Did you ignore BMW's recommended Break-In Procedure on your E9X M3?

[Denk]

Originally Posted by richpuer

What about those guys who buy "new" off the dealer lot? It is technically new but u know customers redlined the hell out of em on test drives...

Absolutely, that's why I ordered mine. I think there were only a few miles on the OD when I picked her up.

I was impressed with the dealership when I did do some test driving. They asked me not to take it over 5500 rpm and kept an eye on me...musta been that devilish grin I was wearing.

[Mason3]

Followed it to a T, 7000miles now, and Supercharged, 0 oil consumption.

[Seattle S65B40]

Originally Posted by Mason3

Followed it to a T, 7000miles now, and Supercharged, 0 oil consumption.

0 oil consumption? Is that even possible? What about owners that have to top off their oil more often? Is that indicative of poor engine health? I thought it was a direct function of how often and how hard you drive...

[CptSlow]

I don't have a dog in this hunt...yet. I'm expecting September delivery and very torn about the break-in method when I pick up the car.

I really WANT to follow factory instructions. On the other hand, HBspeed may have a very valid point. I spent several years doing light aircraft maintenance. Granted, the piston 4 and 6 cylinder engines were not nearly as sophisticated as the S65. Most of the aircraft engine designs, when I was working on them, originated in the 1950's and 60's. During that time, we did dozens of engine rebuilds, overhauls and replacements. The standard practice, as well as factory recommendation, was to fly the new engine for no less than an hour at as close to 100% RPM as was possible to force the rings to properly seal in the cylinders. Followed by the next 5-10 hours at 90% RPM for proper break-in. That procedure, at least on those type of engines, still applies today.

So, is the recommended break-in by BMW really for future engine reliability? Or is it truly a way to limit buyers from acting like idiots the moment they leave the lot? I have no idea the answer. I also have no idea how I will break-in my new M3.

[Gearhead999s]

Originally Posted by HBspeed

Ask and ye shall receive.

Taken from here:

http://www.mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm


Warning:

This is a very controversial topic !!

I wrote "Break-In Secrets" after successfully applying this method
to approximately 300 new engines, all without any problems whatsoever.

Links to this article now appear on hundreds of motorsports discussion forums from all over the world. The reason is that over time, large numbers of people have done a direct comparison between my method and the owner's manual method, and the news of their success is spreading rapidly.

The results are always the same... a dramatic increase in power at all RPMs. In addition, many professional mechanics have disassembled engines that have used this method, to find that the condition of the engine is much better than when the owner's manual break-in method has been used.

The thing that makes this page so controversial is that there have been many other break-in articles
written in the past which will contradict what has been written here.

Several factors make the older information on break-in obsolete.

The biggest factor is that engine manufacturers now use a much finer honing pattern in the cylinders than they once did. This in turn changes the break-in requirements, because as you're about to learn, the window of opportunity for achieving an exceptional ring seal is much smaller with
newer engines than it was with the older "rough honed" engines.

In addition, there is a lot less heat build up in the cylinders from ring friction
due to the finer honing pattern used in modern engines.

The other factors that have changed are the vastly improved metal casting and machining
technologies which are now used. This means that the "wearing in" of the new parts
involves significantly less friction and actual wear than it did in the distant past.

With that in mind ...

Welcome to one of the most controversial motorsports pages on the internet !!

How To Break In Your Engine For
More Power & Less Wear !

One of the most critical parts of the engine building process is the break in !!
No matter how well an engine is assembled, it's final power output is all up to you !!

Although the examples shown here are motorcycle engines,
these principles apply to all 4 stroke engines:

Street or Race Motorcycles, Cars, Snowmobiles, Airplanes & yes ...
even Lawn Mowers !!
( regardless of brand, cooling type, or number of cylinders. )

These same break in techniques apply to both steel cylinders and Nikasil, as well as the ceramic
composite cylinders that Yamaha uses in it's motorcycles and snowmobiles.
What's The Best Way To Break-In A New Engine ??
The Short Answer: Run it Hard !

Why ??
Nowadays, the piston ring seal is really what the break in process is all about. Contrary to popular belief, piston rings don't seal the combustion pressure by spring tension. Ring tension is necessary only to "scrape" the oil to prevent it from entering the combustion chamber.

If you think about it, the ring exerts maybe 5-10 lbs of spring tension against the cylinder wall ...
How can such a small amount of spring tension seal against thousands of
PSI (Pounds Per Square Inch) of combustion pressure ??
Of course it can't.

