[leightos]

So, I just got my 45e, and I know the break in period is 1200 miles. I saw something in the literature also about letting the car warm down before power off too. That got me thinking if running too long is bad.
Anyone think a drive to Vegas and back from LA is too much stress in the break in period? I was actually kind of thinking that a steady run of the engine - say 2 hours at time, steady speed would be good for it.

thanks

[nZtiZia]

they "say" to vary RPMs, which is antithetical to a steady speed. this point appears debatable, but i've read most recommend varying RPMs and avoid using cruise control during the break-in. many folks have driven their cars home from the PDC experience at Spartanburg without issue, even cross-country, so going to Vegas and back shouldn't be "too long" or stressful for the X5 at all.

confused: what's a "warm down"? do u mean "cool down"? does anyone sit in their cars for xx minutes before powering off and exiting? sounds like a very old school thing...

did u read this thread? https://g05.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh...light=break+in

[thereef510]

I don't think you need to. There's a giant fan in the car that sometimes turns on when I turn off the car I assume to cool it down

[TurtleBoy]

Originally Posted by nZtiZia

they "say" to vary RPMs, which is antithetical to a steady speed. this point appears debatable, but i've read most recommend varying RPMs and avoid using cruise control during the break-in. many folks have driven their cars home from the PDC experience at Spartanburg without issue, even cross-country, so going to Vegas and back shouldn't be "too long" or stressful for the X5 at all.

Not sure if varying RPM's was ever recommended by BMW but it is no longer part, if it ever was, of the recommended break-in procedure for the X5.

[nZtiZia]

Originally Posted by TurtleBoy

Not sure if varying RPM's was ever recommended by BMW but it is no longer part, if it ever was, of the recommended break-in procedure for the X5.

when I said "they", I was referring to other members of this forum it's mentioned in different threads on the same topic. I linked one above. you're right in referencing the manual that makes no mention of varying RPMs

leightos
more importantly is staying below 4500rpm and 100mph and prudently avoid kickdown during break-in

[dream54ing]

I think you are over thinking things. you will be fine. lol... we drove to vegas from phoenix 3 trips during our break-in period. we stayed under 3000 rpm and stayed under 100mph.

[TurtleBoy]

Originally Posted by nZtiZia

when I said "they", I was referring to other members of this forum it's mentioned in different threads on the same topic. I linked one above.you're right in referencing the manual that makes no mention of varying RPMs

I know, I was just adding the info from the manual.

[HerrK]

Originally Posted by TurtleBoy

Not sure if varying RPM's was ever recommended by BMW but it is no longer part, if it ever was, of the recommended break-in procedure for the X5.

FYI - Back in the "old days" and as recently as the BMW manuals from my 2000 323 (M52 inline 6) and my 2011 Z4 (N54 engine) - the engines which precede the current B58 in line 6) the BMW owners manuals stated.

"Up to 1200 miles, Drive at varying engine and road speeds"

It's still a good idea to do this today. With a manual transmission it's not even necessary to mention this as it happens as part of driving. Modern 8-10 speed automatics are shifting so often it now also happens as part of driving. Now the old 2-4 speed slush box automatics were more tuned to getting up to top gear and staying there. Hence the factory request to vary the RPM's and speed.

Mainly this is related to getting the rings properly seated.

[jad03060]

When the road is not open and free of traffic, if you're using the adaptive cruise control, the vehicle will be adjusting its speed up and down some to keep pace with traffic. When you release the pedal (when the engine is running, and that's not a given on the PHEV), that creates more suction, and it can pull some oil into areas that might have been tighter. But, today's engines are required to be made to much closer tolerances in order to pass their emissions testing, so 'wearing in' isn't as big of a deal - it's pretty good right off of the assembly line.

IMHO, the hassle with a fixed mileage for break-in is problematic with a PHEV, as you might go thousands of miles prior to the engine actually accumulating that 1200.

I think the bigger thing is to avoid higher speeds and bigger loads that could come with a multi-gear downshift. With the way the transmission is geared, there should be no big problem keeping it within the recommended limits.

If you were to just come off of a smoking run, where the turbo is cranking at over 100K rpm, you might want to wait a minute or two for things to slow down. The oil pump stops when you shut down as does the coolant pump. It used to be much more of an issue prior to most going to liquid cooled turbos, but keep in mind (and you could cook the oil in the passages of the turbo on the older designs), the exhaust gases are quite hot, so it doesn't hurt to let things idle a bit. In more normal driving, that's not a big deal, but it might be after a high-speed highway run.

