the same oil today isnt the same even 5 years ago.....its getting a quality engine, not beating the hell out of it, and just proper maintenance...most of the time the engine is what lasts the longest on cars....its just that no one holds onto a car that long anymore....
One Million Mile Engines
Does anybody remember hearing about cars that have been driven over one million miles? I would love to use the same motor oil that owners of these cars have used over the years in a Terrain. Engine longevity is a priority.
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There are a couple Silverado stories like this. There is a guy that runs a seafood business and he racked up that many miles!
my dad had 760,000km on his 2004 Econiline E250 van with the 4.6L before he finally retired it in 2008. Guy who bought it still drives it and it is just over 900,000km.
The story behind those ultra high mileage car is always the same: The owner was meticulously maintaining all fluids in the car. That's the secret, just be anal with the maintenance and wash the car cause a clean car driver better! 
What kind of oil do these vehicles have running through their engines? High detergent, friction/wear protection, or both?
I read an article once about a man in a state near me that had a Chevy pickup that he used to deliver news papers. He put over 1 million miles on that vehicle, changing the oil every 2 weeks because that's about how long it would take him to put over 3,000 miles on it. He used standard dino Pennzoil, nothing fancy. The place where he got his oil changes informed Pennzoil and the local paper about this truck. Pennzoil bought him a new Chevy too, used his old one for research. Only major component he had to replace was a transmission at 300K miles. Second one lasted over 700K.
Like oracle stated, it's all about how well you treat it. Not necessarily what you put into it. Synth oils do have some nice features, but their are not a needed thing by any stretch of the imagination in a normal vehicle.
Drive it nicely, and keep up with the recommended maintenance and it'll last as long as you want it to.
Also, considering the platform the Theta's are built on, I'd treat it really nice if you want decades of service and many 100's of K miles. There is a major difference in the entry level vehicles like the Thetas and much more expensive vehicles IMHO. Not that I'm saying the Theta's are bad, they are not. But it is what it is. The Silverado's and Econoline's of earlier posts are built quite differently. They are expected to be treated rough and used to an extreme. So they are obviously quite a bit tougher.
Like oracle stated, it's all about how well you treat it. Not necessarily what you put into it. Synth oils do have some nice features, but their are not a needed thing by any stretch of the imagination in a normal vehicle.
Drive it nicely, and keep up with the recommended maintenance and it'll last as long as you want it to.
Also, considering the platform the Theta's are built on, I'd treat it really nice if you want decades of service and many 100's of K miles. There is a major difference in the entry level vehicles like the Thetas and much more expensive vehicles IMHO. Not that I'm saying the Theta's are bad, they are not. But it is what it is. The Silverado's and Econoline's of earlier posts are built quite differently. They are expected to be treated rough and used to an extreme. So they are obviously quite a bit tougher.
I recommend NOT following the owner's manual or olm, especially with a new gm motor. I have a 2010 Terrain that only lasted about 68000 miles, and I followed the owners manual spec and always changed it before the olm said to.
I have a 2012 equinox 4 fwd with 222,000 miles on the clock.........mobil 1 every 5000 miles
1 million miles is unbelievable. Most people drive 20,000 miles per year or less. That's 50 years of driving.
Or flip it around ... 50,000 miles per year for 20 years. You're living in your car.
But anyway, I wouldn't be too impressed by the oil that was used in these engines. I've used good oils and cheapest of oils and always gotten *at least* 200,000 miles out of all my cars. You just need to change the oil regularly, don't abuse the vehicle, and most importantly - if you cannot maintain your own vehicle (which is the ideal situation), you have a trustworthy mechanic who is only going to repair what needs to be repaired and not run up the bills on you changing out parts needlessly (the biggest reason people ultimately buy a new car).
And oh yeah - you need some luck, too. If you were unlucky enough to buy one of GM's defective 2.4L engines, game over.
Or flip it around ... 50,000 miles per year for 20 years. You're living in your car.
But anyway, I wouldn't be too impressed by the oil that was used in these engines. I've used good oils and cheapest of oils and always gotten *at least* 200,000 miles out of all my cars. You just need to change the oil regularly, don't abuse the vehicle, and most importantly - if you cannot maintain your own vehicle (which is the ideal situation), you have a trustworthy mechanic who is only going to repair what needs to be repaired and not run up the bills on you changing out parts needlessly (the biggest reason people ultimately buy a new car).
And oh yeah - you need some luck, too. If you were unlucky enough to buy one of GM's defective 2.4L engines, game over.
MGMSEQUINOX said:I have a 2012 equinox 4 fwd with 222,000 miles on the clock.........mobil 1 every 5000 miles
Excellent - - - - :thumb:
Proof once again that good maintenance and the well designed[/color] * GM 2.4L Engine *[/color] will go a long, long way!
My 2009 Impala has over 480,000km (kilometers, @ 300,000 miles) on it and running strong. Always full synthetic oil but I drove it a LOT so mostly highway miles. My Nox is now my highway runner so I expect the Impala will deteriorate from change in use around town. But in agreement, a little maintenance goes a long way.
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