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2Addicts | BMW 2-Series forum Technical Topics Mechanical Maintenance and TSBs: Break-in | Oil & Fluids | Servicing | TSB So is there a break-in period? Dealer says not really

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      05-04-2015, 10:03 AM   #23
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ramos View Post
Even if you subscribe to the "hard break in" minority, other components in the car definitely need to be broken in too.
Sadly, I don't think they are a minority anymore. You hear silly things like petal (pedal) to the metal since day one, etc. But when bearings fail at 50K, no one looks back and asks how was it broken in? They just blame BMW and move on. Also, most people lease and don't care. It's not their problem.
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      05-04-2015, 10:28 AM   #24
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Quote:
Originally Posted by nachob View Post
Also, most people lease and don't care. It's not their problem.
Which is not very ethical, either.
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      05-04-2015, 10:44 AM   #25
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According to a recent issue of Consumer Reports, only a third of new BMW and MB vehicles are sold as lease sales. The majority of their products are purchased.
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      05-04-2015, 11:02 AM   #26
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Quote:
Originally Posted by moldcad View Post
Which is not very ethical, either.
Caveat emptor. Anyone buying any used vehicle is at a disadvantage. I have had cars which I drove "normally" from day one (neither hyper aggressive nor extra careful) and gone over 100k with zero mechanical issues.

Anyone purchasing a used car has to deal with the reality that the previous owner may have taken their car to the racetrack, done burnouts, redlined it before the oil ever got warm, crashed it and repaired it without their knowledge, etc.

At the end of the day cars are machines that if things break they can be repaired, and as any many of my friends who own used BMWs could tell you, no amount of careful break in will prevent things like HPFP problems, worn out subframe bushings, or $8000 VANOS repairs.
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      05-04-2015, 12:00 PM   #27
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Cyberdemon View Post
Caveat emptor. Anyone buying any used vehicle is at a disadvantage. I have had cars which I drove "normally" from day one (neither hyper aggressive nor extra careful) and gone over 100k with zero mechanical issues.

Anyone purchasing a used car has to deal with the reality that the previous owner may have taken their car to the racetrack, done burnouts, redlined it before the oil ever got warm, crashed it and repaired it without their knowledge, etc.

At the end of the day cars are machines that if things break they can be repaired, and as any many of my friends who own used BMWs could tell you, no amount of careful break in will prevent things like HPFP problems, worn out subframe bushings, or $8000 VANOS repairs.
Yes those things can be repaired but a blown engine, transmission, diff and clutch which benefit from break in are big ticket items that fail midlife and are so expensive you might end up having to junk the car or take a huge hit. The bottom lines are these. The people that make the car give you guidelines and you should follow them so if things fail you did your part.

More disturbing is that I have never seen a used car ad that says. I drove it like I stole from day one and don't give a crap because I never planned to keep it this long, yet half the people on this forum admit proudly to tracking on first day or breaking in hard disregarding break in guidelines. It would be really great if these same people put this down on their used car ads. At least if they were honest 100% of the time the car world would be a better place.

Last edited by nachob; 05-04-2015 at 12:08 PM..
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      05-04-2015, 12:34 PM   #28
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Hopefully I get may car next week, seeing as it docks tomorrow.
That said, will I comply with break-in guidelines?
Absolutely not. 1,200miles! thats insane. Does bmw not break-in the engine before it goes in the car? test it? i understand if this was a brand new short block, but I am sure BMW does stress tests on each and every engine.

I strongly follow brake bedding (heating) and tire break-in (new tires have a slick oil).
But not passing 4,200rpm at a 7,000rpm limit is a bit much.

