[nyyankee]

I just got my car a week ago, it has about 170 miles on it. I've been pretty careful with how high i was reving it. Today i was showing one of my buddies my car, he wanted to drive it, i was a little hesitent but i didn't want to be a jerk so i said ok. when he drove he reved it to about 6,5700 RPM, i was like AHHHHHHHH!!!! what are you doing! I am a little woried that this might cause some damage, I only let this happen once. Do you guys/girls think that i caused any damage?
Thanks, Dan

[JamieA]

This would worry me. I would have killed him! Just the once should be OK though. How many miles does it have now?

My Audi had the same run in procedure and it was revved to 6,000 once or twice and hasn't suffered any engine problems (except for a coil malfunction which has nothing to do with this). I don't know about BMW (because I haven't got mine yet!) but with all other cars I have bought, the RPM restriction relates to the low viscosity oil that is put in the engine at time of manufacture to run it in. This oil can not protect the engine at high RPM, but is good to help it loosen up. The dealer changes it over to normal oil at the post run-in inspection. Therefore even though you may have the miles on the odometer, I wouldn't take mine over 4,500 until the oil is changed over.

I have people who I know will want to drive mine, and I have told them all firmly that they won't be driving it until it is run in. I said to them that if they waited they would be able to have more fun. Nothing harder than driving a fanastic car and being restricted in RPM!

[nyyankee]

wow thanks you made me feel a lot better. Right now i got 181 miles on it.

[JamieA]

Originally Posted by nyyankee

wow thanks you made me feel a lot better. Right now i got 181 miles on it.

No problems glad to help.

[Username18]

Originally Posted by JamieA

I don't know about BMW (because I haven't got mine yet!) but with all other cars I have bought, the RPM restriction relates to the low viscosity oil that is put in the engine at time of manufacture to run it in. This oil can not protect the engine at high RPM, but is good to help it loosen up. The dealer changes it over to normal oil at the post run-in inspection. Therefore even though you may have the miles on the odometer, I wouldn't take mine over 4,500 until the oil is changed over.

I dont think BMWs get an oil change until 15000 miles bc there have been a lot of threads about whether an oil change following break in is necessary.

[BMW Lawman]

Can anyone with real BMW mechanical experience(not just your average joe, 2 cent opinion) tell me the point of a break in period with the modern engine of today?

[visor]

Originally Posted by BMW Lawman

Can anyone with real BMW mechanical experience(not just your average joe, 2 cent opinion) tell me the point of a break in period with the modern engine of today?

I don't fit your requirements, but my 2 cents:

$0.01 BMW engineers must know what they are doing when they write about the break in procedures in the manual.

$0.02 Ask the technicians in the service dept when you go to pick up your car.

[CA330i]

Originally Posted by nyyankee

I just got my car a week ago, it has about 170 miles on it. I've been pretty careful with how high i was reving it. Today i was showing one of my buddies my car, he wanted to drive it, i was a little hesitent but i didn't want to be a jerk so i said ok. when he drove he reved it to about 6,5700 RPM, i was like AHHHHHHHH!!!! what are you doing! I am a little woried that this might cause some damage, I only let this happen once. Do you guys/girls think that i caused any damage?
Thanks, Dan

No damage was done. In fact, he may have done you a favor. Break in has nothing to do with max rpm, but rather fluctuating rpm, and load. It amazes me that people still subscribe to the "don't exceed "x"K rpm, and that's all that matters" bull sh*t.

Break in is soooooooo simple.... SEAL THE RINGS!!!

[JamieA]

Originally Posted by Username18

I dont think BMWs get an oil change until 15000 miles bc there have been a lot of threads about whether an oil change following break in is necessary.

This is something I am going to check out very carefully with the dealer before I leave. I would prefer to have a change because alot of engine wear usually occurs for the first few miles because of the engine parts getting to know each other.

But you have to wonder these days with orders of magnitude improved manufacturing tolerances and improved oil chemistry why this is still so.

I agree with the other guy above it is about fluctuating RPM - IE DON'T use that cruise control until run-in!!. Low viscosity run-in oil would be the only reason to limit RPM, but if there is no oil change required, the 4,500 RPM limit sounds wrong.

I guess the upshot, is ask you dealer to speak to the service team and get the real story before you drive out...

[David328M-Sport]

Originally Posted by CA330i

Break in has nothing to do with max rpm, but rather fluctuating rpm, and load. It amazes me that people still subscribe to the "don't exceed "x"K rpm, and that's all that matters" bull sh*t.

Break in is soooooooo simple.... SEAL THE RINGS!!!

I understand what you are saying and I did that throughout my run in but the BMW manual clearly states not to drive over 160kph and not to rev the enging past 4500 rpm.

Are they perhaps suggesting that you can do this ocassionally through the initial break in period rather than constantly, which none of us would do anyway. The manual goes on to state that you can gradually increase the revs & speed limit but not by how much and at what period you can floor it when it is safe to do so.

[Huncowboy]

Originally Posted by nyyankee

I just got my car a week ago, it has about 170 miles on it. I've been pretty careful with how high i was reving it. Today i was showing one of my buddies my car, he wanted to drive it, i was a little hesitent but i didn't want to be a jerk so i said ok. when he drove he reved it to about 6,5700 RPM, i was like AHHHHHHHH!!!! what are you doing! I am a little woried that this might cause some damage, I only let this happen once. Do you guys/girls think that i caused any damage?
Thanks, Dan

Did it several times with my 330Ci (same engine as your 325i). No problems at all.