How Do Rings Seal Against Tremendous Combustion Pressure ??

From the actual gas pressure itself !! It passes over the top of the ring, and gets behind it to force it outward against the cylinder wall. The problem is that new rings are far from perfect and they must be worn in quite a bit in order to completely seal all the way around the bore. If the gas pressure is strong enough during the engine's first miles of operation (open that throttle !!!), then the entire ring will wear into
the cylinder surface, to seal the combustion pressure as well as possible.


The Problem With "Easy Break In" ...
The honed crosshatch pattern in the cylinder bore acts like a file to allow the rings to wear. The rings quickly wear down the "peaks" of this roughness, regardless of how hard the engine is run.

There's a very small window of opportunity to get the rings to seal really well ... the first 20 miles !!

If the rings aren't forced against the walls soon enough, they'll use up the roughness before they fully seat. Once that happens there is no solution but to re hone the cylinders, install new rings and start over again.

Fortunately, most new sportbike owners can't resist the urge to "open it up" once or twice,
which is why more engines don't have this problem !!

An additional factor that you may not have realized, is that the person at the dealership who set up your bike probably blasted your brand new bike pretty hard on the "test run". So, without realizing it, that adrenaline crazed set - up mechanic actually did you a huge favor !!


Here's How To Do It:
There are 3 ways you can break in an engine:

1) on a dyno
2) on the street, or off road (Motocross or Snowmobile.)
3) on the racetrack

On a Dyno:
Warm the engine up
completely !!

Then, using 4th gear:

Do Three 1/2 Throttle dyno runs from
40% - 60% of your engine's max rpm
Let it Cool Down For About 15 Minutes

Do Three 3/4 Throttle dyno runs from
40% - 80% of your engine's max rpm
Let it Cool Down For About 15 Minutes

Do Three Full Throttle dyno runs from
30% - 100% of your engine's max rpm
Let it Cool Down For About 15 Minutes
Go For It !!

Frequently asked Question:

What's a dyno ??

A dyno is a machine in which the bike is strapped on and power is measured.

It can also be used to break in an engine.

NOTE: If you use a dyno with a brake, it's critical during break - in that you allow the engine to decelerate fully on it's own. (Don't use the dyno brake.) The engine vacuum created during closed throttle deceleration sucks the excess oil and metal off the cylinder walls.

The point of this is to remove the very small (micro) particles of ring and cylinder material which are part of the normal wear during this process. During deceleration, the particles suspended in the oil blow out the exhaust, rather than accumulating in the ring grooves between
the piston and rings. This keeps the rings from wearing too much.

You'll notice that at first the engine "smokes" on decel, this is normal, as the rings haven't sealed yet. When you're doing it right, you'll notice that the smoke goes away after about 7-8 runs.


Important Note:
Many readers have e-mailed to ask about the cool down, and if it
means "heat cycling" the engine.

No, the above "cool down" instructions only apply if you are using a dyno machine to break in your engine. The reason for cool down on a dyno has nothing to do with
"Heat Cycles" !!!

Cool Down on a dyno is important since the cooling fans used at most dyno facilities are too small to equal the amount of air coming into the radiator at actual riding speeds. On a dyno, the water temperature will become high enough to cause it to boil out of the radiator after
about 4 dyno runs. This will happen to a brand new engine just as it will
happen to a very old engine.

(Always allow the engine to cool down after 3 runs whenever you use a dyno.)

If you're breaking your engine in on the street or racetrack, the high speed incoming air will keep the engine temperature in the normal range.
(In other words, you don't have to stop by the side of the road to let your bike cool down.)

What about "heat cycling" the engine ??
There is no need to "heat cycle" a new engine. The term "heat cycle" comes from the idea that the new engine components are being "heat treated" as the engine is run. Heat treating the metal parts is a very different process, and it's already done at the factory before the engines are assembled. The temperatures required for heat treating are much higher than an engine will ever reach during operation.

The idea of breaking the engine in using "heat cycles" is a myth that came from the misunderstanding of the concept of "heat treating".

On the Street:
Warm the engine up completely:
Because of the wind resistance, you don't need to use higher gears like you would on a dyno machine. The main thing is to load the engine by opening the throttle hard in 2nd, 3rd and 4th gear.

Realistically, you won't be able to do full throttle runs even in 2nd gear on most bikes without exceeding 65 mph / 104 kph. The best method is to alternate between short bursts of hard acceleration and deceleration. You don't have to go over 65 mph / 104 kph to properly load the rings. Also, make sure that you're not being followed by another bike or car when you decelerate, most drivers won't expect that you'll suddenly slow down, and we don't want
anyone to get hit from behind !!

