Hello! I just ordered an R56! And it's my first new car, so how should I run-in the engine?
I have been reading and asking my friends~ They say no more than 3k rpm under 1000km, then not pushing it past 4.5k before 3000km~
Then there are some people who say you have to run it up to the top once in a while~ Then there the saying to just run it like crazy all the time...
Also some say the most important is the first 40km, that's when the rings set in or something... so what should I do?!

Anyway~ here's my spec!
07 MCS LaserBlue/Wht, white stripes, chrome int/ext, Hi-Fi, Premium, Leatherette, woodtrim steering wheel(Free!!! factory error).
THanks guys~ greatly appreciate your help~

 

I do know the R56's seem to not respond to well if you don't follow the break in procedures. Correct me if i'm wrong but I believe it's nothing over 4k rpm's or 90mph for the first 1200 miles. I believe the owners manual says to basically take it easy for the first 300 miles to let the tires and everything wear in. The break in is the same for any Mini but our dealer had 3 new 07 testers with about 500 miles on each that died on them. 2 had burned up clutches and another with a blown turbo. I don't remember them having any break in issues with an 02-06 though. Guess I'll have to take it easy with my 07 when I get her this week. Anyone have any bad luck with their mini's breaking down b/c of bad break in driving??

 

That's pretty much what I heard, too.

From previous break-in's I've done manufacturers have suggested verying the speed and RPM's within that range, too (though I've only purchased dealer-new motorcycles before. Never a car). So it's nice if you can find some back roads to work through the gears a bit. I have about 250 miles of twisty back roads planned for my extended drive home (it would otherwise be 110 miles droning along on I-5 the whole way back - yuck!).

One question along these lines: When does MINI recommend the first oil change? I heard they were pretty far apart, but I don't have the information in front of me. I would recommend doing one fairly early on (500 miles or so) just to get some of the break-in metallic crud out of the system ASAP. Then another change around 1500 miles just to be sure. After that I'd drop into the recommended service intervals. Like I said, though: MINI might allready recommend somthing similar.

 

Page 78 in the 2007 MCS Manuel

Break-in period

economy of operation for your vehicle.

Engine and differential

Up to 1,200 miles/2,000 km

4,500/min or 100 mph/160 km/h

Tires

Brake system

Clutch

 

I handled the break-in of my new baby the way I handled the break-in of all my other cars--gently. I was especially careful because there were only 2 miles on the odometer when I picked her up! I varied speeds and rpms for the first 1300 miles, gradually increasing the load I asked for, but never exceeding manufacturers recommended limits. Starting from the time I eased Zippeee! into frontage road traffic (I waited for a long space), I shifted gently, braked gently, and accelerated gently. Not too long after the break-in was completed (about 2000 miles, as I recall) I ran an autocross, but not competitively...

One other thing--I didn't use cruise control at all for the first several hundred miles, than tried it out for a couple of minutes at a time until break-in was complete. When driving at a steady speed, as on the freeway, I would cruise for a couple of miles at a time, then lift off the gas pedal until RPMs had dropped, then resumed speed. This assumed, of course, that I didn't have a fire-breathing 18 wheeler on my tail!

This period doesn't last forever, and a little care now reaps a lot of mileage later.

 

Sounds like a good plan, daff. But it sure seems like it lasts forever.

 

sigh... the wait for my new car is taking forever... Just got the credit application in today, didn't approve the first time (only 22 years old), had to get my aunt to co-sign with me, hopefully I will get the green light! Then they will get to work tmmw (tuesday) on my new car! I hope I can get it by the this week~ Then I have to break it in... gah.......... I just wanna let it ripppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppppp
anyway~ sigh~

 

after countless meetings with car club people, and the multitude of cars I have had over the years. We all seemed to agree, drive it like you stole it.
doesnt mean you should beat on it as hard all the time but
I know myself and many others have not had good luck with cars that
we babied for the first 1500 miles.

Ive driven my new R56 fairly hard, probably not as hard as I would normally but I have by no means taken it easy.(no high speen runs of course, and no deep readline shifts)

I now have over 1200 miles, its over a second faster to 60 then when I got it and runs like a top.

even my gas mileage has improved since I got it.

so I think not running well cause you didnt baby it is another urban myth.

 

LOL!
I guess I am gonna drive-it-like-I-stole-it! but not tooo aggressive~
hmm I guess it makes sense... So I can run-in the engine into drive-like-I-stole-it-mode, and the engine will be run-in to run better when fast? If I drive like grandma... then the engine will be run-in to better match grandma...
Is this the case? Or am I being silly again?

 

I've pretty much babied the car during it's first 400 miles so far. It's not so much me worried about breaking the car in, but rather breaking me in! The sheer acceleration and power of the Mini can be a little unnerving if you're not used to 'this much get up and go'. As I gain more confidence, I'll pep it up and grow w/ the Mini...so far, it's being very patient with me!

John/Oregon
2007 MCS Sparkling Silver

 

What sucks is most of my drive to work is freeway so I basically vary briefly from 65, and between 70 to 90. I've kissed 100mph a few times already. But I have not exceeded 4500 rpms except a few times to 5k. Never over that. I can't wait.

 

I'm jsut over 1350 miles now. I've never taken it above 5000 (and very rarely above 4500), however, I did WOT in third gear and higher several times in the first few miles. (and actually many times since then). There are many strong disagreements about how to best break in the engine.

 

I wasnt saying that if you drive it like grandma that it will only work like grandma so that is being silly.

been to countless meetings with people all recounting stories of babying the car only to have engine problems later on.

there are stories of running the car too hard to early on and causing problems as well.

so my comment of drive it like you stole it but a little below that is reasonable. dont rag on it, but dont be a wimp either.

I made that statement because I believe this statement is bunk.

and this comment is based on what? I didnt follow them and neither have a number of people on these forums. In my case the car has only improved since I got it, both in performance and gas mileage.

I even just asked a dozen or so drivers in my group and they all said the same thing, drive it hard just dont beat on it excessively the first 1500 miles
(so we all drove them just one level below they way we normally drive and that was the break in) and so far no one has had any problems.

so I base my comments on my personal experience as well as the experience of others

but its up to you, you want to drive it like a grandma then do so, but dont suggest that driving it hard is bad unless you can substantiate it.

 

Vary rpms and load for the first 500...but driving easy. Take advantage of engine braking when you can...this will also help the rings seat.

For the next 500, increase rpms and load gradually, again using engine braking when you can. I'd stay 2K shy of redline, and limit to 75% of WOT.

By 1000 you should be ready to spend some time at redline and WOT. Give it a good workout.

 

I have always just drove the car the way I will drive the car as long as I have it. The only exceptions I make during break-in is to keep the engine RPM a good distance from redline and keep the speed at the legal speed limit. Now, if it were a turbocharged engine, I would also keep the boost off as much as possible for some period of time.

My go-fast days are behind me. I am a pretty conservative driver today. I never broke 200MPH in a car (round track), but got pretty damn close before I retired my racing gloves.

But it is true. Everyone seems to have their own way to break in a car.

 

What is WOT?

 

WOT = Wide Open Throttle

 

WOT = Wide Open Throttle = Pedal to the Metal = Foot to the Floor = Floorin' it

 

P.S.: It is called "wide open throttle" because the butterfly in the throttlebody is completely open.