It was only a few days ago when BMW released an instructional video about how to break in the engine of an M car and now a follow-up video shows how to do the same for the brakes and tires. Once again, the featured car is an M3 Touring finished in Individual Frozen Black. While doing an engine run-in is something most of us have done, taking care of the brakes and tires during the first weeks of ownership is often neglected.
Needless to say, the tips provided in the adjacent video can also be applied whenever an older car gets a fresh set of tires and brakes. We’re being reminded tires do not provide the maximum amount of grip available from day one. As for the discs and pads of a braking system, these must be put to work through “sharper braking operations,” according to BMW. Doing so will reduce the risk of brake noise later on after the run-in period is over.
The gist of the video is not to abuse the car the moment you get behind the wheel. Of course, that’s easier said than done since you’re not buying an M car to drive it like an old lady, so the temptation to push it hard from day one is real. As for the engine, regardless of whether it’s an inline-six or a V8, BMW recommends not to go over 5,000 rpm and exceed 170 km/h (106 mph) during the first 1,000 kilometers (621 miles). It’s also advisable to avoid using launch control in this interval.
A couple of weeks ago, BMW also showed the very same M3 Touring in a different video explaining how to customize the M1 and M2 buttons mounted on the steering wheel. The red controls provide quick access to functions selected beforehand by the owner. For example, one press of the button can turn on the 2WD mode for tail-happy experiences.
Source: BMW M / YouTube
