How do I "Break-in" my new BMW?

[JB135MDCT]

Originally Posted by ChromoX

Why is driving on the highway so bad for the break in procedure?

It will create a filmed and very smooth cylinder wall. A mirror finish is bad. It will not allow proper lubrication of rings, especially under hi loading.

Shift gears and change your steady state mph on a regular basis, accelerate/decelerate using gas pedal and gear selection. Very annoying, but worth it.

[JB135MDCT]

Originally Posted by Cuz5150

Thanks Maxnix great read...........and boy i had a hunch that the Amsoil and Redline were going to be the best oils.

When i had my Jeep GrandCherokke w/t solid axles front and back, I replaced the crappy factory cheap juice with Amsoil severe gear......and never had any diff problems........no noises, no humming, no clicking....nothing!
I use redline in my Audi, however, the "key" with redline, is to do annually oil changes, diff/trans axle. The oil is great, but not made for "lifetime" periods.

When my 135i hit 20K miles............Amsoil is going in the rear diff...PERIOD!!!

The pdf is advertisement for Amsoil, it is not absolute science. Amsoil is way over priced for about the same as redline quality base oils. I like using Redline in trans and diff for 50k period with no issues. However, I will not argue that you change at 20k for any oil.

[jkp1187]

Aw boy! This thread has gone from "how to I break in" to "which oil should I use"! Maybe if we're lucky we'll hit "automatic or manual", "RFT vs. non-RFT", "how come there's no gosh-darned dipstick" in the days to come!

[Tom K.]

Originally Posted by jkp1187

Aw boy! This thread has gone from "how to I break in" to "which oil should I use"! Maybe if we're lucky we'll hit "automatic or manual", "RFT vs. non-RFT", "how come there's no gosh-darned dipstick" in the days to come!

You forgot NA vs. Turbo.

Tom

[JB135MDCT]

Nobody mentioned K&N vs. OEM Air Filter? K&N can show real data that it flows more air than OEM, what they don't tell is you have to clean it every 500 miles.

Same with Amsoil, who are experts at convoluting scientific data, under specific conditions they will prevail. Also, documents that are critical are configured by technical writers and LAWYERS, at least by the smart advertiser. If only fully synthetic oil was actually fully synthetic oil, the lawyers were able to sneak that one through. Advertisement is a science of trickery of the mind.

Regardless, If an oil is 1% better but costs 300% more, which one would you buy?

JKP, Oil choice is critical to proper break-in, but I don't want to go into detail because TrackRat might bust a nut.

I wish I had a dipstick. Still working on it. I'll get back to you all.

It's best to have at least 1 beer prior to any response. It might loosen you up and not be so defensive/critical.

[jeremyc74]

Originally Posted by JB135MDCT

Nobody mentioned K&N vs. OEM Air Filter? K&N can show real data that it flows more air than OEM, what they don't tell is you have to clean it every 500 miles.

That doesn't really make any sense to me.

There are only two ways to increase flow through a filter.

A - More surface area
B - Less filtration

Any drop in filter that's actually make more power isn't filtering as much, because there's no way to increase surface are. Decreased filtration means you shouldn't have to clean it as often.

Personally I'd stay away from a drop in filter that's proven to make more power, because it HAS to be letting more crap in.

[JB135MDCT]

You forgot: C - Dirtyness of the Filter.

As K&N get dirty, they flow less air. OEM keeps on going, like the energyzer bunny.

[jeremyc74]

Originally Posted by JB135MDCT

You forgot: C - Dirtyness of the Filter.

As K&N get dirty, they flow less air. OEM keeps on going, like the energyzer bunny.

All filters flow less when they're dirty. If the K&N filter is stopping the same amount of dirt as the OEM filter, they're going to get dirty at the same rate. If it's stopping more, it's going to be more restrictive.

[shockin330i]

OP, you can be like the sheep and follow the manual or just break it in how you drive it. 2k miles in 1 1/2 weeks and she is doing just fine

[jeremyc74]

Originally Posted by TrackRat

Because the OE paper filter has much greater surface area it may not become as restricted as soon as the foam filter. Only testing would tell.

This goes back to what I said earlier. If it's flowing more, with less surface area, it's not stopping as much dirt.

It doesn't look to me like there's a significant difference in surface area between the stock filter and the K&N drop in though. The OEM filter has less wicking around the edges though.

As I said before, if a drop in filter is actually showing power gains, I wouldn't touch it. It HAS to be letting more dirt through.

[JB135MDCT]

Originally Posted by jeremyc74

All filters flow less when they're dirty. If the K&N filter is stopping the same amount of dirt as the OEM filter, they're going to get dirty at the same rate. If it's stopping more, it's going to be more restrictive.

