The WAHI Family Adventures

(taken from the forum page http://www.smartcarofamerica.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2572&page=3)

So you got a new Aluminum 3Cylinder 1 Litre 71 HP Smart car coming!

(I will be using Castrol 30W non synthetic detergent oil for first 500)

(If you are not comfortable with that then leave the free factory stuff in. But understand this...full synthetic oils have exceptionally high shear strength and they actually slow down or prevent effecient break in and wear to the parts that need to be clearecnced or mated to each other)

Here are some tips to make sure BSEG* lasts for many years:

I have posted it before and it always starts a opinion war but here are my ideas on "break in":

Many, Many, I say again M A N Y hot cold hot cycles are the best thing you can do for a new factory assembled motor. On start up try to teach yourself to get in, put in the key, turn to RUN and stop, put on seat belt while the computer boots, NOW turn the key to start, watch the lights and gauges and pay attention to the tachometer for a few seconds. The engine will settle back a few hundred RPM, NOW shift to drive and again pause a little with the brakes on. Release the parking brake (you do ALWAYS use the parking brake don't you).

Now spend some time training yourself to NOT turn the steering wheel UNLESS the car is rolling. I trained myself this technique of steering many years ago and my front ends last years beyond what "normal people" get before ball joints and wheels bearings need replacing. Turning a power steering lock to lock while the vehicle is halted is a BAD thing, teach yourself to NEVER do it! Same goes for turning all the way to the steering limit stops. Never ever continue to keep turning the wheel once the mechanical stop is hit. In fact, TRAIN yourself to ALWAYS back off a tad when you hear/feel the limit stop.

First you need to BED the brakes:

You should do this immediately as you leave the dealer. I do a lot of it in his lot (my dealers lot is big enough). Warped rotors are a myth. BUT, rotor surface “hardening” and pad “material transfer” to the rotor surface are NOT myths. The hard spots, and the material transfer, are what you feel as pulsating brake pedal with your foot. “Bedding in”, or “burnishing” the rotors and pads properly can prevent it from ever happening. This is a very important step on a new brakes and I am disappointed that MB does not do it at the end of the assembly line.

Get up to 30mph and when safe do a very hard (not lockup or ABS starting) but very hard braking just shy of a full stop. As you feel the car about to halt, let off and smoothly accelerate back to 25, 30 mph. Repeat this 4 or 5 times while looking for a clear parking lot or unused back road. Let about 3 or more minutes pass between hard braking series to let the rotors settle to the new temp. Do this in a place where you do NOT have to come to any complete stops with the brakes while the rotors are hot! You are deliberately trying to get the rotors VERY hot.

Once you have a SAFE place to do some more of this, do another hard brake series and get out of it while still rolling as before, but this time just coast to a normal stop. Clear your rear and shift to reverse. Going backwards get up to a fair clip and do a hard brake in reverse, but again NOT to a complete stop. Do this several times as far to the rear as you can in the selected place but try very hard to NOT bring the car to a complete stop with the brakes pads holding the very hot rotor.

What we are doing here is "burnishing" the pads, and forcing very controlled and even heating to the rotors and attaching assemblies. There NO such thing as WARPED rotors. BUT there is a condition called material transfer, caused by superheated Pads that leave some of their material on the rotor and causing them to pulsate due to the uneven surface.

For the first few days try to set up your stopping to NEVER bring you to a full stop with the pads HARD clamped to hot rotors. This is hard to do and do not ever forget safety for you and others. If you must bring the Lil Bugger to a quick and complete stop as soon as you are stopped ease up on the brakes and try to creep if there is room.

Most of the first several days I try to set up stop lights so I have a good buffer between me and cars ahead. I brake fairly aggressively, and with a two car buffer, ease up and roll out until one car buffer then slowly creep up to the car in front. Usually the light changes before I need to full stop. Do this a couple of times during the first 100 miles and your brake pads and rotors will last a long time and stopping power will be greatly enhanced.

OK the motor:

Do not be tempted to try and break in a motor over a weekend with some sort of long trip just to build miles. The setting of the rings can be done in less than 500 miles and takes patience. I must re-state Many, Many hot cold cycles are much better.

During the first 500 miles try to do mostly “in town” type driving. It is OK to be a little hot on the take off. Just refrain from spending ANY time above 3500RPM with no load on the motor or below 1500RPM (lugging the motor) under load.

Deliberately do trips "to the store" where you get her up to full operating temp and while "shopping" she will cool off. Do a LOT of frequent shopping. Don't get everything at the one Lowe’s or AutoZone "in town". Cruise across town to a buddy’s house, drink a beer while he is admiring you new ride. Think safety and drink a soda or two for another hour or so while the engine cools and you detoxify. Repeat for as many buddies as you have. Watch the drinking and driving, your Smart car can not give you enjoyment from a jail cell.

At least once every driving cycle and after fully up to operating temp, do one good strong take off from stop up to 3500-4000rpm. After the 500 mile mark do not be afraid to do this up to 4500rpm on occasion. But try to never spin the motor past 4500 unless it is under load and immediately falls off back to lower rpm.

Constant RPM/Speed (Cruise control? ) is forbidden the first 500 miles! Constant rpm is not good for the rings just yet. The rings on the Mitsubishi can seat any where from 50 to 500 miles. Play it safe and do the break in procedure for at least the first 500.

At 500 miles replace the Factory filter and dino oil with full synth and enjoy the next 500 miles increasing the drive cycles and shortening the cool cycles. I change oil at 1000 also but admit it is overkill. I just dig doing it and LOGGING it, start the habit of checking it also! (You do keep a log book or journal, right?)

*Big S__T Eating Grin