Engine Break in

[Thud]

Originally Posted by Bimmer

3 more words on break- in:
NO SYNTHETIC OIL !!

Wow. lots of misinformation here.

Plenty of cars use synthetic oil from the factory-- for example, all Porsche models, Corvette, Viper, all Mercedes AMG cars (and the SLR), Bentley GT, Aston Martin... I guess those manufacturers just don't know much about engines!

[imported_Bimmer]

Originally Posted by Thud

Wow. lots of misinformation here.

Plenty of cars use synthetic oil from the factory-- for example, all Porsche models, Corvette, Viper, all Mercedes AMG cars (and the SLR), Bentley GT, Aston Martin... I guess those manufacturers just don't know much about engines!

And THATS WHY I Posted from most common opinions....!!! No where i put THE MANUFACTURERS DONT KNOW WHAT THERE DOING or YOU MUST DO THIS, im just putting information out there, didnt you notice I said:

" I got no idea how im gonna do it".....

[imported_Bimmer]

Originally Posted by Thud

By the time the car arrives, fresh off the boat, the engine has already seen redline at WOT on a dyno.

And I meant BOUNCE IT OFF THE REDLINE, which im sure they dont BOUNCE IT OFF THE REDLINE LIKE ITS COOL when they dyno them in the factory...but hey whatever....

[Thud]

Originally Posted by Bimmer

And I meant BOUNCE IT OFF THE REDLINE, which im sure they dont BOUNCE IT OFF THE REDLINE LIKE ITS COOL when they dyno them in the factory...but hey whatever....

Ah well.
I'm just going to roast the rear tires and do some donuts in the dealership parking lot, that should be sufficient for a break-in.

[Mpulse]

Bimmer,

It's still a lot of misinformation and very misleading. The members on this board who have the ability to understand the dynamics of engine break-in have already searched and made up their minds. ( That's an opinion ) But the other members who are not sure or don't have a clue are going to be mislead by your logic. This topic is too technical and there are too many variables to give those uninformed members direction on what to do. For instance, what's the difference between moderate acceleration and "bounce it off the red line". At least the manufacturers are a little more specific. Like moderate acceleration without causing a down shift ( In an automatic ). At least they can get a handle on that.

I would say that all the manufacturers that advocate synthetic oil use it for break-in. And most reputable synthetic oil manufacturers say it's ok to use synthetic during break-in.

And I disagree on the reasons most engines fail. A major reason is not what oil they use during break-in but how they do the break-in and more importantly, how they maintain the engine in the long run. Proper maintenance is as important as how you drive, or not abuse, the car.

The best and safest way to break-in your new BMW, or any machine, is to follow the manufacturers directions. Not someone who has no stake in your investment.

The only time my M3 sees red line is after it's thoroughly warmed up, and I mean engine oil warm not just the water temperature.

Thud,

When tires are new, they have oils in the rubber used so they come out of the mold ok. It takes about 200 miles for that oil to dry up. Till then they are much more slippery than when broken in.

[JOe335i]

i agree, when in doubt just follow the manufactures method. i have seen a bunch of dynos over the past year from 335i owners with different methods on break in and there all within a few HP within each other.

[BMWhokie]

I ordered mine 200 miles away from me (back in my hometown). Any suggestions on driving it back on the highway?

[mikeo]

If possible, take the back roads instead of a freeway. I personally think it is a good idea to vary speeds, short acceleration bursts, bed in the brake pads, etc. Much easier to do when not on a freeway.

[ChrisK]

I am really surprised that BMW doesn't factory fill with synthetic? :iono:

[mikeo]

I thought they did, Chris. They don't? Another reason I'm changing oil at the 1200 miles point.

[kleinf]

Their really is no need to break in a new car. The engine has already been tested and engine parts fit together better than decades before. The dealership wants you to take it easy, because if anything breaks, it is covered by a warranty and you will bring the car in to be fixed. This decreases the service shop vacancy at dealerships and thus lowers the volume of repairs to cars owners who do not have a warranty.

My father-in-law has a import dealership and told me when I get my BMW 135i to drive it normally, if anything is going to break it will within the first few months....so he says don't baby it.

[ChrisK]

Originally Posted by mikeo

I thought they did, Chris. They don't? Another reason I'm changing oil at the 1200 miles point.

I'm not sure now. :iono:

[john970]

Originally Posted by chriskurn

I'm not sure now. :iono:

I'm fairly certain the factory fill is Castrol Synthetic.

[larryn]

Originally Posted by john970

I'm fairly certain the factory fill is Castrol Synthetic.

They do.

[ChrisK]

Well good. Any reason to switch to Mobil1 or just stick with Castrol Synthetic? I used to use Dino Castrol and loved it. I will change the initial fill after the break in period.

