Optimal Break In Procedure

[BigshotMD]

Ok, this may seem like a stupid question as there is a procedure that's already written in the manual, but I want to put a post up for those, like me, who are about to get the car and want some heads up:

Yeah, I'll be following owners manual for break in, but I've been told about the following as well and need some input:

• Occasionally push the engine a little bit during break-in process (i.e. 4500 rpm) to tighten the seals. Is this true?
• Is it recommended to change all oils right after the break in is completed?
• Should I need to be adding any additives to fuel/oil during the break in process or just leave it as it (i.e. octane booster, fuel injector cleaners, etc) ?

Thanks alot.

[JimD]

I did not go look but I think 4500 rpm is the upper limit of the BMW recommended break-in procedure and, if so, I see no reason not to go there sometimes. I am.

I have not decided yet if I will change the oil at 1200 miles. BMW used to recommend it, before it was their expense, at least for the M engines. I will definitely change no later than 5000 miles. I think 10,000 is just too far. But I talked to a couple with a X5 who have 130K miles on and have always just followed the BMW recommendation.

I do not think you need any additives but I plan to use only premium gas at least until the weather gets cooler. The manual says I can go as low as 87 octane (no turbo) but it also says something about hot weather. I know my SUV wants to ping under heavy load in the summer.

Jim

[Evice]

I held my self back until I reached 850 miles. Changed gears around 4k rpm.. after 850 miles, I started letting 128 rip.

[smpeck]

Check this out for recommended fuel - not sure if you would need an additive if it's already in the brand of gas you are using.

http://www.toptiergas.com/

I have 6,500 miles on my car and have yet to redline it. I guess I'm a late bloomer.

[///Mike135i]

I can't wait to get me AW135. The run in period is going to be so difficult. When I asked the dealer about it he said there was no need to bother as they are all run in on a bench. He also stated that if you drive their demo cars they always feel a bit quicker as they get given death from the off. This is not the first time I heard this either.

[m_thompson]

We went through the Munich factory tour two weeks ago. When we were in the engine assembly area the tour guide said that they spin the engines with an electric motor and listen for bad noises. The engine got run the first time at the end of the assembly line. The car is driven about 50 feet to a chassis dyno and then run up to max speed.

[kc_skyrider]

Originally Posted by m_thompson

We went through the Munich factory tour two weeks ago. When we were in the engine assembly area the tour guide said that they spin the engines with an electric motor and listen for bad noises. The engine got run the first time at the end of the assembly line. The car is driven about 50 feet to a chassis dyno and then run up to max speed.

Better believe it. I took delivery with 3miles on the odometer. So aside from the guys driving off the ship (for you guys) they're still babies. The theory about driving it hard from the start comes from adaptive Engine computers which we do have. (according to burger tuning, cooling mist, and snow performance our computers are actually incredible at adapting) So how do you break in your car properly but still train your car into a tire ripping machine???

Easy. break it in and just when it starts to think it's a grandma's 7-series, then you reset your Computer. just pull the negative battery for a few minutes. Then reconnect and you have a wiped computer (don't try this for tuning codes ) and now you can drive it like you wanted to from day one and not have to blame yourself if she goes kaboom the day after the warrenty is over. This is essentially what happens everytime you change maps with a Juice Box and I've noticed it can be a little less smooth for the first few drives as it "learns" again. Don't know if this would be noticable without the tune but if so it should smooth out very quickly.

[radorotrex]

So say at about 1200 miles reset the computer then drive it like you stole it?

Seriously, I have about 500 miles and have kept it under 4500rpm. I have sometimes pushed it hard to 4500rpm but been a good boy so far.

[Dr3K0]

I did this ==> http://www.mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm

Cheers

Dr3K0

[BrokenVert]

The computer most definently is constantly learning tho. After I autox I notice that for a few days the car still wants to go really fast. It downshifts with the slightest change in right foot pressure and is far more responisive in D.

Then it goes back into its normal reutine after a few days of commuting.

[Xin1120]

I would recommend an oil change after break in. Without looking at numbers and just thinking about it, the engine is brand new with no flaws and filled up with oil for lubrication and cooling. New metal will pump into other new metal and create metal particles more often than if it has been used for awhile. So logically, after a few hundred miles like 1200, it would probably be beneficial to replace the oil and filter.

[RPM90]

Originally Posted by JimD

I have not decided yet if I will change the oil at 1200 miles. BMW used to recommend it, before it was their expense, at least for the M engines. I will definitely change no later than 5000 miles. I think 10,000 is just too far. But I talked to a couple with a X5 who have 130K miles on and have always just followed the BMW recommendation.

Jim

BMW hasn't had this recommendation since at least 1999 for non M cars.
And before that they were not using synthetic.

[RPM90]

Originally Posted by BigshotMD

Ok, this may seem like a stupid question as there is a procedure that's already written in the manual, but I want to put a post up for those, like me, who are about to get the car and want some heads up:

Yeah, I'll be following owners manual for break in, but I've been told about the following as well and need some input:

• Occasionally push the engine a little bit during break-in process (i.e. 4500 rpm) to tighten the seals. Is this true?
• Is it recommended to change all oils right after the break in is completed?
• Should I need to be adding any additives to fuel/oil during the break in process or just leave it as it (i.e. octane booster, fuel injector cleaners, etc) ?

Thanks alot.

I would add, don't worry so much.
Drive the car. Visit redline a few times, just don't do with WFO throttle, or from a standing start, at least not for a few hundred miles.

