Break-in period?

[X5FX]

Yes, I changed my oil at 3k miles and will do so again at 7500, and every 7500 after that.

Also dont be afraid of WOT after she breaks in...its a blast and is good for the engine.

[GPSnV1]

Having just signed for a 2008 4.8 sport yesterday (pick up Tues), I am worried about the conclusion of this thread.

Why? Because it has 150 miles and will have maybe 400 local miles before I launch a 3K interestate trip during July. And since I have DVTs (blood clots) in my left leg, mr cruise control has been critical to my driving habits.

I have read the manual which gives few details other than something as obvious as varying the speed the first 1,200 miles and not exceeding rpms or mph. Anyway, the advice in this thread to stay away from interstate speeds for the first 1K is troubling since there is no way for me to change my schedule.

Any updated advice for the road ahead of me?

[vinuneuro]

If it were my car I'd be doing WOT now. Put it in 2nd or 3rd gear and do WOT, but don't let it shift at the rev limiter. Before you reach that point, get off the gas and engine-break (don't use the axle brakes). Do this as many times as possible before the trip.

Make sure the engine is fully warmed up before you do this.

[Fastbuck]

Originally Posted by GPSnV1

Any updated advice for the road ahead of me?

It's not the interstate speeds which are the issues, it's just how interstate driving impacts the requirement to vary speeds. You should be OK if you conciously modify your speed whilst on the interstate and don't hold it steady for a prolonged period.

[GPSnV1]

Originally Posted by vinuneuro

If it were my car I'd be doing WOT now. Put it in 2nd or 3rd gear and do WOT, but don't let it shift at the rev limiter. Before you reach that point, get off the gas and engine-break (don't use the axle brakes). Do this as many times as possible before the trip.

Make sure the engine is fully warmed up before you do this.

A colorful experiment outside my experience. I'll need to give it a shot and see what happens.
Thanks.

[vinuneuro]

Originally Posted by Fastbuck

It's not the interstate speeds which are the issues, it's just how interstate driving impacts the requirement to vary speeds. You should be OK if you conciously modify your speed whilst on the interstate and don't hold it steady for a prolonged period.

It is the interstate that's the issue. You can only keep varying the engine speed intentionally so many times over a 3k mile trip; and he also mentioned he'll be using cruise control a lot of the time due to health reasons. If it's a trip that long cross-country type, almost all the highway travel will be very open.

[GPSnV1]

Originally Posted by vinuneuro

It is the interstate that's the issue. You can only keep varying the engine speed intentionally so many times over a 3k mile trip; and he also mentioned he'll be using cruise control a lot of the time due to health reasons. If it's a trip that long cross-country type, almost all the highway travel will be very open.

Good grief, I don't want to ruin this new beautiful creature, not to mention expensive.

In the 2004 4.4 sport, I could hit over 100 between OKC-MEM then parts of MEM to Nashville. However, once at MEM then esp Nashville on to Knoxville and parts of NC, etc., there is a lot more congestion so I can't use cruise as much as I like or drive as fast as I want.

Anyway, in terms of the next 1K, these miles will be mostly on open highway and it would be a real problem to vary speeds and reduce the use of cruise but if that's what it takes then maybe I need to add another hotel stay at least going.

But am I being told to worry about the entire trip? There will be some city driving in between the first half of the trip and then the return home, but maybe not enough to really make a difference in terms of what we are discussing. Do I need to add another hotel on the way back? Does driving a shorter distance on a given day make a difference over going as far as we can tolerate?

[vinuneuro]

Originally Posted by GPSnV1

Good grief, I don't want to ruin this new beautiful creature, not to mention expensive.

In the 2004 4.4 sport, I could hit over 100 between OKC-MEM then parts of MEM to Nashville. However, once at MEM then esp Nashville on to Knoxville and parts of NC, etc., there is a lot more congestion so I can't use cruise as much as I like or drive as fast as I want.

Anyway, in terms of the next 1K, these miles will be mostly on open highway and it would be a real problem to vary speeds and reduce the use of cruise but if that's what it takes then maybe I need to add another hotel stay at least going.

But am I being told to worry about the entire trip? There will be some city driving in between the first half of the trip and then the return home, but maybe not enough to really make a difference in terms of what we are discussing. Do I need to add another hotel on the way back? Does driving a shorter distance on a given day make a difference over going as far as we can tolerate?

Don't make too much of it, def don't modify your trip because of this. Just do what I said as many times as possible before the trip. That's the way to break-in a new engine regardless of circumstance. Ideally you do it at 0 miles, but it's pretty fairly young.

Btw, to warm up the engine just drive around normally. Do not let it wam up idling.

[mtech8]

Okay. I can understand why it's important to break-in the engine by varying speeds. But what would happen to the engine if we didn't do this? Will anything break?

Also if we had to drive constant freeway speeds for a while, can't we just extend the break-in period longer prior to exceeding the 4500 rpm and 100 mph to achieve the same affects?

A lot of these concepts are so different from what was instructed to us years ago with older cars. ie: I was always told to let the car idle for about 30 seconds if the car's engine is cold (in the mornings) to let the fuel mix and lubricate, then drive slowly until normal temperature is reached.

I'm just wondering if technology has changed or if I was just doing things wrong previously.

[y5choi]

I bought my x5 500km (that's Edmonton from Drumheller, Alberta for my fellow Albertans or Canadians) away from home and I had to drive home after picking it up of course.. steady 120km/h for three hours. After that, i went to Banff National Park for a weekend and did consistent highway driving for up to 4 horus (up to 160km/h at times. manual reads no higher than that speed during break-in.

So that sums up my first 1000km on the X. During the rest of the break-in period i did city driving almost exclusively. I got an oil change at 2000km even though my servince rep insisted that i didn't need it

right now I'm at 4500km and my gas milage is barely making 21L/100km. thats around 11-12 MPG US.

Maybe the break-in has to do with it??

It's an 07 4.8i