Officially run in, but....

[john-e89]

Trip counter turned 1400 miles last night, the book says it's run in at 1200 miles, up until 1000 miles I had a self imposed 3k rev threshold which I've now raised to 4k occasionally touching 4.5k revs and I'm tempted to stick to this until around 2000 miles as I'm rather mechanically sympathetic, and even topping at 4.5k revs it's pretty ballistic under half to 3/4 throttle.

Anybody agree with this limit or am I being too cautious?

 

[Angie4m]

Too cautious my man, too cautious. I'd go out for a 'spirited' drive somewhere, sport mode set up and see what you have been missing out on

But hey if it will give you peace of mind do what's best.

 

[metal licker]

Stop being a girl and give it some stick :evil:

 

[envy]

depends on how long you are going to keep it for. if over 100k miles, then be liberal but if flogging before then, go hell for leather whenever you get a chance..... im pretty sure mine wont be with me for more than a couple more years and maybe 30k miles max

 

[R.E92]

If you own it and will keep it for a while then it's not a bad idea to look after the engine. But if it's on lease or HP then you should drive it like it belongs to someone else!

 

[rhys4]

I'm still a great believer in running a new car in.

 

[Jasey]

Run in. Drive it like you stole it - occasionally

 

[JustCruzin]

Are you on sedatives? Let rip....

Took me a while to wake up but then I was on the other side of a black hole, time and gravity will dictate.

Pretty amazing to feel gravity at work when you unleash in a straight line.

JC

 

[InvisibleName]

Grow some and floor it!

 

[bob4333]

BMW are not known for being over generous. You've run it in by the book (which is probably conservative anyway), time to have some fun: not abuse, but what the car was designed for.

If you've ever seen a new car come off the end of the assembly line and go through a rolling road for test and set up you wouldn't worry quite so much. Just increase the car's performance with your own familiarisation and ability now.

 

[mr wilks]

I would have thought changing the oil under 4k would be more beneficial longterm than tickling the engine for the next 10k

 

[jimbo1958]

Go on!!!!!! Redline it.

 

[TitanTim]

This has always perplexed me slightly :? I've always run mine in by the book increasing revs slightly as the mileage increases but never redline, in fact I hardly ever redline ever unless absolutely needed, whats the point if the engine is torquey and powerful low down the rev range. Others argue cars don't need running in these days and thrash it from the start. I then read a thread on Bimmerforums a while back about a guy with an M135i where the engine packed up after a few weeks from new. BMW at first wouldn't honour any repairs as they found the car had been unreasonably abused within the running in period, I think it ended up on Pistonheads where the debate was, its a performance car so should be able to take the strain etc. Also the owners argument with the dealer was the salesman had said it didn't need running in so drive it like you stole it. How many people read the handbook these days. BMW relented in the end but I think anything mechanical its just common sense when new.

Tim.

 

[Garvin]

Engines can be harmed by driving them too gently as well as too harshly. My own rule of thumb is no more than 2/3rds throttle and no more than 2/3rds max revs whilst running in. For something like a Z4 that is no hardship whatsoever. There is more than the engine to run in - tyres, clutches, gearbox, brakes, turbos etc. but by 1400 miles all should be bedded in nicely, the things that suffers most from too gentle a running in period are the cylinder bores - these can get glazed, not seal to the rings properly and the engine ends up using (burning) oil.

For the OP just use it normally from now on, the occasional use of the red line is not going to harm it and the engine will continue to 'loosen up' over the next 10k miles or so.

Finally, what on earth is the point of having a high performance vehicle and, because you may be keeping it for a while, not using/enjoying the full performance - makes no sense at all to me!

 

[Maniac]

This comment about stuff the next owner boggles my mind...

 

[john-e89]

Stop being a girl and give it some stick :evil:

Well I guess I asked for that and the other 'man up' comments....

I've bought half of it, the bank owns the rest :roll: so no lease etc and 'think' it'll be a keeper, who knows, but either way I want to run it in properly, no-one would want a knackered 2nd hander on here would they..

But yes probably time to turn the wick up a bit, 6k revs max then until 2k miles then let it go, and I was always going to do between service oil changes myself as well.

Cheers for the comments all, as usual an interesting mixed bag.

 

[mr wilks]

This comment about stuff the next owner boggles my mind...

Mine too as until your car becomes the next owner's any faults that occur from ragging & thrashing will be yours to fix :?
Enjoy their capabilities but also treat them right

 

[Baza]

Sounds like you have followed the rules and your caution will probably pay of long term, but now's the time to enjoy it I would probably hold back for a while from German autobahn cruising at 125mph plus for long periods .But spirited driving should be the order of the day. If it were me I would invest in an engine flush and oil change . but then I was always a belt and bracers kind of guy.

 

[StevenH72]

This comment about stuff the next owner boggles my mind...

Another reason to buy new...

I've posted before that I'd rather have a car where the previous owner didn't have a warranty also, provided they haven't skimped on maintenance costs (tyre choice is normally a good indication), I strongly believe that a non-warranty owner is likely to more mechanically sympathetic.

 

[Goofle]

Follow the handbook. Drive (within reason) how you wish after that. My personal rules are don't cane an engine from cold, and (try to) avoid short journeys....