Anyone planning on following break in procedure?

[Tourbillon]

I'm not. I've been advised by many high performance and super car owners to avoid it if I want the best performance down the road. To their testament, I've driven all my vehicles hard from pick up and have not had any problems. In fact, I gave my supercharged range rover sport the hardest break in out of any vehicle and I'm putting down 0-60 times of 5.0-5.1 seconds consistently. Everyone else is doing about 5.5-5.6 seconds. I guess I'll be the guinea pig for the M5

[chrisratz]

I'm sure the car revs up fast, accordingly I bet I'll unintentionally exceed the max RPM guideline at least a couple times.

I think someone on this forum received guidance from a BMW rep at the Welt that "sustained" speeds in excess of 100mph are not recommended. I choose to interpret this guideline liberally.

[zzzmmm]

Originally Posted by Tourbillon

I'm not. I've been advised by many high performance and super car owners to avoid it if I want the best performance down the road. To their testament, I've driven all my vehicles hard from pick up and have not had any problems. In fact, I gave my supercharged range rover sport the hardest break in out of any vehicle and I'm putting down 0-60 times of 5.0-5.1 seconds consistently. Everyone else is doing about 5.5-5.6 seconds. I guess I'll be the guinea pig for the M5

What the hell is a break in?
Yea I will not redline it pulling out of the WELT.

[Tourbillon]

Originally Posted by chrisratz

I'm sure the car revs up fast, accordingly I bet I'll unintentionally exceed the max RPM guideline at least a couple times.

I think someone on this forum received guidance from a BMW rep at the Welt that "sustained" speeds in excess of 100mph are not recommended. I choose to interpret this guideline liberally.

I never understood that if it's so important not to rev high or go over 100mph for a long period of time, why wouldn't the vehicle alert you if you do or even prevent it?

[Nate@IND]

Is the dyno a good place for break in

[Zlaatan]

Originally Posted by Tourbillon

I never understood that if it's so important not to rev high or go over 100mph for a long period of time, why wouldn't the vehicle alert you if you do or even prevent it?

It isn't THAT important, at least not so important that BMW (or any brand) are willing to spend a ton of money and time developing technology to prevent this.

But why would almost all manufactorers advise you to follow a break in procedure? I don't think they have it just to mess with people..
And I think it's mostly not for the engine itself, it's more for the wear and tear parts.

But doesn't BMW (or is it Porsche?) have different oils in the car up until the first service?

[RPiM5]

Originally Posted by Zlaatan

It isn't THAT important, at least not so important that BMW (or any brand) are willing to spend a ton of money and time developing technology to prevent this.

But why would almost all manufactorers advise you to follow a break in procedure? I don't think they have it just to mess with people..
And I think it's mostly not for the engine itself, it's more for the wear and tear parts.

But doesn't BMW (or is it Porsche?) have different oils in the car up until the first service?

The main purpose of Break-In is to ensure longetivity of the components of the high performance vehicle. The parts that usually are broken in are the:

-Engine
-Transmission
-Differential

They will usually change the oil and the fluid of these components during the Break-In Service. Some manufacturers use a special kind of oil or fluid for Break-In also. The reason for this is because when an engine, tranmission, or differential is brand new, all of the moving parts haven't gotten a chance to fit and form to each other over time. So there can be a little bit of rubbing and chaffing that goes on, producing tiny metal particles that would be present in the oil and fluids. This is why they change them during the Break-In Servicing.

Additionally, now that cars are becoming more computerized, the software for the engine and other components may be programmed to keep the car from exceeding certain limits, such as rpms and/or speed.

The best advice I ever got concerning the Break-In is to just not let the vehicle sustain long periods of constant rpms and speeds. The vehicle components need a high degree of variation in rpm in order to form the best bonds internally. Basically, don't drive for long periods of time on the highway with your cruise control set to 65mph. Work that engine, work those components, but try to stay within the limits as much as you can.

I once had an E60 M5 that had an S85 engine shit itself on me. When I got my new engine in, my tech just told me what I just said in the previous paragraph. I ended up breaking in that engine by taking the car over 200mph during the RE-Break-In period for the new engine. After the Break-In Service the engine performed beautifully.

As for the F10 M5 in particular, I don't know for fact, but based on those descriptions of those people in Europe and the rest of the world who have had the Break-In Service complete, I'm pretty sure that the BMW Dealership changes the engines ECU software whereby full horsepower and torque are now available. Don't quote me on that, but that's the impression I've gotten after reading so many experiences.

As a side note, I plan on covering the required 1,200 miles during my Euro Delivery experience and I have already arranged for a BMW dealership in Germany to complete my Break-In Service, so that I may take my F10 M5 to the Nurburgring fully broken in. You only live once.

[cpdp]

Originally Posted by zzzmmm

What the hell is a break in?
Yea I will not redline it pulling out of the WELT.

booooooring

[M5 Orthodox]

Originally Posted by RPiM5

The best advice I ever got concerning the Break-In is to just not let the vehicle sustain long periods of constant rpms and speeds. The vehicle components need a high degree of variation in rpm in order to form the best bonds internally. Basically, don't drive for long periods of time on the highway with your cruise control set to 65mph. Work that engine, work those components, but try to stay within the limits as much as you can.

