So I'm waiting for my baby to arrive... should be landing in New York today. I'm pumped!

As I've been waiting I've been thinking about what our first trip will be and where we'll go, etc. Joy ride! lol

And then I thought a little more and remembered this whole thing my mum used to tell me about breaking in a brand new engine so you increase the longevity of your car. Drive under 65mph for the first 3000 miles.

A seemingly stupid question but I've always heard this so I really dont know. Is this really necessary? Thanks!

T.

 

Most MA's (and I think the owner's manual will concur) suggest that it's a good idea to keep your MINI under 4500 RPMs and 90 MPH for the first 1200 miles or the first month. I've only put about 1800 on mine so it's hard for me to comment on how much it really helps, but 1200 miles pass pretty quick, so I don't think it's worth risking it.

 

Oh okay.
Yeah, I figured there was some sort of "gentler" kind of handling that should be done when first getting in but I wasn't sure what it'd be.

 

Ditto. Follow the owners manual. I can't imagine any reason for them to publish break-in guidance other than it works. Look at it this way, it doesn't hurt to follow the break-in rules, and if you DON'T follow them you'll just feel guilty later on for not taking good care of your new baby. I turned what would normally be a two hour drive into a four hour one when I picked up my MINI in Baton Rouge. I didn't want to drive a long period at a steady 70mpg on I-10. That's another stipulation of the break-in period...vary your speed.

If you want to familiarize yourself with the break-in suggestions prior to picking up your MINI, go to the MINI Owner's Lounge. You can get access using your order number or your VIN. From there, you can download a complete copy of the owner's manual.

Happy reading and happier motoring!

 

I broke it in with a mixture of hard & the way the manual recommended. 20,XXX miles with 0 problems.

 

Excellent...

Didn't realize I could take a look at the manual at the OL... Thanks!