OEM filters do not flow less when dirty up to the life of the filter. Oil laden K&N filter better in turn get clogged much sooner. And if you don't clean on a regular basis, the dirt and oil wick out into your engine. The worst thing about K&N is fine particle sand gets through very easy relative to oem.

Trackrat, You get more hp at top end if and only if the K&N is clean.

OK OK, back to break-in.

[JB135MDCT]

Originally Posted by jeremyc74

As I said before, if a drop in filter is actually showing power gains, I wouldn't touch it. It HAS to be letting more dirt through.

Exactly

[jkp1187]

Originally Posted by Tom K.

You forgot NA vs. Turbo.

Tom

Which really devolves into a 135i versus 128i debate here.

[jeremyc74]

Originally Posted by TrackRat

NO we don't know if a low restriction air filter is filtering less particulate out than an OE paper filter UNLESS WE TEST them scientifically. Filtration resistance does NOT necessarily determine flow volume.
.

Air filters have been tested to death, and we absolutely know that pore size (and ability to filter particulates) is the determining factor for flow.

This isn't some unknown science. Air filtration is done on a massive scale in industrial environments, and if there were some magic filter that could flow more and filter more at the same time, we'd all be using them. There isn't.

As I said earlier, there are two ways to increase flow through a filter.

Increased surface area (impossible with a drop in)
Increased pore size (meaning more particulates pass through)

IF this filter makes more power, it's because of the latter, and it's not even debatable.

http://www.nicoclub.com/archives/kn-vs-oem-filter.html

[Tom K.]

Originally Posted by jkp1187

Which really devolves into a 135i versus 128i debate here.

Not really. In case we get visitors, I wanted to be able to expand it to 328i vs. 335i, 535i vs. 550i, etc.

Tom

[Battleship Potemkin]

Originally Posted by shockin330i

OP, you can be like the sheep and follow the manual or just break it in how you drive it. 2k miles in 1 1/2 weeks and she is doing just fine

Anecdote is not the singular form of data. I followed the manufacturer's recommendation for break in. 130,000 miles in 15 years and she is doing just fine. Baaaah Baaah

[JB135MDCT]

Originally Posted by Battleship Potemkin

Anecdote is not the singular form of data. I followed the manufacturer's recommendation for break in. 130,000 miles in 15 years and she is dong just fine. Baaaah Baaah

Just wondering if you could share your oil change interval and relatioj to type of driving. Anyone who shares there routine maintenace for high mileage cars is of great value to all. Assume your mpg got better.

For a 208kmiles I use full syn oem every 6k @ 75% highway. Oil filter every 12k. spark pulg every 50k (none platinum NGK double ground). Auto trans at 50k ( bought this car for my girlfriend who can't drive a stick, I sware ). Drives like the day I bought it. Previous owner did BMW suggested and drove it like an old lady at 90% backroads. NO blue smoke. Get about 29mpg Hway @75mph, 24mpg average.

[Tom K.]

Originally Posted by JB135MDCT

Just wondering if you could share your oil change interval and relatioj to type of driving. Anyone who shares there routine maintenace for high mileage cars is of great value to all. Assume your mpg got better.

For a 208kmiles I use full syn oem every 6k @ 75% highway. Oil filter every 12k. spark pulg every 50k (none platinum NGK double ground). Auto trans at 50k ( bought this car for my girlfriend who can't drive a stick, I sware ). Drives like the day I bought it. Previous owner did BMW suggested and drove it like an old lady at 90% backroads. NO blue smoke. Get about 29mpg Hway @75mph, 24mpg average.

'99 328i broken in per the manual. Oil changes using only BMW 5w30 syn every 8,000 miles - never needed any oil between changes. Battery & serpentine belt @60k, Redline MTL transmission fluid @ 70k. Original spark plugs and clutch when traded at 96,000 miles. 60% suburban/city, 40% highway/mountains - 24.5 overall mpg on 93 octane fuel.

Was this what you had in mind?

Tom

[diamondsbylauren]

Interesting thread.
The part about how dealers have totally different priorities than manufacturers holds so true,
I've asked many times- without exception, dealers have advised me to ignore the break in procedure advised by the manufacturer.
The explanation about motivation makes a lot of sense.

ETA- Thanks for the stuff about the dip stick ( I spent quite a while trying to find one the other day)

[JB135MDCT]

Originally Posted by Tom K.

'99 328i broken in per the manual. Oil changes using only BMW 5w30 syn every 8,000 miles - never needed any oil between changes. Battery & serpentine belt @60k, Redline MTL transmission fluid @ 70k. Original spark plugs and clutch when traded at 96,000 miles. 60% suburban/city, 40% highway/mountains - 24.5 overall mpg on 93 octane fuel.

Was this what you had in mind?

Tom

Mountains? Roadtrips to Deep Creek? Sound like good data, I may have to up my OCI.

Anyone else changing oil at 15k or topping oil off at all for high mile cars?