My brand new 2015 ZL1

[Battlezone580]

Finally after years of looking around I got a great offer and traded in my 2SS camaro for a brand new 2015 ZL1! (Black on Black 6 speed)

Its only been a day and a half of driving but omg this car is a beast, a whole different feel from the SS... The supercharger and exhaust sound amazing, and of course the outside looks amazing.. Very happy with my decision!!

I still have a lot to learn.. Not really sure how the no lift shifting works or launch control, figure I should break it in before I mess with any of that lol.

Great last picture of my old camaro and the new ZL1 sitting next to it.


Picture of my car at work.


6 speed


Quick question for ZL1 owners, the dealer claimed that there was no "break in period" for the engine. Just wanted to check if there's any truth to that. All they told me was to change my oil after the first 500 miles. My friend bought a 2015 WRX and they told her not to take it above 4000 rpms for the first 300 miles, just figured I should check to be safe.

[Dutchman427]

Break it in the way you want to drive it. Nice purchase by the way!

[Joseph1LE]

Best way to break in an engine is to drive it hard. Have to create pressure in the cylinders to get the rings to seat properly. Beat on it for the first 500 miles and change the oil. Congrats on your purchase. Wish I could've afforded a ZL1 but considering my age I did pretty well for myself. Enjoy your new ride!

[Shark72]

This is right out of the 2015 Owners Manual - Page 9-18;

New Vehicle Break-In {Caution Follow these recommended guidelines during the first 2 414 km(1,500 mi) of driving this vehicle. Parts have a break-in period and performance will be better in the long run. . For the first 2 414 km(1,500 mi): . Avoid full throttle starts and abrupt stops. . Do not exceed 4000 engine rpm. . Avoid driving at any one constant speed, fast or slow. . Do not drive above 129 km/h(80 mph). (Continued)
Caution (Continued)
. Avoid downshifting to brake or slow the vehicle when the engine speed will exceed 4,000 rpm. . Do not let the engine labor. Never lug the engine in high gear at low speeds. With a manual transmission, shift to the next lower gear. This rule applies at all times, not just during the break-in period. . Do not participate in racing events, sport driving schools, or similar activities during this break-in period. . Check engine oil with every refueling and add if necessary. Oil and fuel consumption may be higher than normal during the first 2 414 km(1,500 mi). (Continued)
Chevrolet Camaro Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico7695163) - 2015 - crc - 9/4/14
Driving and Operating 9-19
Caution (Continued)
. To break in new tires, drive at moderate speeds and avoid hard cornering for the first 322 km(200 mi). New tires do not have maximum traction and may tend to slip. . New brake linings also need a break-in period. Avoid making hard stops during the first 322 km(200 mi). This is recommended every time brake linings are replaced. . Should the vehicle be used for racing or competitive driving (after break-in), the rear axle lubricant must be replaced before hand.
See Track Events and Competitive Driving on page 9-6.

[Joseph1LE]

Originally Posted by Shark72

This is right out of the 2015 Owners Manual - Page 9-18;

New Vehicle Break-In {Caution Follow these recommended guidelines during the first 2 414 km(1,500 mi) of driving this vehicle. Parts have a break-in period and performance will be better in the long run. . For the first 2 414 km(1,500 mi): . Avoid full throttle starts and abrupt stops. . Do not exceed 4000 engine rpm. . Avoid driving at any one constant speed, fast or slow. . Do not drive above 129 km/h(80 mph). (Continued)
Caution (Continued)
. Avoid downshifting to brake or slow the vehicle when the engine speed will exceed 4,000 rpm. . Do not let the engine labor. Never lug the engine in high gear at low speeds. With a manual transmission, shift to the next lower gear. This rule applies at all times, not just during the break-in period. . Do not participate in racing events, sport driving schools, or similar activities during this break-in period. . Check engine oil with every refueling and add if necessary. Oil and fuel consumption may be higher than normal during the first 2 414 km(1,500 mi). (Continued)
Chevrolet Camaro Owner Manual (GMNA-Localizing-U.S./Canada/Mexico7695163) - 2015 - crc - 9/4/14
Driving and Operating 9-19
Caution (Continued)
. To break in new tires, drive at moderate speeds and avoid hard cornering for the first 322 km(200 mi). New tires do not have maximum traction and may tend to slip. . New brake linings also need a break-in period. Avoid making hard stops during the first 322 km(200 mi). This is recommended every time brake linings are replaced. . Should the vehicle be used for racing or competitive driving (after break-in), the rear axle lubricant must be replaced before hand.
See Track Events and Competitive Driving on page 9-6.

