Doublebase

The thing I really like about this thread is that you guys are still driving this vehicle and getting your money’s worth out of it. Your last sample was July 28th with 178,800 miles on it, now just a couple weeks later you’re at 181,421. That’s a lot of driving. You’re dealing with a problem and yet managing it enough that you’re able to keep the vehicle and continue extending its service life. Not many people do that. Nice work!

Back pain is the worst, hope you recover soon.. Definitely been one of the hottest summers I can remember, we’ve been in a heat wave where I am for almost a month! Does make driving less fun, but I’ve done a few road trips anyway...heading out today for another. Happy trails! Hope you’re back at it soon!

Oh wow, I thought I had responded to this post, must have hit submit reply and it didn’t submit. Good to hear pepper is still doing very well. I miss the days when you were putting a ton of miles on her. My car life has become boring (which is a good thing). My 2016 Toyota Avalon has just rolled over 100,000 miles with zero issues - and for the first time in my life I just did a 10,000 mile oil change interval...zero makeup up oil, oil analysis came back with less wear metals than a 5,000 mile interval. But it’ll probably be my last, I don’t have the stomach for that (probably back to 5,000-7,000 intervals). I do miss my truck though. Keep on trucking, Grumpy. And good luck with that Terrain! That thing has certainly given you a run for your money.

How many miles on Pepper nowadays? Last I checked you were heading to 150,000? Plan on keeping Pepper to 300,000? I love high mileage stories, especially well documented ones. Hope all is well.

Comman problem, has happened to me and others I personally know. Starter. Change it before it leaves you stranded, like it did to me. Luckily in my own driveway, haha, but it was on July 4th weekend a few years ago.

GM did lie, they always do. My point is, your oil is specified for a GM product, it’s Dexos approved. It should easily be able to do a 5,000 mile interval in a 7,500 recommendation. And that’s the problem. GM lied. They built a product with oil ring returns too small, and tension too light...in a direct injection vehicle to boot!! Their fault. Not yours. Not your oil. GM lies like a rug, always have always will. Their “fix” to their noisy intermediate steering shafts 15 years ago was for us (I used to work on GM’s) to remove the shaft and stroke it 15 times, which in theory moves the wax around, and then reinstall. Customer would be back three weeks later. They were the ones getting stroked. Finally GM bit the bullet and replaced the shafts. It’s what they do. Lie, cut corners. When I mentioned the Redline and Amsoil, I was picturing you trying to fix this problem with a boutique oil, on short intervals. Or prevent this problem, I should say. And maybe it would. It would also cost you over the life of a vehicle almost as much as a new engine, compared to being able to do a 7,500 mile intervals on a dexos licensed oil (which GM is telling/lying to customers that it can do/should do). Engine life to 200,000 miles x oil changes every 2,000 miles x using Amsoil at $80 bucks x 100 oil changes = $8,000 dollars. VS $810 bucks doing 7,500 mile intervals using Quaker State Ultimate Durability over the course of 200,000 miles. I probably screwed that math up a bit. Give or take a few hundred. But if GM didn’t lie and screw this up, that’s what one should reasonably expect out of a an engine. 200,000 miles, 7,500 mile intervals, using an off the shelf readily available licensed Dexos approved oil and filter.

So, you’re blaming your maintenance plan? I would think most engines wouldn’t need 2,500 mile oil changes using an oil like Amsoil or Redline, just to keep it from ruining itself before 100,000 miles, no? Unless there’s an inherent problem associated with the rings or piston itself. 5,000 miles seems like more than reasonable to me based off that it’s shorter than 90% of the manufacturer recommended intervals out there nowadays. I guess what I’m saying is, 2,500 mile intervals might prevent the engine from failing, but it shouldn’t have to. IMO

Yeah I did notice where the wear was. He’s shown a few other videos similar. Toyota recommends 10,000 intervals on their vehicles now, been that way for a while. Obviously that’s open for debate. Lol. If that weren't a direct injection engine I imagine things would have went south maybe a little quicker. Then again there is the camp that just say this is not the oil, or interval, it’s simply a design flaw and there is nothing that will prevent it (just luck). And there’s plenty of people running around nowadays doing extended drains to maybe prove that. But it depends on the engine. Good luck! Keep up the good work. I hate it when things go south and you’re stuck there trying to come up with solutions. And they sometimes don’t work (or they do). Dealing with a chimney situation at home right now (with me trying to figure why the thing is weeping into the attic wall. Hasn’t been fun…and it’s cost me a lot of money. I thought when you had 7 ppm of iron on a short interval that something was amiss with those rings and cylinder wall. And with low, to non existent other metals. I bet your engine looks great outside those cylinders.

