[uber335]

I've been reading a lot of other threads (doing my ) but I still have one thing that I'm not too sure about.

The fellow members have been saying that you should be varying your rpm/speed throughout the 6000km break-in period and suggested shifting 4th gear to 6th gear, 6th to 4th (is it bad to shift from 6th down to 4th gear?), 5 to 3, 5 to 6, etc... Now I'm an auto driver and I don't normally use the shift paddles, so how do I "vary" my gear shift with regular auto tran?(should I just slow down to 80km/hr then hit it to 100km/hr on the highway? is that considered "varying" my rpm/speed?)

Thanks in advance guys

[denlin68]

Just drive the car. Honestly it wont make that much of a difference whether you break in or not. As long as you dont floor your car all the time when your car is still new.

[Leesi]

Don't drive faster than 95 mph or higher than 5 RPMs until 1200 Miles (1931.21 Kms) Other than that, the transmission is smart enough to take care the shifting

[John 070]

Originally Posted by denlin68

Just drive the car. Honestly it wont make that much of a difference whether you break in or not. As long as you dont floor your car all the time when your car is still new.

If you lease sure, it wont make that much difference if you don't break in the car. Heck, it's not even your property. But I wouldn't take that advice if I owned the vehicle. I would vary the rpms for the first 1200 mi. It's like the NYC garbage truck--it doesn't matter, it's hauling garbage. But those trucks are so clean you could eat off and out of them. Why? Because the business owners take pride in what they do. Maybe people who have a BMW take pride and care and follow instructions, nothing wrong with it.

[nal13]

Originally Posted by Leesi

Don't drive faster than 95 mph or higher than 5 RPMs until 1200 Miles (1931.21 Kms) Other than that, the transmission is smart enough to take care the shifting

In terms of the break in period, my car salesman and one of the head mechanics in the garage told me there really is no such thing. No where has BMW documented that these cars require special treatment when new. That was a suggestion on past 3 series before the introduction of the e9x cars. The cars are ment to be driven. I have 1200 miles on the car, and I have had a few spirited moments behind the wheel. The car actually drives better then the day I picked it up.

[AndrewAZ]

This isnt a sports car (most come pre broke in also).. The cars motor is broken in at the factor. I have been WOT since 400-500miles and have only had 1 issue and that was a crank position sensor which is not related to engine break in at all.

Again at the factor they put your motor on a dyno and test it to red line its broken in and fine to go. The only reason break in is important is if you have a 6 speed manual then you need to wear the clutch in.

I really doubt anyone is as hard on their car as I am and so far I have suffered no major engine problems. (I redline just about every time I have space in front of me in 1st and 2nd and sometimes 3rd gear, which happens often I would say 15-20 times a day)

[dxb335d]

but in all honesty, its all bollox.... when the car leaves the ship it gets HAMMERED absolutely thrashed by the staff there, for abotu half a mile one end then half a mile the other

if yoru car has 3-6 miles on it when you pick it up, i can assure you especially witha performance model, it would have had a hard turn, thus rendering a run-in period/process pointless

[banks2152]

theres so much controversy weather you should break your car in or not, that your not gonna get a consistent answer on this board........ but either way.. your car is automatic, its impossible to shift directly from 6 to 4 or 4 to 6 so i wouldn't worry about it

[John 070]

Controversy? How about page 96 in the FOM?

Up to 1,200 miles, vary engine speeds and don't exceed 4500 rpm or 100 mph.

After 1,200 miles, engine and vehicle speeds can be GRADUALLY increased.

Understandable that many could care less as they lease and it's like a rental car to them. But don't spread misinformation by saying break-in is an urban legend or myth. I suppose the maxing out a 401k at 15.5k per year is a myth, too? See how mythical the time value of money is when you retire 40 years from now.

[John 070]

No where has BMW documented that these cars require special treatment when new.

Why didn't your dealership give you an owner's manual and explain it to you upon delivery of the vehicle?

[Sea2Ski]

Originally Posted by AndrewAZ

.....I redline just about every time I have space in front of me in 1st and 2nd and sometimes 3rd gear, which happens often I would say 15-20 times a day)

....Wow, you must go through a lot of gas!!!

[DasBlitz]

The break in period is this made up thing that makes certain drivers feel good. It's also one of those things that may have been true in the past but truthfully isn't anymore.

Also you do know these engine are run nonstop for a little to do testing.

[theDude]

Originally Posted by DasBlitz

The break in period is this made up thing that makes certain drivers feel good. It's also one of those things that may have been true in the past but truthfully isn't anymore.

Also you do know these engine are run nonstop for a little to do testing.

Personally, I take BMW's break-in advice with a grain of salt...I won't thrash my car within the break-in period nearly as hard as I will once its above 1200mls.

Will it see redline within break-in though? Absolutely.

I think BMW includes the break-in instruction for two reasons:

1. To limit the frequency of crashes in drivers unfamiliar with their vehicle.
2. Reduce the possibility of failure due to uneven lubrication.

[dxb335d]

like i said they all get thrashed with 0 miles on anyhow and from cold

[technik111]

Like everyone has said, break-in is a bunch of B.S. Just go ahead and drive your car. It cracks me up when I read threads about people who are affraid to drive their car. What's up with that?!?! Ferrari's (obviously a more expensive and fragile car) are REDLINED at the factory. If a Ferrari can do it, so can our run-of-the-mill BMW's.

