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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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      05-02-2015, 09:19 PM   #1
BarryJI
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So is there a break-in period? Dealer says not really

I am certainly not hammering my brand new 228i M Sport but must I really keep it under 4k RPM? If so, for how many miles? Eager to know what you guys think/know, many thanks.

Last edited by BarryJI; 05-02-2015 at 09:27 PM..
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      05-02-2015, 09:38 PM   #2
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BarryJI View Post
I am certainly not hammering my brand new 228i M Sport but must I really keep it under 4k RPM? If so, for how many miles? Eager to know what you guys think/know, many thanks.


you should search as this has been beaten to death but if you want the quick answer, yes there technically is and it is in the owners manual. Do you have to abide by it or face problems with the car, probably not, everyone on the forums has there own opinion of the break in as for me I stuck with it for the first 1200 miles like the manual said.
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      05-02-2015, 10:52 PM   #3
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I find in my usual driving (probably very conservative compared with most of you) the engine just laughs at me and doesn't really go above 2k most of the time, lol. Maybe a cpl times above 3k.

Except once in sport mode I decided to give it a little oomph on the pedal and OHNOES!!! 5000 RPM!!! MY BREAK IN!!! (but it was just that once)
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      05-02-2015, 11:07 PM   #4
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It's a highly contentious topic, mainly because there really isn't any substantial data driven research comparing break-in or no break-in.

I stayed within the recommended 4500rpm for 1200mi...most of the time. Afterwards I also went to an indy shop to have them switch out the oil with Liqui Moly just for some added peace of mind. I'm looking to keep this car for a looong time.
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      05-02-2015, 11:50 PM   #5
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Upon delivery, my CA instructed me to flog the s**t out of it. In his opinion that's the only way you know if you have a good car. Drive it hard, and hopefully anything defective breaks during the warranty period.

I ignored this advice and followed the break in procedure in the manual. But since then, I have not shied away from making full use of the power band.
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      05-03-2015, 12:33 AM   #6
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I like to do a bit of both. Just drive it like a regular car, not particularly baby-ing it though. Then I start to go very hard on the car towards the end of break in.
http://www.mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm
Read that article, I thought it was very interesting.
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      05-03-2015, 02:29 AM   #7
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Dealer does not = Bmw engineer.

I trust the people who engineered the vehicle and put it in a manual over everyone else.
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      05-03-2015, 05:03 AM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by huma View Post
Dealer does not = Bmw engineer.

I trust the people who engineered the vehicle and put it in a manual over everyone else.
This.
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      05-03-2015, 08:35 AM   #9
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It shouldn't be a contentious issue. The owner's manual says there is a break-in period. Case closed. I trust the designers and makers of the car infinitely more than anecdotal evidence from people who didn't do neither.

Of course doing anything else doesn't mean the car will fall apart, it just means that you're not doing the optimum thing for your car.
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      05-03-2015, 11:35 AM   #10
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I took a tour of the Spartanburg, SC plant when they were building the Z4. They drive them off the assembly line, put them on a dyno looking device so the rear wheels can spin, start the car and take it to red line. I still follow a break in. I start really easy then as I get more miles I rev it a little more. I have 900 miles and have touched 5k rpm a few times.
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      05-03-2015, 05:04 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by silverado View Post
It shouldn't be a contentious issue. The owner's manual says there is a break-in period. Case closed. I trust the designers and makers of the car infinitely more than anecdotal evidence from people who didn't do neither.

