While it is certainly the owner's prerogative to follow the break in or not (no flames), IMHO this is terrible advice. You could also say that the car's paint should last a long, long, time, so just run it through whatever gas station's rotary brush wash is having the best deal at the time, and dry it with burlap sacks. Your paint will probably survive, but your mini isn't going to look so good. Your engine, as someone else responded early in this thread, requires very little break-in attention, but tolerances, small as they are, exist, and a proper break-in will help assure that your mini runs as well as it possibly can in terms of power delivery, fuel economy, smoothness, etc. It's a pretty easy, painless process and I recommend that you follow it. But hey, it's your car.

 

This is the one thing I couldn't find in any of my searching, comparisons of equal motors that were broken-in following each of these different methods. Comparing the two extremes would be enough, but adding a mix of the two to them for three or more to compare be better.

Much the way I will

That's interesting and good to know. I was assuming it meant 75% of what would be the equivelant to the top of our car's rev meter. The thing that I really took from this more than the 75% was the idea that the engine needed to be driving the prop, and not the prop driving the engine. From what I understood if the engine didn't work hard enough then the rings wouldn't be under enough pressure to push out enough to prevent a build-up on the cylindar walls. This seems like it would translate roughly to a car and some of the acceleration/engine brakeing mentioned on the engine manufacterer's break-in in one of the links.

Thanks-you for the vote of confidance! I may have read a lot, but I wouldn't want my research to be the main sticky unless it was made clear by the title that's it's a presenting of facts from both sides. It would need to be re-written some as well. I am still learning as shown right above after all!

 

nice explanation... I think he was looking for something a little more technical.

IMO, break-in is BS, even the sales guy at BMW / Mini told me. he said, drive it like you will drive it on a daily basis, just dont keep the revs constant for many hours.

 

The typical easy engine break-in technique hasn't changed in decades I believe, right? But engine manufacturing has matured quite a bit, and has changed a ton. It would make sense that the engine "break-in" period should have also evolved. But it hasn't.

There are no potential downsides for a dealer/manufacturer in leaving the tried & true easy break-in method recommendation as is, therefore they have little motivation to research to see if the alternatives are truly better or not.

Some of you use the line "trust the manufacturer". But this trust would be based on assuming that the manufacturer has recent findings to suggest that the easy break-in method is still the best way to go. Perhaps they have, but I'm more inclined to presume they haven't, since, "what's in it for them?". Bottom line is, they are a business, and they are in business to make money. Their business is cars, and they will not spend money to fix a problem that doesn't exist in their eyes, unless it could somehow turn them a profit, which this sort of research doesn't seem to be the type to do so.

 

some of us are in the manufacturing buisness and know the level of overkill that OEM's go to in design and research....Trust me....break-in instructions are not comming from the accountants, Its comming from a TEAM of engineers who get paid pretty well to discuss such topics at great length.

My opinion is that unless you are an engineer you have no buisness growing a brain on this topic. I certainly repect the DIY wrench turners....some are quite knowledgable but I guarantee that all the people who don't trust the manufacturer are not engineers and are just gearheads that think they know more than the previously mentioned TEAM of engineers.

 

This is just the way I break in cars that I buy even my last two motocyles were broken in that way with no problems. I am telling him how to break in his car, just how I did mine.
My car presently has 112K miles on it with no issues and still runs great every day, just got back from Florida this evening with no issues, pulls better that the first day I got it, because it got the JCW upgrade @ 18K miles, car still has original plugs and wires. I have changed the oil more often than recommended by the manufucture because of track use.

And as for selling the car I bought it as a keeper.

 

Granted, I'm sure that the manufacturer's recommended break in period is conservative but what the heck... we're only talking 1300 miles here, right? Not that big a deal! I'm going to take it easy for the 1300 miles. They'll be gone in a short time and then I'll rev it up!

 

Unless you actually break something during the break-in procedure I don't think you can do anything that will make any significant difference in how the car runs, how much power it has, or how long it will last. As long as you use a high quality oil and change it at reasonable intervals you'll most likely get 150,000 miles or more from your engine whether you baby it or romp on it during the first 1500 miles or so.

But I like to baby mine during break-in....it makes me feel good.

 

I disagree. For instance, if the rings never get properly formed, you will have more blowby that if they're properly seated. That would me less power and and a shorter lifespan. The degree to which this occurs is debatable, but it does happen and it is measurable. Or if the engine is consitently revved high before the bearings are properly worn in or run at the same rev for a long time while they're wearing in, you can end up with more internal friction which will shorten the lifespan and and lower the power and efficiency of the motor.

