[Blonde Photographer Lady]

Giving my age away here with this question...lol. In the old days when you bought a brand new car with less than 100 miles on the engine, you were told you had to gradually "break-in the engine" and you could not drive the car over 55 mph until 3,000 miles were on the engine and you went in for your first oil change, due to fine metal shavings that would gradually work out of the engine and into the oil.

Kia recently installed the new 2021 K5 TURBO engine in my 2012 Kia Optima SX-T under the recall as the old engine seized up about a month ago at 127,000 miles. I now have 1,500 miles on the brand new 2021 Turbo engine and I have a road trip coming up next week where interstate highway speeds are an average 70-75 mph for my 13 hour trip. Do these modern engines require that break-in period and first oil change like the old ones did before you can drive speeds over 55 mph?

Should I just go ahead and get the oil changed before the trip? What is everyone running in their K5 Turbo Engines now - regular oil, 50/50 blend or full Synthetic?

 

[Turbonut]

I'd get the oil changed just as a maintenance item with the new engine @ 1500 miles, then go on the trip, and your choice of 5w-30 oil.

 

[Joemsj51]

Change the oil before the trip and keep the gas pedal at/below 75 MPH.

 

[junktier]

You don't have a new engine from a 2021 K5, K5 uses different engines from the 2011 Optima Sx-t. Just change the oil and roll with it

 

[redlantrn]

I was thinking the same thing. If they were putting the 2.5 T under the hood I'd blow mine on purpose. LOL

 

[cskalski]

Giving my age away here with this question...lol. In the old days when you bought a brand new car with less than 100 miles on the engine, you were told you had to gradually "break-in the engine" and you could not drive the car over 55 mph until 3,000 miles were on the engine and you went in for your first oil change, due to fine metal shavings that would gradually work out of the engine and into the oil.

Kia recently installed the new 2021 K5 TURBO engine in my 2012 Kia Optima SX-T under the recall as the old engine seized up about a month ago at 127,000 miles. I now have 1,500 miles on the brand new 2021 Turbo engine and I have a road trip coming up next week where interstate highway speeds are an average 70-75 mph for my 13 hour trip. Do these modern engines require that break-in period and first oil change like the old ones did before you can drive speeds over 55 mph?

Should I just go ahead and get the oil changed before the trip? What is everyone running in their K5 Turbo Engines now - regular oil, 50/50 blend or full Synthetic?

No, it will break on its own. I am kidding but the best thing you can do is REFUSE FREE OIL CHANGES AT DEALER AND USE SYNTHETIC. At your legitimate, highly recommended local shop. Valvoline has better ratings but zi am a Mobile One guy. Also, I used Slick 50 synthetic friction reducer for my break-in period. The last thing you want is an engine with metal in the oil pan. Or for your car to suddenly stop running at 67,500 miles. It took me 5 months to get a new engine. I brought my own oil and filter with me.

 

[westworld]

You are safe to drive your car as-is. You are right that with older cars, you should drive slower etc etc, but these newer cars and newer motors are built to handle things different. It is a general rule of thumb though, with a brand new motor, to drive 200-500 miles calmy, do an oil change. But, in this day and age, and our cars you no longer need to drive like miss daisy. Meaning if you want to go faster than 55mph, you can. There isn't going to be a problem with that. Will it be recommended? Yes and no. It depends on your style of driving - do you drive, like you stole the friggin car? All the time? I would say to get your oil changed, for sure, right now, since you are already at 1,500 miles - the motor is brand new, and your about to go on a road trip. General rule number one. Obviously do the other maintenance, fill tires, top off any fluids etc. Make sure to get fully synthetic, but I think you know that already. Someone commented saying, to not use the dealerships free oil change, I don't see why that is going to be an issue, just tell them them to make sure they use fully synthetic, but they already are. Not to mention you are going to get everything cleaned, washed, topped off, etc, so it kinda saves you some time and money. You should be completely fine to drive you car as is though, obviously try not to beat on it the entire trip. Be mindful, and step on it when you need to.. If you need to merge onto a highway, or get past someone, you can, but beating on it the whole way, there and back, I would probably hold off a bit. You want to ensure that your seals car properly set, but again at 1,500 miles already you should be good to be honest.

