I am looking for what is considered a reasonable break-in period for a brand new '07 S. Is there a recommended speed limit and/or RPM limit for the first 500 miles or so? This will be my first Mini and I want to treat it right (from the get-go). What do the experts say?

 

RTFM

It's in the manual under the first page in the driving tips section. There is a plethora of info on proper break in along with revs to stay under.

 

for me it was 1300.

 

I drove my car nicely until I couldn't resist anymore. I think it was 500 miles. I let it warm up and cool down at low rpms though. The motors are broken in at the factory and then switched to synthetic.

 

First 300 miles you need to take it easy on the brakes and tires
First 1250 do not exceed 4500 RPMs avoid steady long consistent revs.

 

What does the F stand for?

I always warm up the car, but I'm at about 450 miles and I have hit 4500 a couple times. I took it real easy for the first 300 though.

 

Funny, remember its a clown car

 

I followed what it said in the manual for engine, clutch, brakes....I'd do what the owners manual says.

 

that's really unsual. Every time I've put new brakes or tires on any car I've ever owned, I don't "take it easy" for 300 miles. Of course I "bed" the new pads properly but, a break in period? hahaha

 

the break in period will be very hard for me as this will be my first stick car in several years and i miss really driving a stick car... and i mean DRIVING it!

 

LOL

 

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ighlight=break

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ighlight=break

 

My break in procedure... Get in and DRIVE!! Change oil after 5K miles. This is an AWESOME car. My friends are getting sick of me recommending it.

 

I just picked up my R56 MCSa today, test drove around large parking lot. Since this is my first new car, I did not think about the break in period and I kind of sported in around a bit. I know I exceed 4500 RPMs , was playing around with those padel shifters and went the wrong way a couple times. Probably drive a half mile like this. The drive home, about 40 miles, I am pretty sure I did not exceed the 4500. Would my ignorance have hurt anything? I kind of doubt it but I feel like a idiot but no one told me about the break in. From reading this forum, I feel like I know more than they do any way.

 

If you notice, though, the manual says NOT to warm up the car (as in turn it on and let it idle). I usually let it "warm up" by finding a song on my iPod, usually about 20 seconds... if 20 seconds breaks the car, it's got bigger issues

I'm ALMOST done with my break-in. Keeping it under 4500 rpm for 1200 miles, and I'm done with 1030 of them.

 

I was worried about this initially as well since I go through about a 25 second routine of getting my seatbelt on, finding a song on the iPod and letting the NAV power up. But seriously, if that constitutes a detrimental warmup then there's not much I can do to save my engine.

I'm almost done with break-in as well, SO excited! 1070 on the odometer and I have to make a trip to Philly in a couple hours (about 170 round trip) so by this time tomorrow I'll be DONE.

 

I am almost done too!! 1165!! Then it's WOOT WOOT!!

 

I think you mean "WOT WOT!"

 

JLG the car is probably fine if it was just a couple times. If you notice some of the links I posted say to drive the car hard from the get go. as for me I drove it pretty hard then backed off and then again, in different gears. As far as warming the car up: BMW is under the philosophy that you should warm up the whole car. ie suspension, brakes, and engine all at the same time. So it wont hurt to let the car idle, just dont go burning out once its warm because those other components havent had a chance to warm up yet. So take it easy for a couple miles, and you will be good to go.

 

I usually just take the car up to redline off the lot... seems to have worked nicely . Seriously though, i've never "Broke in" any engines on any of my cars... I just drive it. For the first 50-100 miles I kept it under 5k, but after that... WOT! I've run both compression and leakdown tests on my engine and both show that it's performing at or above what other MINI's are at.

As for brakes and tires, theoretically tires should be "Heat-cycled" (Brought up to operating temp, then left to sit for 24 hours), I can't say i've ever broken any tires in using the method you posted, nor would I understand the purpose. "Taking it easy" for 300-400 miles could potentially do more harm than good.

Brakes should ALWAYS be bed in. I recommend Stop-Tech's bed-in procedure for "Stock Sized Brakes"
http://www.stoptech.com/tech_info/wp_bedinstock.shtml

Here's a document explaining what exactly you're doing...
http://www.stoptech.com/tech_info/wp_bedintheory.shtml

 

-Everyone has their own spin on it. BMW builds cars so well even a monkey could drive it bananas off the lot and it won't explode.
-Brakes- I got on it when I needed to, but never pushing the pedal through the floor (like you would at the TRACK), I'm at 1330 miles right now.
-Engine- I had some consistent flooring up to 4000 rpms, (lol paranoid of going over unnecissarily...

but several times, either in missing a shift or getting it kicked out by clutching out prematurely, it went over 4000.

I'm fine. It's fine. Be nice, don't be paranoid, HAVE FUN.

my 3 cents.

 

i agree with rusyboy155. just drive teh damn thing and take care of it. oil changes etc... there is a difference bettween beating on your car and driving it hard. The first night i had my car i brought it up to 130 and after that i took it easy. But i do still get on it hard right up to redline and drive it hard and i dont even have 1000 miles one it yet. Thats what warrantys are for right?

 

well I'm back to report. I took it pretty easy the first couple hundred miles, but 1500? I just couldn't do it. I was up next to a S4 the other day..

 

minirabbit - it's not appropriate to mention how fast you were going in this forum as it does violate rule #5 which I've quoted for you.

LEGAL
Posts relating to street racing, excessive speeding, or violations of other laws are prohibited. If you want to race, take it to a legal venue.

 

This topic has been going on for a long time, and the 2 trains of thought seem to be right. You can go by the "book" and keep revs below 4500, your car will be fine. You can go the route I and many others did back in the day, and go over that, I and many others took our cars to bounce pretty much off the lot.

I know the 07 is a different engine, but my 03 Cooper, with over 91K miles is still purring like it was new.

Now to the issue of warming the engine up. The reason MINI says not to is to help with emissions, and in most cases warming the engine is not needed, but if you happen to live where there is extreme cold, I would advise that you let the engine and tranny warm up a few minutes. The fluids and seals need to warm a little, takes a minute or 2 with the car in neutral, clutch pedal out/engaged to get the tranny fluid warm. By extreme I would say temps below -10F.

If you don't sit at these temps for a few minutes at start-up, any kind of break-in means squat.


Mark