[-Vanguard-]

Your engine is ready to go for whatever you need it to do right away. Don't stress about it.

[leightos]

great and valuable information. I'll take it all in and drive smartly. Certainly in and out of the LA area, speeds vary greatly and it takes about an hour to get out to the highway speeds. I usually stop 2 times each way. I can go through a drive thru for example, get some food or a Starbucks and that will allow the engine cool down.
thanks

[nZtiZia]

the 45e has turbo?!
how did i miss this when i ordered it?! LOL

[TurtleBoy]

Originally Posted by nZtiZia

the 45e has turbo?!

It has a TwinPower turbo I6.

[gqgambler]

Any excuse to go to Vegas is a good excuse. I think you are safe to make the trip following the guidelines in the manual.

[jad03060]

Pretty much, all BMW vehicles have at least one turbo in them which is one reason why they have so much torque at a lower RPM than in a naturally asperated unit. The TwinPower turbo is a single unit, that has two modes, which can be confusing. The V8 has two turbos, one for each bank, and I'm pretty sure the I4 engines have one, too. Way back when, after a hot run, it was not unusual if you immediately popped the hood to see that the thing was glowing redhot...shut the engine off of those oil-cooled units, and you'd coke the oil, potentially ruining the bearings. Since nearly everyone went to liquid cooled units, that helps keep the peak temperatures down, but the turbine can still be turning 100K or so.

[X5 45e]

Originally Posted by leightos

So, I just got my 45e, and I know the break in period is 1200 miles. I saw something in the literature also about letting the car warm down before power off too. That got me thinking if running too long is bad.
Anyone think a drive to Vegas and back from LA is too much stress in the break in period? I was actually kind of thinking that a steady run of the engine - say 2 hours at time, steady speed would be good for it.

thanks

I think this is a good way to go through the break in period because you will be driving with the ICE most of the trip.

Just put it on cruise control and don't accelerate to hard.

My daily commute is electric only. My first longer trip was 2 x 1000 km for skiing. I waited until I had around 2000 km with the ICE before I used sport mode and fast accelerations.

[Wynnema]

I really don’t think this kind of over cautious approach is necessary in modern engines. They are designed and built to be driven normally from day 1.
Sure if you red line it in every gear for the first 2000 miles it probably won’t thank you but they don’t need to be treated with kid gloves.

[iconoclast]

Within the first sixty to hundred miles or so the piston rings and seals are broken in when the crosshatching on the cylinder wears away. The remainder of that 1200 mile "Break-In" period is for the rest of the motor and bits to acclimate properly and not be shocked by extreme temperatures. Think of it as dropping an ice cube into a hot drink or slowly stretching a rubber band versus going full send on the first try. Both scenarios result in the ice cube cracking or the rubber band snapping. What you would like to do is have all the components reach operating/various temps and ranges over a slower and longer period of time. Then you can give it the beans. On the flip-side some people disregard all of that and go with the "Motorcycle Break-In Method".

[jad03060]

Keep in mind, you're not only breaking in the engine, but all of the other components in the drivetrain: brakes, tires, transmission, differentials, drive shaft...IOW, anything that moves or rotates while driving. My last BMW i6 engine never used a drop of oil. Now, that can't be said of most of the V8 engines, but they have a lot more concentrated heat with the twin turbos nested in the V and more moving parts.

[MystroX5]

I took a 2200 mile road trip with only 200 miles on the odometer with my last 2019 X5 50i M-Sport. It was great. Didn’t hardly any oil at the 5k/1yr 1st oil change.

[mitch57]

Originally Posted by MystroX5

I took a 2200 mile road trip with only 200 miles on the odometer with my last 2019 X5 50i M-Sport. It was great. Didn’t hardly any oil at the 5k/1yr 1st oil change.

I wish the 40i had a dip stick. This electronic measurement shit sucks! It takes at least 5 times as long as it does to check the oil with a dip stick. Come on BMW! Bring back the dip stick!

[leightos]

one last thing I thought of regarding the cool down - since it is the 45e, there is no cool down in Hybrid because if you still have a charge at the slower speeds (say, e.g., pulling off the hiway to a rest stop) the car goes into Elec drive only. And this as well - even if you are in Sport mode, ie, running the petrol engine, once you stop the engine stops as well, unless you have tipped the gearshift knob to the left to put it in Sport/Manual shift mode, then the engine stays at idle. At least that's how I understand it with my very limited 200 mi driving experience.