Sugar Bears 2015 GMC Terrain SLE-2 2.4 AWD

[Grumpy Bear]

Dizzy

 

5/14/2021

 

Sometimes a name comes to me easy for a vehicle. Sometimes it takes awhile. I like it best when they name themselves. This one has earned the name Dizzy. Just reading this tread should answer the 'why' of that. 

 

Pepper reminded me of something yesterday in a trip to Dad's. Something I haven't done in 14 months. Just before I left his house we sneaked a peak under the hood as is his custom. (He likes to see if I'm keeping up on the cleaning). Anyway I noticed that the coolant tank was down about three inches after sitting around 3 hours, warm but not hot. 

 

Naturally I gave a quick look on the dipstick and made note when I left to give the exhaust a look and found nothing. Then I obsessed about what that might be about the entire three and a half hour drive home. This morning after sitting all night I opened the hood to top off and give a closer look and.....tank was right at the cold full mark 

 

Hummmm. No idea what or why but it made me think about Dizzy and her oil usage. I added last time in 4 ounce shots. After the second, which normally brings it back to full it didn't so a third was added  and it was in fact showing the same sort of 'over full' you see with a fresh oil change. Dizzy!!! 

 

 

[Grumpy Bear]

5/24/2021

 

Dizzy is earning her name in earnest now. Transmission parts arrived a few days ago so an appointment was made for this Thursday. This evening the sunroof was closed, or asked to, and it broke....open. Shuffled vehicles around to get it under a roof as rain is forecast for the next few days. What do you want to bet parts will be on national back order. Any takers? Point is focus has changed from fixing a seldom used feature of the transmission to a roof repair and my guy won't know this until tomorrow. 

[Grumpy Bear]

A month to the day and Dizzy is back together. FYI there is a TSB on the Sunroof. Debris in the track, tree junk. It's fragile. Keep them clean or you get a $550 repair. Shop hired a body guy to drop the headliner then a second appointment to reinstall it after repairs. New motor/gear. They knocked $50 off for keeping it month. It works. Needs a good cleaning. Dirty hands and light colored headliner. Glad to have it back. 

 

List is getting longer on the to do list. Major detailing. Brakes pulse. Motor still uses oil. Transmission still needs fixing. Alignment isn't right. 150K services on the horizon. But it drives nice.  

[Grumpy Bear]

Ordered a two pack of this TRIAX product for another run at freeing the rings. Games to begin shortly after arrival.

It is said that at a 5:1 treat rate, twice normal, it will dissolve the carbon and varnish freeing the rings and deposit those materials in suspension in the oil for exchange. Same as Valvoline Blue for diesels but in a home friendly quantity. 

We will see.

 

 

Second note. I just found out that the COSTCO Kirkland Signature 5W30 has a production TBN of 8. If that were tested by the procedure used by UOA labs that would be closer to a TBN of 6. My 2,500 mile OCI's are looking better all the time. Hey wait. that's the same as AC-Delco (PQIA source). 

 

 

[Grumpy Bear]

TRIAX S7 Update

 

TRIAX products showed up Wednesday. I was confused by the packing instructions which have changed. No longer 'Treats up to five quarts", now reading "Treats up to ten quarts". Di that change the treat rate for ring sticking? Customer service needed to be consulted. And that was a chore. No phone number I could find. Just a web site email that did not respond to my inquiry UNTIL I 'signed up'. Then I got a response in about 24 hours. 

 

Well the treat rate has not changed. 5:1 is still the target I am assured. What has changed in the number of miles for the treatment. It is now 1500 miles after addition. As I have already crossed that point to the next change I'll being do this at that time and then changing early. I was also assure it WILL free the rings and that keeping them clean is the job of half a bottle per oil change as a continuous treatment. 

 

So...it's a detergent issue that is causing rings to stick? Imagine that! Right after a major change in the SAE specs for detergent concentration. Who would have thought, right? 

 

This evenings fuel stop mandatory oil check at 1,500 miles has her still sitting completely full. But we've been here before haven't we?  What has change, or at least unusual is how clean the oil is. 

 

 

 

 

[Grumpy Bear]

Let the games begin!

TRIAX S7

 

 

7/2/2021

141,800 miles.

