[GTT 280]

Hi,

my MCS has 6 miles on the clock so I'm running it in right now.

Engine
I'm driving below 80mph and not exceeding 4000 revs.
I'm using all gears evenly.
I'm checking the oil regularly.

Tyres - and to some extent, the engine
I'm not accelerating quickly.
I'm not decelerating quickly.
I'm not cornering hard.

Does all of this sound OK ?

Any advice.

[Tonyt3]

Quote:

Originally posted by EB MINI
Hi,

my MCS has 6 miles on the clock so I'm running it in right now.

Engine
I'm driving below 80mph and not exceeding 4000 revs.
I'm using all gears evenly.
I'm checking the oil regularly.

Tyres - and to some extent, the engine
I'm not accelerating quickly.
I'm not decelerating quickly.
I'm not corning hard.

Does all of this sound OK ?

Any advice.

Had mine up to 130 mph within first 200 miles. Shamed of myself. Never mind, thats what a warranty is for.

[Rich-UK]

Well I've done 450 miles so far and i'm having a nightmare keeping to the run in procedure

I've floored it 3 times now, but not for long, still haven't taken it over 4500rpm though! I'm giving it a bit more stick round the corners but haven't really had to test the brakes yet, oh well, only a 1000 or so miles to go...

If nothing else, waiting so long for it, then running in has taught me patience, something I didn't really have before now. MINI really changes your life

[GTT 280]

I'm taking my time to bed all the parts in, after all I plan to keep this vehicle for a long time !!

[Yex]

Try getting the brakes to bed-in by doing the following:

10 stops from 30mph
10 stops from 40mph
10 stops from 50mph
10 stops from 60mph
10 stops from 70mph

Use even pressure on the brake pedal as you would do in normal circumstances and remember to do this on a quiet stretch of road so you don't annoy anyone

I've done this on every performance car I've owned whenever pads and/or discs were new. The brakes then performed as well as expected for the entire length of their life Although this could be as short a half a day on the track at Donington in my old RB5WR

Yex

[GTT 280]

Quote:

Originally posted by Yex
Try getting the brakes to bed-in by doing the following:

10 stops from 30mph
10 stops from 40mph
10 stops from 50mph
10 stops from 60mph
10 stops from 70mph

Use even pressure on the brake pedal as you would do in normal circumstances and remember to do this on a quiet stretch of road so you don't annoy anyone

I've done this on every performance car I've owned whenever pads and/or discs were new. The brakes then performed as well as expected for the entire length of their life Although this could be as short a half a day on the track at Donington in my old RB5WR

Yex

I'll be taking it easy for the first 500 miles 'cause i want by tryes to bed in too !!!

expensive runfalts eh!

[LMB]

Quote:

Originally posted by EB MINI
Hi,

my MCS has 6 miles on the clock so I'm running it in right now.

Engine
I'm driving below 80mph and not exceeding 4000 revs.
I'm using all gears evenly.
I'm checking the oil regularly.

Tyres - and to some extent, the engine
I'm not accelerating quickly.
I'm not decelerating quickly.
I'm not cornering hard.

Does all of this sound OK ?

Any advice.

Sounds about right I did more or less the same. I went the extra mile of running the car in using Super Unleaded petrol. I have no idea if it made a difference, but the engine is sounding as sweat as a nut.

[KlausR]

I suspect the running-in advices concerning the tires are mostly safety recommendations. Which means you don´t have optimum friction with new tires and have to consider that with your driving style, but I doubt it will hurt the tire if you push it from the beginning on. The tire simply needs some wear to get the surface structure that provides optimum grip.
But what could happen that would harm the structure of a new tire during hard driving? The outside amounts of rubber are history within a few weeks anyway.

Any opposed ideas?

Klaus

[oopsdy]

very useful info...

[GTT 280]

Quote:

Originally posted by KlausR
I suspect the running-in advices concerning the tires are mostly safety recommendations. Which means you don´t have optimum friction with new tires and have to consider that with your driving style, but I doubt it will hurt the tire if you push it from the beginning on. The tire simply needs some wear to get the surface structure that provides optimum grip.
But what could happen that would harm the structure of a new tire during hard driving? The outside amounts of rubber are history within a few weeks anyway.

Any opposed ideas?

Klaus

I heard (not sure where) a long time ago that new tyres need to be run-in to ensure that they firm up and don't wear fast. Not sure if this is true ?

[BruceK]

When tires are manufactured a slippery "release agent" is used to keep the tires from sticking to the molding equipment. (Next time you visit a tire store you find it is very easy to feel this slippery substance covering new tires).

This must wear off by driving, so that is one of the main reasons the tires must be 'broken in' before they obtain normal grip characteristics.

[GTT 280]

Quote:

Originally posted by BruceK
When tires are manufactured a slippery "release agent" is used to keep the tires from sticking to the molding equipment. (Next time you visit a tire store you find it is very easy to feel this slippery substance covering new tires).

This must wear off by driving, so that is one of the main reasons the tires must be 'broken in' before they obtain normal grip characteristics.

makes sense. nothing to do with the rubber compound properties then ?...

[BruceK]

Quote:

Originally posted by EB MINI
makes sense. nothing to do with the rubber compound properties then ?...

Wearing away the "release agent" is one issue, but I think there another issue with "head cycling" performance tires.

I remember a Car and Driver magazine article from several years ago where tire "heat cycling" played a role. They were doing top speed testing (150+ mph) of a number of performance cars, and they experienced terrible problems with a set of new tires actually losing small pieces of tread - very disconcerting when traveling nearly 3 miles a minute.

I think the tires were Michelins, but could have been any brand. The tire company rep said the problem was the tires had not yet gone through a number of "heat cycles" -- taken up to full operating temperature, then allowed to cool down completely. Apparently "heat cycling" chemically improves the tire rubber.

That's all I know.

[GTT 280]

Quote:

Originally posted by BruceK
Wearing away the "release agent" is one issue, but I think there another issue with "head cycling" performance tires.

I remember a Car and Driver magazine article from several years ago where tire "heat cycling" played a role. They were doing top speed testing (150+ mph) of a number of performance cars, and they experienced terrible problems with a set of new tires actually losing small pieces of tread - very disconcerting when traveling nearly 3 miles a minute.

I think the tires were Michelins, but could have been any brand. The tire company rep said the problem was the tires had not yet gone through a number of "heat cycles" -- taken up to full operating temperature, then allowed to cool down completely. Apparently "heat cycling" chemically improves the tire rubber.

That's all I know.

Ah, that seems to jog my memory now. Yes, I think there was a period of time required to warm up the tyres as it were.