Sugar Bears 2015 GMC Terrain SLE-2 2.4 AWD

[Grumpy Bear]

 

 

Edited April 22, 2023 by Grumpy Bear

[Grumpy Bear]

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 11, 2023 by Grumpy Bear

[Grumpy Bear]

 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 11, 2023 by Grumpy Bear

[Grumpy Bear]

206,000 Mile Service

 

4/26/2023

 

206,000 actual miles

2,000-mile OCI

Unknow amount of makeup

 

3.75 quarts Mobil Full Synthetic High Milage 10W30

1-quart High Performance Lubricants EC-40

1 FRAM TG98018 filter

 

 

Edited May 11, 2023 by Grumpy Bear

[Grumpy Bear]

Calculating Fuel Efficiency

 

Fill volume errors are larger than you think they are. This is universal and a function of physics we have no control over. Here is the USA we do not use temperature compensation at the pump as they do in Canada. It's been called the 'winter tax'. Whatever. Point is for a host of reasons including temperature but not limited to temperature, metered fill volumes vary naturally. Here is a 66,000-mile chart of fills to show this: 

 

 

Fill error is the difference between what the Linear Logic Scan Gauge II shows was metered to the motor and what the pump replacement volume actually was. If you click on the graph it will come up in an expanded window easier to read. 

 

The blue line is the actual delta. The orange line is the target value. That is the Scan Guage as the 'point of reference'. The red line in the calibration bias. Don't give that a thought for now. The yellow line is the 24-tank moving average error which you can see is much tighter than the individual tank record. The white area is one Sigma of deviation. that is the range 68% of individual points will fall inside. This tell us what is a 'normal' distribution. 

 

In practical terms this graph shows that a "Normal" fill error of 0.25 gallons is to be expected. In a separate calculation/measurement the picture is completed. This is a 18.5-gallon tank. Average miles at each point of fill is 265. The standard deviation is 70 miles. This has an impact of fill error as it relates to percent of fill. At the lifetime fuel average of 27.98 mpg this gives an average fill volume of 9.54 gallons. or 2.62% fill error. That is a quart is 2.62% of 9.54 gallons. 

 

Let's call it 9.5 gallons to keep the math easy. So, this fill could be anywhere from 9.25 to 9.75 gallons and if the distance is 265 miles, then mpg could hand calculate to a range of 28.6 to 27.5 mpg. Almost one mpg. And that would only capture 68% of all fills. As you can see in the graph there are some real outliers. 

 

Takeaways:

 

• Averages over long periods are quite accurate. Single tanks are not. Mutiple tanks are better but still not as good as long-term trends. 
• Nothing you can do about most fill errors but average them. Temperature, how the vehicle sits on the pad. Differences in pump nozzle construction and sensitivity to auto shutoff triggers. 
• Longer term fuel changes over the year, location to location, changes in RVP, temperature induced viscous/parasitic drag of oil wind and water. 
• The degree of error is somewhat design dependent. My Buick, for example, is more accurate than Dizzy. Tank size, shape and venting have allot to do with this. My TC-88 is nearly spot on for the same reasons. It's five-gallon tank is filled to a spot standing up and not an auto fill. Volume is to small to be affected by many of the variables. 
• Darn few people will be this analytic and yet nearly all are very convinced of their certainties. 
• IF you have an older vehicle without a fuel used DIC you have another variable. 
• IF you have a vehicle without a ethanol sensor, it cannot and will not compensate for fuel density like one with will. 

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Okay, one last point. That yellow line goes up and down. (Top chart) That is me adjusting the fill error on the scan gauge to keep the error as small as possible. Important when blending alcohol percentages to full tanks. That error changes with season, average temperature and with alcohol concentration. You are never ahead of this, always lagging even with historical guides. 

 

 

Hope some find this useful.

 

 

 

 

Edited May 1, 2023 by Grumpy Bear

[Grumpy Bear]

Shell Rotella T6 5W40

 

 

Edited May 12, 2023 by Grumpy Bear

[Grumpy Bear]

208,000 Mile Services

 

5/10/2023

 

2,000-mile OCI, 1,997 mile actual

22 ounces of makeup. 