If this was REALLY NECESSARY, the BMW ecu would limit you, just as it limits redline on cold starts.
I will be doing my own break-in procedures, which if done correctly should bring down my break-in to 600 miles.
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      05-04-2015, 01:09 PM   #29
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Yes! It does. The diff is a complicated device, as is the transmission. Did you complain so much about taking a little extra care your first time? : )

Last edited by nachob; 05-04-2015 at 01:40 PM..
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      05-04-2015, 01:27 PM   #30
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Its a "gotta have it right now" instant gratification thing with some people. They will all tell you they know more about the engine break-in process than the people who designed & built it.
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      05-04-2015, 02:05 PM   #31
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BEAR-AvHistory View Post
Its a "gotta have it right now" instant gratification thing with some people. They will all tell you they know more about the engine break-in process than the people who designed & built it.
Kevin, you cynic, you.
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      05-04-2015, 02:17 PM   #32
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BEAR-AvHistory
Its a "gotta have it right now" instant gratification thing with some people. They will all tell you they know more about the engine break-in process than the people who designed & built it.
I've always viewed the recommended break-in procedure as an extremely small price to pay in order to maximize my chances of a long product life.

I feel that I worked too hard for the $$$ to pay for the car to simply treat it with such little respect, but hey, that's just me...

I doubt the break-in procedure and instructions were included in the owner's manual simply because the manufacturer had too much space in the publication, and need to fill it with some sort of text...
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      05-05-2015, 02:34 PM   #33
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BEAR-AvHistory View Post
Its a "gotta have it right now" instant gratification thing with some people. They will all tell you they know more about the engine break-in process than the people who designed & built it.
Well said. The time and distance are not too much to ask to ensure a car is working properly early on.
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      05-06-2015, 07:08 PM   #34
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Im all for following the instructions in the manual, but can anyone really say if this is written by the engineers or was it written by the legal department trying to limit liability?
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      05-06-2015, 10:17 PM   #35
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Quote:
Originally Posted by danlgen View Post
Im all for following the instructions in the manual, but can anyone really say if this is written by the engineers or was it written by the legal department trying to limit liability?
A valid question but, liability for what? In this case, I don't see the legal beagles or bean counters making this up. You're still well within warranty after 1200 miles, so mechanical liability isn't going away at that point. Likewise, liability for "too much power" or whatever else some lawyer would fantasize wouldn't change after 1200 miles. I'm not sure what a break-in period would serve beyond breaking in various mechanical components.

BMW's incentive from the perspective of warranty and reputation has got to be to maximize the lifespan of their engines. If break-in didn't impact that, why on earth would they even discuss it?

This is not to say there isn't a better, but less practical way to break-in an engine. A mechanical engineer friend commented that they break-in their large diesels with a 48 hour full power run, and see oil consumption and blow by stabilize after about 15 hours. That process may not translate to gas engines, but as an example, that also would not be practical for a consumer.

Until someone comes up with an ulterior motive, I have to presume BMW's engineers are communicating the best, practical way to do this, in addition to asserting the value of the break-in process.
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      05-07-2015, 12:07 PM   #36
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I suspect there is a high likelihood of an accident caused by driver error in the first ~1000 miles with any new car as the driver adjusts to the vehicle. Also, if there is a major defect in the car, it will become apparent early. If they can prove you drove like a maniac, they or BMW's insurance company may be able to avoid the personal liability. But I'm a cynic.
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      05-27-2015, 09:50 AM   #37
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Just picked up my car in Munich. I was told in break-in period do not drive over 3.5K RPM and do not drive at same RPM for long . Also no oil change after 1200 wait until the computer say so.
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      05-30-2015, 04:36 PM   #38
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      05-30-2015, 09:49 PM   #39
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The manual that comes with the car says not to exceed 4500 rpm and 100 mph for the first 1200 miles. I keep seeing so many conflicting numbers!
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      06-01-2015, 05:01 PM   #40
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The issue I have with BMW's recommendation is that no other new car I've ever bought has recommended to baby the car for 1200 miles. All the others have been very similar: for 200-500 miles no high speed (or sometimes no high RPM), vary speed, but full throttle bursts occasionally.
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      06-01-2015, 10:36 PM   #41
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Quote:
Originally Posted by augerpro View Post
The issue I have with BMW's recommendation is that no other new car I've ever bought has recommended to baby the car for 1200 miles. All the others have been very similar: for 200-500 miles no high speed (or sometimes no high RPM), vary speed, but full throttle bursts occasionally.
Porsche says the same thing BMW says. Why risk it? It's only 1200 miles.
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