Babying a car definitely takes a toll on gas

[autoque]

I've been so babying the vehicle for the last few days that my average fuel consumption shows to be about 5 MPG without the A/C on!!!(It's 3.0 liter engine)

I rarely go upto 3rd gear, because I'm just so careful with the accelerator pedal and stay mostly on 1st and 2nd gears with the rpm never reaching more than 2500rpm. I plan to drive like this for about 100 miles, after which time, I'll use more of 3rd gear and so on.

Would you say this is a fool-proof way to break-in a new car?

[Naish]

NOOOO

It's correct not to make rev's on this moment... But the best thing is to use the car wisely... So make sure it is hot and then use the rev's described in the manual and vary the rev's a lot... Thus not cruising around at constant speeds...

I would recommend using the search feature here since there are several topics describing the brake in!

[DEETZ]

whats the point of doing all that? you just can't go above 4500 for the first 1000 miles...

and after all its just a car that you keep for a few years?

[AzNMpower32]

That's a pointless way to break-in a car. Vary engine revolutions and speed, as long as you're not redlining every stoplight. 1st and 2nd gears (and all lower gears) are inherently inefficient; drive normally dammit!

Geez, why do folks still think BMWs need this kind of break-in? Just don't abuse it, and you'll be fine. BMW thrashes these cars on the Nürburgring during product testing.

[Wagner]

Drive the way you normally drive. That will break the engine in properly. If you like to stay towards the upper end of the rev band, you don't want to break the motor in for low revs. Conversely, if you always drive under 3500 rpms, don't constantly blast into the nether-regions of red. I'm sure there will be some 'laws of physics' based response to this thread, but IMO, I've yet to baby a car. The only part you should really focus on breaking-in correctly.....the brakes. Unless you like glazing pads and buying rotors

[autoque]

It's just because I picked up a lot of break-in advises on the net and I heard somewhere that I shouldn't press the accelerator pedal more than a quarter.

I totally agree that I should vary speed/revs. I was just gonna do this slow moving break-in for only a short while anyways, but I'm gonna stop that now and drive more normally.

I love the vehicle by the way. For those who are considering between 3.0 or 4.8, I noticed that the throttle needs to be pushed harder to keep with the traffic when going from stoplight. But after that it feels like there's plenty of power in reserve, though I've never used it being always in 1st and 2nd gears

[rh71]

And if you ever notice your mpg meter, it's always on the 12-15 low end until you hit the higher gears - at least 5th or so. The best MPG should be reached when you make the highest gear in the shortest amount of time, but obviously that's not practical on local roads.

[x5_48i_VA]

take a 500 mile trip on cruise control

[cloudz]

My sales agent advised me to keep the car under 4500RPM and 100 miles during the first 1000 miles. In addition, the agent also said not to use the cruise control for the first 1000 miles. This is first time I heard of not to use the cruise control. Has anyone heard this before?

CloudZ

[Wagner]

Ah, I'm hoping the CC line was a joke.

CC would be the worst thing possible as it would be a nearly sustained RPM.