2013 Equinox 2.4

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Had to change the wife's Equinox this weekend. The one that guzzles about a quart/1000 miles (68,000 on the engine). GM just says "too bad, so sad" that we got the letter about the known faulty rings; they've decided ours isn't eligible for any repairs. Realized that 5 quarts of Valvoline Synthetic 5w-30 plus another quart to keep on hand isn't exactly cheap at the 'Zone. So, do I stick with something with the Dexos label but maybe a cheaper syn blend? Or is there something that might slow down the consumption? Or do I say to heck with Dexos and use some cheap name brand 5w-30 conventional?
 
If what The Critic suggested doesn't work if you did it I would be inclined to run something like Super Tech High Mileage FS 5w30. It's normally around $15/5qt jug and even Dexos rated. It's even cheaper if you order a 3pk online. I wouldn't be afraid to run that in anything that used 5w30.
 
If GM has already responded that they are not willing to own the problem, why worry about Dexos? Wait til Menards or Home Depot has Formula Shell on sale at $1.99 a quart and buy a case.
 
One problem: do not buy oil at auto parts stores....aka the zone, napa, o reillys......supertech dexos 5w30 or any other brand in dexos 5w30 can be had for much cheaper at wal mart. auto parts stores are nothing but a scam. Trust me, Ive been working at a Napa for the past year and I cringe when I have to sell a customer an overpriced item, especially oil. I'm only still employed here because there are no other jobs in my area oilfield related. As soon as a good position opens up, I'm gone.

Ebay and amazon are your best friends for cheap prices. Dont drink the Koolaid...meaning dont buy at an auto parts store.
 
If you wanna stick with D1G2 buy the 5w30 ProDs FS in the 6qt box. At $19.99 the price per quart is good.

You can run a FS HiMi from SuperTech for abt $15 for 5qts but I dint think it's D1G2.

Or ditch Dexos all together and run Supreme 5w30 (syn blend) or 10w30 conventional. Since your ride has a drinking issue I'd be more inclined to run a dino/dino blend as opposed to a costlier full syn that's gonna get burned up just as much as a less costly dino.

You can get a syn blend HiMi or dino HiMi from Havoline in the 6qt box for like $15.

Fwiw..by May of next year all (or most newly mfg) oils will be ILSAC GF-6 and meet the same or better D1G2 specs. So just do what you gotta do in the interim..
 
Originally Posted by Delta
If what The Critic suggested doesn't work if you did it I would be inclined to run something like Super Tech High Mileage FS 5w30. It's normally around $15/5qt jug and even Dexos rated. It's even cheaper if you order a 3pk online. I wouldn't be afraid to run that in anything that used 5w30.

That was going to be my suggestion too even before i read this.
 
I say ditch the car. My brother got hosed on a blown engine because he didn't know about the oil burning issue. I doubt anything you do will make it better, you'd be money ahead by ditching the car and getting something different.
 
Originally Posted by csandste
Originally Posted by Delta
If what The Critic suggested doesn't work if you did it I would be inclined to run something like Super Tech High Mileage FS 5w30. It's normally around $15/5qt jug and even Dexos rated. It's even cheaper if you order a 3pk online. I wouldn't be afraid to run that in anything that used 5w30.

That was going to be my suggestion too even before i read this.

Watta ya know..I wasn't aware that the ST FS HiMi was D1G2 approved... good job Warren!ðŸ‘.. makes it an even better bargain.

Interesting..PP 5w30 HiMi isn't D1G2 so far as I can tell.

PP 5/30 HiMi PDS
 
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My wife's '11 equinox got the big kiss off from the dealer, so I run whatever I want in it. The dexos isn't a rating, it's an approval. If you want GM's "approval" for use in their vehicles any oil mfgr has to pay a fee, which they pass down to the customer. All the customer gets is a car that guzzles oil. I decided to try a few things before I set it on fire. I changed the oil using 4 1/2 qts Mobil 1, and 1/2 qt 20/50 wt oil. That's all I did, and it didn't use any oil for 2k miles. Then, it only needed 1/2 a qt to bring it up to full. The car was driven mostly by her on the highway during those 2k miles. Being my wife's car and sounds like you car, isn't covered by any warranty, I'll use what I want. By the way my wife's car was using 1/2 a qt every 750 miles. It has 58k miles on it now.,,
 
Go to another dealer and (politely) demand an oil consumption test. I helped a friend who had the same issue with a 2011 Equinox. During the oil consumption test period, it burned so much oil it clogged the catalytic converter. The dealer replaced the piston rings and the cat for free with no issues since.