The biggest problem with breaking your engine in on the street (besides police) is if you ride the bike on the freeway (too little throttle = not enough pressure on the rings) or if you get stuck in slow city traffic. For the first 200 miles or so, get out into the country where you can vary the speed more
and run it through the gears !

Be Safe On The Street !
Watch your speed ! When you're not used to the handling of a new vehicle, you should accelerate only on the straightaways, then slow down extra early for the turns. Remember that both hard acceleration and hard engine braking (deceleration) are equally important during the break in process.

On the Racetrack:
Warm the engine up completely:
Do one easy lap to warm up your tires. Pit, turn off the bike & check for leaks or
any safety problems. Take a normal 15 minute practice session
and check the water temperature occasionally. The racetrack is the perfect environment to break in an engine !! The combination of acceleration and deceleration is just the ticket for sealing the rings.
Go For It !!

Yeah - But ...
the owner's manual says to break it in easy ...

Notice that this technique isn't "beating" on the engine, but rather taking a purposeful, methodical approach to sealing the rings. The logic to this method is sound. However, some will have a hard time with this approach, since it seems to "go against the grain".

The argument for an easy break-in is usually: "that's what the manual says" ....

Or more specifically: "there are tight parts in the engine and you might do damage or even seize it if you run it hard."

Consider this:
Due to the vastly improved metal casting and machining technologies which are now used, tight parts in new engines are not normal. A manufacturing mistake causing a tight clearance is an extremely rare occurrence these days. But, if there is something wrong with the engine clearances from the factory, no amount of gentle running will fix the problem.

The real reason ???
So why do all the owner's manuals say to take it easy for the first
thousand miles ???

This is a good question ...

Q: What is the most common cause of engine problems ???
A: Failure to:
Warm the engine up completely before running it hard !!!

Q: What is the second most common cause of engine problems ???
A: An easy break in !!!

Because, when the rings don't seal well, the blow-by gasses contaminate the oil with acids and other harmful combustion by-products !!

Ironically, an "easy break in" is not at all what it seems. By trying to "protect" the engine, the exact opposite happens, as leaky rings continue to contaminate your engine oil for the rest of the life of your engine !!

I follow this advice to the letter and have never had an issue with oil consumption caused by poor cylinder sealing.I was taught this 35 years ago when my summer job was working in a race shop helping to build race engines & dyno them.We would warm them up do some mild pulls till the blowbye reduced to a normal level usually in about 20 minutes of running before doing full throttle runs and they were good to go.We also did this with our street car rebuilds and I remember that we had no issues with these even with 150000 kms on them.
As most of us receive the cars here in North America you can be sure by the time you receive them the majority of your engine breakin has happened before you ever even sat in the car.Most of the breakin is for your transmission & rear end not the engine and for liability issues.Biggest thing to do for engine life is to have proper temps before high RPM & load and proper frequent oil changes

[racer01]

New car "break-in" is really not just for the motor at all. You have brand new tires with mold release still on them, brand new pads and rotors, and of course new differential, transmission, clutch, etc, etc. Everyone seems to think they are breaking in their motor and that BMW engineers actually wrote the break-in procedure (it is probably written by lawyers), but in reality the 1200 mile break in is probably just some good advice not to beat the crap out of your car until everything has had a chance to wear in a bit, and to be a little careful until you get used to things. Also keep in mind that the break-in mileage is somewhat arbitrary. I guarantee my dirt bike is completely broken-in with 500 miles on it, and that my M3 was well broken-in before 1200 miles (used for 12 mile commute to work for first two months) but driving straight home from a dealership 1200 miles away only on the highway would only be one heat cycle and probably doesn't break in the brakes, differential, transmission, or clutch properly.
I find it funny how passionate folks are about a procedure they don't really fully understand, just cause it is written in the manual.
I know folks that follow break-in to letter, but will then do crazy things like go full throttle to redline on a cold motor or lug the crap out of the motor to the point it starts chugging.
The bottom line is to use some common sense, break in all the components with many heat cycles and limited heat/abuse, and don't get to carried away with driving like a grandma such that you miss the point of the process.

