Recently picked up my MINI and would like to make the last local event of the year, in November I think. Problem is at the rate I drive, I won't hit 1200 miles until Feb or so.

Any opinions on how hard a requirement the break in limitations are?

Thanks,

 

You got a warranty. don't be affraid.

 

As long as you watch the rpm to stay below 4500, it will be OK. But the tachometer is the last thing I look at when I am racing. I go by the sound and feel and my shift points are usually far north of 4500rpm. I waited until the break in period was over.

 

I think brake, and clutch lining break-in is as important as your motor's.... I'd try to drive extra between now and then!

 

Road Trip!

 

I didn't *quite* make it throught the break-in period before my first autocross, and there have been no ill effects in the 20k miles since then.

Your brakes will have fully bedded-in after the first few hundred miles. If your autocross courses are anything like ours, there will only be one shift per run (the 1-2 shift shortly after you get out of the gate), and you shouldn't be making that shift at godawful high rpm's anyway (unless you happen to have a nice long straightaway right out of the gate), so there's no worries regarding your clutch.

Looking at my datalogger results for the last few events, I didn't get over 5500 RPM on any of the courses, although that will depend on how your courses are laid out (lots of long sweepers/straights versus tight, technical elements, etcetera).

 

You can't find a way to get 1200 miles between now and November? When I first got my MCS I was averaging over 150 miles per day. Put on 25,000 between the end of March and now. There must be SOMEWHERE to drive it! The driving is a BIG part of the ownership experience!

Have fun!

 

^^^

Yeah, I was gonna ask the exact same thing. I only got my MINI a week ago and already put in 600+ miles. Now would be a good time for some weekend roadtrips to places you've wanted to go but never took the time to in order to get your break in mileage.

 

The break-in period isn't as critical as it once was, anyway. There was a time were taking a brand-new engine on a long interstate road trip would do horrible things to it, but MINI owners do it all the time (for example, buying a car out-of-state, flying in to pick it up, and then driving it 2,000-3,000 miles on the highway to get it home).

I knew a woman that did the same thing with a new 1986 BMW, and she started having poor compression/leakdown numbers on her engine almost immediately, along with excessive oil consumption.

 

My understanding is that the OBC records maximum RPM. So, if you had warranty engine problems, and you had exceeded 4500 RPM, the dealer might give you difficulties over the warranty.

 

Yeah, I put the first 1200 on quick on purpose. First autocross at 1400 miles , just did the third at 2000 .

 

There was a guy at one of our autocross events last year with a brand-new Pontiac Solstice GXP that still had the paper dealer plates on it. I don't know how many miles were on the car, but the announcers got a chuckle out of it.

 

Same, Paddington Bear has logged ~600 miles in 3 days!

 

5000 miles in my 1st month!

 

Thanks for the thoughts, I don't drive much on my own, maybe 3,000 miles a year. Family trips use the Minivan.

Fortunately the kids really like the MINI so it's getting a little more use than I would have thought it would.

 

Heck I did a solo roadtrip on a weekend in between college classes down to Tennessee FOR an autocross... the trip alone took about 1200 miles, but it was a great way to have fun ON MY WAY to having MORE fun with other minis lol