks to the wonders of the internet, i've been able to read the owner's manual even before i got a car.

here're some key things to watch out for:

page 115
"drive moderately during the first 300mi. after the initial 60mi [don't ask me what the hell you were supposed to do for the first 60 -- the manual doesn't say], speeds up to 50 or 55mph are desirable.

"while cruising, brief full-throttle acceleration, within the limits of local traffic laws, contributes to a good break-in. wide open throttle acceleration in low gear can be detrimental and should be avoided."

[my brother, the world's best mechanical engineer, thinks this is just bizarre beyond words.]


page 349
"avoid towing a trailer for the first 500mi of vehicle operation."

[um, i don't see a problem here. i don't see a car and think, "tow."]


and maybe the weirdest thing of all
page 391
"for vehicles with a turbo enginer, a small amount of oil accumulation in the air cleaner box is normal. the amount will depend on driving style. the air cleaner box should be cleaned out and a new make-up-air filter element should be installed during the normal air filter maintenance procedure."

[i asked my brother why this might be true and got an illuminating response {that i can't find in my in-box right now}, this is almost certainly an engineering hack. the turbo is puttking too much pressure on engine internals so it's using the air filter as an over-blow area. i'll add more if/when i find his mail.]