Search Home  Magazine  Podcasts  Events  Models BMW in your country Learn more about BMW models, products and services: BMW in your countryChoose a different country Abu Dhabi  Albania  Algeria  Angola  Argentina  Armenia  Aruba & Curacao  Australia  Austria  Azerbaijan  Bahamas  Bahrain  Bangladesh  Barbados  Belarus  Belgium  Bolivia  Bosnia and Herzegovina  Brazil  Brunei  Bulgaria  Cambodia  Canada  Cayman Islands  Chile  China  Colombia  Costa Rica  Croatia  Cyprus  Czech Republic  Denmark  Dominican Republic  Dubai (UAE)  Ecuador  Egypt  El Salvador  Estonia  Finland  France  Georgia  Germany  Ghana  Greece  Guadeloupe  Guam  Guatemala  Haiti  Honduras  Hungary  Iceland  India  Indonesia  Iraq  Ireland  Israel  Italy  Ivory Coast  Jamaica  Japan  Jordan  Kazakhstan  Korea  Kuwait  Laos  Latvia  Lebanon  Libya  Lithuania  Luxembourg  Macedonia  Malaysia  Malta  Martinique  Mauritius  Mexico  Middle East  Moldova  Mongolia  Morocco  Myanmar  Nepal  Netherlands  New Caledonia  New Zealand  Nigeria  Norway  Oman  Pakistan  Panama  Paraguay  Peru  Philippines  Poland  Portugal  Qatar  Reunion  Romania  Russia  Saudi Arabia  Senegal  Serbia  Singapore  Slovakia  Slovenia  South Africa  Spain  Sri Lanka  St. Lucia  Suriname  Sweden  Switzerland  Thailand  Trinidad and Tobago  Tunisia  Turkey  USA  Ukraine  United Kingdom  Uruguay  Uzbekistan  Vietnam  Yemen BMW in your countrySheer Driving PleasureLearn more about BMW models, products and services:BMW in your countryChoose a different countryAfrica Algeria  Angola  Egypt  Ghana  Ivory Coast  Libya  Mauritius  Morocco  Nigeria  Senegal  South Africa  Tunisia Asia & Pacific Abu Dhabi  Australia  Bahrain  Bangladesh  Brunei  Cambodia  China  Dubai (UAE)  India  Indonesia  Iraq  Israel  Japan  Jordan  Kazakhstan  Korea  Kuwait  Laos  Lebanon  Malaysia  Middle East  Mongolia  Myanmar  Nepal  New Zealand  Oman  Pakistan  Philippines  Qatar  Russia  Saudi Arabia  Singapore  Sri Lanka  Thailand  Turkey  Uzbekistan  Vietnam  Yemen Europe Albania  Armenia  Austria  Azerbaijan  Belarus  Belgium  Bosnia and Herzegovina  Bulgaria  Croatia  Cyprus  Czech Republic  Denmark  Estonia  Finland  France  Georgia  Germany  Greece  Guadeloupe  Hungary  Iceland  Ireland  Italy  Latvia  Lithuania  Luxembourg  Macedonia  Malta  Martinique  Moldova  Netherlands  New Caledonia  Norway  Poland  Portugal  Reunion  Romania  Serbia  Slovakia  Slovenia  Spain  Sweden  Switzerland  Ukraine  United Kingdom North & South America Argentina  Aruba & Curacao  Bahamas  Barbados  Bolivia  Brazil  Canada  Cayman Islands  Chile  Colombia  Costa Rica  Dominican Republic  Ecuador  El Salvador  Guam  Guatemala  Haiti  Honduras  Jamaica  Mexico  Panama  Paraguay  Peru  St. Lucia  Suriname  Trinidad and Tobago  USA  Uruguay The five most important tips for your new car6 min reading time Your new car is ready for its first drive. Should you still break in a new car, you wonder, as you see its paint gleaming and breathe in that new car smell. And what else do you need to consider? Our guide answers these and many other questions.  Always stay up to date  Innovative mobility, exciting trends for the future and high RPMs: Subscribe now to get notified of new content.  Activate  Activated Subscription successful.Subscription failed. If you need help follow the link for support.You’ve completed the process of buying a car and your brand new vehicle is finally on your driveway. But before climbing in, buckling up and hitting the gas pedal for the first time; there are a few things you need to consider. Here, our BMW experts will provide answers and give important advice on your new car – and they will explain why you no longer need to change the engine oil after the first 1,000 miles. Special guidelines apply to BMW i and M models; those purchasing these models will be provided with the specific details. Click here to go straight to the tips: Getting to know your new carSetting up your carThings you’ll need on boardBreaking in a new carStoring your documents The checklist  Before your first drive in your new car  Download here 1“Getting to know you”: becoming familiar with your new carYou should easily be able to find your turn signals (indicators) and horn in any car. However, many components and features differ from one manufacturer to another and from one vehicle generation to the next. You should therefore take time to get to know your new car. Your owner’s manual can be a great help here. It will give you answers to all relevant questions.Remember that becoming familiar with your new car is not just a matter of convenience – it’s also vital for safety reasons. Traffic congestion, the tail end of a traffic jam and a line of cars in the rearview mirror – but where’s the button for the hazard lights? To avoid running into this kind trouble, you should know where to find the most important features of your car. This includes the button for the heated rear window, the safety vest(s), the warning triangle, and the first aid kit.So, before you get going, you should know the answers to the following questions:Where and how do you refill any fluids; such as fuel, engine oil, wiper fluid, engine coolant, or maybe AdBlue?Where are the specs for the recommended tire pressure?Where are the spare wheel, breakdown kit, and vehicle toolkit?How do the driver assistance systems work in your new car?Maximum safety depends on having the correct seat position.Peer-Oliver WagnerHead of Ergonomics at BMW2Seat position and other adjustments: setting up your new carSitting comfortably will actually make you safer. This is because sitting behind the wheel in a tense or cramped position can also impair your concentration. You should therefore familiarize yourself with the configuration options for the seats in your car.This is how to identify the optimum seat position:Set the distance from the seat to the pedals so that your knees are slightly bent when stepping on the brake or clutch.Eyes on the road: Select a seat height that gives you a good view of the road and the on-board instruments.Sit, don’t lean: Configure the seat back in a way that allows you to sit as upright as possible. This will keep your head close to the headrest and your shoulders in contact with the backrest while ensuring that you don’t need to stretch out your arms. It’s important that there’s a distance of about 12 inches between the steering wheel and your chest. This leaves enough space for the airbag to inflate in the worst-case scenario. You will have found the best possible position from a safety perspective when your wrist can rest on the top edge of the steering wheel while your shoulders are touching the backrest. When driving, your hands should remain on the steering wheel at all times, ideally in a 3 o’clock and 9 o’clock position.It’s easy to forget about the position of the headrest: Ideally, its upper edge should be aligned with the top of your ears, while your head should remain as close as possible to the headrest – providing that you can still turn your head over your shoulder.Finally, set the position of the wing mirrors and the rear-view mirror to suit your seat position. It should be relatively easy to judge the dimensions of your car from what you can see in the wing mirrors. At the same time, you should be able to see as much of the space around the car as possible, with the line of the horizon halfway up the mirror. Be sure to memorize any potential blind spots.Don’t be afraid to continue optimizing the settings after the first couple of miles, as you’ll only learn what needs to be changed when driving in real-life road conditions.Other useful default settings include the memory function incorporated into a number of devices. Enter your home address in the navigation system. Connect your cell phone to the multimedia system and save it as a favorite in your settings. You can also save your preferred temperature in the climate control. Finally, configure the driver assistance systems to fit your needs. With the collision alert, for example, you can configure the sensitivity level at which the system will respond. 3From sunglasses to snow chains: the most important accessoriesThe warning triangle and first aid kit should always be on board of every new car, as should a safety vest for each passenger.You should also remember to carry two other very useful helpers. Firstly, you should always have a pair of sunglasses within easy reach, either in the glove box or one of the other compartments. When the sun is at a low angle, it can shine directly into your eyes and blind you, something that has already led to countless accidents.Secondly, an ice scraper can also be vital for giving you an unobstructed view. If you head off after a frosty night with your windshield still iced up, it’s not only dangerous but can also be expensive. In Germany, for example, you can be fined 10 euros for such dangerous driving practices.When driving on snow and ice, you shouldalso think of the following extras:Snow chains, especially for trips to the mountains.Jumper cables along with gloves, in case you get a flat battery.A spare bottle of antifreeze for the windshield washer system.In extreme snow, we would