Tim_M

I've read lots of posts in this board with owners taking the car out of the dealer straight to the red-line.

You are supposed to gradually increase the rpms and road speed after the first service not go straight to full bore. It is a common mistake made by M owners. If you immediately use full power you are going to need another oil change in 2000 miles due to all the bits of metal floating around in it. The electronic dipstick measures the capacitance of the oil which changes as deposits form. It will alter the miles to oil change service based on the rate of change of capacitance.

Build up to full bore gently, and don't be in too much hurry to get there - always make sure the oil temperature gauge is in the middle before you take it much past 4,000 rpm and your engine won't go pop. It isn't fully run in until 3,000 miles - you've got another 1800 to go. You've also got to be careful of high speed runs as the rest of the drivetrain needs to bed in during this period.

By all means have the odd blast, but reserve the full 8.5k for a few hundred miles down the road. I've run in 6 M engines in the last 6 years and have contact with my regional service manager so I promise I'm not making this up.

Tim

Mr.K

Thank you Tim for speaking on this important subject. I now have 700 miles on the new M3 and let me tell you, this breakin B.S. is killing me. And with what you are telling me the problem goes passed 1,250 miles. The instruction manuel clearly states that the break in period is 1,250 w/ a 5,500 RMP and 115mph limit. Then i believe it's not to excede 135mph till 3,000 miles w/ no RPM specifications. I am very upset at these new facts you are giving me. I'll be honest, every single BMW expert you speak to says something different on the subject. Just like asking different doctors about the best treatment for a single condition. What about the Power button and throttle responsiveness setting? Is it Ok to use these fuctions (or turn them on high) before 1,250 miles if you don't go over 5,500 RPM?

Tim_M

It is the bane of an M driver's life I'm afraid. If you consider that F1 engines which take the same concept even further used to have to only last one race then that should give you an idea of the stress the engine is under at 8,500 rpm. I don't have the exact wording in front of me at the moment but it hasn't changed in 7 years.

The key with all these engines no matter how old is to treat them gently when cold. The oil temperature gauge is a welcome introduction as it gives a much better indication of the temperature inside the engine. I always try to keep the revs under 4.5k until the needle is in the middle.

As to the extended break-in - it is all about imparting a nice smooth finish to the inside of the cylinder walls - if the first thing you do when it has its first load of fresh oil is take it out for a few trips to the red-line then that's not going to help much. You've also got to run-in the rest of the drive train which includes the gearbox and input and output shafts. Just build up the amount of pressure on the throttle gradually and at least initially avoid full throttle. Use of any of the driver aids has no effect.

You'll actually feel the car loosen up as you gradually increase the use of the rev-range, and by the time you get to 5,000 miles the car will be a totally different beast.

With my first M3 I really took it to heart and worked out that as I had roughly 3000rpm of rev range to cover and 1800 miles to do it in then I'd increase my self-imposed redline by 500rpm every 300 miles. I'd say out of all the cars I've driven since that was the smoothest. Just like the 5,500 limit in running in you aren't going to blow the thing up by going past it by 500 or even 1000 rpm for very brief periods. Just take the time to explore the limits of the chassis. Don't forget these are incredibly powerful and dynamic cars for the road - I went out last weekend and had a blast in the M6 and only touched full throttle and the red line on a handful of occasions.

Tim

Tim_M

I've found the relevant paragraph - and it hasn't changed:

Engine and road speeds can be increased gradually...

Most people seem to miss the word engine.

Tim