[TRZ06]

It's not the engine that needs to be broken in (as that is done at the factory), it's the other mechanical parts, like brake pads and rotors, tranny gears, and for manual guys - clutches, wheel bearings, CV joints, etc., etc., etc.

Basiclly anything mechanical that meshes with other mechanical parts.

[Driver72]

I just want to say something...people keep saying the engine is broken in "at the factory".
However, keep in mind, this is done on an engine dyno.
The engine is not under load (ie: hauling around 3000+ pounds) in the process.
There is no way shape or form, you can say that therefore it has been "broken in".

Now, personally I believe ANY metal or moving parts that have friction need to be broken in, same goes with brakes, etc.

After years of driving and ownership of dozens and dozens of cars, this is what I feel.
Not really necessary to "baby" the car for the first 1000 or so miles.
Also, not really recommended to "hammer" on the car right from the get go either.
Like so many things in life, the key seems to be moderation.
Drive the car like you would in everyday life right from the get go.
If that means the occasionally flooring the throttle and running it to redline, so be it, just as well as the occasional driving like "Miss Daisy".

Would I take the car to an auto-x event or track day in the first 1000 miles or so....no way.

Engines and mechanical parts these days are computer blueprinted and spec'ed to precision. It's not like the 70's where they were milled and dropped in and the engine had to really "break in" and tons of metal shavings were in the oil and so forth.

Everything from precision engine specs to synthetic oils to top tier gas and so forth have come so far, that these mechanical and moving parts are so precise that to me, there's little need to worry so much about a perfect "break in" anymore.
Again, just drive the car like you would if it had 10,000 miles on it (with the exception of race/track day driving). After 1000 or so miles like this, your engine WILL be broken in.
You and your car's engine and drivetrain will be fine and last a LONG time.

[TRZ06]

Originally Posted by Driver72

I just want to say something...people keep saying the engine is broken in "at the factory".
However, keep in mind, this is done on an engine dyno.
The engine is not under load (ie: hauling around 3000+ pounds) in the process.
There is no way shape or form, you can say that therefore it has been "broken in".

Now, personally I believe ANY metal or moving parts that have friction need to be broken in, same goes with brakes, etc.

After years of driving and ownership of dozens and dozens of cars, this is what I feel.
Not really necessary to "baby" the car for the first 1000 or so miles.
Also, not really recommended to "hammer" on the car right from the get go either.
Like so many things in life, the key seems to be moderation.
Drive the car like you would in everyday life right from the get go.
If that means the occasionally flooring the throttle and running it to redline, so be it, just as well as the occasional driving like "Miss Daisy".

Would I take the car to an auto-x event or track day in the first 1000 miles or so....no way.

Engines and mechanical parts these days are computer blueprinted and spec'ed to precision. It's not like the 70's where they were milled and dropped in and the engine had to really "break in" and tons of metal shavings were in the oil and so forth.

Everything from precision engine specs to synthetic oils to top tier gas and so forth have come so far, that these mechanical and moving parts are so precise that to me, there's little need to worry so much about a perfect "break in" anymore.
Again, just drive the car like you would if it had 10,000 miles on it (with the exception of race/track day driving). After 1000 or so miles like this, your engine WILL be broken in.
You and your car's engine and drivetrain will be fine and last a LONG time.

Yes, I very much agree with your moderation statement in cars and in life.

[rog5878]

I have an automatic -- so don't know if this is at all applicable to
a manual. However, I kept the rpms below 4000 for the first 1200 miles (not hard with an automatic -- particularly if you don't use sport mode)
I also tried to vary my speeds/rpms but did not use the shifters.

After 1200 miles, I have used to shifters occasionally and have
increased the speed/rpms and use of sport mode.
I am now in Nova Scotia with about 2400 miles on the car.

It feels great and is very responsive. I have noticed that the temperature
gauge has decreased from around 240 to anywhere from 220 to 230. This change seemed to take place on the drive up from Virginia to Bar Harbor, Maine.
Surprisingly, the temperature gauge first began to drop after our first day of driving -- Va. to Princeton, NJ where we visited some friends. Since it was beastly hot, I thought that the temperature gauge would go up and not down.
I guess the intercooler is breaking in.

Have fun.

[STE92VE]

It doesn't matter how you vary the RPM's, just make sure you do it.

[FastLane]

I am an Engineer for a major auto co and here's my stance on break-in. It's not the BEST idea to constantly beat on your car when you first get it. Mainly because during the build process, you never know what materials can fall into the engine/trans such as dirt, dust, metal shavings etc...Also, as previously stated, you want to make sure that certain mechancial components lube up properly and mesh correctly. Typically, it is reccomended to wait until after the first oil change, then go to town.

With that said, is it going to be detrimental to your vehicle if you go WOT for the first 200 mi or pop the clutch every time you shift??? No, probably not. And as for the comment regarding that BMW engineers beat on your car for the first few miles, this is true to some extent. Ford's are electronically limited to ~4500 rpms until they are delivered to the dealership whose responsibility is to reset the ECU out of "ALTCAL" by unhooking the negative battery terminal for a min or so (but each engine IS dyno tested and redlined at the factory in car, thus loaded, prior to this calibration). So im sure BMW does test each car aggresively, its only for a breif period of time though.

Your best bet is to vary your driving style until the first oil change, then, do as you please. It's a whole 'nother debate as to when you should first change the oil though....