At that time, the 2013s weren't included but the TSB has been updated to include them.
 

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Originally Posted by tiger862
The only Dexos approval high mileage is Valvoline Maxlife.

I wasn't aware that any HiMi's had D1G2 approval..but apparently they're out there and it's not just Valvoline.
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Originally Posted by Dave Sherman
Had to change the wife's Equinox this weekend. The one that guzzles about a quart/1000 miles (68,000 on the engine). GM just says "too bad, so sad" that we got the letter about the known faulty rings; they've decided ours isn't eligible for any repairs. Realized that 5 quarts of Valvoline Synthetic 5w-30 plus another quart to keep on hand isn't exactly cheap at the 'Zone. So, do I stick with something with the Dexos label but maybe a cheaper syn blend? Or is there something that might slow down the consumption? Or do I say to heck with Dexos and use some cheap name brand 5w-30 conventional?


I had the exact same problem on my 2011 and I got the dealer to fix it for free after the oil consumption test. Do not give up on this, go back in there armed with all the information you can get. Print that PDF that alchargo posted and show them. Also go over to terrainforum.net and you will find loads of information about this problem. Pretty much all of us that have a 2010-2013 terrain have this problem. Some 2013 Terrains do not have the problem because, I believe it was May 2013 they switched over to the new rings in the production line that fixed the problem. Go to another dealer if you have to, if that fails contact GM directly. If you read over at terrainfourm.net most people that had problems with the dealer were able to get them to fix if after they came in with all the paper work, like that PDF above and your letter they sent you.
 
The Equinox is off the Powertrain Warranty at the 5 year point. Though your problem was reported before 5 years. GM has been known to say 2,000 miles per quart is their limit (???) Subaru used to say 1,500 miles per quart. Not sure why 1,000 miles per quart is considered OK by GM all of a sudden. Of course, today I heard the current GM strike is costing them 90 million bucks a day, meaning they don't want to spend any more money on engine work. !!
2,000 miles per quart here: https://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=1598033 for example.


If the Critic's recommendation is done next summer (its a thick 10w30 so not a winter oil), it might work. Until then, I would just put in the cheapest SN 5w-30 oil you can find. Maybe SuperTech Warren oil at Walmart or something on sale close to $2 per quart. Dexos is a high spec (it IS a rating and an approval, both, despite some confused post above), yet you are off warranty now and adding lots of fresh additives back to a non turbo engine.
 
Originally Posted by paoester
The Equinox is off the Powertrain Warranty at the 5 year point. Though your problem was reported before 5 years. GM has been known to say 2,000 miles per quart is their limit (???) Subaru used to say 1,500 miles per quart. Not sure why 1,000 miles per quart is considered OK by GM all of a sudden. Of course, today I heard the current GM strike is costing them 90 million bucks a day, meaning they don't want to spend any more money on engine work. !!
2,000 miles per quart here: https://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=1598033 for example.


If the Critic's recommendation is done next summer (its a thick 10w30 so not a winter oil), it might work. Until then, I would just put in the cheapest SN 5w-30 oil you can find. Maybe SuperTech Warren oil at Walmart or something on sale close to $2 per quart. Dexos is a high spec (it IS a rating and an approval, both, despite some confused post above), yet you are off warranty now and adding lots of fresh additives back to a non turbo engine.


The oil consumption warranty is extended to 10 years or 120,000 miles. The 5 year doesn't apply to this problem. And the cut off is 1.25 quarts per 2,000 miles.
 
Originally Posted by Matt1980
The oil consumption warranty is extended to 10 years or 120,000 miles. The 5 year doesn't apply to this problem. And the cut off is 1.25 quarts per 2,000 miles.
Read the PDF file Service Bulletin again. Page 1, lower right column. The cut-off is 1 quart per 2,000 miles per GM's custom. You were reading the service bulletin text that explained that 1.25 quarts loss means a dry dipstick. I don't understand why this Equinox didn't qualify.

I guess one could get the cheap SuperTech 5w30 full syn in the 5 quart size, and its not too much more expensive than ultra cheap SN conventional. The extra warranty coverage might demand it one could suppose.
 
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