[clivem2]

I've listened to a 730d with the 245BHP engine, sounds really growly, very nice indeed.

[Bill S]

Originally Posted by sfax

Congratulations! Looks fantastic. Big fan of VR. How long did you have to wait for the sun to come out in Northumberland to take that one?!

Interested to hear your feedback on VDC in Normal mode. Ought to be super smooth with those rims but does it suffer from feeling a little floaty?

Enjoy!

I was lucky with both sunshine & showers. Unfortunately when I first went up on the range I did not take the camera - we had a fantastic rainbow close to the ground at exactly that spot - with the camera it would have been perfectly placed around the car

VDC in normal mode with the 17" rims is more similar to a US Mustang
US suspensions are soft for a reason - their roads.
After feeling how good the Sport mode is, you wonder why you've put it back to normal - but I guess on a long motorway trip, or even any good section of road over here, Normal will be exactly the right setting.

That's first impressions!

[Species555]

great looking car. I've also got a 30d on order - due late July. Does the manual say anything about how long you need to nurse the engine for before properly giving it some beans (although as an auto, I'm in two minds as to whether that would matter).

Enjoy, you lucky, lucky guy.

[sfax]

Originally Posted by Species555

great looking car. I've also got a 30d on order - due late July. Does the manual say anything about how long you need to nurse the engine for before properly giving it some beans (although as an auto, I'm in two minds as to whether that would matter).

Enjoy, you lucky, lucky guy.

If you search for break-in or similar there are a few threads that discuss this. Basically don't exceed 100mph or 3500rpm for petrol engines for first 1200 miles and go easy on the brakes and tyres for the first few hundred miles

http://x3.xbimmers.com/forums/showth...+period&page=2

[Bill S]

I have been driving since "running in" (US break-in) was an essential issue if you wished to have maximum life & performance from an engine. I can remember all the metal powder and small shavings that appeared in the oil and on magnetic oil plugs - they had to come from somewhere!.I also remember (dimly) elements of my University metallurgy course.

Modern engines may not "need" special treatment when new (they are much more highly polished and made to much greater tolerances than old), but the real question is "Will it make a difference?

I certainly could tell a difference between the feel of the X3 engine when it was brand new compared with a few hundred miles on the clock. At 800 miles I can still feel it freeing up, though now it is hardly noticeable.

To me that is clear proof that something is happening.

When it is new it hopefully is tight - that way it can polish moving parts into a better "fit" - it can work harden surfaces as it removes microscopic peaks or roughness. You could certainly scour out any roughness very quickly by immediate heavy use - but is that not equivalent to using a rough file rather than a smooth one?
Taking it gently will surely give a better "polish" and result in a tighter "fit".

So my gut feeling is that running or breaking in will result in an engine that will last a little longer and may be marginally more efficient. Worth waiting a while IMHO.

Another consideration is actually safety. It does take a while to get into tune with a new car - to fully feel it as an extension of your senses. Using it to the limit while still getting that feel makes it simply more likely you will end up with damage.

So all in all, I know I don't strictly need to, but I will run it in. I know I don't need to change the oil until 20,000 miles - but I will add in an extra change at 5,000, purely as a precaution.

I guess in some ways I'm just a dinosaur - but I do believe in treating new machinery with consideration.

[Ant Man]

Originally Posted by Bill S

Arrived on Friday so only a few miles on so far - looking forward to the time I can open the throttle up and feel the performance. I gather from BMW insurance there were only 16 30Ds in their first ship to the UK.

She has many of the extras and very similar engine to my 535d so will be an interesting comparison. At least I should now be able to travel in the snow rather better than the 123D M that she replaces - certainly much more capable of negotiating Northumberland's potholes!

Been a long wait from my January order.

Congratulations The 30D will be the engine that we opt for when it comes to get another car. It would be great to read more about the engine performance when you've had chance to run it in.