mmarshall

It's true that today's break-in is not necessarily the same as decades years ago, using special break-in-oil, but that still doesn't mean that you can drive a brand-new engine like you would with some miles on it.

Today's closer tolerances are actually a reason for a break-in, Paul. That's the whole purpose of a break-in......to scrub and wear away the excess-metal on tight-fitting metal-to-metal moving parts and have them seat properly and move freely, without friction. The looser the tolerances, the less of a need for a real break-in.

That wearing away of metal particles from the friction of tight clearances during break-in, BTW, is a good argument for an early oil change, too, to get them out of the oil-system.

mmarshall

Well, unfortunately, with BLUEGXLVCR's JGC, yes, but let's wait and see if other 2011 JGC owners have serious problems like this one, or if there is a pattern. Like you, I hope we won't be seeing the same old reliability problems Jeeps have had for decades. Chrysler obviously put a lot of attention into the fit/finish and drivability of this new model. Despite the unfortunate troubles with BLUEGXLVCR's JGC, it may or may not be the continuation of a pattern....IMO, it's too early to tell. Consumer Reports (which I respect very much) will have better, more widespread information to go on later in the year for the 2011 model.

mmarshall

Did you get the typical (and notorious) bed-weld rusting all around the rear-bed where it was attached to the frame? 80s-vintage Toyota trucks were known for that. It came from the fact that, for tariff reasons, the trucks were shipped over from Japan without the beds. The beds were all welded on at the West Coast Toyota warehouse, with crappy welds that rusted from the inside out.....there wasn't much you could do to stop it, short of living in a very dry climate.

LunaVyohr

Nice jeep!

And yes, expectations do come into play. I believe that my jeep would be in better condition if my mom and sister didn't treat it so poorly when they had it.

As for the Grand Cherokee itself, it was the result of Chrysler really trying to meld a lot of their products with Jeep products, and thus become one of the first "soccer mom" SUVs, because they were more Chrysler than an actual Jeep. However, during the very first year for the GC (92), they were offered with an Aisin automatic or manual - the same offered in the regular Cherokee. These were the most "Jeepy" GCs.

But I digress. This doesn't really have anything to do with your newer GC problems.

rdgdawg

Yes, Durango rides on GL platform...

rdgdawg

Corvette Z06 comes right from the factory ready to go full throttle at the track or on the street once properly warmed up...

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

can you cite any sources that support your belief for the need for consumers to 'break in' today's cars? i don't believe it's necessary to 'scrub and wear away excess metal'!

Ty419

I gave up on breaking in vehicles after I saw what they do at the factories. The current generation of machines can create perfect parts that require no fitting or break-in. They put brand new motors on the dynos to verify output and they aren't friendly, then send them out to the line be installed. Next, the finished cars are put on this rolling-road contraption and put through a whole bunch of tests including a max throttle segment. Some cars are selected as quality testers, and are driven outside the facility, where some UAW moron does his best to try and blow the thing up because he hates his job (in non-union shops, this test is performed as if the person wants to keep their job, which is much more desirable).

They are fully broken in prior to leaving the shop in any modern facility, if they even need to be broken in that much. I think Honda was the first to claim right in the manual that the car needed no break-in with the 99 or 00 Civic Si. It was a big talking point in ricer circles, if I am remembering correctly.

IS-SV

Please, let's have somebody with actual automotive technical/mechanical background chime in on this for a change. Yes, we all already know the common knowledge and old hearsay from back in the day. A update (as of 2011) would be nice.

Right-oh, "scrub and wear away excess-metal on tight-fitting metal-to-metal movings parts and the looser the tolerances, the less of a need for a break-in"...

btw - Thanks Ty419 for reporting on feedback directly from actual factories in this decade, useful/helpful info.

madmax2k1

You dump the Jeep for reliability issues and go buy a Mercedes; brilliant.

mmarshall

Is the word of Service Managers and Service Directors good enough? It's their job to know these things. You will find break-in procedures, more or less along the lines I stated, in the Owners' Manuals of many (though not all) new vehicles. Also, in my own case, I've taken it easy on every new car I've bought for the first 1000 miles, broken it in by the book, did an early oil-change, and, with one exception, have never had any premature oil-consumption problems from bad valve-stem or ring-seating (and that one problem was long ago).

How about your Miata and Explorer? What did the book have to say about those two?

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

no. many would be 'old school' because that's what they grew up (when it was actually true).

respectfully, your caution is no evidence that had you not done those things it would have made any difference.

i don't have the miata now, but i don't recall any mention in the manual, and i certainly drove that like it should be driven from the get go

the explorer manual makes no mention at all of initial break-in as far as i can tell.

not trying to pick on you, after all your huge contributions to this forum, but sometimes our info needs updating!

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

qft.....

mmarshall

Don't worry, Paul....IMO, that is not nitpicking. I don't mind anyone posting anything that supports or contradicts either your posts or mine, providing that the info is credible.

And, although Mike (1SICKLEX) is temporarily gone for Lent, IMO he contributes more than I do.

Old school or not, Service Managers/Advisors/Directors (and, of course, Technicians) have to go to periodic factory-training to keep their credentials up. They cannot put on the company-uniforms and operate a legitimate factory-approved service shop without that training.


But, we've all (including some others) gotten somewhat off-topic on this. The OP already said that he broke his problematic JKC by the book, so, IMO, that is no longer an issue. It's just a shame that he had to eat some of the depreciation trading it in on a Mercedes. But I know what he feels like, to some extent. I myself had to learn from experience. I went through a string of American-badged lemons in the late 1970's and early 1980's (and lost some money myself) before I wised up and starting buying reliable makes.

Not necessarily a dumb move. It is true that M-B products have been low on the totem-pole, reliability wise, more or less constant since the mid-1990s, but, according to Consumer Reports, several models have shown noted improvement in the last couple of years. M-B's warranty lengths, though, generally don't equal Chrysler's...most upmarket German brands have a bumper-to-bumper 4/50 with no added-length on the drivetrain.

LexBob2

New car break-in procedures are different today than they were years ago.

To quote the instructions from the owners manual of my recently purchased 2011 daily driver, "no special break-in is necessary, but a few precautions in the first 600 miles may add to the performance, economy and life of the car".

These guidelines are similar to other new cars I have owned over the past few years.