Of course doing anything else doesn't mean the car will fall apart, it just means that you're not doing the optimum thing for your car.
+1.
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      05-03-2015, 06:03 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mankid247 View Post
you should search as this has been beaten to death but if you want the quick answer, yes there technically is and it is in the owners manual. Do you have to abide by it or face problems with the car, probably not, everyone on the forums has there own opinion of the break in as for me I stuck with it for the first 1200 miles like the manual said.
Yes. Dealers are idiots. Read the manual! It's right there written by BMW geniuses. Listen to them not the idiots. This includes mechanics that think their ase certificate is a PhD in mechanical/metallurgical engineering.
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      05-03-2015, 06:48 PM   #13
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Even if you subscribe to the "hard break in" minority, other components in the car definitely need to be broken in too.
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      05-03-2015, 08:18 PM   #14
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I lease...petal to the metal since day 1...14 mths and no issues .
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      05-03-2015, 09:07 PM   #15
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We need to build a database of "My dealer insisted [insert biggest automotive urban legend, or other bullshit here]". This way, fellow forum members will know which dealerships to avoid when shopping for a car.
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      05-03-2015, 09:58 PM   #16
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Quote:
Originally Posted by IDBMW View Post
I took a tour of the Spartanburg, SC plant when they were building the Z4. They drive them off the assembly line, put them on a dyno looking device so the rear wheels can spin, start the car and take it to red line. I still follow a break in. I start really easy then as I get more miles I rev it a little more. I have 900 miles and have touched 5k rpm a few times.
I toured the Spartanburg plant last month when I picked up my 2 Series at the Delivery Center. I saw the dyno at the end of the line you're talking about, but they did not rev the engine to red line when I saw it. The vehicle I saw was an X4, and they took it up to 155 km/hr, which is almost 100 mph. Probably not even 4000 rpm.
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      05-04-2015, 03:11 AM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dalrx View Post
I lease...petal to the metal since day 1...14 mths and no issues .
Damn straight. If you're not leaving the dealership sideways upon purchase you're doing it wrong.
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      05-04-2015, 08:32 AM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by verbs View Post
Damn straight. If you're not leaving the dealership sideways upon purchase you're doing it wrong.
Yup,

Bounce off rev limiter from dealer showroom to home.
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      05-04-2015, 08:59 AM   #19
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Things do need time to break in, and how you do it is up to you.

I broke my 335i in hard - again it's a lease and once it went back wasn't my problem. With that said I had zero issues with it mechanically, no traces of oil burning, etc.

By comparison my old Nissan and wife's VW Eos - which I took care to be very careful to properly break in both burned oil like mad (NA and Turbo engines). The VW would burn a quart of oil every 1k - which VW insisted was "normal".

I gave the car a few hundred miles before burying the throttle (which was only 1 weeks worth of driving) and then it is what it is.

The reality is breaking in can be a good idea, but how many of you will seriously own this car past 75k, 100k, or 200k? The motor bottom end is pretty robust on the N55, you're going to be replacing broken electronics, turbos, and thousands of other dollars in parts long before you have to worry about having problems with the bottom end.

For those with the MT however, breaking in is more important so you don't trash the clutch right off the bat.
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      05-04-2015, 09:17 AM   #20
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If you're leasing the car with no intention of keeping it after the fact, you're essentially wasting 1200 miles of enjoyment with the short time you'll have with that car. If you buy it, I'd recommend sticking to the break in period as closely as you can
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      05-04-2015, 09:21 AM   #21
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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.
To your point, a lot of the responses on here aren't considering the brakes or tires that need to be broken in when they're brand new. I had brakes done on my car recently at the dealer, and before leaving the Foreman said to take it easy for the first 250 miles to let the pads/rotors break in and heat-cycle properly.

I understand tires need to be treated in a similar fashion, not to mention every car I've owned has some kind of engine break-in procedure in their manuals.

Though, I probably wouldn't care either if I was leasing all of my cars...
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      05-04-2015, 09:27 AM   #22
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Quote:
Originally Posted by raisingAnarchy View Post
To your point, a lot of the responses on here aren't considering the brakes or tires that need to be broken in when they're brand new. I had brakes done on my car recently at the dealer, and before leaving the Foreman said to take it easy for the first 250 miles to let the pads/rotors break in and heat-cycle properly.

I understand tires need to be treated in a similar fashion, not to mention every car I've owned has some kind of engine break-in procedure in their manuals.

Though, I probably wouldn't care either if I was leasing all of my cars...
Brake pad break in is important, but differs greatly between many manufacturers and pad compounds.

More aggressive compounds actually recommend several aggressive stops from higher speed to help bed the pads in. The M sport brakes have a fairly aggressive compound, but I'm not sure what the break in is since I've never needed a set replaced.
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