I need help to completely understand the do's and don'ts during the break in period. If there is already a thread here, I apologize.

So, when they say "don't keep it at constant speeds" for "prolonged" periods of time...do they mean 1/8 of mile, 1 mile, or more?

I'm having trouble racking up mileage because I don't feel I can drive very far at one time...

Thanks for the insight!

Lynn
aka

 

They mean don't get on the highway, and drone along at 65 mph for two hours.

It's ok to go on the highway, just don't race up to speed, and don't keep it at a constant RPM. You can do that by changing gears or just dropping down to a slower speed every once in a while to change it up.

It's painful to have to wait, I just hit 2200 miles on my 06, so I've only be really getting the fun factor for about two weeks now.

 

We've been working ours in since it arrived last Thursday and have put almost 600 miles on! My fiancee took it on a "road trip" the other day around our city perimeter highway multiple time (roads outside the city are really quite icy here now and our winters won't arrive until this weekend...until then we're on JCW 18" and performance tires yikes!). He was REALLY impressed by the handling and was having fun going through the cloverleafs (overpass/underpas) at 60mph! NOT EVEN A TIRE SCREACH! WOW!!! The traction control was not even engaging at that speed...makes us wonder how much FASTER can we do it ...OMG this is going to be too fun.
So, yes, drive it on the highways...just vary speeds and RPM....it's a hoot!

 

I drove my Mini home 2200 miles (all Interstate) so what I did was vary my speed on the highway, which was easy by just not using the cruise control. I also stopped every 50-70 miles to get some "city" type driving in the mix as well as some on-ramp activity.

Generally during the first few hundred miles (say 500 or so) keep it below 4500 RPM until things settle in. Then slowly work up to more aggressively driving as needed. After about 750-1000 miles highway should okay again, but just don't drone along at the exact same speed constantly. For me that was pretty easy since I was driving over hills, stopping to take pictures, etc.

 

Hi Lynn,

Welcome to thew MINI world.

What they really mean is to not go out on the highway and set your cruise control and clock off 1,200 miles.

If you just drive normally on secondary roads you will have no problems. The normal flow of traffic, curves, and stop signs will vary the rpms enough to prevent issues. If you use highways allow your speed to very or drive in 6th, or 5th or 4 gears for any given speed and change occassionally.

Another thing you might want to avoid is full throttle. The closer you get to 1,200 miles that more throttle you can use. After 1,200 miles a gradual increase in the top rpm used over the next 500 - 1000 miles.

My recommendation would be to plan a nice weekend drive over some nice scenic secondary roads. Take your time and enjoy the scenary.

It is much more difficult to break in your second MINI than it is to break in your first. I constantly find myself having to back off because I am so used to how I would have taken a curve, straight, entrance ramp or other road in my old MINI. Much more difficult than I remember from the first time.

 

Thanks everyone...looks like me and Spike will be motoring this weekend!

cheers!

 

Lynn,

Just picked up my 2006 MCS JCW this afternoon at the local BMW dealer. Break-in Instructions from the BMW Dealer was ~ " Highly recommend not driving over 110mph or 4500 RPMs for 1st 1250 miles". JCW instructons in my "Owners Manual" says basically the same thing. . . . plus use gas with the "Highest Octain" possible (JCW equipped MCS's). Also, don't drive at the same speed all the time. . . . very speed and RMP's. No panic stops (try to avoid) for at least 500 miles.

Now, I currently live and work in Germany, so driving at 110 mph or 450 RPM's is real easy to do and it's legal ! Minimum suggested speed on Autobahns over here is 80 mph (130km), however if no speed limit is posted you can drive as fast as you like (Safely) which can be upwards to 150 mph or faster depending on your car.

Hope this helped a little. . . .

 

I've been researching break-in maintenance a lot lately and should really get some links together for the gearheads around here to fight over.

What I have found is that basically every car manufacterer tells you to baby the heck out of it for 600-1500 miles.

There are some people that go the exact opposite route and say to "drive it like you stole it." (This is not a huge camp, but it's very veheoment in how right it is.) There is also a third camp that recommends a couple times in the first 20 miles, and about once every 500 miles or so after that revving up close to redline under load, like accelerating in 4th, and then letting the engine slow itself back down.

I have also found one "boxed engine" company that gives this exact same break-in for after the engine is in the car, vary speed and stay around half the red-line for about 800-1000 miles but every 100-200 do a rev up engine slow down under load.

What I found really interesting was how small airplane engines are to be broken in (looked like cessna's and the like). They are basically the same, just IC engines and all. The best way to break them in is apparently to run them at about 75% and under load for the first 100 hours or so. I guess it's very important to make sure they are working, the engine pushing the prop and not the prop pulling the engine. This would be similar to accelerating on the highway instead of revving in the garage from what I gather.

Anyhow, maybe tomorrow I'll put a list of links together and start a good old fashioned battel between "Stick to the exact dealer procedure" regime and "Re-create the Italian Job" regime...

For now, I think I'm planning to do the middle ground one. The reasons seem to make a lot of sense, for both the cars and planes it's apparently about getting the right seal on the cylander heads or something? I guess the babying is more about preventing overheating than anything.

Oh, and most groups do seem to agree that an oil change somewhere between 500 & 2000 miles is a must.

Sorry about the hi-jack ....