der Bayerische July/August 2020 - 9

N C C

V I R T U A L

my cars have the newer battery.
Could you talk about the newer cars
and the batteries utilized and then
about the care of those batteries?
They are supposed to last longer,
but they need to get regular usage. At
$2,000 apiece, the battery is an
important maintenance consideration. Last I heard, my buddy with
the run-down battery was able to put
it on a charger and it did recover.
A: Yes, if your car is going to be in
storage for more than 30 days, then
by all means, put the battery on a
battery tender. Batteries have gotten
larger as the electronic demands
on the battery have increased. The
turbocharged motors have cooling
requirements after shutdown to
reduce the heat left in the engine by
reducing the oil temperature quickly.
If you own such a car, you will know
that the fans run for a time after you
shut it off. It's not clear whether one
could go back to a standard AGM
(Absorbent Glass Mat) battery with
these requirements. BMW wants the
battery to survive beyond the
warranty period. The E46 model was
pretty much the last with a standard
power capacity battery. The newer
cars have computers operating
continuously, even when the car is
"turned off", and these cars may need
to be put on a batter tender even for
storage periods of less than 30 days.

T E C H

TA L K

Lighter-weight oil (5W-30) is better
for the turbocharged engines, while a
mid-weight oil (10W-40) is our
recommendation for non-turbo
naturally aspirated cars, and the
heavier-weight oil (10W-60) is
typically for high-revving engines
that will run over 7,000 RPM. We like
Red Line oil, but there are many
decent brands. Change the oil every
7,500 miles. It really isn't necessary
to change it every 3,000 miles as
long as you have a high-quality oil,
but I wouldn't wait for the 15,000 mile
mark either. Note that heavier oils
take longer to heat up, but they take
longer to shed heat after the track
session is over as well; once the car
is back in the paddock, pop the hood
to help the engine cool off. For trackday cars, you'll probably want to
change the oil more often.
Q: James, with regards to breaking in
a new motor, you have stated that
sometimes you break-in a new motor
by "running like you stole it", e.g.,
your first E92 M3. Can you discuss
and explain further your rationale for
little-to-no engine break-in period?
A: Don't take "drive it like you stole it"
too literally with your new motor.
For a non-turbo motor, the break-in
period is a few hundred miles, not a

W I T H

B I M M E R W O R L D

few thousand, if you do it right. Over
those few hundred miles, run the
engine up and down the RPM range,
gradually increasing your top RPM
and engine load / throttle application.
Do not go straight to redline as you
leave the dealer's lot. However, don't
drive the first 500 miles on the
highway at constant RPM either, that
is not the way to seat the rings and
break-in the motor. After a few
hundred miles of running the engine
up and down the RPM range, once
the piston rings are seated and the
engine is broken-in (and you've
changed the oil), then you can run it
like you stole it.
For a new turbocharged motor,
use a longer break-in period, up to
1,000 miles. Try to minimize engine
load, especially initially, by gently
applying the throttle so as to stay out
of the turbo's boost mode.
Q: How about brake pads? What
should I use?
A: Again, it depends on what your
intended usage is for the car. For a
daily driver, many owners prefer a
ceramic pad that doesn't generate
much brake dust, keeping their
wheels clean longer. For highperformance street driving or
autocross, an intermediate pad like

the StopTech Sport or the Hawk HPPlus is a good choice. For track
driving of any kind, from HPDE to
time-trials to racing, we recommend
a race & track pad like Performance
Friction. The exact pad really
depends on your car and how hard
you're driving it. The pads need to
be compatible with the ABS, so
make sure you get something
reputable. Call us for specific advice.
Q: How about the Supra, the Z4,
even MINIs? Are there aftermarket
upgrades?
A: True M-cars get mods almost
immediately. No doubt the Z-Car and
Supra are enthusiast cars; Motion
Control Suspension (MCS) has parts
for both cars. BimmerWorld doesn't
treat the Supra or the Mini like a true
BMW. Some crossover may happen
eventually.
The PDF slide deck for this
presentation can be viewed here:
bit.ly/4-30-2020-NCCBWTechTalk
Presentation.
A video recording of this tech
talk can be viewed here:
bit.ly/4-30-2020-NCCBWTechTalk
Zoom.
The password is 4o@@6.^t

(Below) Thanks to Chris Wootten for organizing the event.

Q: What oil should I use for a new
motor? Does weather, temperature,
track use, etc. influence what oil I
should use or influence the oilchange interval? BMW Brands
recommends BMW, Shell, Red
Line, Liqui-Moly, etc. What's your
experience?
A: For a new motor, use a natural
(not synthetic) oil in the grade
recommended in the owner's manual
until the engine is broken-in. During
the break-in period, the goal is to get
the piston rings to seat, and synthetic
oil is actually too slippery for that.
Once the engine is broken-in, it is
ready for a high-quality synthetic oil.

July I August

9
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der Bayerische July/August 2020

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