 

3.875 Quarts Rotella T6 5W40 (VOA in previous post)

1 Quart HPL SAE 40 EC

1 Purolator PL15436

 

I filled to be full at 7 to 10 minutes after shutdown. Still under 5 quarts. 

 

Fram XG filter collapsed. This filter size just doesn't have enough area to support the extra fine filtration the FRAM XG can provide. DP is just too high even new. 

How much oil this motor holds depends on how long you drain it and how quickly you check it between adds.

Sit overnight and it shows full. Start it and wait 10 minutes and it's a quart low. Drain it and it's over a quart low in an hour, 30 ounces low in two.  

I'm scraping the last OCI result. 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 20, 2023 by Grumpy Bear

[Grumpy Bear]

Observation

 

 

 

 

Current data on this run with 2-point polynomial trend. Was best fit.

 

As of today, that is 1,561 miles on this OCI, the amount of oil above the orifice plate is a fraction of what it has been and what is there, isn't black as it has been. Very pale amber. Not new looking but not carbon black either. It's lost that burnt leaded gas tail pipe smell. 

 

The combination of Shell Rotella and HPL hasn't the slickness of some oils I have more experience with.

 

I will continue this process until it ceases to make progress.  

 

 

 

Edited May 20, 2023 by Grumpy Bear
Content change

[Grumpy Bear]

210,000 Mile Services

 

5/19/2023

2,000-mile OCI

16 Ounces of makeup oil. 

 

3.875 quarts Shell Rotella T6 5W40 

1-quart High Performance Lubricants SAE40 EC

1 Purolator PL15436

 

 

Edited May 29, 2023 by Grumpy Bear

[Grumpy Bear]

211,001 Mile Services

 

5/24/2023

 

Under hood detail. Not allot of work. Don't let it get out of hand  

 

[Grumpy Bear]

212,000 Mile Services

 

5/28/2023

 

2,000-mile OCI

14 ounces of makeup. 

 

4 Quarts Shell Rotella T6 5W40

1 Quart HPL SAE 40 EC

1 Purolator PL15436

 

72.772 gallons of E-25 over 2043 miles or 28.1 mpg. 

 

I'm discontinuing use of E25 for the time being. Local stations believe keeping their equipment in good condition is optional. This has made station blending near impossible if I intent to keep the accuracy I demand. 

 

[New graphs in later post]

 

 

 

 

Edited June 8, 2023 by Grumpy Bear

[Grumpy Bear]

Spring Cleaning Continued. 

 

Continuation of the cleaning today with the cabin area. Not the entire interior. Shampo the seats, clean the interior glass, vacuum the carpets and wash the remainder with cold water, lemon juice, a bit of white vinegar and a low nap microfiber.  Vacuum portion is always fun with Rex has been nesting in that fish net stocking like material the seats are upholstered in. Smells nice and fresh and better, no dog hair. I do a better job when I do it in sections. It was hot. 90 F today and even though humidity was low, 25% it took a toll on my old bones. 

 

It's been dry. Dry is good. But like moisture and dry means fewer bugs on the glass. I bought a ACE plastic razor blade scraper with a few extra blades. I like it. Bugs and bird poop removal in bulk saves me effort and microfiber rags. Knock it back with the razor first. A White Scotch-Brite is next. Clay next then a spray bottle of distilled water. Quick paper towel is followed by Invisible Glass and a low nap microfiber. Wipe the wiper blade with a damp microfiber and apply some silicone fluid (not grease) to the rubber. Done. Unless you plan on Rain-X which would be fine now as all the prep work is done.

 

When the Mrs. got of work, we drove to Rockfalls, about 75 miles for dinner, and then to Clinton Iowa, another 25 miles or so, for the drive and some cheap Iowa gas. LOL. This vehicle loves hot weather. The hotter it gets the leaner and crisper it runs. Avoided the Inter-snake today except the last 12 miles. Just to pretty out to be bothered with the rush of people not noticing. About sundown when we got home. Crack a cold one and sit on the back porch. Great day doing what I love doing. 

 

[Grumpy Bear]

Made the appointment for the windshield wiper recall today. Going in this week. I told the service writer that I wasn't there to make the appointment to drop it off and get it back whenever. I was there to make the appointment to wait while it was fixed. She smiled and said, "Yes sir". Gave her the card. She needs number off it. As Dizzy has never been there, she took her particulars one of which is, 'Approximately how many miles are on this unit"? 

