I have 171 miles on the z4M and I have been enjoying the drives, even though it is being gently broken in. I have revved it to 4000 RPM and it sounds so good I cannot image that S54 in full concert at 8000. But that won't happen until long after 1200 miles. One thing I learned when I broke in the e46's M54 was to not hold the throttle in a fixed position but vary it constantly. And to use engine braking often. .....this allows for even pressure on the rings/ not just from the top combustion pressure. I read somewhere this helps even more to seat the rings well. I know about taking it easy on the brakes, and no full throttle starts, but that is in the manual. Anyone know some other techniques or helpful hints to get the most out of a well executed break in period? --
M engine break in I'm now nearly at 1000mi of the 1200---question about using the engine to "break"---I suppose it depends how fast you were going but it really ups the RPM's quickly and I wonder if that's OK. The brakes are feeling more fabulous with time--they are going to be great.
No, nothing radical here. Especially not from high RPMs! Don't want to add unnecessary wear and tear especially on the clutch. I am just saying in slow streets or your neighborhood for example, where you may be approaching a stop sign in second gear or first gear. Instead of pushing in the clutch and applying the brakes, just letting the engine pull it down from say 3000 RPM. It takes more time, and may not always be practical especially if someone is on your tail... see what I mean here?
Do these break-in procedures apply to only the M-cars or would it be necessary for absolutely any new BMW? Any idea if the engine break-in would apply to a rebuilt engine?
yes, and yes. All new and rebuilt engines benefit from proper break-in procedures. What distinguishes M engines is that BMW requires a follow up service at 1200 miles to change fluids.
After reading the rules for break in - the process didn't seem like it would be much fun with the 2006 M3 that I purchased new in '06. Since the car was used mainly for commuting in town and would only see short drive back and forth to work, it was getting 10 miles from startup to shutdown. And, the best breakin will allow the engine to get a full warm up, and a "heat soak" to allow internal components to work at operating temperature. So, I took it on a 400 mile road trip late in July. The warm weather and a very enjoyable road (Hwy. 138 from Roseburg, OR to the east towards Crater Lake in the Cascade Range), combined to give the engine a very thourough break in warm up. The road had plenty of ups and downs, lots of turns, and plenty of semi-long straight stretches. Top speeds were about 90 mph. I think this was about as good as it gets for the break in for the S54 in that car! I'm looking forward to picking up an the new Z4-M at the end of this month, and I will try to do something like the same procedure with it. Lots of fun! And, hopefully it's good for the engine.
Sounds like your're doing it the right way. I followed similar procedures and my M3 is running great and not using a drop of oil (yep, I drive it like it's meant to be driven) like you hear of other M cars. Cheers.
first impression comparison? Would like to hear how you like the Z4M compared to your M3 after you've driven it for a while--I almost got the Z4M coupe-had a great deal--but decided to hold out for the new M3. They are quite different to drive, the Z4 was fast, great on the straightaway----but I needed the back seat......
yeah I concur - I just took delivery on my MZ4 coupe - now have about 250 miles and this week I'll take it for one or two long day rides up/down the local San Diego mountains (up to about 5,400 feet on the roads, very twisty/lots of switchback - favorite rides for local bikers e.g....). In theory varying loads is the key, with plenty of engine braking for even ring breakin. Worked great on my E46 330i and K12R motorcycle too! And I also use all the rev range on these motors (but Mike Miller recommends to keep the S54 below 7,600 rpm to avoid the crank bearing issues - so I'll be watching that.) Also, Mike as a nice break-in doc that he will email upon request from a car club member.
Congratulations on you M coupe--what a great car! I'm in the 2nd phase of break-in with the M3---it is soooo smooth and responsive, gets better and better. My mileage, for some reason, has improved--going at a steady 85-90 mph on the highway I was averaging 26 mpgallon! Not bad for a 400 hp V8 engine (although I probably had a tailwind) in M-dynamic mode.....
