Hi all. I've had my 2010 F150 (Lariat, 4X4, SC, 5.4 Tow Package) for a little over a week now and love the truck. I have 390 miles on it and was wondering if you guys can give me some advice on breaking in the engine. I checked the oil the day after I got it home and the level was at the full hole on the dipstick. 390 miles later it looks like I've use about a third of a quart. Brought back nightmares about a new '89 I bought with a 300 I6 - used a quart every 800 miles.....whole 'nother story! Anyway, before I get too excited, I am really hoping the rings and everything just need to seat, but I want to break it in properly so they will. Any advice will be greatly appreciated. Drive safe. Rick

 

What's the manual say? I think mine said do not tow for the first 500 miles or so, so that is what I did. Its been 20,000 kms since, no oil eating and I tow 8-9,000 lbs on occasion.

Enjoy the ride.

 

As I remember the manual says to vary the rpm all the time, don't stick to 1 speed. Kind of a pain if you are on the highway. Stop and go city traffic would be more like it although you don't really put it under a load. Recommends that for 500 miles.

On the oil I also thought mine was drinking some but checked it again and back to the regular full mark. Who knows what that was about. Happened about 2 times. Oil changed at the 4000 mile mark and it really never came down at all that I could see.

 

On the freeway I would occasionaly turn o/d off to vary the rpm's but keep my speed the same.

 

I've heard that compression on the rings is as important to seating them well as is decompression.
Both acceleration and deceleration are important, so I try to find opportunities to downshift my Automatic 6-speed to 3rd while going downhill in town = a whole different load on the bearings, rings and other whirly bits........

 

I've been popping Tow/Haul mode with breaking in my F-150, just because it gives different shift points, and uses engine breaking (which revs the engine up, especially down hills.) This helps if a stretch is the same or similar speed.

I just wonder if 7500 miles is enough for the first oil change, or if I should take it in at around 3000-5000 miles just to get the oil out that dealt with the original seating of rings and perhaps the tiny metal shards from that.

 

How do you plan on turning off overdrive on a 2010?

 

Drive it like ya stole it!!!

There is a couple schools of thought on engine break in. One is drive it hard to seat the valves, another is take it easy for the first 3000 miles alternating rpm's. The reality is that with these new engines and their tight tolerances there really isn't much of a break in. Don't tow for a few hundred miles, but for the most part just drive it as you normally would.

 

You use tow/haul mode if you have the six speed auto transmission. It does more than just lock out overdrive, it changes the shift points, so if you are towing (and the manual warns not to tow for the first 1000 miles), it won't hunt for gears.

 

Uh well my '10 is a 4.6l 4spd, so what I do is go ahead and hit the o/d on off button. Seems to work out pretty well.