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I took delivery of my MCS on August 31, 2005 with 7 miles on it. I ordered it as a birthday gift, the wifey approved. I followed all the break in "rules," not once passing the 4500rpm mark. Boy was that tough, it was torturous beyond belief, my right foot just wanted to plant itself right on the throttle and stay there. I had to pull my leg back a few times with my hands! Let me at it! This little guy was begging me to wind it out, just do it I kept hearing. Then it happened. On Thursday September 26th, 2005 at exactly 6:36PM EST, the magic number showed up on the odometer. Woooooohoooooooo! Damn, this thing can haul. I'm having trouble ridding my face of the stupid grin. It just won't go away.
I know the feeling, I bought a MCSC on 1st September and have just passed 1250 miles. It was fun to drive before, but it's even better now I can put my foot down.
I may be walking old ground but, if you've not used more than 4500 rpm for 1250 miles and are now using the full throttle range, you're likely to be causing some damage to the engine! Despite your best intentions, it is always better to stretch the engine gradually even during the first 1250 miles. It's probably too late for you now but short but smooth excursions ablove 4500 rpm wouldn't have caused problems - as long as you don't approach the rev limiter. However, constant use in a small rpm band doesn't do an engine any favours.
There is much information on the internet about 'running in' modern engines - and some will align with your technique (blindly following the manufacturer's direction) and others will say 'gun it' from the start. However, a compromise between the 2 is probably best! My Porsche has been used reasonably hard from the start - but all their engines are bench run before installation!
What is very important is to ensure that the engine oil is up to temperature before you employ the full performance of the engine; remember that the water gauge will indicate working temperature long before the oil does. Also, give the engine a period of steady cooling down during the last few miles as you drive home - if you've been using it hard!
Enjoy the car - but don't thrash it just because you've reached the 'magic' 1250 miles - unless you've broken it in 'properly' - and that doesn't mean holding back on the rpm.
Just my view - albeit shared by many; however, I've owned, and own, many performance cars and have gained more output through a sensible running in period that has employed a wider rpm range than the manufacturer suggested!
I agree with running the engine harder than the manufacturer says, especially with the synthetic oil being so protective, but if there was a serious engine failure and the engine had been revved harder than the manufacturer recommended, wouldn't the warranty be void?
But yes, build the revs up gradually after 1200 miles, using more and more rev range!
The car wont properly lossen up till around 10,000 miles or so. My S at 70,000 with MTH and Promini Intake certainly went
Westie is right....but running it at low revs for 1250miles will have reduced the impact of hammering it after the run in period.
Basically as the engine revs rise so does the piston temperture and so expands more and more making it slightly tighter. If you really drive the car at high revs and full throttle from day one the piston can basically cause extreme wear to the Piston Rings and cause the engine to run loose very early in life as it can reach a temperture not normally possible without the extra friction of being a new tight engine. I have heard its possible to take chunks out of the piston lining that can cause compression loss. But very unlikely unless you take the car straight on the track from brand new.
Well thats my 2 pence worth....just be nice to it and slowly increase the revs and duration at higher revs. But hey enjoy yourself! I'm sure your not planning on keeping the car to 200,000miles anyway.
hehe... I did rev the range up gradually. I haven't taken it to red line yet... I'm at 5500 or so... I've done a 6000 run once just to see what this thing can do. It's just now I'm not worried (not the best choice of words) to go over 4500rpm.
thanks for the tips.
I orderd the car with a limited slip but with DSC on it's hard to feel (especially keeping to a max of 4500)... out of corners you can feel the car hook up but once you push the car around the corner that's where it comes into it's own.
So I turned it off to see how easy the wheels break free, boy do they ever. And feeling both wheels spinning is totally cool. There was some water on the roads last night, so even better.
My dealer went for 100o miles at no more than 4500 rpm but said that it really didn't matter. I still took it relatively easy for the first 1000 and now 8900 later I still cant stop grinning most of the time. The only time I stop grinning is when the f@!?$rs at my local dealer wont do anything about may crappy roof and window scratches AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHGGGGGGGGGGGG
since my cooper is my first car and the one i sat my test in it was accidentaly run in (i had no idea about this) but boy4racer is right it takes a while for the engine to lossen up now with 19000 miles on it it feels relly nice and i know where it dose what at now
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And that's a very smart looking car 
!!