It looks like your rings are shot, and when I say shot, I don’t necessarily mean “worn”, I’m saying they are stuck in their lands, can’t expand like they’re supposed to and because of THAT they are allowing blow by and they may have also done a little bit of wear directly on to a cylinder wall (or two). Unfortunately this is something I’m seeing with low tension, direct injected engines. Toyota had a problem with this, there have been many others. The blow by is leading to fuel dilution, and oil consumption. I imagine you’re getting oil tracking up into your intake as well. Those rings just can’t expand and break through the carbon/soot that is building up on the sides of the pistons. And the rings are stuck. Sometimes a treatment can free them up, but usually not. When these things get stuck they’re tough to move even if you can get your hands on them and pull them out. This guy explains it pretty well on a Toyota. https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwiqp4H39p_2AhXejIkEHXf1A-8QwqsBegQIAhAB&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3Dh6XnNAfQ904&usg=AOvVaw16LZHdtiALvfJ6suw_JCPa But you’re doing a great job keeping this thing going! You might be able to get another 50,000 out of it. And I imagine weather conditions might be playing a small part. Summer months may be a little more forgiving with that thing being able to heat up quicker and stay warmer longer? Best of luck to you! If anyone can keep it going it’s you.

-20 through -25 is what I was experiencing on my 2018 with 45,000 absolutely babied and well maintained miles. I never knew if it was "normal" or not - only reason I even took a look is because of a cylinder number 5 misfire - which I never pinned down a reason for...random misfire, everything seemed ok. However I'd experience a misfire/shudder event when climbing a hill at highway speeds. I ended up trading it in at 50,000 miles - I think what finally did me in was the reports of fuel injector issues - that, and knowing that they were no longer covered under warranty. And I didn't like the fact that I had purchased a new truck and it couldn't make it up an incline on a highway without stuttering. Problem started at around 37,000 miles. also pulled the pan on the transmission, thinking it was a tranny/torque converter issue, but everything looked good in there...no metal, nothing. Changed filter and fluid, no improvement.

I'd be more concerned with your transmission/torque converter to be honest. It's a more expensive repair - and I'm not sure it's more prevalent - but it's the reason I sold mine at 50,000 miles. When you're driving around in a two year old truck with 40-50k on it (like I was), you kind of expect it to be able to drive up hills on a highway at 70 mph without misfiring/hiccupping/struggling.

I used fluid film for two years on my 2018, never an issue with the factory wax. In fact i think it was the only thing keeping it supple and preventing it from drying out. I find that's the biggest issue with that frame wax, it dries out then falls right off.

Two simple reasons... GM likes people that live in California better or people in California do not get fuel injectors covered under power train warranty.

When I had my 2018 I had the same issue: I've since sold it, but I'll tell yeah, it must be a thing now because my current vehicle does the same thing...it takes 6.4 quarts of oil and reads like it's overfilled by a quart.

I don't believe they're covered...GM doesn't consider injectors part of the power train warranty (they consider them electrical).

I think it really just depends...like, your suspension. I almost never go on a mileage point on suspension , I just inspect and replace as necessary. Same for tires and brakes. Oil, I don't go much over 5,000 miles. Tranny around every 40,000 miles. Same with diffs and transfer case. Plugs, every 100,000 miles. Undercoat at least once a year. Wax the paint once every three months. Rotate the tires every 5,000 miles or so and get the alignment checked once a year. This^^is just what I've always done and it seems to work.

Sounds like you have a transmission pump problem, keep us posted, but the whine, the lack of power, weird shifts...I'd say pump and torque converter.

You shouldn't be hearing your lifters, they are hydraulic - if you are hearing your lifters, there is a problem. You could be hearing your injectors, they are much louder than what people are accustomed to in the sense that modern engines use direct injection.