+1

Couldn't agree with you more. There is definitely a wear-in period where materials forge to each other and form boundary layer lubrication. You want them to mate at various RPMs/speeds within the limit so as not to create resonance frequencies which may result in a more choppy transition.

[BigHat]

Originally Posted by M5 Orthodox

+1

Couldn't agree with you more. There is definitely a wear-in period where materials forge to each other and form boundary layer lubrication. You want them to mate at various RPMs/speeds within the limit so as not to create resonance frequencies which may result in a more choppy transition.

This isn't something special, it's part of the break-in process they recommend. I have always followed the process as closely as possible with only an occasional over-rev by mistake. All the cars ran great and never burned any oil. I see no upside to not doing what BMW engineers suggest.

[ucla95]

Originally Posted by BigHat

I see no upside to not doing what BMW engineers suggest.

+1.

[chudak18]

My shop just replaced an engine in an sti for a customer. My tech advises every one to adhere to breakin recommendations. This particular customer didn't. Ended up doing the rebuild a second time. The engine lasted 200 miles. Didn't even get a chance to switch out the break in oil. This is an extreme case, but I'm not going to take the chance. My old man bought a 2001 S430 back in the day from the dealer. In 2008 passed it on to my little brother. Car has +200k miles. Original everything. Followed break in. The race engines that someone mentioned earlier have up graded and forged internals that can take the heat. On a stock engine i wouldn't recommend anyone take the chance... Even if this is a super car ; ) after all, those German folks aren't that dumb. Lol

[SpotM5]

I've got to hurry and get the 1200 miles in.... I've got some Laguna Seca track days coming up!

[m5huang]

I followed the break-in procedures on my "first" BMW. I still have it! It's pushing 170K miles and it didn't require any major surgery.

For those taking ED - how much more is it to pay someone to do the 1200 mile breakin for you?

[whiteM5]

Originally Posted by BigHat

I see no upside to not doing what BMW engineers suggest.

I agree no upside, but the downside is missing out on for a lot of us could be a once in a lifetime opportunity to drive a new toy like we stole it in its birth place.

[Richard Cranium]

Originally Posted by chudak18

My shop just replaced an engine in an sti for a customer. My tech advises every one to adhere to breakin recommendations. This particular customer didn't. Ended up doing the rebuild a second time. The engine lasted 200 miles. Didn't even get a chance to switch out the break in oil. This is an extreme case, but I'm not going to take the chance.

If the owner didn't overrev it that sounds to me like a bum rebuild.......

[chudak18]

Originally Posted by Richard Cranium

If the owner didn't overrev it that sounds to me like a bum rebuild.......

The clutch that was installed new came out with multiple rashes or wear marks. The guy either missed the shift or just plain old tore it up. The tech has a track record with sti engine rebuilds.

[KEYON]

Originally Posted by RPiM5

The main purpose of Break-In is to ensure longetivity of the components of the high performance vehicle. The parts that usually are broken in are the:

-Engine
-Transmission
-Differential

They will usually change the oil and the fluid of these components during the Break-In Service. Some manufacturers use a special kind of oil or fluid for Break-In also. The reason for this is because when an engine, tranmission, or differential is brand new, all of the moving parts haven't gotten a chance to fit and form to each other over time. So there can be a little bit of rubbing and chaffing that goes on, producing tiny metal particles that would be present in the oil and fluids. This is why they change them during the Break-In Servicing.

Additionally, now that cars are becoming more computerized, the software for the engine and other components may be programmed to keep the car from exceeding certain limits, such as rpms and/or speed.

The best advice I ever got concerning the Break-In is to just not let the vehicle sustain long periods of constant rpms and speeds. The vehicle components need a high degree of variation in rpm in order to form the best bonds internally. Basically, don't drive for long periods of time on the highway with your cruise control set to 65mph. Work that engine, work those components, but try to stay within the limits as much as you can.

I once had an E60 M5 that had an S85 engine shit itself on me. When I got my new engine in, my tech just told me what I just said in the previous paragraph. I ended up breaking in that engine by taking the car over 200mph during the RE-Break-In period for the new engine. After the Break-In Service the engine performed beautifully.

As for the F10 M5 in particular, I don't know for fact, but based on those descriptions of those people in Europe and the rest of the world who have had the Break-In Service complete, I'm pretty sure that the BMW Dealership changes the engines ECU software whereby full horsepower and torque are now available. Don't quote me on that, but that's the impression I've gotten after reading so many experiences.

As a side note, I plan on covering the required 1,200 miles during my Euro Delivery experience and I have already arranged for a BMW dealership in Germany to complete my Break-In Service, so that I may take my F10 M5 to the Nurburgring fully broken in. You only live once.

[stubenhocker]

Must be inherited money, huh?

[cnicholson]

Originally Posted by SpotM5

I've got to hurry and get the 1200 miles in.... I've got some Laguna Seca track days coming up!

When, exactly? I might join you. I like to visit all the Bay Area tracks with paper plates on (I even did a day at Laguna in my Volt)-- it's a tradition. With a 9/7 drop-off, I hope to have her back in the U.S. before the peak rainy season-- Maybe end of Oct with some luck.

As for the ED break-in, I plan to modulate speed and RPM all the way to the 'Ring (~350 mile), then I will consider her broken in.

Realistically, in a new car on a strange and dangerous track, I'll be doing 7/10ths max and will try to short shift to avoid redline RPMs.