 

"213,441 or so!" I say.

 

She gasps and asks how I managed to get one that far. 

 

"Without ANY help from GM" I reply.  

[Grumpy Bear]

213,742 Mile Services

 

6/8/2023

 

Factory Recall 9106207 performed. Windshield wiper transmission. Part # 87865202 (213,686 miles.) 

 

1,742 miles this OCI. (Short as part of a synchronization to future 1,250-mile OCI's.)

4 Quarts Shell Rotella T6 5W40

1 Quart High Performance Lubricants SAE40 EC 

No filter this change. (#2) 

 

11 ounces of make up on outage or a quart in 5,068 miles. 

 

64.097 gallons of fuel on 1817 miles or 28.35 mpg, 

 

Oil consumption 0.13985% of fuel. 

 

15,742 miles into this HPL cleaning cycle and I will keep it going until the improvement stops for a few consecutive OCI's. 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

Edited June 20, 2023 by Grumpy Bear
additional content

[Grumpy Bear]

Operational Notes 6/9/2023

 

Continuous refinement of methods, constant observation and charting results; that is the yardstick of progress. Data. It's how I solve problems. Ignore the noise and listen to, observe what is in front of you and keep recording and charting until you see the patterns and understand the causes and effects. Never be afraid to make a mistake or to show your weakness nor ignorance. Know it all's learn nothing. Solve nothing. 

 

This vehicle is not out of the woods yet and it may never recover to its original state of operation, but it is now quite palatable. Had I listened to myself and trusted the data more, as I read it, and relied on 'experts' (plural) less a good deal of this could have been avoided. What the hey, right? Hindsight is perfect aways. 

 

One useful thing I did learn from an expert was to be patient when cleaning with esters. 30K is a number that stuck in my mind as an answer to the question, how long. Oil returns in oil control rings don't plug overnight and they will not clear overnight either. 30K is not a magic number. It's a reminder that this will take time....be patient. 

 

You may have noticed that the first few batches in this run actually produced a negative result! Consumption got worse. My gut tells me those first few batches that were cleaning more than just ring lands produced a good deal of freed deposits that perhaps finished off plugging those return paths in the lands. A contact at Total Seal helped me with the finer points of the second ring function. We call it a compression ring, but its main job is oil control. A scrapper. It will not function to design when flooded. 

 

I repurposed a DEF container I garbage picked at Love's as an oil bag for oil changes. 2.5 gallons not just covers every vehicle on the lot but is low enough to fit under them all on ramps. Nice when using a Valvomax. They are also milk jug translucent white. You see stuff easier. 

 

I quit using the poly jugs the oil comes in to measure outage. I now use glass measures. A 2-quart Mason Jar, a pint Mason and a 4-ounce bar measure. The poly jugs change shape with heat and are impossible to read with confidence. Even the flat sided quart bottles the HPL EC comes in will change 2 ounces over a few minutes of filling as they distort. Bulge from the heat. So, I gather in the DEG jug. Pour to measure and dispose in a 5-gallon poly jug. Time consuming but quite accurate. More so that the previous methods. Lab rats will poke holes in this method and in the absolute sense they would be correct. However, be consistent in everything the relative values will be solid enough to hang a hat on.

 

In this motor, drain time is HUGE. Pick a number and live with it. Time it. I use an hour. 

 

Back to this jug I drain in. What do you suppose happens to the particulates that are finer than the filter can remove once the dispersant is saturated? That zero-to-5-micron material. Why do you drop your oil hot immediately after shutting down? Ever hear anyone make a big deal out of finding this sort of thing in the bottoms of new oil containers? Tis the reason I'm backing up the OCI to 1,250 miles. For now. 

 

Guy does UOA's for a lifetime and his oil shows low soot and insolubles and yet when the motor is torn down the insides do indeed have a nice build up. Dry oils that won't hold add packs. Silt in your drop and yet the oil test nice. 

 

There are solid reasons I use oils with a good base solvency and every time I deviate from that maxim I get bit. But hey, I'm only 70 and still learning. I'll leave expertise to the younger fellas. 

 

 

Edited June 9, 2023 by Grumpy Bear