Any engine builder worth their salt and anyone with real knowledge of internal combustion engines will tell you this is flat out wrong. Why GM puts this in the manual? I have no clue. Maybe for some liability reason. But babying it is not the proper way to break in a new engine and that is simply fact.

[angryBits]

Ask 1000 different people and you'll get 1000 different answers on how to break in. Best advice in my opinion is this:

GM monitors and logs all kinds of stuff on these cars. Best to not give them any additional excuses for giving you a hard time with future warranty claims. I'd follow the manual's break in procedure.

But whatever you do... Enjoy the car

[Shark72]

Originally Posted by Joseph1LE

Any engine builder worth their salt and anyone with real knowledge of internal combustion engines will tell you this is flat out wrong. Why GM puts this in the manual? I have no clue. Maybe for some liability reason. But babying it is not the proper way to break in a new engine and that is simply fact.

The break in period is not just the engine.......that's a fact!

[owhite3003]

Hey buddy, congratulations and welcome to the Z club.

[Battlezone580]

Thanks everyone for your comments, I'll try my best to stay under 4,000 rpms!

Originally Posted by owhite3003

Hey buddy, congratulations and welcome to the Z club.

Thanks bro!

[Joseph1LE]

Originally Posted by Shark72

The break in period is not just the engine.......that's a fact!

This is true as well. But it's important to seat the rings properly early on, as doing so will result in better engine performance and output and less oil consumption. Seen and worked on LS engines that were broken in both ways and the ones that were broken in hard put down more power, consumed less oil, and had longer life spans. I understand that other things like the differential shouldn't be beat on when new, so it's a bit of a compromise. I could go into a lot more detail but don't want to derail the thread too much. Too each his own.

Enjoy your new ride OP.

[oldfriend]

Originally Posted by Joseph1LE

Any engine builder worth their salt and anyone with real knowledge of internal combustion engines will tell you this is flat out wrong. Why GM puts this in the manual? I have no clue. Maybe for some liability reason. But babying it is not the proper way to break in a new engine and that is simply fact.

A while back I bought a new , and my first ever skateboard , on the booklet it says to go easy for the first few runs
I said fuc,,,,k it , open the box , stepped on it and let it just go
By the end of the day I was on the mechanic , with a couple nurses patching up my knees , elbows and hands
I should have follow the BOOK. , too late for it by then

[Joseph1LE]

Originally Posted by Joseph1LE

Any engine builder worth their salt and anyone with real knowledge of internal combustion engines will tell you this is flat out wrong. Why GM puts this in the manual? I have no clue. Maybe for some liability reason. But babying it is not the proper way to break in a new engine and that is simply fact.

Originally Posted by oldfriend

A while back I bought a new , and my first ever skateboard , on the booklet it says to go easy for the first few runs
I said fuc,,,,k it , open the box , stepped on it and let it just go
By the end of the day I was on the mechanic , with a couple nurses patching up my knees , elbows and hands
I should have follow the BOOK. , too late for it by then

Hence why I typed what is bolded above.... Not a very valid analogy though to anyone know knows about skateboarding.

[m3andak]

Congrats on you new Z! Great color choice!

[Battlezone580]

Originally Posted by Joseph1LE

This is true as well. But it's important to seat the rings properly early on, as doing so will result in better engine performance and output and less oil consumption. Seen and worked on LS engines that were broken in both ways and the ones that were broken in hard put down more power, consumed less oil, and had longer life spans. I understand that other things like the differential shouldn't be beat on when new, so it's a bit of a compromise. I could go into a lot more detail but don't want to derail the thread too much. Too each his own.

Enjoy your new ride OP.

Thanks bro and yea its no problem, I've been compromising pretty much, not to hard but not to soft lol. As I said its very hard to keep it below 4,000 rpms!