Running in your Mini

[Badmao1]

When my Cooper S arrives in May what is the recommended run in time? Also is that really important?

My last new car was a VW Golf GTI on a V plate and the VW garage i got it from told me i didn't need to give any 'modern' engine a run in, as these days the cars were designed to be pushed hard from the start.

[ScottyB]

This seems to be a popular topic in my short amount of time here.

I think the run in is 1250 miles, or 2000 kms.

Although I cant imagine your car exploding because you dont keep it under the recommended 4000 rpm, I'll still be sticking to the schedule when the ScottyB mini arrives.

[Badmao1]

Quote:

This seems to be a popular topic in my short amount of time here.

I did use the search option but couldn't find anything useful.

Has anyone not bothered run in the car and had any problems?

[ScottyB]

Quote: Originally Posted by Badmao1

I did use the search option but couldn't find anything useful.

Has anyone not bothered run in the car and had any problems?

Oh, I wasnt having a go, I just meant it comes up in conversation a fair bit - mainly in threads under other names

[Badmao1]

No problem, i am a resident on a football forum and i always moan at the amount of people that don't use the search option, so i make sure i always do. Nothing more annoying than the same thread every couple of days!

[Mike Clarke]

Running In instructions are in the owners handbook, the restrictions are not at all onerous and you'll still have fun during the running in period.

[mcsdan]

1250 miles it is. I found to vary the rev range and also to let rip occasionally. A friend of mine kept strictly to the rev limit and his car after some 2000 miles more than mine doesn't feel as loose or quick. Here is what I did:-

0-250 : Get used to car and go through all the gears and keep revs well down around 3000 mark max. This will help to get used to controls etc and also bed in the tyres, brake and clutch,gearbox etc gently. Also give time to make sure nothing is loose!!

250-750: Go up to the indicated rev limit of 4500 but do so gradually and then hold for a short while i.e. 30 seconds and then back off for a few minutes with gentler revving. The idea of this is to allow the engine to expand and compress thus creating a "memory" in the engine(engine block etc)

750-1250: as 250-750 but extend upto the full rev range i.e. 7000. Do this in small increments and make sure the engine is very warm. I had 2 trips totalling around 600 miles so had plenty of opportunity to stretch its legs. Key here is to be gentle and not snatch or just floor the throttle.

1250-1251: woohooo.

Just my experience and may be complete rubbish but after some research and other threads on here thats what I did. You've gotta have a plan and anyway it breaks the run in into 3 nice sections which seems to make it go quicker and each section is better than the last so something to look forward to.

Dan

[Barnabas]

Differeing opinions on this one. Some folks say run it in hard from the start, and some say follow the owners manual to a tee (or maybe not) for the proper break in.

I do prefer the hard run in procedures due to the following reasons:
Modern engines are produced with precise measurements
Piston seal rings need lots of pressure to fully seal into the cylinder walls. Meaning lots of load (RPMs)
Owner's manual procedures are there to stop foolish motorists from revving the car at its limits from the start (almost hitting the limiter) and possibly breaking the engine.
BMW maybe deliberately telling folks to break in the engine easy, knowing it may cause problems down the road (oil leaking past the rings, poor mileage etc) so you'll have to get it repaired ($$$)

Ok so the last one is just a guess but seems fairly likely since business are in it to make money. While it's probably more of a liability kinda thing (BWM doesn't want to be responsible for thousands of broken motors), there's probably a bit of "We want to screw you over to make money" kind of thing also.

There's a good thread on NAM about this, haven't searched through on MINI2 but you should try that also. But I'd recommend if you break the car in hard, don't go past the redline (for obvious reasons). You probably would want to keep it a bit below redline even. Also shift alot, getting the gears chance to mesh and expose the engine to different loads.

[Russ]

i found it quite difficult to control myself when i first got mine. it's the best driving experience ever. However i didnt absolutly abuse the engine as you would expect after spending a few quid to get it! my mini is now on 27,000 miles and all mechanical parts are working just fine.

i went on a run in essex on monday down some great roads. when we made our first stop the cooper driver who was behind me came over and asked "what engine modifications i had done to my Cooper" he he. I've ONLY got a mini one and no engine/performance conversions at all!

Russ...

[Johnny225]

I must say, I break in gas powered R/C cars all the time, and the best method for those is to follow the insttuctions. And I have seen those engines explode! I've tried to keep mine under 4000(240 miles now). I can't help but notice how much torque the engine has, even at 3000 rpm! It's amazingthat the 0-60 time isn't a lot faster!

[Badmao1]

I just think that after waiting months for it to arrive during which time i have done nothing than rear about and look at Minis, and also i've been driving around in a little 1 litre , that when i get it i don't want to have to wait till i'm bring up 1250 miles before i have a little play. 1250 miles could take me two months !

[Russ]

Quote: Originally Posted by Badmao1

I just think that after waiting months for it to arrive during which time i have done nothing than rear about and look at Minis, and also i've been driving around in a little 1 litre , that when i get it i don't want to have to wait till i'm bring up 1250 miles before i have a little play. 1250 miles could take me two months !

you can "have a little play" under 4000rpm, i think its fun at 1500rpm!

[Chill]

I've only got 25 miles to go now till its supposedly run-in. I keep expecting it to do something to celebrate the occasion, say a balloon pops out the boot or a novelty horn kicks in or something. That would be great, if a little dangerous.

[the W'rkncacnter]

There's no way I'm going to be able to go easy on my MINI when I get it. Hard break in here I come!

[htrout13]

I actually am doing what mcsdan recommends... basically my dealer told me 600 miles - take it easy; then start to let it out... So the first 600 miles I kept it under 4000, varied speeds, rpms, gears, etc. The next 300 miles I started pushing it a bit more... taking off at lights (gunning that 1st-2nd gear), running it up to 5500k, all gears, all speeds, longer runs, more fun.
Now, I'm in the 900-1200 run, so I'm really pushing it... gettin ready to red line, having lots of fun, and pushing it to the limit... gotta love it!!!!

Personal preference... the car is running great now that I've done this, and having never broken a car in before (at least the right way), I would definately do it this way again.

Motor on!