Breaking in new engine and drivetrain?

About to buy a 2021 Off-road.

Anything to do in the first few thousand miles? Ie drive partially in 4wD, use 4WD-L for a certain number of miles etc..

I’m going 4 runner becuase I want a car that will last and last. (With maintenance of course)

I wanna break it in the “right way”. I will be buying in another state so it will have a long drive home, one on which I can help it settle in nicely. Highway miles etc, but if I’m gonna drive 1000 miles, mind as well put them to good use.

 

Toyota's recommended break in procedure can be found in the owners manual. I'd suggest finding that section in the manual and reading it before you drive your new 4Runner home.

Congratulations on the new ride!

 

Immediately take it to the rugged most location and haul ass lol j/k but you def will want to lol
Just got my 2021 Pro, thing is a beast first couple hundred I just took at easy cruisin. Almost to 1000 miles prolly Gunna get crazy soon good luck brother your gunna love the truck !

 

The break-in advice pertains mainly to the engine, to drive it somewhat gently, with varying engine speeds, for something like the first 500 miles. So avoid putting it on cruise control at 80 MPH on the highway for hours at a time. Get off the highway every couple of hours, drive around the town to get gas, stop and go, take a bathroom break. Ease back into the highway and drive on, vary your speed. Some folks like to change the oil after the first 1000 miles. Some change it at 3000 or 5000. It’s advisable to learn to do it yourself, too many dealer horror stories.

Drive train advice is to exercise the 4WD every month. Drive for about 10 miles in 4HI on a straight section, gentle turns only. I don’t do this all at once. I’ll pop it into 4HI for a few miles on straight sections of road. And around town for a few straight blocks at a time, several times a day. Then once in a while get it into 4LO in a parking lot. But if you’re in snow country or on dirt roads frequently, put it in 4HI and drive!

 

^ This.

 

Here's what the 2019 manual says. I imagine it's the same for '21.

 

Drive it. Enjoy it. Change the oil according to your manual. Shampoo, rinse, repeat.

 

Well, I just drove it and didn't worry about anything. I am still driving it today with zero issues.

 

I wish the manual was a little more specific. When I was driving my new 4Runner I wondered what is an "extremely high speed"? Is it 80mph on the highway? Because that could happen every day. Or would it have to be over 100mph? And how long is an "extended period"? Did I push it by driving home with the new truck on the highway for 1 hour? Is 4 hours extended? Some actual numbers would be helpful.

 

Drive it smoothly, moderately and use everything available regularly. As it breaks in, gradually push it harder for short periods. Let it warm up a bit when you start it, do maintenance and it will be your friend.

 

I am wondering the same thing. I just picked mine up on Saturday and my wife and I are planning a short weekend trip this weekend and the truck only has 120 miles on it. There will be about an hour of highway driving involved and I'm a little worried that it will exceed the recommended "constant speed for extended periods". I guess I'll plan to vary speeds a bit and take a few breaks.

 

Don't pet the monster Ya its crazy ! You drive it like you are walking on eggs shells

 

I like to keep all of my vehicles until I have to take it behind the barn and shoot it. I just want to make sure it lasts as long as possible while putting the least amount of money into repairs. If a trivial thing like properly breaking it in helps me get to 300,000+ miles, then I'd like to make sure I'm doing it right.

 

Just drive normal.

 

I took delivery of mine with more than 600 miles on the clock already, so I have no idea how it was driven during that time.

 

When I got mine with 6 miles on it, I signed the paperwork and went on a 5ish hour road trip to CT for a wedding. It's doing fine