Only 600 miles to beark in new motor?
 

According to the factory manual, the recommended break in period of 5000rpm and below is only 600 miles. This seems awfully short to me. Did I read it wrong? Does anyone have their own method? The thing that bugs me is the car had 56 miles on it when I bought it so it has almost certainly been to redline a few times.

The factory recommendation is 600 miles. In reality, break-in continues for the first several thousand miles of use. It's up to you to decide how to break in the engine and recommendations range from hammering it hard from new to having a gentler approach. There's a lot of hype about the choice, but IMO, hammer it hard to maximize engine power with a shorter life, or gently break it in to maximize engine life.

:iagree: Nobody test drives an S2000 only to utilize half the power band due to the break in procedure. Most people test driving the car won't even be aware of the break in procedure for the car anyways, so they'll take it to redline at least once while on a test drive, probably more than that.

Nobody has a sure fire way to break an engine in. Each person seems to have their own opinion how to do it. I personally think you should break a motor in by varying RPMs and engine load conditions. Yes, this does mean taking it to redline, albeit slowly and with varying throttle inputs. Only do this after the car is nice and warmed up. This page has more information on a "hard break in".

*off topic* You rock for reading your manual. :thumbup: You'd be amazed how many people don't even bother with it.

To be quite honest, Ive had it to about 6k a few time. One time was one of those two lane roads that merges to one lane with a stop light before it. EVERYONE punches it to beat the other car...whether you drive an F430 of and F250, the race is on. I was next to a v6 Mazda Tribute. An s2000 with a 5000rpm cut-off is nothing more than a nice looking Miata so I had to give it just a little more to get past the Tribute.

The engines are taken to redline before even being installed in the car. Modern engines are machined so well these days there really isn't a need for a typical engine break-in as in the years past. Gone are the days where you have the change the oil after a few hundred miles, now, the "break-in" oil should just be changed at the recommended interval (3750 miles in severe duty). I bought my car with 8k miles on it, but if I were to go buy a brand new one I would VTEC the first day and never think twice about doing so.

my salesmen redlined my car in front of my own two eyes

but i was the one smiling with the price =]

Put the car sideways leaving the dealer then bang it off the limiter (car warmed up, of course). That's what I did :)

I think I will leave that decision to the people who engineered and DESIGNED the car in the first place....

Honda knows what they are talking about!