[AskNiko]

Originally Posted by nyyankee

he drove he reved it to about 6,5700 RPM, i was like AHHHHHHHH!!!!

You should be okay. The demo cars at the dealer constantly gets driven at high RPMs and they survive. I know that when I test drove my first E90, I went over the 6k RPMs on numerous occassions and even had the rev limiter kick in. Normally, BMW only discounts those cars 3% for all that spirited use.

[Petercat]

I am of the school of thought that break in requires you to vary the PRM's through-out the entire range and not let it sit at one RPM for the majority of your driving. Your engine will be just fine.

It's unfortunate though... He just proved why you didn't want him to drive it in the first place. Great friend, he knows the work you put in to afford the car then goes and treats it like sh*t, no respect.

[lookinaround]

I asked my dealer if I had to break in my engine when I got my car a couple of weeks ago.

He said, "You can't hurt these cars". I have been told that it only really matters five or six years down the road, at which point the car might not be as quick as it otherwise might.

I still took it pretty easy for the first 500 miles. Now that I am around 1000 miles I have been whipping the car around a little more. Over time I have noticed that the car has been improving over time.

Im waiting until 1250 before I really start to drive without feeling guilty.

[dynamics]

Originally Posted by nyyankee

I just got my car a week ago, it has about 170 miles on it. I've been pretty careful with how high i was reving it. Today i was showing one of my buddies my car, he wanted to drive it, i was a little hesitent but i didn't want to be a jerk so i said ok. when he drove he reved it to about 6,5700 RPM, i was like AHHHHHHHH!!!! what are you doing! I am a little woried that this might cause some damage, I only let this happen once. Do you guys/girls think that i caused any damage?
Thanks, Dan

Brought up this issue with a BMW Group Area Service Manager (a German) and his answer is "as long as the engine has reached its optimal temperature, which is normally after about 10km of drive, it is ok to rev it hard even before the break-in period." So the key is after the engine has reached its optimal temperature, whether before or after break-in.

[nyyankee]

I had just come home from work about a 10 min drive home, then took about 10 min to get changed and then left, went to my friends house which is about 5 min away, my friend drove it for about 5 min befoer reving it as high as he did. Do u think that that is enough time to warm up?

[dynamics]

Originally Posted by nyyankee

I had just come home from work about a 10 min drive home, then took about 10 min to get changed and then left, went to my friends house which is about 5 min away, my friend drove it for about 5 min befoer reving it as high as he did. Do u think that that is enough time to warm up?

I would think so. Stopping the car for 10 min doesn't cool down the engine. Your total journey is a good 20 min, so I would think you should cover more than 10 km or even with idling for 20 min, your engine would have reached its optimal temperature. But if I were you, I would never let anyone drives the car until the 2000 km mark. That is where I termed it "safe" for high rev. to be conservative. I was also told by this BMW guy that you have to rev it high once in a while after the engine has reached its optimal temperature so that the engine will not get "lazy". I have started doing it since I have already crossed the 3000 km mark.

[JamieA]

Originally Posted by dynamics

I would think so. Stopping the car for 10 min doesn't cool down the engine. Your total journey is a good 20 min, so I would think you should cover more than 10 km or even with idling for 20 min, your engine would have reached its optimal temperature. But if I were you, I would never let anyone drives the car until the 2000 km mark. That is where I termed it "safe" for high rev. to be conservative. I was also told by this BMW guy that you have to rev it high once in a while after the engine has reached its optimal temperature so that the engine will not get "lazy". I have started doing it since I have already crossed the 3000 km mark.

I have heard this too - high quality engines need to have a good run every now and then. I have always taken advantage of the full rev range of every car I have had, and dealers have consistently said that the engine was giving above average performance at trade in time. You just have to treat it with respect that's all, not like you stole it

The one thing I am unhappy about is that there isn't even an "engine cold" light, let alone a temp gague. I would happily swap that useless fuel economy needle for a coolant temp one! I will be able to judge, but others who may drive it, and have less mechanical sympathy probably won't.

[Ed_330i]

eh, i wouldnt worry at all.

ive taken it to redline couple times already, the seals have to break in somehow.

[dynamics]

Originally Posted by JamieA

I have heard this too - high quality engines need to have a good run every now and then. I have always taken advantage of the full rev range of every car I have had, and dealers have consistently said that the engine was giving above average performance at trade in time. You just have to treat it with respect that's all, not like you stole it

The one thing I am unhappy about is that there isn't even an "engine cold" light, let alone a temp gague. I would happily swap that useless fuel economy needle for a coolant temp one! I will be able to judge, but others who may drive it, and have less mechanical sympathy probably won't.

Don't worry about the temperature gauge. The one on the E46 was just a water pump temperature gauge and not an engine temperature gauge. So it is as good as useless. After 5-10 min of driving or idling, the engine would have reached its near optimal temperature if not optimal temperature.

Yes, I agree on the high rev once in a while as my previous E46 seems to be also in high spirit everytime I drives it. So I will do the same for my E90:325i. Once a while I will use the M mode to achieve the high rev especially in M3.

[stressdoc]

No panic, I would not worry about the car, a little rip here and there after warm-up is fine in 999/1000 new Bimmers. And I would not want to make my friend feel bad -- obviously he did not intend to insult you or the car. Life is about having a good time with others; you are lucky to have someone to share the thrill with.

[surlung]

i let my friends testdrive, but always remind them not to rev it up past 4k since it's still breaking in. its that simple..