[DoorKicker]

I don't know about the factory break in either. I think an early oil change is obviously crucial just so that you flush out any manufacturing "debris". I ran my STi to redline the day I got it. I didn't drive it hard regularly but definitely took it to redline but I did change the oil in the first 1000 miles. Several people told me my car was a factory freak. It consistently made 10-15 more hp on the dyno compared to cars with similar mods. I've heard that running a car to redline causes the pistons to travel slightly further in the cylinder thereby "fully" wearing in the cylinder wall. Who knows if its true or not.

[lve2xlr8]

I broke in mine by the book up to 400 miles but I still did some wot passes up to that. After 400 I started gradually revving higher and was redlining by 800 miles. I'm at 8k miles now and haven't added a drop of oil.

[Seattle S65B40]

Can someone clear up the ambiguity in the phrase "oil consumption" as it relates to this context? Certainly, our cars burn through oil, and in that regard, it is consumed, but it appears from the discussion that it is possible for oil to be "consumed" via leaks as well, from perhaps an improperly broken in engine? Is that correct?

Is there an easy way of distinguishing in which manner that oil is being consumed? What are some things to look for? I've probably added three quarts of oil in 12,000 miles. Do I have a "consumption" issue?

As for break in, I can see what folks are saying regarding the engine not being the primary concern, but the other drive components in addition to the engine. In light of some of the points elucidated in this thread, I suppose a lot of people can safely rethink the break in and just use common sense in what they do when they get the car.

[LarThaL]

Originally Posted by Seattle S65B40

If I follow speed limits, I am being prudent. By ignoring those rules, I would indisputably be increasing my risk of an accident or serious injury, correct?

Do you really believe that speed limits and safety are necessarily related?

Who is more dangerous?:

Driver #1 going 90mph in a 65 zone on an open deserted, dry freeway

Driver #2 going 60mph in a 65 zone in heavy rain with a lot of traffic

[Mace]

I'm curious. I wonder how many people who didn't follow the break-in procedure did a European Delivery? I mean the lure of unlimited autobahn speeds and a 414hp M3 could be one of those "things that make you go hummmm."

I'm not saying that influenced me but....

[BMW Fanatic]

Break-in? What the hell is a break-in?

JK!

I brought my car brand new, had just been delivered to YYC from Germany and nobody had snapped it up (lucky me!).. Had about 15kms when I picked her up, never followed the break-in procedure at all.. If something does go wrong with anything electronically or any of the parts it IS covered as many of the people who own these cars tend to forget and all they can think about are the large repair bills, then again even if you have to fork out for the repair bills you should be able to afford it! Don't buy an expensive car (E92 M3 brand new is around $100k this side of the border) if you can't afford the up keep. If you leased your car then maybe you follow it so the next person doesn't have to 'worry' about anything, but then only if your a real nice guy lol. I paid for an ///M so I'm going to drive it like an ///M..

Side-note; I think the E92 M3 is one of the all time greats in an artistic point-of-view when it comes to cars, so for that I am 99.9% sure I would never sell this beauty which in turn should not worry anyone who might want to buy a JB E92 down the road in Canada

[cmk227]

Originally Posted by Mace

I'm curious. I wonder how many people who didn't follow the break-in procedure did a European Delivery? I mean the lure of unlimited autobahn speeds and a 414hp M3 could be one of those "things that make you go hummmm."

I'm not saying that influenced me but....

I did the break in procedure in Europe and if hurt like hell.

I also know of some people that took the new M to the track with only 300 miles and ran them up to the limiter.

I got about 12k miles and it has consumed about 1 quart of oil. Also has had two all day track events.

[Mason3]

Originally Posted by Seattle S65B40

0 oil consumption? Is that even possible? What about owners that have to top off their oil more often? Is that indicative of poor engine health? I thought it was a direct function of how often and how hard you drive...

I didn't mean LITERALLY 0 consumption. I guess I should have been more clear. I haven't had to add any oil and the level is still at full. I drive the car steady some days and some days I stretch it's legs! Haha! I will be changing the oil soon (no way I would go 15,000 between changes) and I'll see how much drains!

[PrimeBMW]

I had the break service in 8 days, Euro delivery, followed the break in procedure. All trips were at the minimum 45 minutes; most were much longer and up to 5.5 hours. It was a mix of city driving, side roads, mountain passes and Autobahn. Even now I am very aware to allow the engine to be at operating temp before I push it. I have very little oil consumption and only noticed it when my trips were short.

[smmmurf]

75% throttle, ~5500ish RPM was fine for the first 1200 miles. I even went on the Nurburgring but did not redline the car... might have hit 5500-6000 or something a couple times, but that's not going to kill it. Oil @ 1050 miles or so.