1,840 miles this OCI

 

Pulled 24 ounces of oil from the sump and added back  27 ounces of TRIAX S7. As close to a 5:1 ratio as I could muster not knowing exactly how much oil she burned but it wasn't to much. I estimated 3 ounce based on fuel and the median 'normal' usage. As a fresh change is always above full it's hard to know for certain. Thus 24 out and 27 in. This is suppose to free the rings in 1,500 miles and as she was sitting in the drive dead on 141,800 miles the math was to easy to pass up. Besides, I'd rather do this part myself. TRIAX was fairly specific about being as close to 5:1 as possible. Now we drive it until we hit 143,300 and dump and fill at a steady add rate here after of 10:1.

 

As it was time for fuel I dropped a full bottle of Red Line SI-1 into the tank and topped off with 89 E-10. Well clean both sides at the same time. 

 

I bought and used the Harbor Freight pump and it works like a dream on warm oil. Thanks to dyier2 for the point.  

 

Yes this will put her about 800 miles past the scheduled oil change. I'll use this as an chance to see if it worked well enough to get back to a longer OCI.

 

Observation. I did this on a warm motor. Upon start up the normal warm clatter of a GM 2.4 quieted down significantly in under a minute of idling. That I did not expect. The product data sheet shows it has a base 212 F  viscosity of a *W40 but at just a hair over thee cups in a five quart system I don't think this is the result of any increase in total system viscosity. 

 

Now I wait.

 

   

Edited July 3, 2021 by Grumpy Bear

[Grumpy Bear]

TRIAX S7 Cleaning update #1

7/5/2021

 

142,667 miles on the unit

2,707 this OCI so far, so 200 miles over. We would have by now used between 8 and 10 ounces. 

867 miles into cleaning (58%).

 

300 we put on today and 250 a day for two days prior.

 

We haven't been to Wisconsin in about a year so I chose State roads 69 to 78 to 81/78 detour down to 11 and over to 80 into Galena. About half this run is the very definition of Hill and Dale. 4th gear spinning 3500 rpm to stay at speed going up  at the speed limit of 55 mph and grade braking 4th gear at 3500 rpm going down. Over and over and over and......a few twist and turns for good measure. Out of Galena east on US 20 to Ill 84 until it crossed US 30 then that to Interstate 88 east and held a cruse control 62 mph (2,000 rpm) to Rochelle where we stopped for fuel. 298.6 miles on 9.308 gallons for a 32.1 mpg measured economy. 20 mph winds from the SW all day so half that day into and the rest with a push. About as even as it can get. I was not particularly kind to Dizzy today. Nothing earth shattering but enough to raise the copilots eyebrow and get a scolding "Exactly what you tell me not to do...right!" 

 

In my mind..."I'll cure it or kill it..this is getting old" but what I said was..."Still tamer than you drive" and at that she nods. 

 

Oil consumption at this point is nothing I can measure. Each tank fuel consumption is improving even while driving it harder each outing. Dare I hope? 

 

Wife is back to work tomorrow and I'm taking Dizzy to dad's for the day. About 400 miles round trip. 

 

 

Edited July 6, 2021 by Grumpy Bear

[Grumpy Bear]

TRIAX S7 Cleaning update #2

7/6/2021

 

143,036 miles

3,076 miles this OCI

264 miles left this cycle. (82% done)

 

Trip to dad's today. 369 miles round trip. 30.6 mpg for trip. Purring like a kitten with a bowl of warm milk. Windier today but less aggressive terrain. 

 

Following the .03% to .05% per gallon fuel rule I would expect to see 4 to almost 7 ounces used by now. It's something less. I have allot of Costco Kirkland 5W30 left to work off and the next change will be short as I plan on continuing the 2,500 mile OCI for awhile. I will be adding the detergent package to her routine maintenance regiment. 

 

 

I think it has peaked. 

 

 

 

Edited July 7, 2021 by Grumpy Bear

[Grumpy Bear]

143,317 Mile Services

 

 

3,300 miles this OCI and it used nothing that can be measured or matters. That means 50,000 a quart is a number I plugged in to provide scale. It is closer to infinity. I mean zero is zero....So.....

 

143,317 miles

3,357 this OCI

4.84375 quarts of COSTCO Kirkland 5W30

5 Ounces of TRIAX S7 (31:1 mix ratio)

1 Purolator PL15436 filter

 

This service will be only 1,700 miles to get back on the even 2,500 mile OCI's and at that time the mix ratio will increase to 9:1. I just didn't have enough on hand to go that strong this round and I am cutting it short. Close enough. 

 

I will not increase the OCI now that it is cleaned up and the rings are free. VOA/UOA comparisons show this oil is pretty much done by 3,000 miles. Has tested under TBN 3 in less than 4,300 miles. 