also recommend carrying a shovel in case you need to dig your car out of snow-covered parking bay, a woolen blanket, and a thermos in case you are stranded on a cross-country road trip.Avoid exceeding your car’s limits for the first few miles – this applies to the engine, transmission, brakes, tires and additional loads.Torben FlennerTeam Leader Vehicle Delivery, BMW Welt4The right way to break in a new carMany drivers wonder whether breaking in a new car is still necessary or if this practice has been superseded with the advances in technology. The answer? Yes and no...Doing an engine break-in used to be a standard procedure with new cars. And it’s still the case that you should avoid running the engine at high RPM for the first 1,300 miles. Experts recommend a maximum 3,500 rpm and 90 mph in diesel models and 4,500 rpm and 100 mph in gas models. This will give the engine and transmission sufficient time to adjust to each other. Once you’ve reached the 1,300-mile mark, you can gradually increase your speed and your engine’s RPM. In particular, avoid to put too much strain on a cold engine. However, that’s true not just when breaking in a new car but for the whole life cycle of your car. Likewise, never turn off an engine that has been running hard. Allow it to cool down by driving a few miles at a gentle pace.During the new car break-in period, take note of the following tips:For the first 200 miles, new tires will not yet provide full grip. This is because a release lubricant used in the manufacturing process has to be worn away from the tire surface. Adjust your driving accordingly to prevent accidents.Similarly, the brakes won’t become fully effective for the first 300 miles as the brake pads and discs will need to adjust to one other. You should therefore drive cautiously.The shock absorbers and springs will also need some time to become fully effective. That’s why you should not push your new car to its limits during the first 1,000 miles or so.While many engine break-in tips also apply to modern engines, one compulsory rule for new cars has disappeared, as it’s no longer necessary to change the engine oil after the first 1,000 miles. You should, however, also keep these break-in practices in mind when replacing individual components later on.5Where should I keep the certificate of title? Storing your documents securelyNew car break-in complete? Check. Accessories purchased? Check. All that remains is to give a little thought to the paperwork. Every country has an official vehicle registration document. In the United States, for example, it’s the certificate of title, also known simply as the vehicle title – the equivalent of the V5C in the UK. Whoever owns this document is the lawful owner of the vehicle concerned. This means that you should never store your vehicle registration document in the car itself but place it instead in a secure location. You could, for instance, use a safe at home or a safety deposit box at the bank.That’s enough about all the paperwork, though. We hope you enjoy driving your new car! On the lookout for a nice route to break in and get to know your car? These are our suggestions. ➜ Road trip Switzerland: the Grand Tour of Switzerland➜ Spain Road Trip: the 7 most scenic drives➜ Natural highlights: the best convertible car road tripsAnimations: Johanna Noack Perfectly equipped for every event. Original BMW accessories. Find out more More articles Tips & tricks from an expert  7 ways to protect your car paint  Driving with dogs  How dogs and cars become best friends  BMW Driving Experience  6 driving tips to keep you off the skids  English  Deutsch  Italiano  Français  Español  日本語 Quick Links Home  BMW in your country  BMW Group Careers  EU Detergents Regulation  REACH Regulation  Compatibility Check  Software Update  Accessories Update  Connected Test Vehicle  Service Page Charging Products More BMW Websites BMW M  BMW M Motorsport  BMW Golfsport  BMW M Driving Experience  BMW Welt  BMW Group Classic  BMW Corporate/Direct Sales  BMW Group  BMW Group Culture  BMW ConnectedDrive Upgrades BMW.com About BMW.com  Contact  Cookies  Imprint  Legal Notice / Data protection Visit us on Facebook  Twitter  Instagram  YouTube © BMW AG 2023Our tool for managing your consent to our use of cookies is temporarily offline.For this reason, some functions that require your consent to the use of cookies may not be available.
{"source": "https://www.bmw.com/en/automotive-life/break-in-a-new-car.html", "loc": "https://www.bmw.com/en/automotive-life/break-in-a-new-car.html", "lastmod": "2022-06-01T11:27:48.606+02:00"}