There is no recommendation to change the oil until the ECU indication shows it's time. This has been going on for at least a decade with BMW, and there is no evidence that changing your oil that early results in any benefit. So since there is no benefit, we must consider the negatives to doing so such as wasting perfectly good oil, and using more oil than is necessary, and sending another oil filter to the dump when not needed, and it's wasting money and time for no good reason.

If you are concerned about the long drain interval, then simply have your oil tested at around 5k miles and decide once you've seen the results.
Check it again at 10k miles and decide after the results.
This is the only way to know if you need to change sooner than BMW's recommendation. Barring an oil analysis, changing sooner than required is simply going on speculation, mythology, feelings, and other things not related to the science and engineering of automobile engines.

There is no need to add anything if everything is working fine.
Remember, your engine has an oil filter that filters down to some very fine particles, so if there are some metal bits, they are not freely roaming your engine.

Don't baby the engine.
Make sure you give your brakes, tires, trans, and other moving parts a couple hundred miles so that they too get a bit of "break in" before hitting it harder. Find and online guide on how to "bed in" your brakes. Brembo has a good guide, or used to. Your tires need about 100 miles to make sure any residual manufacturing release oils have cleared away.
And, there is nothing magical that happens when you hit 1200 miles that makes your BMW better able to deal with redline or hard accel.
You'll notice that redline is still at the same point at 1200 miles as it is the day you first get it.

[RPM90]

Originally Posted by m_thompson

We went through the Munich factory tour two weeks ago. When we were in the engine assembly area the tour guide said that they spin the engines with an electric motor and listen for bad noises. The engine got run the first time at the end of the assembly line. The car is driven about 50 feet to a chassis dyno and then run up to max speed.

And there is where the actual "break in" happens.

Feel free to enjoy your new BMW from day 1.

[RPM90]

Originally Posted by kc_skyrider

Better believe it. I took delivery with 3miles on the odometer. So aside from the guys driving off the ship (for you guys) they're still babies. The theory about driving it hard from the start comes from adaptive Engine computers which we do have. (according to burger tuning, cooling mist, and snow performance our computers are actually incredible at adapting) So how do you break in your car properly but still train your car into a tire ripping machine???

Easy. break it in and just when it starts to think it's a grandma's 7-series, then you reset your Computer. just pull the negative battery for a few minutes. Then reconnect and you have a wiped computer (don't try this for tuning codes ) and now you can drive it like you wanted to from day one and not have to blame yourself if she goes kaboom the day after the warrenty is over. This is essentially what happens everytime you change maps with a Juice Box and I've noticed it can be a little less smooth for the first few drives as it "learns" again. Don't know if this would be noticable without the tune but if so it should smooth out very quickly.

The whole point about being "adaptive" means, it's 'adapting' continuously.
Most of this smoothness is really the trans adapting to driving style. The engine controls adaptation is very quick. It can adjust things within milliseconds.

When is the last time you heard of any modern engine going kaboom at the end of warranty where it was attributed to hard break in?

[RPM90]

Originally Posted by Xin1120

I would recommend an oil change after break in. Without looking at numbers and just thinking about it, the engine is brand new with no flaws and filled up with oil for lubrication and cooling. New metal will pump into other new metal and create metal particles more often than if it has been used for awhile. So logically, after a few hundred miles like 1200, it would probably be beneficial to replace the oil and filter.

Yeah. Why bother with "numbers" or "analysis" or any of science stuff.
It's more logical to just go with "thinking about it" and land on a number like 1200 miles.
Hey, why not do one better and change it at 500 miles, then again at 1200 miles to make sure we get what the 500 mile change didn't catch.

That's using some of that there logicality!

[Tom K.]

Originally Posted by RPM90

BMW hasn't had this recommendation since at least 1999 for non M cars.
And before that they were not using synthetic.

Correct. My '97 Z3 2.8 with OEM dino oil called for the first change at around 8,000 miles. It was covered by the dealer except that since I wanted synthetic oil, I had to purchase it (about $28 for 7 quarts of Mobil 1) and bring it in to the dealer for the first few oil changes. With the changeover in 1999, the dealers began stocking BMW branded synthetic oil.

Tom

[bbadillo]

I drove it hard it bursts every day, with about 90% very relax and super easy acceleration under 3k RPM, some mild acceleration, and then maybe one straight away a day FWOT. Did this with my 1.8t, and for some reason mine was faster then a friends.

[former]

I did change mine after break-in but it was for a couple of reasons.

After 1,500 miles in Europe, many of which were at 100+ mph I figured the engine was pretty well exercised. In addition, it sat relatively unused for 2 months during the shipping process and figured I might as well it get changed right after re-delivery. For $110 or so, it was cheap peace of mind.

For a stateside delivery car, I like doing the first oil change earlier in general than the 15,000 mile recommendation. That just feels too long for me. So I usually do a 7,500 mile oil change. To each their own though...

[Tom K.]

Originally Posted by former

So I usually do a 7,500 mile oil change. To each their own though...

That's generally been my practice as well - it may not be necessary but the peace of mind is worth the small expense. Of course, the 3,000 mile changes that some still advocate is another thing entirely...

Tom

[otterdoc]

Followed breakin per manual.
Oil and filter change at 1200 miles.
Future changes q5k-7.5k .

[BigshotMD]

cheers for the input folks. greatly appreciated.