 

Now we wait and see how long this last. 

 

Side note. Valvoline Blue is a like product used in commercial diesel motors and done on 150K mile treatment intervals to do the same thing. Free up rings. Begs a question doesn't it?

 

If your running oil to repeated failure so that cokes rings on schedule....why are you doing that?

Relax...

It's a rhetorical question. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 21, 2021 by Grumpy Bear

[Grumpy Bear]

2.4 Oil Consumption Lessons

 

https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2014/MC-10137923-9999.pdf

 

This TSB concerns oil consumption. The listed years are 2010-2013 but it was posted May 2014 and is relevant to all models through the end of production, 2017. GM provided us with a 120K extended warranty after this was published. 

 

Some points of interest are: (copied from this TSB)

 

1.)  Notice: Do not add too much oil. An overfill can lead to burn off of the excess oil (and further down) The oil consumption may have clogged/ reduced PCV flow. The PCV system should be serviced.

 

This is easy to do. The filter cavity holds oil that will drain out once the filter is removed and goes back to the pan you just put the drain plug in after he emptied that. Order matters. 

 

Once the PCV plugs acids eat up the TBN at an accelerated rate. Once TBN falls below TAN sludge/varnish and now the rings stick accelerating oil consumption and the dog is chasing his tail. 

 

2.) GM's cure is to replace "worn" rings and pistons with new in bores they want to leave 'as is' even when visual inspection show flaws and give you the assurance:

 

GM Powertrain has determined that the new pistons and rings will perform correctly in bores that have this appearance so engine replacement should not be necessary.

 

So the rat in charge of the cheese is saying he won't eat the cheese. I see. They claim it wore the rings without damaging the bores?? Really?? 

 

So what is really happening her?

 

Varnish is happening. This isn't a wear issue, normally. No matter how it gets started varnish stuck the rings. Not allowing the detergent levels to deplete is big preventative medicine. Not over filling the system likewise.

 

So how do you prevent detergent depletion? 

 

1.) Keep the PCV system in order.

2.) Don't overfill the system.

3.) Track TBN/TAN with UOA every 1K miles (right) OR

4.) Lower the oil change interval.

5.) Use an oil with a higher TBN

6.) All of the above.   

 

 

 

 

[Grumpy Bear]

7/14/2021 Update

 

A week now Dizzy has been in the shop. Went in for an oil change and finally get that manual button for the transmission replaced. Which did not go as straight forward as one would like and after the repair it refused to come out of park!!

 

Turns out it was the interlock switch on the brake pedal failing EXACTLY at the same time as the switch was replaced. Not the first thing a fella would look for. Right? But once found we once again wait on GM to deliver the correct part. Another day or two. 

 

Dizzy it seems was the right call for a name...YA THINK!

 

[Grumpy Bear]

7/21/2021

 

Back from the shop today with manual function operating smoothly and the parking interlock solenoid repaired. $80 in parts and $200 in labor. He earned his money me thinks. 

 

Filled the tank and we reset for the next adventure. I haven't measured bottle contents yet but I had them withhold some oil from the fill and it is still full. Hummmmmmm. Aren't 2.4's fun? 

 

Soon we tackle alignment and brake pulse. But first I have some catch up to get done on the others in the stable. 

[Grumpy Bear]

7/26/2021

 

Got around to measuring the bottle remains. 16 Ounces. So 4.5 quarts in a 5 quart system and still over full? Hummmmm.

[Grumpy Bear]

7/29/2021

 

Ordered 32 mm/1-1/4" X 3/8 drive stubby filter socket. Valvomax drain and 5 pints of TRIAX S7. 

 

It's going to be one of those "If you want it done right' things, isn't it?

 

 

 

Edited July 30, 2021 by Grumpy Bear

[Grumpy Bear]

8/2/2021

 

The 32 mm short socket arrived and needed work. To much trouble to deburr it I guess. A cold pint and a diamond file...all good.

 

Valvomax arrived as well. Had the shop do the install on Pepper but this one will be done here. 24 mm socket?...LOL. 15/16" is close enough. 

 

Held out a pint of oil and still....got me thinking. IF this has been true all along then it was using much more oil that I thought. Also explains why it 'seemed' to use none for 1500 then BOOM! Guzzler! 

 

Also answers more completely the 'why'. Over fill will force them to use. Will force PCV system overload. A dip stick that is this hard to read is an definite issue. Am I going to have to make one? 

 

 

Edited August 3, 2021 by Grumpy Bear