helllooo fellow mini maniacs! we are waiting for our '03 Silk Green MC to be born in Oxford and can't wait! we will be driving it from the desert of Scottsdale to the sunny CA coast. what do we need to know about the engine break-in time? is it really 1500 miles? any info would be great... thanks! motor on with your bad selves! :smile:

 

Searching on the topic of break-in, I found someone who travelled from CA to Phoenix with his brand new MINI and didn't know about the break-in period. Supposedly there's a section in the manual about the break-in process.
2003 MCS manual

 

BTW, it's on page 80 in the MCS 03 manual

 

thanks for the fast reply!!! did you find the CA-PHX break in story here?

 

Yep. Just do a search. You'll find it.

 

my dealer said keep under 4500 rpm's for 1st 1,ooo miles.dealership also said ist oil change at 4,000 miles. owners book says 10,000 which seems like a long time. supposedly the synthetic oil doesn't have to be changed as much, but I intend on changing mine early and often anyway.
Picked up my 2003 mini cooper january 22nd. love it. liquid yellow with white roof.live in cold climate near boston. enduring nasty winter of biblical proportions. winter package was a must. 800 miles so far with no problems except nasty boston drivers who cut off and throw the bird to anyone driving a nice car. boston is the land of gas guzzling suv's full of fat butt businessmen who can't drive unless they have a cell phone glued to the side of their head. i look and laugh.
I have noticed that every time i see a new vw beetle owner, they look over and seem to say,"damn,i shoulda bought a mini.
My mini doesn't have a name yet, but i'm working on it.
one other depressing thought... i have yet to see another mini while driving my mini. i just hope when i do it ain't a fat butt businessman with a cell phone glued to his head...dr remulac

 

>>my dealer said keep under 4500 rpm's for 1st 1,ooo miles.dealership also said ist oil change at 4,000 miles. owners book says 10,000 which seems like a long time. supposedly the synthetic oil doesn't have to be changed as much, but I intend on changing mine early and often anyway.
>> Picked up my 2003 mini cooper january 22nd. love it. liquid yellow with white roof.live in cold climate near boston. enduring nasty winter of biblical proportions. winter package was a must. 800 miles so far with no problems except nasty boston drivers who cut off and throw the bird to anyone driving a nice car. boston is the land of gas guzzling suv's full of fat butt businessmen who can't drive unless they have a cell phone glued to the side of their head. i look and laugh.
>> I have noticed that every time i see a new vw beetle owner, they look over and seem to say,"damn,i shoulda bought a mini.
>> My mini doesn't have a name yet, but i'm working on it.
>> one other depressing thought... i have yet to see another mini while driving my mini. i just hope when i do it ain't a fat butt businessman with a cell phone glued to his head...dr remulac :smile: no worries about not seeing another MINI, they are out there! i have yet to see a SG/W with 16's.. all the ones out here are SG/B and automatic!! happy motoring!!

 

>>>>my dealer said keep under 4500 rpm's for 1st 1,ooo miles.dealership also said ist oil change at 4,000 miles. owners book says 10,000 which seems like a long time. supposedly the synthetic oil doesn't have to be changed as much, but I intend on changing mine early and often anyway.
>>>> Picked up my 2003 mini cooper january 22nd. love it. liquid yellow with white roof.live in cold climate near boston. enduring nasty winter of biblical proportions. winter package was a must. 800 miles so far with no problems except nasty boston drivers who cut off and throw the bird to anyone driving a nice car. boston is the land of gas guzzling suv's full of fat butt businessmen who can't drive unless they have a cell phone glued to the side of their head. i look and laugh.
>>>> I have noticed that every time i see a new vw beetle owner, they look over and seem to say,"damn,i shoulda bought a mini.
>>>> My mini doesn't have a name yet, but i'm working on it.
>>>> one other depressing thought... i have yet to see another mini while driving my mini. i just hope when i do it ain't a fat butt businessman with a cell phone glued to his head...dr remulac :smile: no worries about not seeing another MINI, they are out there! i have yet to see a SG/W with 16's.. all the ones out here are SG/B and automatic!! happy motoring!!

>> is it a boy or a girl?? (mini that is!)

 

Break it in like you plan to drive it. A few readlines before 1,250 won't hurt it, but be sure to vary your rpm's on extended trips. My MCS is a little over 1,500 and it screams! I changed my oil @ 1,000 as I always have - might help, can't hurt.

 

>>Break it in like you plan to drive it. A few readlines before 1,250 won't hurt it, but be sure to vary your rpm's on extended trips. My MCS is a little over 1,500 and it screams! I changed my oil @ 1,000 as I always have - might help, can't hurt.

>> thanks for the advice! i don't think that we will hurt her in the break in phase, i just want to make sure!! :smile: and hearing from our fellow motorists helps tons too!!

 

Long ago I recall reading that synthetic oils should not be used on new engines as they are "too effective". With that in mind, I wonder if there's actually harm in doing an early oil change -- either by removing the old abrasive oil, or by adding super-duper synthetic.

I've read that MINI uses a semi-synthetic Castrol? I'm thinking that pouring a gallon of Mobil 1 in at 1000 miles isn't the best idea -- maybe it'd be better to replace at 2000 with Castrol and then start on the Mobil at 10,000. What do you guys think?

 

Awesome one of my favorite colours!!!!! I think my Girlfriend is getting one in that color too! :smile: