[budZ51]

I just got to 500 miles in my C7 and I don't know if its in my head since my mind has been on 500 miles due to break in but it really seems that the car runs better, starts better and louder, the thing I noticed most was the handling. It just seems to be more responsive and loser in the steering on sport mode. So much I thought I was accidently in a different drive mode like touring but I was not. Anyone else have this experience?

 

[glen e]

Pretty standard for a car to loosen a bit in all respects as parts learn to work together. I've heard it said a car is not fully bedded in until 3000 miles.

 

[Tom0021]

I agree the seemed to be smoother, faster after the 500 mile mark. Thought it was just me.

 

[Boomer]

I think your just getting used to it. Responsiveness etc.

 

[c7-7872]

no- check your tach. before 500 miles you are limited to 4500 rmp no matter what the temp of the car.
after 500 the redline moves to factory limits, and your limiter reacts to the temp of the car, cold car has lower redline, then as car reaches normal operating temp redline moves all the out to factory limit.
This 500 mile limit on the rpm's mutes the characteristics of the car.

 

[glen e]

Got a link for that?
Yes the tach changes at 500 but I don't believe anything about the car is "less" when under 500 miles.....

 

[c7-7872]

I didnt say that the car is 'less' but when your tach is limited to 4500, the car is 'less' simply because you cant access the power and torque after 4500RPM.
It does make a difference when you cant punch it.
I noticed my car 'change' after the first oil change at 1200 miles- not that changing the oil did that, but I was more comfortable in letting it rip, and the car was different to me after that, in fact on my A6 I've learned how to get that backfire whenever I want it. That for sure you cant do when you're limited to 4500 RPM.
I think when people are noticing a change in the car at 500 miles, they are noticing that they can access the power at higher RPM's and that does make the car feel different even though the only change is that the limiter isnt there.

 

[glen e]

All I'm saying is the car is not governed so that it can only go 4500 rpm before 500 miles, it's just a tach display change.

Maybe some techies can post here with the real story.

 

[53Vette]

I had my car well above 4500 rpm before I hit 500 miles on a few occasions. I even hit the rev limiter once. My bad!
Now I thrash the heck out the car, getting it ready for the track.

 

[Racerbob]

I had my car well above 4500 rpm before I hit 500 miles on a few occasions. I even hit the rev limiter once. My bad!
Now I thrash the heck out the car, getting it ready for the track.

I think I had mine up to 5000 by accident around 250 miles. No limiter, just display.

 

[MYKZDRM]

All I know is that every time I get in my C7 and start it up, I know I absolutely made the right choice. I can feel the nuances between Tour, Sport and Track.

Michael

 

[jsvette]

budZ51 I think, especially for owners who are trying to follow the recommended break-in procedure there is a certain amount of relief that you don't have to pay attention to keeping the rpms under 4k, and can relax and enjoy your new Stingray. Also by that point you probably feel more comfortable with the controls, responsiveness, etc. and are 'more one with your car.' One of the really great things about the Stingray is that the more miles you put on it the more you will have a ball driving it.

 

[budZ51]

I actually have about five thousand miles on C7 Corvettes. I owned one with about a thousand miles on it when I purchased it. I never really got to experience the break in period on that car as I am on this car so I never noticed anything until now. There are some different opinions by people that know more than I do here on this subject but to be honest I thought it was all in my head. I'm enjoying the car either way it just seemed like something was going on after 500 miles. I still tend to keep it under 4000 for the most part but I find myself letting it loose a little bit more after 500 miles so that was one of these reasons I was thinking it was in my head. To hear that there are actual changes in the computer and tach brings me to the conclusion that it was not all in my head. I actually had no idea. Like I said It just felt that way. Its nice that it just seems to just get better and better!

Sent from my LG-D800 using Corvette Stingray Forum mobile app

 

[thrilled]

I climbed in the car with 4 miles showing.I stomped on it then and haven't stopped.It's now at 1800 miles and I don't notice any difference.I usually shift around 3000-3500.

 

[STUNG]

I took mine off of Touring and to Sport just around 800K(500M) and I did notice a difference but thought it to be the mode change. I love the louder exhaust on the S mode. I will be driving "S" in the city from now on. I have to check but I think it defaults to Touring automatically after shut down and needs to be reset to S each start up. Correct?

 

[glen e]

I took mine off of Touring and to Sport just around 800K(500M) and I did notice a difference but thought it to be the mode change. I love the louder exhaust on the S mode. I will be driving "S" in the city from now on. I have to check but I think it defaults to Touring automatically after shut down and needs to be reset to S each start up. Correct?

No, it starts as you left it...

 

[The Rock]

I took mine off of Touring and to Sport just around 800K(500M) and I did notice a difference but thought it to be the mode change. I love the louder exhaust on the S mode. I will be driving "S" in the city from now on. I have to check but I think it defaults to Touring automatically after shut down and needs to be reset to S each start up. Correct?[/QUOTE

I almost always drive in E mode. I programmed the exhaust to be open all the time for the power and sound. I find the E mode is easier to drive and uses less gas. When I step on it, it powers up the 8 cylinders just as it would in S mode. Try driving in E mode and see what I mean. E mode is much nicer to drive relative to the stiffness of the S mode and provides great response to the road. But this may be something only Z51 owners experience because of the magnetic ride controls.

 

[docMonty]

I've been driving mine in E, T, and S modes for the breakin and definitely feel a difference between the three, especially in power. But at about 700km (150km before the rev limitier warning bars came off) I noticed a large increase in power coming on. I'd hit 4000rpm MUCH faster and have to shift. I recall taking the car out at the beginning in S mode and trying to get the back end to break loose to see how the electronics caught it... I could barely get it to slide in 2nd or 3rd gears. Now when I put down power in a turn the back immediately comes loose and slides around until the electronics cut power and straighten it out. I can actually get two power slides in one corner by staying on it hard til the electronics catch the slide mid corner and when they give me the power back I can get another slide before I have to straighten out.

That power wasn't there the first 500km, I'm sure of it. So after about 150km of this, I did the break-in procedure recommended by some engine builders in here, one summary is: New Engine Break-in Procedure

Essentially, it involves taking out the 'too slippery' synthetic and replacing it with high quality, low viscosity oil, not synthetic (I used Royal Purple break-in oil). For the 500km that this oil is in, you build up how hard you drive the car (though staying below 4500rpm since you don't want really hot cylinders). Swap out the break-in oil for the good Mobil 1 synthetic and away you go. Read the link if you want the detailed engineering reasoning...

And as always, it's your car... make your own choices, this is just a description of what I did.

 

[thrilled]

I had heard that also.Use A special oil for break in.I was to lazy.Went to the dealer he say's he won't change the oil til it reaches 3500 miles.