Breaking in the PHEV. This is my first new car purchase so I have never done the breaking in part. How does this work? In particular for the PHEV?


Also, does the owners lounge no longer show the production status? And does the WW website no longer allow us to look up Vins? Bimmer works doesn’t work anymore. (ironic, isn’t it?) It’s all pretty darn frustrating! Maybe we need a new guide on waiting!

 

Best advice I can offer is review the owners manual for the car and the section on break in and follow the guidelines. If you ask 10 people this question you'll get 10 different answers, all wrong. The only authority on break in is the factory.

My recommendation unless prohibited by the manual is to do an early oil/filter service. A new engine generates a lot of trash -- this is normal -- and it generates a lot of blow by -- this is normal too -- and the trash and blow by really filthy up the oil. The only way to really deal with this is to change the oil and filter.

I practice what I preach: When I bought my new 2018 JCW I had the oil/filter service done at around 600 miles, again at 2K miles (I think at end of "break in"), and again at 5K miles then again at 10K miles and with around 13K miles on the car I'll have it changed again at 15K miles and follow a 5K mile oil/filter service schedule even though the service mileage dash display indicates the oil can (supposedly) go 10K miles. That's a bit of a stretch based on my experience over the years. (BTW, I followed a 5K mile oil/filter service with another car and put 317K miles on the car and the engine was just fine when I sold the car.)

My nearby Mini dealer charges less than $100 (in fact I think I have paid less than $90) for oil/filter services (and the one at 10K miles was free!) and the service takes an hour.

Can't help you with your question regarding the owners lounge.