Test Drive New Viper...Pedal to the metal!!!!

[PJS]

I hear a lot about how to break in a new Viper...Take it easy and keep the RPMs low for the first 600 miles or so.

Before I bought my new Yellow RT/10 2002 Viper I went to a few dealerships and asked for a test drive. Well they first wanted to drive the car out before handing me the wheel. All 3 times that I test drove a Viper the sales man put the pedal to the metal even before we were out of the parking lot or the car had anytime to warm up. I just have to say from my experience they run the brand new Vipers hard & wide open. My car had 10 miles on it when it was delivered to me and I wonder what kind of 10 miles they were for the car, easy going or wide iopen throttle to the red line?

What are the odds of getting some type of engine damage when brand new Vipers are run that hard? Cold engine and wide open?

What are your takes on this?

[Craig 201 MPH]

Ours came delivered with about 7 miles, I'd say you have nothing to worry about, especially if you ordered the car new and didn't buy a car that was in the dealership already.

Dealers that take a new Viper out for test drives with customers and thrash them probably have the General manager taking it home on weekends, and then it gets sold as a raped demo viper.

[Motor City Mad Man]

Well, having worked for 2 of the Big 3 auto makers in the last 8 years, I can tell you that as soon as most cars leave the assembly line the workers gun the engine and go as fast as they can to the rolls testing station or out the door to the parking lot. That way they get more of a break time in between units. Now with a brand new engine and no time for the oil to slosh around to protect things, this doesn't seem to good. I toured the Viper plant and this was not so, but probably because they only build 1 an hour and are not so rushed. As for the dealers, I am sure they are thrashed around there too even if they only have 10 miles on them.

[Robert Dyck]

When I bought my 97 GTS, it was 3 months old with a little mileage accumulation. Later I noticed what looked like melted rubber specks stuck to the rear inner fender wells.

I thought, someone really burned rubber in this thing. Then I was at the dealership afew years later and noticed that a brand new GTS on the showroom floor had the same rubber specks on the rear fender well.

It sure looked like bits of smoked rubber sticking to the rear fender well....only the rear. So it may be that they are smoked at the factory as part of a test. Or the factory guys just having fun.

[Eddie N]

re: smoking the tires at the factory

that must be a great job... "OK BOYS, let her rip.. its time for the ole smoke the tires test."..

- eddie -

[Jerry Dobson]

All Vipers are delivered with a “Craftperson” signature card stating the mileage and VIN number of your Viper. Average mileage should be 7 to 10 miles. NO MORE. If you are buying a car with 20 to 50 miles on it……..99.99% chance it has had the piss run out of it. It’s not their money. A Viper should NOT have rubber under the body or in the fender wells. Someone at the dealership ran the crap out of the car, not the factory.

If you order a new Viper, have the dealership sign a contract with a discount for each mile above the signature card. Have them call when the car arrives, watch it being unloaded. Do not ever let anyone at a dealership “test drive” a Viper alone. If they insist, ride along.

The first few miles on a car are so important.

I was a mechanic for a while. I could not handle the lower echelon mentality of 99% of mechanics. Some people refer to them as TwoPercenters. When I heard “Make it fit” referring to the WRONG PART come from the Service Manager, I put my tools in the back of my truck and walked out.

[King GTS]

I <u>ALWAYS[u/] and I mean [u]ALWAYS</u> hear a lot of noise about the breakin rules for the Viper. I myself am going on my 3rd Viper and have NEVER, EVER, followed ANY type of break-in rule. From the moment I've gotten each one of them, I've put it to the floor!! And I mean raced it!!! And I've NEVER had ANY type of problem. Ever. Furthermore, my car's have always given me what their supposed to at the dyno as well.

[Vic]

When I bought my son a Mustang Cobra, the salesman started the engine by racing it right from the first cylinder lighting off. His foot was to the floor long before the oil pressure could come up. What an a**! I complained to the ownership, and when I went back to buy a pick up truck two years later, the salesman remembered me fondly. (NOT!) He must have gotten a well deserved a** chewing.

[Henry Cone]

Gill is absolutely correct on the break in procedure. And following it will give you a snake with higher than average power, lower than average oil usage, and a resulting long and happy ilfe. As anecdotal evidence of this I offer one of our Carolinas Region cars - Its a 2001 GTS and it just made 433 RWHP and 477 RW torque (both SAE corrected) on the dyno - with only K&N's and smooth tubes!!!! The owner was completely anal about the break in...

Dodge wouldn't recommend it if it wasn't really beneficial as it leads to very frustrated owners, the last thing that Dodge wants!!

Just my $0.02...

[Bill Pemberton]

Folks want to break in their own car and with the miles as low as they were I doubt the Viper Tech even did a pre-delivery inspection. Most Vipers come in with around 6-18 miles ( though there are some that come in with more as they are test driven at the factory ). Chrysler requires all new cars to be checked out at the Dealership, which entails a small test drive. This means that a car that has been properly checked will have 12-20 miles on it in most cases. I agree that cars with 50-100 miles have been rodded around in all probability, but be glad you didn't purchase the one the salesman test drove with you. The break - in period for you car is 1000 miles and you should probably change the oil the first time at 200-400 miles. Many dealers do not let folks test drive a Viper for the reasons listed above, but we accomodate them by letting them drive used ones. Feel free to email me your address or a fax number and I can send you the proper break-in procedure for your car. Sounds to me like your fears are unfounded and you got a good one.

Respectfully,
Bill Pemberton
bpemberton@woodhouse.com

[dansauto]

I went to the Harley Davidson factory tour last year. As soon as the bikes come off the assembly line they are put on a "roller" and opened up to red line for about 3 min. I was shocked!! But this is part of the assembly proceedure and I know new harleys run along time before needing any service. I guess as long as thier is lubrication, then flooring it shouldn't hurt.

[Bonkers]

Note to self - Don't buy car with Pullen's name on the history.

[JonB - PartsRack]

The roll-test at CAAP is to 85mph in 4th as I recall. The test is very regimented, and documented.

The sig card usually reflects the miles as noted, but normal quality control selects about 1 car in 20 for a public roadway circuit, and could even result in 30 miles on the clock if that test 'reveals' something. But the sig card reflects the CAAP miles.

There are probably a dozen 'qualified' Viper Sales Professionals in the USA. And 2000 morons. I just had an owner show me how his salesman showed him how to lower the hood: Push down INSIDE the NACA DUCT ! "The duct wont bend, and the hood will" was the advice.

Best solution: CAAP PICKUP! No "PDI-Drive" by the dealer. And you KNOW the vehicle history from the moment you get it. CAAP might even show you the "traveler packet" with the roll-test data...........