PCD Drive Home question

swimfreak · 10-06-2011, 09:10 AM

So I screwed up. PCD scheduled for 10/20, driving back to Dallas over 3 days. I figured, split the days up, plan on about 5 hours of driving per day, and it'd be a good time in the car, and my wife won't kill me for dragging her all over the country.

Well, I was so excited about the trip. I was also excited that we'd be passing through Memphis, and that I'd get to try Memphis barbeque, that I accidentally scheduled our first hotel for Memphis the night that we pick up the car. That's a 9 hour (according to google maps) trip on the first day of driving the car!

So here's the question, is driving 9 hours the first day on the car going to hurt the break-in period? I'll do everything else right, change-up the engine speed, keep the rpm below 5.5k, and really try not to go over 110mph, but is that going to be enough. Basically, is there unstated break-in logic that would suggest letting the engine cool every couple hundred miles or so?

If not, then I just need to decide if eating the cost of the hotel is worth my life, and stopping at Nashville instead.

M3 Adjuster · 10-06-2011, 09:17 AM

I drove my car a lot on the autobahn.. While 9 hours is a big day... you can vary gears and speeds like you mentioned... I varied 5th and 6th a lot and then sometimes 4th gear... Also remember you will need to stop for bathrooms... heck... visit a couple of rest stops just so you can get a few chances to go through the gears...

DO be careful driving in Tennessee after dark.. LOTS of cops. I mean TONS. Especially over hills... They sit in the median in the dark... I hope you have a Valentine one.... I would definitely avoid any top speed runs in TN on 40.. even though the road is BABY smooth and will tempt you.. Arkansas is not as bad... avoid speeding around the "big" cities.. still there are a few cops... and same with I-30 in Texas.. can be a few as well.

fermat1313 · 10-06-2011, 09:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by swimfreak

So I screwed up. PCD scheduled for 10/20, driving back to Dallas over 3 days. I figured, split the days up, plan on about 5 hours of driving per day, and it'd be a good time in the car, and my wife won't kill me for dragging her all over the country.

Well, I was so excited about the trip. I was also excited that we'd be passing through Memphis, and that I'd get to try Memphis barbeque, that I accidentally scheduled our first hotel for Memphis the night that we pick up the car. That's a 9 hour (according to google maps) trip on the first day of driving the car!

So here's the question, is driving 9 hours the first day on the car going to hurt the break-in period? I'll do everything else right, change-up the engine speed, keep the rpm below 5.5k, and really try not to go over 110mph, but is that going to be enough. Basically, is there unstated break-in logic that would suggest letting the engine cool every couple hundred miles or so?

If not, then I just need to decide if eating the cost of the hotel is worth my life, and stopping at Nashville instead.

Driving 9 hours doesn't necessarily violate break-in, but they recommend that you vary engine speeds during the first several hundred miles. Cruising at 75 at 2x00 RPM doesn't cut that. Whether that is an issue is another question.

You could row through the gears while cruising on the freeway to keep the revs moving around, but I imagine that would get old quickly.

I haven't done PDC yet (I'll do it for my 1M after ED) but the impression I get is that the delivery day has a lot of activities available for the day. You may feel like you have to miss some of the experience if you need to rush out.

tkbr0wn · 10-06-2011, 09:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by swimfreak

So I screwed up. PCD scheduled for 10/20, driving back to Dallas over 3 days. I figured, split the days up, plan on about 5 hours of driving per day, and it'd be a good time in the car, and my wife won't kill me for dragging her all over the country.

Well, I was so excited about the trip. I was also excited that we'd be passing through Memphis, and that I'd get to try Memphis barbeque, that I accidentally scheduled our first hotel for Memphis the night that we pick up the car. That's a 9 hour (according to google maps) trip on the first day of driving the car!

So here's the question, is driving 9 hours the first day on the car going to hurt the break-in period? I'll do everything else right, change-up the engine speed, keep the rpm below 5.5k, and really try not to go over 110mph, but is that going to be enough. Basically, is there unstated break-in logic that would suggest letting the engine cool every couple hundred miles or so?

If not, then I just need to decide if eating the cost of the hotel is worth my life, and stopping at Nashville instead.

You'll be rolling in around midnight if it truly takes 9 hours and your car is going to be covered with bugs. Why not stop in Asheville the first night then Memphis the next? Book a room at the Grove Park Inn to make the wife happy.

MDORPHN · 10-06-2011, 09:31 AM

No problem driving 9 hours (or more) a day so long as you vary rpm, don't exceed rev limit and avoid wide open throttle.

You'll be fine.

Neil

mikewills · 10-06-2011, 09:42 AM

If you plan on taping up the front end before you depart, factor in another 1.5-2 hrs for application. Congrats!

torquedemon · 10-06-2011, 09:49 AM

9 hrs or 90hrs....it doesn't matter as long as you vary the engine speeds and go through the gears occasionally during first couple hundred miles...goodluck!

MusclezMarinara · 10-06-2011, 10:43 AM

Enjoy the drive and try not to rip the 1m believe me its difficult. I drove mine back to NJ thru Tennesse I didnt see many po---leee---ceeee but doesnt mean they arent around. Great cool weather for the turbos too .. Most of all ENJOY THE RIDE !

v1k0d3n · 10-06-2011, 12:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tkbr0wn

You'll be rolling in around midnight if it truly takes 9 hours and your car is going to be covered with bugs. Why not stop in Asheville the first night then Memphis the next? Book a room at the Grove Park Inn to make the wife happy.

couldn't agree more! these are great stops with some great roads.