[Mpulse]

BMW does use synthetic as a factory-fill and have since 1997. Most synthetic factory-fill oils are a special mixture for break-in and should not be replaced until at least 5000 miles. What you use after that it depends on how you drive your car and how important it is to you. If you don't drive hard then most good ( read with additives ) oils will do. For me it is worth the extra money for that added protection. It's like a very good insurance policy. If you drive your car hard you definitely need synthetic. And you should use a ACEA A3 rated synthetic oil that is approved by BMW such as Mobil 1 15W-50 in a mild climate. It cost more and for me it's worth it.

[ChrisK]

Originally Posted by Mpulse

BMW does use synthetic as a factory-fill and have since 1997. Most synthetic factory-fill oils are a special mixture for break-in and should not be replaced until at least 5000 miles. What you use after that it depends on how you drive your car and how important it is to you. If you don't drive hard then most good ( read with additives ) oils will do. For me it is worth the extra money for that added protection. It's like a very good insurance policy. If you drive your car hard you definitely need synthetic. And you should use a ACEA A3 rated synthetic oil that is approved by BMW such as Mobil 1 15W-50 in a mild climate. It cost more and for me it's worth it.

Are sure about 1997?

My 1998 Z3 didn't have Synthetic in it. BMW was still offering Dino or Synthetic for oil changes at that time.

[Mpulse]

What I meant to say was that BMW started a factory-fill with the M cars in 97. How long it took them to cover the entire NA line no one knows. But I do know the new NA cars coming from Germany have synthetic as a fill. That's what they told me at the factory when I picked up my ED X3 in 06.

[scs]

a rebuilt engine, should be run-in hard with several heat cycles under load, throughout the rpm range, with equal amounts of engine braking to create back pressure against the rings. this is what creates the best seal, lowest oil consumption, and most power.

a new engine/car is different because there are other factors to consider, i.e. all of the unmated new components (transmission, drive line, valve train, brakes etc.) ideally finding the best of both worlds would yield the best outcome for power and reliability. what's key for proper ring seal is short heat cycles, with a decent load, and a fair amount of engine braking. the idea is to seat the rings with the least amount of initial wear to the edges of the rings, which is negated some say as s result of the "baby it" run-in method. heat cycles need to be short to keep the friction/heat down.

[Mpulse]

Originally Posted by scs

a rebuilt engine, should be run-in hard with several heat cycles under load, throughout the rpm range, with equal amounts of engine braking to create back pressure against the rings. this is what creates the best seal, lowest oil consumption, and most power.

a new engine/car is different because there are other factors to consider, i.e. all of the unmated new components (transmission, drive line, valve train, brakes etc.) ideally finding the best of both worlds would yield the best outcome for power and reliability. what's key for proper ring seal is short heat cycles, with a decent load, and a fair amount of engine braking. the idea is to seat the rings with the least amount of initial wear to the edges of the rings, which is negated some say as s result of the "baby it" run-in method. heat cycles need to be short to keep the friction/heat down.

So what you're saying is to vary engine speeds and road speeds. Put a decent load on the engine but don't put full load or go over 4500 rpm or 105 mph. And I guess if you accelerate with a decent load on the engine you will probably be using a fair amount of engine braking too.

As you said, there are so many things to consider in a new car break-in and the engine is only one of them.

Back in 2000 I was returning from LA with a new Jeep Cherokee and trying to follow the manufacturers break-in recommendations. For the first 500 miles I should not drive over 55 mph. Try doing that on a busy LA freeway with all the traffic closing in on you at +75.

I did my break-in of my X3 in Germany and it was a lot more fun.:thumbup:

[john970]

Have there been any real studies done on this? Everyone seems to say "well I had car X and did Y and this is what happened".

I assume the manufacturers are using some kind of data for their break in instructions. Seems like a lot of hearsay and voodoo.

Reminds me of speaker cable discussions.

[scs]

Originally Posted by Mpulse

So what you're saying is to vary engine speeds and road speeds. Put a decent load on the engine but don't put full load or go over 4500 rpm or 105 mph. And I guess if you accelerate with a decent load on the engine you will probably be using a fair amount of engine braking too.

As you said, there are so many things to consider in a new car break-in and the engine is only one of them.

Back in 2000 I was returning from LA with a new Jeep Cherokee and trying to follow the manufacturers break-in recommendations. For the first 500 miles I should not drive over 55 mph. Try doing that on a busy LA freeway with all the traffic closing in on you at +75.

I did my break-in of my X3 in Germany and it was a lot more fun.:thumbup:

i think the biggest thing to avoid is staying in any one gear at a steady speed i.e. an hour on the freeway@60mph in 6th gear. actually stop and go traffic would probably do better do to the varying accelerations/decelerations.