[Seattle S65B40]

Originally Posted by VVG

Do you really believe that speed limits and safety are necessarily related?

Who is more dangerous?:

Driver #1 going 90mph in a 65 zone on an open deserted, dry freeway

Driver #2 going 60mph in a 65 zone in heavy rain with a lot of traffic

Of course scenario two is more dangerous. However, your comparison is inapposite.

When I said that exceeding a speed limit increases risk, I was referring to a simple fact: The higher the speed the greater the risk of more serious damage/injury. Period. It's physics. If you crash going 90 it's worse than when you crash going 80. That was the only premise my previous statement contemplated.

What all of that meant in the context of new vehicle break-in is that you can exceed the prescribed limits, but the more you do, the greater the risk of resultant and manifest damage.

At least, that is the BMW school of thought, as gleaned from the guidelines in the owner's manual. I'm starting to see why they might be too stringent or unnecessary based on some responses in this thread.

Whether or not there is a legal reason for doing all this is unclear. I will say that it seems far-fetched.

Pretty much any vehicle has the potential to injure. But when you're talking about an extremely fast car, you REALLY bring assumption of risk and contributory negligence into play. BMW's insulated from liability for any idiocy you commit in the car under your own conscious decisions anyway. They certainly don't need a phony break-in procedure to cover their ass.

[rabman5]

Originally Posted by MAERD TEW

I've ripped tires and pushed cars, right off the showroom floor ...

2000 Acura Intergra Type R
2004 MB ML500
2007 e92 335i
2008 MB ML550
...

I didn't realize any of those cars required a 1200 mile M service, which is what this thread is about.

[Franken///M]

Originally Posted by AMPowerJ

I followed a hybrid approach. I made sure that I put plenty of load on the engine and varied RPMs. I also used engine braking as well.

I burn very little oil. It would be an interesting study to see how those cars that burn the most oil were broken in. Anyway I think it probably has less to do with the engine and probably more for the tranny, etc.

This is what I did, kept it under 5500 the entire time. Picked mine up with 2 miles I had to add about 0.5L at about 400 miles, and nothing after that. The first 200 miles were all off the autoban and the B-roads with lots of load on the engine and engine braking.

[CptSlow]

Originally Posted by racer01

New car "break-in" is really not just for the motor at all. You have brand new tires with mold release still on them, brand new pads and rotors, and of course new differential, transmission, clutch, etc, etc. Everyone seems to think they are breaking in their motor and that BMW engineers actually wrote the break-in procedure (it is probably written by lawyers), but in reality the 1200 mile break in is probably just some good advice not to beat the crap out of your car until everything has had a chance to wear in a bit, and to be a little careful until you get used to things. Also keep in mind that the break-in mileage is somewhat arbitrary. I guarantee my dirt bike is completely broken-in with 500 miles on it, and that my M3 was well broken-in before 1200 miles (used for 12 mile commute to work for first two months) but driving straight home from a dealership 1200 miles away only on the highway would only be one heat cycle and probably doesn't break in the brakes, differential, transmission, or clutch properly.
I find it funny how passionate folks are about a procedure they don't really fully understand, just cause it is written in the manual.
I know folks that follow break-in to letter, but will then do crazy things like go full throttle to redline on a cold motor or lug the crap out of the motor to the point it starts chugging.
The bottom line is to use some common sense, break in all the components with many heat cycles and limited heat/abuse, and don't get to carried away with driving like a grandma such that you miss the point of the process.

I agree with you that other things besides the engine need breaking in. The same was true on the aircraft engines, although break-in time for gearing and accessories was usually less time than engine break-in. Tires? Of course, but 1200 miles? potentially 1/8 of the life of the tires? Brakes required a few high speed taxis with full abrupt application of brakes to get them seated properly and then they were set to go too.

I'm not saying that the 1200 miles break-in is not important. There are likely many reasons that we don't know about. I'm just not certain that following all the rules to a "T" is all that important.

[PhillyNate]

Originally Posted by Sean05

doesnt hurt to follow it. whats 1200 miles.

Torture.

[sameh]

Originally Posted by PhillyNate

Torture.

Not if you do a long road trip and be done with the first 1200 miles in 2 days!!!!! I have NO IDEA how can someone buy/lease a new M3 and make it sit in the garage, taking a month to get to 1200 miles...I spent more time in my M3 than in my bed first 2-3 days (if not driving it, in the garage getting to know it)..