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View Poll Results: Which Break In Method?
Soft Break In 54 77.14%
Hard Break In 16 22.86%
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      06-28-2007, 10:55 PM   #1
nusevad
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Break in Method.

I know its a bit early to discuss this, but how will you break in your new baby M when she enters the world?

I been reading up on break in methods and some members here seem to swear on a hard break in so the car will be more aggresive and responsive in the future (dunno how true this is =P ) Or will you choose a more traditional break in where you will keep the RPMs below 4K for about 1000 miles or whatever the recommendation is.

I think i will find it hard to not floor it out of the dealer... its so tempting to have a taste of the power. But im pretty sure ill take it easy on her for the recommended time. Waiting once again....

So which method will you choose and why?
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      06-28-2007, 10:57 PM   #2
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Hard break in all the way!

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      06-28-2007, 10:58 PM   #3
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1) drive test model
2) pick out or order car to buy
3) wait....
4) sign paperwork
5) sit in driver's seat
6) start car
7) try to push gas pedal through the floor board
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      06-28-2007, 11:01 PM   #4
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Originally Posted by Carnage View Post
7) try to push gas pedal through the floor board
I would love to do that...i guess once in awhile cant hurt right?
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      06-29-2007, 05:44 AM   #5
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this is a never ending debate... some people swear to drive it like you stole it brand new...

makes no sense to me... i plan on driving pretty easy for the first 1200 miles, an by easy i mean only a few revlimiter hits
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      06-29-2007, 07:10 AM   #6
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Good question.

From my experience this is what you should do in the case of a BMW performance vehicle. For the first 2000km (1250 miles) drive the car very carefully, give the gearbox and other moving parts a chance to bed in. Once you have had the first service (2000KM for M) take the car to an open stretch of road and once fully warm run it to the max and come back down to a slow speed repeat this for several miles. Following that drive it as hard as you like. I have always done this with my new M cars and trust me it works.
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      06-29-2007, 11:22 AM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 888 View Post
Once you have had the first service (2000KM for M) take the car to an open stretch of road and once fully warm run it to the max and come back down to a slow speed repeat this for several miles. Following that drive it as hard as you like. I have always done this with my new M cars and trust me it works.
Interesting....so basically redline each gear till max gear then let the engine RMP drop itself without using the breaks?
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      06-29-2007, 11:59 AM   #8
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Totally agree with 888... M motors, and trannys, are very tight at first and they really need to be given time to break-in. Remember that the "break-in" period is not just for the Motor, its for the whole car.

Not sure about the E90, but on the E46 M3 and E60 M5, the ECU actually records the number of times you go over recommended break-in rpm, at two threasholds (med and high) and the number of times you hit the rev-limiter. Improper break-in could result in warranty hassles down the line.
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      06-29-2007, 12:55 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Fuzzz View Post
Not sure about the E90, but on the E46 M3 and E60 M5, the ECU actually records the number of times you go over recommended break-in rpm, at two threasholds (med and high) and the number of times you hit the rev-limiter. Improper break-in could result in warranty hassles down the line.
hmmm very interesting~ Ill def. keep that in mind!

It feels like almost a invasion of privacy...
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      06-29-2007, 06:17 PM   #10
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Just go on a 1200 mile roadtrip the first week you get it.... :rocks:
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      06-30-2007, 06:59 AM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MojorisinM3 View Post
Just go on a 1200 mile roadtrip the first week you get it.... :rocks:

this is exactly what I'm planning to do & I'm in 888's boat...soft break then give it a good couple of runs never staying at a constant rev...
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      06-30-2007, 07:47 AM   #12
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I'd take it home, park it..grab a glass of wine and sit and stare at it and think to my self "TONIGHT UR MINE!!" about flooring it, im sure my foot will do it without even asking my brains
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      06-30-2007, 09:20 AM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by FifthStreetz View Post
Interesting....so basically redline each gear till max gear then let the engine RMP drop itself without using the breaks?
As per Monsta.
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      06-30-2007, 08:33 PM   #14
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Doesn't the M5 have a restricted/staged break in period, where the dealer unlocks the motor via the computer, during set intervals (miles)?

That sounds confusing, because I'm not exactly sure how it all works. I know the last generation M5 had something like this.

Think the M3 will be the same? Did the old M3 have something like this?
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      07-01-2007, 03:05 AM   #15
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There must be a good reason for BMW to recommend a soft break-in for a new vehicle otherwise they wouldn't mention it in the owner's manual. Don't know about you but I'm not going to destroy a $70K (potentially) vehicle right out of the box. I'm going with the soft break in.
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      07-01-2007, 05:25 AM   #16
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The old m3 didnt have this system, just because its the first generation of a new breed which usually comes with a lot of problems, they tell the customer to take it easy on the car untill the engine parts run together for a while each in the right way...which is around 1500 miles...None of my freinds took it easy on it though
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      07-01-2007, 08:08 AM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by drsnooz View Post
There must be a good reason for BMW to recommend a soft break-in for a new vehicle otherwise they wouldn't mention it in the owner's manual. Don't know about you but I'm not going to destroy a $70K (potentially) vehicle right out of the box. I'm going with the soft break in.
There are several good "mechanical" reasons not to drive it hard out of the lot as the moving parts in the drivetrain need to wear out together. The first few thousand miles is when the friction in those components is the highest, and it doesn't make sense to me to push a system that is stressed more than its optimal operating conditions harder than its recommended limits. Not only could you literally bust something (you'd really have to try though), but you could also end up with higher than intended tolerances in the drivetrain, which would be there for the life of the car.

Last edited by lucid; 07-01-2007 at 10:16 AM..
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      07-01-2007, 10:08 AM   #18
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my buddy has E46 M3 that burns no oil at all (or seemingly none).

He broke it in by respecting the revs quoted in the owners manual and by doing the rest of it the right way... that is to say he made sure to load up the engine (no full throttle, but good amount of throttle) and to keep changing engine speeds. Ever heard of an E46 M3 that doesn't drink oil? well his doesn't and its the only one I've heard of that is like this.

I broke in my sport bike the same way and it is faster than other examples of the same bike (raced guys that were smaller than me on the same year and model bike and beat them... my bike seems to pull harder in the higher revs than others) and it also burns zero oil.
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      07-01-2007, 10:09 AM   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by lucid View Post
There are several good "mechanical" reasons not to drive it hard out of the lot as the moving parts in the drivetrain need to wear out together. The first few thousand miles is when the friction in those components is the highest, and it doesn't make sense to me to push a system that is stressed more than its optimal operating conditions harder than its recommended limits. Not only could you literally bust something (you'd really have to try though), but you could also end up with higher than intended tolerances in the drivetrain, which would be there for the life of the car.
100% agree... probably get more oil burning later on as well.
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      07-01-2007, 10:22 AM   #20
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Quote:
Originally Posted by epiphone3 View Post
100% agree... probably get more oil burning later on as well.
Yep, the oil issues could result from messing up the tolerances/lining at the pistons and the cylinder walls. You could also develop higher than intended slack in the transmission, which could result in power transmission inefficiencies. Then there might also be issues around the tension in the belts (they might need to be retensioned before going all out). However you look at it, gunning it off the line is not a good idea.
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      07-02-2007, 10:10 AM   #21
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I am going to do wat I have always done.

0-2000 miles smooth easy break in.
2000-5000 miles straight to redline in every gear (moderate speed through the powerband)

this has made every car I have ever broken in run amazingly well and create much higher power than other peoples same ride.
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      07-02-2007, 01:02 PM   #22
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Always do soft BI's to recommend miles. Im in no hurry...
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