My suggestion would be to just get a rental car, use the miles on there, instead of your car.
If your budget can be afforded then why not. At least then when later if at any point it becomes a selling point, you'll have a low mile vic. But thats just me.

 

[1st timer]

I would use the road trip opportunity for the "break in" period. Speed is not an issue but I would keep the rpm on the low side not exceeding 3k rpm.
Synthetic oil prior to this road trip and I'd you can, an oil catch can.

 

[KingFatty]

Here is what the manual of my 2012 SX says about the Vehicle Break-in process:

PLEASE NOTE ABOVE - you can add performance, economy, and life to the engine if you follow the procedure.

But looks like you are already past the first 600 miles on your replacement engine, so this procedure probably doesn't apply to you any longer.

There is no rule about how fast you drive. It's more about how you vary the RPMs and stay within a range of RPMs, and don't idle the engine for long periods.

 

[cskalski]

You are safe to drive your car as-is. You are right that with older cars, you should drive slower etc etc, but these newer cars and newer motors are built to handle things different. It is a general rule of thumb though, with a brand new motor, to drive 200-500 miles calmy, do an oil change. But, in this day and age, and our cars you no longer need to drive like miss daisy. Meaning if you want to go faster than 55mph, you can. There isn't going to be a problem with that. Will it be recommended? Yes and no. It depends on your style of driving - do you drive, like you stole the friggin car? All the time? I would say to get your oil changed, for sure, right now, since you are already at 1,500 miles - the motor is brand new, and your about to go on a road trip. General rule number one. Obviously do the other maintenance, fill tires, top off any fluids etc. Make sure to get fully synthetic, but I think you know that already. Someone commented saying, to not use the dealerships free oil change, I don't see why that is going to be an issue, just tell them them to make sure they use fully synthetic, but they already are. Not to mention you are going to get everything cleaned, washed, topped off, etc, so it kinda saves you some time and money. You should be completely fine to drive you car as is though, obviously try not to beat on it the entire trip. Be mindful, and step on it when you need to.. If you need to merge onto a highway, or get past someone, you can, but beating on it the whole way, there and back, I would probably hold off a bit. You want to ensure that your seals car properly set, but again at 1,500 miles already you should be good to be honest.

My suggestion would be to just get a rental car, use the miles on there, instead of your car.
If your budget can be afforded then why not. At least then when later if at any point it becomes a selling point, you'll have a low mile vic. But thats just me.

No, they are NOT giving you free synthetic oil. It is a $40 surcharge. Also, I hope you know that it isn't a 2021 engine. The transaxle and everything about your 2012 is designed for a twin-scroll turbo and frankly it is 500cc bigger!! So I would talk to the service manager. A long talk. If they stuffed a 2021 engine in it was it designed to use the same intake? How about the stock cooling system? Can it cool 2.5 liters instead of 2.0 liters? I am not down on you, but what the Service manager told you. Generally, the same turbo engine fits in 2011 through 2015....then Kia dropped the power to 245. Now its a 2.5 liter turbo with 290 hp. I would question the service manager and speak to the actual mechanic that installed the engine. The Korean and European markets still have a 2.0l turbo. Tvey also have a turbo diesel
So....ask them. If you got that new higher power engine congrats and I wish you all the best.

