My 2008 Non S Mini Convertible should be here very soon as it's on a boat. From what I have read normal break in is 4500 max RPM speed upto 90-100mph. but vary the speeds. Any thoughts on when I can get on the interstate and set the cruise to 80mph for 3-4 hours without varrying the speed. Thanks in advance & Happy Thanksgiving to ALL!! Mike in Fl.

 

After the first 1250 mi you should be all set. (everything will be explained in the owners manual, if you have acess to the OwnersLounge already, youshould be able to download a PDF copy ahead of time)

I raced through mine in a week then took a 900mi road trip

 

The late 07 and 08 manuals aren't online yet, but yeah 4500 RPM/100 MPH max- after 1200 miles you're allowed to slowly work up to higher RPMs and speeds.

Luckily for me, traffic on my commute is a mix of open freeway and stop and go, so I was never doing the same speed for more than a couple minutes. When the freeway opened up, I'd change gears every couple miles to vary the RPM a bit, but I don't know how well that would work for a long drive.

 

Road trip at Christmas you will not be able to build up any speed anyway due to traffic. Or just run the Dog hard right out of the box.

 

I was under the impression that the actual engine was broken in within the first 20 miles. The break in period is for the clutch, brakes and tires.

During the first 20 miles, the piston rings and cylinder walls are what need to be broken in properly. The cam, and crank shaft require little to no break in.

This website explains the whole idea/process. It yeilds better sealing piston rings ergo more power with less blowby. The principles apply to all 4-stroke internal combustion engines.

Engines broken in with his process were stronger than those using the conventional method. Alas our engines are usually past this threshold long before we get them. If your is not, do yourself a favor and read that article.

 

I followed the Mototune theory after rebuilding the engine on my BMW motorcycle; I must agree with them. Oil consumpton was less than after previous ring jobs where I babied the motor. It really felt bad thrashing a new engine, though...

 

That's an interesting article. Unfortunately, when I picked up Vanilla at the dealership last week she already had 18 miles on her. I can only hope that those old geezer's who ferry the cars around before you pick them up rode her hard and crazy.

 

But was there more power too?

If I ever need new rings in my MINI or get new pistons, I'm using Mototune's method to break it in - after a good cylinderwall hone.

 

I heard the saleman doing the test drive on mine. They run them hard, before you get them. One of the perks of working at a dealership, I guess.

 

You may note that the manual says nothing about engine load

I'm glad I did some good heavy acceleration straight to 4500 on the first freeway onramp.