Breaking in a new PT Cruiser

We will be picking up our new PT Cruiser in Kansas City and driving back to Denver. Does anyone have any suggestions as to how to break in the new engine correctly?

[Bosch]

First gas station you find after leaving dealer check your tire pressure, some dealers leave it low to give a smoother first ride. Correct pressure is listed on the inside of the drivers door. you can get a digital gauge a radio shack or even target for about $10 bucks. And bring a quart of oil with you for the trip home, mine used a bit of oil in the first few hundred miles.

And in the owner's manual turn to page 51 and that should be the engine break in recommendations. I'm gonna paraphrase.

Drive it gentle but don't be afraid to get it up to 55mph, but change up the speed you are driving frequently for the first 300 miles.

[PTCruisingPA]

Fortunately, being from Kansas, I know the drive that awaits. That nice long, straight, flat... zzzzzzzzz... sorry... drive should do wonders. I realize that the speed limit is MUCH higher, but take it easy. Having the Cruiser, you'll probably want to take your time anyway. Watch out for cows west of Salina.

[BluesCruiser]

If you have a 5-speed you could also run at 55 but shift up & down from 4 to 5 to vary the RPM. Plus I would make a couple of stops along the way as well. Enjoy the drive and I hope you're not too paranoid about every other driver out to get you like I was! After picking up the PT I had to drive home in the dark in a rain storm and over a 2 mile bridge construction zone. Talk about white knuckles! Have Fun.

[KanCruiser]

Congrats -- and don't worry about cows west of Salina. Apparently Rick was last here in the 19th century. I-70 is fully fenced, as you know, and is a good high-speed road most of the way. A buffalo might be able to jump those fences, but I've never seen a Hereford or an Angus clear one.
If you're daring, (unlike most tourists) stop in Ellis on your way back to Denver and check out the Walter P. Chrysler home and museum. It's only a mile or so off the interstate. Be on the lookout for road construction in that area, though.
As for the break-in, we set our cruise and then would bump it up or down a notch or two every 10 miles or so.

[PTmac]

We picked ours up in Raleigh, NC. and drove home to central Florida. Based on the info in the owners manual we varied the speed and did not use the cruise control until after 500 miles had gone by. We stuck to the US Highways and State Roads that first 500+ miles which provided some nice scenery that you normally would miss using the Interstate, and it eliminated the temptation to go to fast or at a steady speed for an extended period of time. The dealer had the tire pressure at 35 psi., and we did not use any oil on the way home, which was 1200 miles. But do check the fluids as a precaution. Take your time and have a great trip.

The rule I've used is take it easy for the first 1000 miles. This allows the piston rings to seat properly. Then drain the oil and change the filter to get rid of any metal particles that gets into the engine from manufacturing and the first 1000 miles you put on it. Your initial drive should serve well as a break-in period. Just remember to check the oil when you pick it up and would check it a couple of times along the way.

[MX-5]

I found that question covered in the www.ptdoityourself.net tech library.
http://www.ptdoityourself.net/pttechlib.html#break

Answers to almost anything can be found there.