That's great because I enjoy reading your build threads - as I enjoy vehicle longevity and maintenance. Low tension rings are certainly a problem nowadays, mostly with poor oil quality and neglect. And with manufacturers telling their customers that they can go 10,000 miles on their oil changes - knowing full well that they are only on the hook until that warranty ends - they are seeing problems at around 120,000 miles. And the manufacturer doesn't care. Those rings just don't have enough tension to come out of their lands when they get sooted and sludged up. They stay stuck in there. First the oil ring, then the compression rings, then your cylinder wall get scored, then it's game over. But that takes time and I think it can be prevented and even slowed down enough with the methods you are implementing (if the walls aren't damaged). And if the rings aren't too stuck. Shorter intervals, periodic piston soaks. As you know, I now own a Toyota. Life has become almost boring. No oil consumption, no issues with the car. Just take care of it and drive it a ton. But Toyotas ARE developing engine problems now because of their 10,000 mile suggested drain interval. And it's not happening until later on (around the 100,000-120,00 mile mark). But there are youtube videos about it from Toyota techs. And if you ever talk to a Toyota tech, most of them will tell you the same thing...don't go 10,000 miles, stick between 4,000-5,5000 using a nice quality synthetic. My previous vehicle before my Silverado was a Lexus LS460, and I made the mistake of trying extended drains (as people were saying the 10,000 mile intervals applied to our cars too). Well, a few of us tried that on the forums...everything went great until we hit that higher mileage area of 120,000 miles. Then the oil consumption started...and got worse and worse. Ended up keeping mine until at 180,000 miles - at that point it was using around a quart every 1,000 miles - didn't try the piston soak, wish I had. Probably still have that car today, if I had.

I know you’re not going to listen to me, but I would not replace the engine in that thing. I’d continue to buy the Kirkland oil and run 3,000 mile oil change intervals and see if I could eventually get the vehicle to 200,000 miles and then trade it in, with the assumption that it’ll just go to auction, where someone will buy it for cheap or it’ll get shipped overseas. Oil consumption isn’t the worst thing in the world, it does naw at you, especially when you take care of a vehicle. It’s happened to me, but you can really keep an oil user going for a very long time with a little care and attention. But to spend on an engine on a vehicle with 133,800 miles on it? You could lose the transmission at 150,000. Or the engine you put in could very well suffer the same issue, or entirely new ones. There’s just so much that goes wrong when shops put engines in...they route a ground the wrong way and you have mysterious electrical issues. Something rubs against the exhaust (because it’s routed wrong) and you’re dumping coolant or transmission fluid. I’ve seen a Jeep Commander catch completely on fire six months after an engine replacement...fuel line was chafing against something and boom. Whole truck burnt to a crisp. I’m not saying it happens to every single repair, but it does happen. And to me, if you have to replace the engine, it’s a failed experiment. You bought the the car, you took care of it and it didn’t even matter. The engine needed replacing. I’d just keep that thing going and drive it to 200,000 or more. Just my opinion.

That happened to me...cylinder five misfire. Pulled the plug, looked ok. Happened randomly when I would be driving up a hill on the highway. People around here thought perhaps injectors, maybe torque converter...ended up trading it in at 52,000 miles because I just didn't want to deal with stuff like that on a vehicle with that low of miles. But it would drive me crazy! Stuttering going up a hill, check engine light flashing, then it would just go away. And come back maybe a week or two later.

Mine started acting up at 45,000 miles. Did a pan drop and filter change, no help. Torque converter shudder. Sold it with 52,000 miles. Truck was babied from day one, mostly highway mileage, never towed, never hauled anything, bone stock tires and rims. Well maintained, made no difference. And I wasn't the only one that I personally knew with the same problem.

You're not going to get much out of the breather vents, most of the oil comes from the crankcase and PCV valve portion. But yeah, I like catch cans, they at the very least catch oil and don't harm anything. Easy to install, easy to remove. In winter time just make sure you empty it every couple weeks to prevent freezing. Pretty simple. I own a port injected vehicle now, otherwise I'd install a catchcan on it.

I wouldn’t do it, I sold my 2018 Silverado this summer for $24,500. 52,000 miles. I got ZERO offers on the truck (was asking $26,500). Not one single legitimate offer/interest until a local dealer so it online and offered me $23,500 for it. We settled on $24,500. My truck was in totally mint condition...never towed, plowed, hauled anything. Babied. ALL highway mileage, religiously maintained. So to pay $20,000 on a truck with over 100,000? No thanks.

If the battery in new, then most likely it’s the starter. Starter failures are pretty common on these trucks. Some have also noticed connection problems at the starter, either way a starter replacement would handle both issues.