I've heard many say that you shouldn't baby your engine when you break it in or else it'll become "weak" later on...I've also heard people tell me not to push the engine too hard during the break in period? So could you nice people explain to me the right way to break in a car?
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There is no doubt in my military-mind that you should follow the dealer's directions.

You do not want to jeopardize your warranty.

Nothwithstanding, my personal opinion is that for the first 500km you should not perform hard acceleration, do not exceed normal highway speeds (100 kph), do not tow a trailer, and change the oil after the break-in period.

Very useful advice above. I would also suggest referring to the owner's manual where you can find some guidance on breaking in. My Canadian version of the user's manual does contain some advice on this subject.
Inter alia, the manual says the car should be driven at different (but probably not extreme) speeds whilst breaking in (i.e. the first 1,000 km). Please refer to the manual for the exact wording and other details.

The myth behind the babying the car is not without merit (but not applicable to break in)

The computer in the cars adapts to the way you normally drive. Therefore it will be "weak" if you are a granny driver. However, it only takes to show the car you want to drive hard now and it will take the hint.

Not all cars are affected by this by the way

this is wrong info. what you're talking about is getting the computer to adjust to your driving habits. he's talking about breaking in a brand new car with a new motor.

to break in a new motor, you do not want to push the car hard in order to seat the rings properly. otherwise you increase the chances of heavy oil consumption and blow-by's. you want to be very easy on the gas pedal and at a steady pace. going on the highway at constant cruising speed often, is better...while keeping the RPMs as low as possible.

then you should change the oil at 500-1000 miles to get rid of the metal shavings that are common in a new motor. this is a good time to take a long trip.

how long for this break in period? the longer the better. 500-1000 miles should be the minimum. and don't switch to synthetics until maybe 3000 miles.

during this period, the computer will adjust to grandma performance, but all you have to do is disconnect the battery for a little bit to reset the computer. some cars, you have to d/c battery + pull and plug back in a fuse. but disconnecting the battery overnight should definitely erase the memory of most cars. also, stepping on the brakes may help drain the leftover power.

then you just drive like a maniac....flooring it every chance possible....right after you reconnect the battery....to adjust it to higher performance settings.

My advice would be to take it easy for the first 500 miles and then after that drive it however you want.
You need to give the engine time for the piston rings to seat and the bearings to wear smooth before you really hammer on the engine.
During the first 500 miles you can stand on the gas a little, but you dont want any more than 10 seconds of full-throttle operation. A little hard acceleration is actually good for the engine because it helps to seat the piston rings more quickly. You most definetely dont want to baby your engine in the first 500 miles, but you dont want to beat on it either.
So, basically, just drive it as you normally would. Avoid beating on the car and avoid prolonged driving at one speed and throttle postion (that means dont use cruise control and try to avoid driving on the interstate if you can for the first 500 miles).

I've always been told to be kind to the engine for the first 500 miles to break it in. I've never done it and never had a problem....but it's what I've been told.

Very interesting (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) !