The method I choose is to run the engine above half throttle halfway to the redline when it's new, then every hundred miles or so, do the same to 300-500 rpm higher with a more open throttle so that somewhere around 1000-1500, it will reach to its redline speed. I run 3-5 of these, then observe the normal new engine instructions (running easy, shifting often) until the next milestone. I also think it's good to change the oil after the break-in is complete, and perhaps even once or twice during the cycles. And of course, it should be babied if not idled until the engine is up to temperature. My reasoning is that the hard throttle will nicrease cylinder pressures to seat the rings and hone the bores while the step up in rev peaks will slowly wear in the bearings so that they are properly smoothed and the varied speeds and frequent shifting as advised in the manual should help make sure the bearing surfaces wear round while they're still rough.

 

You may be right. Still, I'll stick with 99.9% of the time the car will be fine whatever method you use or don't use to break it in. The rings will seat eventually and everything will be fine. The reason this subject is so popular and widely discussed is, of course, everyone has an opinon on the "correct" procedure. Very few to nobody has anything to prove their method is superior to someone else's method. All I ever hear is "I ran it like snot and it's fine at 60,000 miles," or "my car feels faster than if I had broken it in some other way." Not what I would call proof of anything.

My "baby it" method has resulted in many cars I have owned being driven 150,000 to 200,000 miles with no problems.

Must be the best way, huh?

 

Please allow me to chime-in here with an opinion that is totally non-mechanical. Sorry, but we lawyers just can't help spewing garbage about liability and everything...

As we know, the DME keeps track of many things, including max revs. Now, let's just assume that your engine suffers a catastrophic internal failure during or shortly after the break-in period. Let's also assume that you exceeded the break-in RPM's during that same time, and that your max RPM is recorded and recovered via the DME.

If I were the manufacturer I would deny a warranty claim due to the owner not following the proper break-in procedures. While there is a possibility that you could beat that warranty denial in Court, is all that hassle worth 1,250 miles of civilized restraint?

So from my perspective I think it wiser to follow the procedure and prevent a possible legal hassle.

Just one other possible theory - what if the manufacturer is also trying to break-in the driver/car combination? Driving too fast in an unfamiliar car is probably not the best idea, right?

 

http://6speedonline.com/forums/showt...5&pagenumber=1

well here's some member's of 6speedonline's take on breakin (re: a Ferrari 430)

 

I actually think the break-in period was good for me. Now keep in mind it has been a few years since driving a high performance stick... and the last car was an auto. More importantly I just wasn't used to the handling and speed this car can dish out. If I was beating on it from the start I don't know how many tickets I would have gotten. Even now it's like I'm programmed to shift at 4500 rpm's unless I'm winding the car out for one reason or other. When I test drove the MCS I bounced it off the rev limiter the first few times because I wasn't interested in anything regarding longevity of that car. With my car I find myself wanting to take care of it as much as possible. That and I'd like to see the other side of 22 mpg at some point (probably not until after they stop with winter gas formulas).

Basically I think driver break in period is as much what they were thinking as engine break in period.

 

BUMP because this was REALLY helpful

sticky?

 

My MA advised that when I get MIMI, that I should drive at 35 miles am hour and fully hit the brakes - - not as if in a panic stop, but slowly all the way to the floor. My car is due here tomorrow. Can anyone see any reason why this is important?

 

I've heard that this helps seat the pads... a good hard stop, but not a full-on panic stop. Of course, make sure no one is behind you etc, etc.

 

I think your MA is not giving you good information. Here is a link to Tirerack.com's page on brake system break-in:

http://www.tirerack.com/brakes/tech/....jsp?techid=85

The general consensus seems to be that for other than ceramic compound pads, break-in the pads by driving 400 - 500 miles with moderate brake pressure. So, unless you have replaced the factory pads with ceramic compound brake pads, you should break in the pads by only applying the brakes moderately for the first 400 - 500 miles.

 

Here is another question for all of the break-in experts:

MINI states that two limits should be observed during break-in:

1. Maximum engine RPMs of 4,500; and

2. Maximum vehicle speed of 90 mph.

I have noticed an observed vehicle speed of 90 mph at around 3,750 RPM in 6th gear in my 2005 MCSa. Now, I am aware that observed may not be actual, but for discussion purposes, lets presume the two are the same. Why the limit on maximum vehicle speed of 90 mph?

 

is it really necessary to keep her under 4.5 until 1250?

 

Well, I think an engine break-in period is standard on every car, not just a Mini...

 

Only if you don't care about keeping your car.

 

I think it's best to follow the owner's manual, TNGB. Not only is the engine breaking in, but also the transmission. It won't take long to get over 1250 miles.

 

You'll be pass 1250 in no time. Just cruise. But I really had to pay attention to my tach since it was so easy to rev up.

 

No, MINI just paid all those engineers to come up wiht meaningless numbers to annoy customers. Or maybe the intended people to stay within those numbers so the cars would last long, and MINI would develop a reputaion for being a reliable car. That sounds a little more logical, but hey its your choice.

 

40 more miles for me and then its GO time!!!