No direct answers after several searches so here goes...

Whats the recommended break in procedure for the MCS.

Under 1250 miles, keep under 65mph and 4500 rpms?

is this correct?

 

And vary RPMs. Don't set the cruise on flat highway.

 

My dealer told me to vary RPMs & keep them under 4000. (that doesn't mean it's correct but that's what I was told )

 

I would say that is pretty much correct, plus be sure to vary your speed and especially your rpm while running on the highway. I was not told to keep it under 65 mph. I had short bursts up to 75+ mph. I did not sustain those speeds. The first 500 miles are about breaking in your drive gears. That is probably why the mention of 65 mph. After 500 mi. I don't know what the point would be not to exceed 65. Some people will say drive it like you will use it. Enjoy the new car!
Larry

 

Owner's Manual says "absolutely do not exceed 4500 rpm or 95(!) mph during the first 1250 miles."

 

Search for "break in period" in the "Under the Bonnet" forum. There are many postings in there.

An interesting one in the Mini Talk forum was a link to this site: http://mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm

I haven't made it through it by any means but it was at least informative.

 

I read that link too.. you will be going against everything in the book if you follow him. Not saying he's wrong. I really don't know.

Might be interested to hear what JCW's recommendations would be.. in a candid interview.

I'm sure if the owner's manual for the MCs had those instructions most of us would be grinning ear to ear. But for most drivers of other cars, it would likely scare them off!

 

Agreed. I posted it not because I'm going to follow them necessarily but to offer a devils advocate point of view.

It is tempting though...

 

Regarding those crazy break-in recommendations, remember one thing: any idiot can post on the internet. Just because you read it on the internet doesn't mean that it is true.

Think about this. If you follow that guy's "break-in procedures" and something goes wrong, who is going to pay for it? Is he? Certainly not. There is a reason that manufacturers give the recommendations that they do. They want thier products to perform well and last a long time. They have a lot at stake.

I could go on and on about this, but I won't. Just remember this: not everything you read on the internet is true.

Cheers,
Bruce
motorbruce

 

Very well put - then again, not everything anyone tells you (internet or not) is true.

 

Playing devils advocate here mind you...with this logic, then why should I believe you?

I agree with you that I'd rely more on what the manufacturer says. However, he brings up some interesting points. I'm not convinced that he approaches are the best way to mitigate those risks but then again...

 

Should you believe me? Should you not believe me? Your choice. If you don't believe me, however, it seems that perhaps you are advocating the view that everything you see on the internet is true. Do you really want to take that stand?

Yes, I could be wrong. By my very logic, I could be wrong. I don't think that I am.

If you go to the main page of that guy's site, you may find some interesting things. Under the porting of heads (no, I didn't read the whole thing - it was far too long), he first says that there are 750,000+ sites on the internet that tell you the proper way to port a head. He says that they all disagree with his methods. His methods? Small ports.

So, he gives all his information away for free on the internet. It is there for the world to see. Don't you think that at least one other person would try what he has to say? If so, and they are successful, you would probably see a lot more people advocating small ports. You think this one out.

Finally, at one place in his site he claims to be a great guru because there are "thousands" of motorsports and motor related sights around the world that have links to his site. So? Does this mean that people believe him, or support his points of view? I would argue not. Perhaps many (or even most?) of those sites are saying something like, "Hey, get a load of what this crackpot has to say!" This very site, this very thread in fact, links to his site. Does that mean that we believe him and support his points of view?

You do the math.

Cheers,
Bruce
motorbruce

 

yeah i think i'd trust engine engineering and physics instructions more from the manafucturer and not necessarily from a motorcross guy

 

Whoa...that's a quantum leap of logic there but just to be clear, I'm not advocating anything.

In any case, I'm going to be breaking in my MCS according to the manufacturers recommendations and not the method described by that guy.

 

1250 Miles according to MC Manual but I've heard everything from 1100 miles and 1400 miles. I'm sticking with the manual.

Oh yeah, and DO NOT go into stepdown mode. Basically passing mode or mashing your foot to the floor.

I've got 100 miles left which I will pass this weekend. Yippie!

 

We'll be picking up our nw MINI in August. The only question I have is about the synthetic oil that comes in the car from the factory. Everything I've read has said that you should break in the car using standard (non-synthetic) oil and then switch to synthetic after the break in.

Maybe that's why the MINI manual says 1200 miles (a longer than normal break in) because its using synthic and it takes longer.

 

Nope, that is just an old mechanic's wive's tale. It won't matter what kind of oil is used for break in.

My conspiracy theory is that BMW wants us to go easy on the engine at the beginning so that any minor problem will result in a cheaper fix for them.

For the record, I didn't exceed the recommended 4500 RPM until I left the dealer's lot! After that, I drove it like I intended to drive it for the rest of its life.

54K later, my engine is strong as can be.

In the end, just do whatever you feel comfortable with. If you want to spend 2.5% of your MINI's warranty driving around like your engine is as fragile as an egg, I won't tell you not to.

 

The thing I was told was this: NO full throttle for the first 1250 miles. No going past 4500 RPM, though I tried to keep it under 4000 RPM. Always varry the throttle

At 1,251 miles and my foot went to the floor and WOW they change personalities above 4500 rpm. I could have swore it had some kind of vtech variable valve timing. But they dont.

I try not to drive like that because they get quite thristy when you use full throttle and full RPM range.

 

"I try not to drive like that because they get quite thristy when you use full throttle and full RPM range."

No Kidding! It's hard to believe how much these little 4-bangers will guzzle when you start to play hard!! But boy is it fun
Larry

 

My dealership recommends varying the revs, keeping them under 4500 rpm, and to not exceed 95 mph for the first 1250 miles. BTW, that 65 mph limitation comment had me giggling!

 

Trying to keep a new Mini under 95 was easy. Trying to keep it under 4500 rpm's, a little harder (had to pat myself on the back for not breaking this one.) Not giving it 100% throttle. Does 2 out of 3 count? Just couldn't help myself from passing cars on twisty roads with short, infrequent, legal passing zones that required full throttle to do the job safely.

It's possible something might wear out a little sooner because of 100% throttle before 1250 miles, but I doubt it.

 

I hit the full throttle a few time before breakin too. I don't believe it will hurt anything with the exception of keeping it at full throttle for quite awhile.

We finally made it over the break in period yesterday. I can say that the little MC engine is pretty quick. MCS would have been a blast but cost and gas costs were in mind. The MC does drink a lot of fuel when above the 4500 mark. Still amazes me these little engines.

 

Big thing is to make sure the engine is fully warmed up before attempting anything too agressive.

 

+1

 

+2 Always make sure it's warmed up whether there's 1 mile or 100,000 miles on the clock!