[authentic-haggis]

after taking delivery tomorrow, the drive home is about 200 miles(all interstate @ 70mph)

how should I drive it while still following the usual good practices of breaking in the car gently? I have never bought a car from so far away before. With cars bought locally, I just drive like a little old granny and vary between different speeds, while never flooring the gas pedal or exceed 3000 to 4000rpm.

I remember from something that I read a long time ago that new cars should not use cruise control, so I wont do that, but I'll basically end up keeping it aroudn 70mph most of the time... or should I vary my speeds up and down frequently?(say 70 to 60 to 70, etc) I did think about taking a rural road that parallels the interstate... but that ends up making the trip 250 miles and almost 5 hours... plus I just looked on Google Maps and that road is not in the best of conditions, so that's a no go. .

[M4ord]

So BMW recommends not going past 4500 RPM. Your going to learn pretty quickly that it will be easy to maintain that and still pass most other cars on the road. That being said, the advice about not using cruise control is good because a bad thing to do when breaking in a motor is drive it 1200 miles at the same RPM. My suggestion is to see if you can find a back way for those 200 miles instead of the freeway, maybe as twisty as possible. Enjoy the suspension but at the speed limit and you will be fine. If the freeway is the only way. Then vary the RPM. Put it in sequential and leave it 7th gear for a little while. Vary speed.

Safe Travels!

[authentic-haggis]

Originally Posted by M4ord

Vary speed.

Safe Travels!

sounds good... that's going to be my plan. fortunately, that stretch of the interstate is not busy, except when going through a couple of smaller cities. (which means I can take it slow for a while... and if there's traffic coming up behind me, I can go back up to the 70mph limit.. then slow down again... it will hopefully be a fun drive, although weather forecast still calls for 100% chance of heavy rain )

[chris3g]

Super questionable if driving it like a granny is a good thing but without turning this into another best break-in practices thread, literally the worst thing you can do is get on the highway and cruise at a constant low RPM. Definitely don't do that.

[Tyga11]

Vary your speeds and RPM every 4 minutes. You can set a recurring timer on your iPhone to help you manage this.

[Mark Kez]

Drive it like you stole it!!! Lol!

[Humdizzle]

avoid rural areas. lots of gravel roads nearby those highways and cars carry those debris onto the highway. i'd just just vary the speed between 70-85. can go slower or faster if you got open road. avoid tailgating or staying behind a semi truck. gust of wind or not paying attention and they usually dip a wheel onto the shoulder and kick up crap on the cars behind.

[vj123]

Key is to vary the rpm and not to drive it at a constant speed for a prolonged time. I have always tried to avoid interstates during all of my out of state deliveries.

PS: Looks like this is the 7th unique thread in the past weeks about your upcoming M3 delivery. Maybe you can confine all questions in a single thread.

[BIGW0RM]

Be the guy who goes 60-80-60-80-60-80 the whole way home.

[beamlord]

Fun fact. You can use lower gears to vary the rpm, keep normal highway speed and not confuse others.
200miles is not much. You can spend the rest of break in miles varying speeds on twisty roads (need to get that differential working as well).

[JY01]

Try to vary RPM (<4.5k RPM) and speed (<100 MPH) but it’s not the end of the world if you don’t. My drive home from the dealer was also around 200 miles, all highway. I knew it’s not the best to keep RPM the same on a new motor, so for the first 20 min I shifted between 6th and 8th and did some half throttle pulls to 4k RPM. Then the roads got pretty crowded and I maintained the same speed and RPM the rest of the way back.

[authentic-haggis]

Originally Posted by vj123

PS: Looks like this is the 7th unique thread in the past weeks about your upcoming M3 delivery. Maybe you can confine all questions in a single thread.

my apologies... but I don't think I've ever been this excited about getting a new car.. definitely never bought a car that I had to wait this long... also... most likely you won't hear me again until July... will be too busy driving for the next couple of week... then I have to go to Europe/Japan for almost two months after that.

[BzsBimmer]

So basically what you’re saying without saying it, is that you need me to watch your car while you’re away and help break it in. Gotcha.

[authentic-haggis]

Originally Posted by BzsBimmer

So basically what you’re saying without saying it, is that you need me to watch your car while you’re away and help break it in. Gotcha.

actually, I was thinking about that... so I'll be driving it as much as possible from 4/27 to 5/17. Then it will sit in my garage for at least 2 months while I'm in Europe. Should I get someone to at least fire it up and drive around the block every week? The only person that I can trust is my next-next-next-door neighbor who drives the Audi RS6. Or will it be fine sitting for 2 months?

[Savsearcher]

Where’s the <4500 rpm during break-in coming from? The manual for my 2023 M3 states not to exceed 5500 rpm and 106 mph, with no full throttle or kickdown for 1200 miles.

[M4ord]

Originally Posted by authentic-haggis

actually, I was thinking about that... so I'll be driving it as much as possible from 4/27 to 5/17. Then it will sit in my garage for at least 2 months while I'm in Europe. Should I get someone to at least fire it up and drive around the block every week? The only person that I can trust is my next-next-next-door neighbor who drives the Audi RS6. Or will it be fine sitting for 2 months?

Dont know if you need to go that route, but recommend a trickle charger for it. Lithium batteries are expensive if they die.

https://g80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sh....php?t=1830405

This one seems to be the most recommended,

https://www.amazon.com/CTEK-56-926-L...F6UM8/?ie=UTF8

[BEAR-AvHistory]

Its 200 out of 1200. Would run at speed but shift the transmission to a different gear regularly to change the RPM. Keep it under 4500.


Would also leave the robot shut off & drive with your right foot to vary the power with out having to think about it.

Have done this with a number of cars PCD to Raleigh NC 255 miles & have had no drivetrain issues on any BMW since 2004. Max mileage before sale or trade was 130,000.

[secretariat]

Originally Posted by authentic-haggis

after taking delivery tomorrow, the drive home is about 200 miles(all interstate @ 70mph)

how should I drive it while still following the usual good practices of breaking in the car gently? I have never bought a car from so far away before. With cars bought locally, I just drive like a little old granny and vary between different speeds, while never flooring the gas pedal or exceed 3000 to 4000rpm.

I remember from something that I read a long time ago that new cars should not use cruise control, so I wont do that, but I'll basically end up keeping it aroudn 70mph most of the time... or should I vary my speeds up and down frequently?(say 70 to 60 to 70, etc) I did think about taking a rural road that parallels the interstate... but that ends up making the trip 250 miles and almost 5 hours... plus I just looked on Google Maps and that road is not in the best of conditions, so that's a no go. .

SOBER

[BzsBimmer]

Did the OP ghost us? Did they even get a car lol

[Juanero]

^ lol

I have been following along. I got a 500 mile drive after I pick up the car...

[Forzanerazzurri]

It may be only 200 miles but they are probably the most important of the 1200 miles. Everything will be seated after 200. Just follow the manual. It's pretty clear.