[wjones14]

My M235i is through the break-in period, exactly two weeks after picking it up at the Performance Delivery Center in SC. Slightly over 900 miles of the break-in were done during the drive home to CT over two days.

I have always gone by the recommendation in the owner's manual as far as break-in, and it was no different with this car. If I did go over 4500 rpm, it was just barely. But I do admit to just a couple full throttle pulls in 3rd and 4th gear right off the bat, just in case the "drive it hard in the first 20 miles" theory is correct.

I have to say that I absolutely love this car so far! As I've said many times in this forum, all I've owned all my life were American V8 manual transmission muscle cars, mostly Camaros and Mustangs, with a '65 Corvette 396 and '71 Olds 4-4-2 W-30 in between. So 6 cylinder engines, turbos, and German sports luxury were all unknowns for me.

I haven't begun to drive this car hard yet. But even commuting to work in suburban traffic or driving sedately to a dinner restaurant with my wife is such a pleasure in this car. I loved my 2005 Mustang GT to death (and would have kept it if I had the space in the garage), but the BMW is definitely on another level. The Mustang handled pretty well for its size, but the compromise was that it was a stiff ride. I drive the BMW in Sport mode most of the time, and even with those stiffer suspension settings it rides like a Cadillac compared to the Mustang. My non-enthusiast wife enjoys riding in it so far, and said it's night and day compared to the ride of the Mustang. Her other comment was that it's much more mature looking than the bad-boy bright yellow Mustang, and is more like a "big boy's car."

I'm really looking forward to exploring its limits now. Hopefully a track day this year at Watkins Glen - the club I go with is doing the short 2.4 mile NASCAR course this year, which I've never done.

Anyway, the break-in is officially over in 1 more mile. Here's to some WOT!

[Pinghacker]

Happy for you. I will be ordering my 228i next week. How did you like the Performance Center delivery?

[wjones14]

Originally Posted by Pinghacker

Happy for you. I will be ordering my 228i next week. How did you like the Performance Center delivery?

Oh it's the best. First class in every respect. Totally memorable. Fully documented my experience in the Delivery forum: http://www.2addicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1115775

[Supernaut]

Crap. I realized I got 1500 miles stuck in my head for break in. I did romp on it on I-85 finally, but only after 300 extra miles of babying it.

[rickinaz]

Originally Posted by wjones14

But I do admit to just a couple full throttle pulls in 3rd and 4th gear right off the bat

If you do subscribe to the need for a break-in period, you negated it with the full throttle runs. Anything after that was a waste of time.

[Xiaoxi]

Originally Posted by rickinaz

If you do subscribe to the need for a break-in period, you negated it with the full throttle runs. Anything after that was a waste of time.

Why's that?

[wjones14]

Originally Posted by rickinaz

If you do subscribe to the need for a break-in period, you negated it with the full throttle runs. Anything after that was a waste of time.

Thank you for your opinion.

[gaijin]

Way to go! We got the mandatory or should I say obligatory break-in between delivery and the long way drive back home.

Here's to many miles of smiles to come! And need I say, keep the revs up.

[pruettfan]

The couple of full throttle runs early on as a break in strategy is one of many myths of ways to break in cars. Personally if I trust the engineers to design the car I am spending a small fortune on then it only makes sense to follow their explicit break in recommendations. This is one of the reasons I won't buy a new car that has more than a few mile on it. I just test drove a M235i with 78 miles on it, it was great to drive but I wasn't interested in buying it because I know it has been through dozens of short spirited test drives like the one I put it through.

[Supernaut]

Originally Posted by gaijin

Way to go! We got the mandatory or should I say obligatory break-in between delivery and the long way drive back home.

Here's to many miles of smiles to come! And need I say, keep the revs up.

I've been averaging just under 600 miles a month for the last year. But between the scenic route home from PCD, a trip to a conference (conveniently in the mountains) and a college visit with my son, I hit break in (plus some) in 2 weeks. It's really hard to stay out of it now.

[jwr0721]

I've never "broken in" a car -- and I've never had a problem with it.

[IDBMW]

When they were building the Z4 in Spartanburg, SC they would drive the cars off the assembly line, put them on a dyno looking thing and run the engine to redline on first start. So much for the break in. I still “break in” my new engines but have done a few runs to 5K RPM. I also think it is important to downshift and get the RPM’s slightly elevated in the break in period.

I have a chain saw based saw mill and last week I was running my 120 cc saw when the spark plug blew out and the engine seized. I had it rebuilt and running this weekend but no 10 min runs at full throttle yet. This engine lasted a year but I cut all the beams and wood bigger than 2 x 6 for a house I am building and more lumber that I sold so not bad for the abuse it gets.

[wjones14]

Not that it really matters, but to be clear on what I did - with maybe 20 miles on the car, I smoothly pressed the throttle at 3000 rpm in 3rd gear and ran it up to 4000 rpm, and then did that again in 4th gear. At no time did I exceed 4500 rpm until reaching 1200 miles. Even now, with about 1350 miles, I still haven't run it to redline, but I have gone up to almost 6000 rpm.

[iamdabest1]

Originally Posted by Supernaut

Crap. I realized I got 1500 miles stuck in my head for break in. I did romp on it on I-85 finally, but only after 300 extra miles of babying it.

Is there really a break in for this car , I was always under the impression that only real M cars needed it. Does the 235i also require it and did you go in for an oil service after 1200 miles like they make you on the m3??

[silverado]

Originally Posted by iamdabest1

Is there really a break in for this car , I was always under the impression that only real M cars needed it. Does the 235i also require it and did you go in for an oil service after 1200 miles like they make you on the m3??

Yes. The owner's manual calls for a 1200-mile break in period. It doesn't call for an early oil change, though.