///M1 · 10-06-2011, 12:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fermat1313

Driving 9 hours doesn't necessarily violate break-in, but they recommend that you vary engine speeds during the first several hundred miles. Cruising at 75 at 2x00 RPM doesn't cut that. Whether that is an issue is another question.

You could row through the gears while cruising on the freeway to keep the revs moving around, but I imagine that would get old quickly.

^^^ THAT

I drove over 6 hrs the very first day I picked up the car in Munich (to Cologne, ~550km but was mid day and lots of traffic on the way). The length in terms of hours is not important as folks have stated, it is what you do with the car in the meantime. Vary the load of the engine, don't set the cruise control and coast for hours, shift often, etc. You may even want to take B-roads every now and then rather than the highway to mix things up.

1M Tex · 10-06-2011, 12:42 PM

I did PCD on September 1. The day goes from 7:45 am to 4:00 pm. We drove to Charleston that afternoon for first night. Savannah the second night. Meridian Mississippi the third night and into Dallas the following day. I used many two lane roads to vary the speed and scenery. 900 miles after PCD would make for a long day of driving. This could be considered a good thing for the driver but not for the passenger. Change the hotel now before it's too late.

10-06-2011, 09:10 AM	#1
swimfreak Orange Crush 3 Rep 54 Posts Drives: fun!!! Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: McKinney, TX iTrader: (0)	PCD Drive Home question So I screwed up. PCD scheduled for 10/20, driving back to Dallas over 3 days. I figured, split the days up, plan on about 5 hours of driving per day, and it'd be a good time in the car, and my wife won't kill me for dragging her all over the country. Well, I was so excited about the trip. I was also excited that we'd be passing through Memphis, and that I'd get to try Memphis barbeque, that I accidentally scheduled our first hotel for Memphis the night that we pick up the car. That's a 9 hour (according to google maps) trip on the first day of driving the car! So here's the question, is driving 9 hours the first day on the car going to hurt the break-in period? I'll do everything else right, change-up the engine speed, keep the rpm below 5.5k, and really try not to go over 110mph, but is that going to be enough. Basically, is there unstated break-in logic that would suggest letting the engine cool every couple hundred miles or so? If not, then I just need to decide if eating the cost of the hotel is worth my life, and stopping at Nashville instead.
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10-06-2011, 09:17 AM	#2
M3 Adjuster Banned 7909 Rep 11,785 Posts Drives: 1M, X1 M Sport, E46 325ic Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Dallas, Tx iTrader: (0)	I drove my car a lot on the autobahn.. While 9 hours is a big day... you can vary gears and speeds like you mentioned... I varied 5th and 6th a lot and then sometimes 4th gear... Also remember you will need to stop for bathrooms... heck... visit a couple of rest stops just so you can get a few chances to go through the gears... DO be careful driving in Tennessee after dark.. LOTS of cops. I mean TONS. Especially over hills... They sit in the median in the dark... I hope you have a Valentine one.... I would definitely avoid any top speed runs in TN on 40.. even though the road is BABY smooth and will tempt you.. Arkansas is not as bad... avoid speeding around the "big" cities.. still there are a few cops... and same with I-30 in Texas.. can be a few as well.
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10-06-2011, 09:31 AM	#5
MDORPHN Colonel 292 Rep 2,898 Posts Drives: AW 1M Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Wash, DC iTrader: (0)	No problem driving 9 hours (or more) a day so long as you vary rpm, don't exceed rev limit and avoid wide open throttle. You'll be fine. Neil
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10-06-2011, 09:42 AM	#6
mikewills Captain 66 Rep 971 Posts Drives: Ducati Hypermotard Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: DMV iTrader: (2) Garage List 2008 Duc 848 [0.00]	If you plan on taping up the front end before you depart, factor in another 1.5-2 hrs for application. Congrats! __________________ BMWCCA #454364
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10-06-2011, 09:49 AM	#7
torquedemon Lieutenant 21 Rep 404 Posts Drives: BSM 1M Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Earth iTrader: (0) Garage List 2006 Honda Civic [0.00] 2011 BMW 1 Series M ... [0.00]	9 hrs or 90hrs....it doesn't matter as long as you vary the engine speeds and go through the gears occasionally during first couple hundred miles...goodluck!
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10-06-2011, 10:43 AM	#8
MusclezMarinara Banned 263 Rep 5,018 Posts Drives: VALNCYA Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Jersey iTrader: (23) Garage List 2011 BMW 1M [9.22] 2009 335i Sedan xdrive [9.34]	Enjoy the drive and try not to rip the 1m believe me its difficult. I drove mine back to NJ thru Tennesse I didnt see many po---leee---ceeee but doesnt mean they arent around. Great cool weather for the turbos too .. Most of all ENJOY THE RIDE !
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10-06-2011, 12:42 PM	#11
1M Tex Private First Class 240 Rep 138 Posts Drives: 2011 BMW 1M Coupe, AW, Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Dallas, Texas, USA iTrader: (0)	PCD 1M I did PCD on September 1. The day goes from 7:45 am to 4:00 pm. We drove to Charleston that afternoon for first night. Savannah the second night. Meridian Mississippi the third night and into Dallas the following day. I used many two lane roads to vary the speed and scenery. 900 miles after PCD would make for a long day of driving. This could be considered a good thing for the driver but not for the passenger. Change the hotel now before it's too late.
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