 

[AlanSXT]

Looks like I didn't comply with bullet points 1 and 2 when I test drove the car back in 2012. lol

 

[westworld]

No, they are NOT giving you free synthetic oil. It is a $40 surcharge. Also, I hope you know that it isn't a 2021 engine. The transaxle and everything about your 2012 is designed for a twin-scroll turbo and frankly it is 500cc bigger!! So I would talk to the service manager. A long talk. If they stuffed a 2021 engine in it was it designed to use the same intake? How about the stock cooling system? Can it cool 2.5 liters instead of 2.0 liters? I am not down on you, but what the Service manager told you. Generally, the same turbo engine fits in 2011 through 2015....then Kia dropped the power to 245. Now its a 2.5 liter turbo with 290 hp. I would question the service manager and speak to the actual mechanic that installed the engine. The Korean and European markets still have a 2.0l turbo. Tvey also have a turbo diesel
So....ask them. If you got that new higher power engine congrats and I wish you all the best.

ok.

We never mentioned about the stock cooling systems, or 2.5L and 2.0 but hopefully you got that out of your chest. Nobody here really knows what motor they put into her vehicle, but rather than turning this thread into a useless debate, I think it's fair we should bring it back?

New 2021 Turbo Engine Installed in 2012 Optima SX Turbo - Is there an engine "break-in time" needed?

Yup - perhaps OP, you could contact or better yet drive up to and speak to the Service Manager and ask them what their recommendations are.

 

[KingFatty]

Well, I think it's pretty obvious there was a miscommunication or confusion about what engine is put in the car. It's standard practice for Kia to use a refurb/remanufactured replacement, of the same type. Like everyone else has had done.

But it's unheard of to use a engine that is completely different. It would likely involve custom welding and all kinds of acrobatics to shoehorn the wrong engine into the car.

What's more likely? A simple miscommunication? Or a one-of-a-kind expensive customized miracle by the Kia techs?

 

[cskalski]

Yeah...it would be a new engine, but a new engine that they can bolt all your existing hardware and software to. So, the good news is that you will get 274 hp and 269 lb ft of torque. It will restore the car to its previous power and amenities. I would question if they rebuilt the turbo or not. If it is driving right and has the turbo power you remember then you are a lucky SOB!

 

[cskalski]

BTW, nothing to get off my chest. You asked what recommendations we had about breaking in your new 2021 engine installed in your 2012. It confused me and clearly others had similar concerns about exactly what engine they installed. But personally if all you want to know is break in info: then drive at different speeds and under different loads throughout the rev range. I personally wouldn't worry about it. Drive normal, not NASCAR, but not Golden Girls either.
I hope this clears up the O/P question.

 

[westworld]

I agree with you all, I don't think they put in a different motor from a newer year car, into an older vehicle. It is likely they put in the same year type and vehicle type motor, just a remanufactured one, perhaps even the same motor just remanufactured parts (whichever of that failed or was recalled), but who really knows what they did. Therefore to even debate about it, is kind of pointless. If she got a brand new brand new 2021 motor, good for her. I hope she did. If she didn't, then she simply didn't. It still leaves her question unanswered which does not help people in the future, or her for that case, on what to do when it comes to the break-in period. As the OP asked. We should take these forums to be helpful, and rather than debating, we should just help her. That's why we are all on these forums anyway. We all share a common interest. If we want to debate, we could move it to a more appropriate thread I think. But that's just my opinion. Which doesn't really matter.

My best solution and personal recommendation for the OP is to ignore the hypocrisy in this thread about what motor she has, enjoy her new engine car and take the information provided for another year car, 2012 SX as mentioned by KingFatty on post #9.

BTW, nothing to get off my chest. You asked what recommendations we had about breaking in your new 2021 engine installed in your 2012. It confused me and clearly others had similar concerns about exactly what engine they installed. But personally if all you want to know is break in info: then drive at different speeds and under different loads throughout the rev range. I personally wouldn't worry about it. Drive normal, not NASCAR, but not Golden Girls either.
I hope this clears up the O/P question.

Clearly confused, I didn't ask anything. It was the OP that asked

Cheers!!

 

[tonester]

I think you guys scared OP off with all that debating about what new engine was put into her car--she hasn't posted at all in this thread since she opened it a week ago.