New Member, Oil change question

[mike83]

How is it going guys first post here, I work with my old man selling used cars here in Miami,fl. With the gas going up and all the traffic here id figure i sell my personal truck which was an 04 avalanche. I made good money on the truck and the other day I took in a 2004 vibe on trade in. The vibe has all the options, sun roof, aluminum wheels, power mirrors, windows etc the only bad thing is it has 145,000 miles now. Since it was a cheap trade in i have made it my personal car for now, I know they like the matrix and are good on gas so hey, cant go wrong, the little car drives great and It does not work like a car with 145k miles. What kind of oil would you be comfortable running at this stage of its life? 10w30, 10w40? or something diffrent? I cant belive these cars, 145k and running like a top with no oil leaks.

[lovemyraffe]

Welcome!I would stick with what the is recommended, 5w30.

[Cougar Vibe]

Any SM-rated 5W30 dino oil if you're doing less than 5K OCI's. If you get worried about leaks and want a bit more additive, you could go with Maxlife or similar high-mileage oil; but at $16.50 for a 5qt jug, and you have no leaks, I'd just use whatever SM-dino is on sale at Wally-World. Note: This is the point where I'm supposed to tell you to avoid Fram filters like the plague. But we have a mileage champ here w/400k miles who used them extensively...so go figure?

[star_deceiver]

Welcome to GenVibe!!!I'd use a high-mileage type 5w30

[mike83]

what kind of filter do you all like using?

[Cougar Vibe]

OEM/Toyota/DensoPurolator PureOneBosch PremiumWixIf you're not doing extended drain intervals, just about any name-brand filter will suit your needs...even Frams w/the "evil" cardboard endcaps.BTW: If you want to kill hours of your precious freetime, visit the oil forums over at http://www.bobistheoilguy.com

[oriden]

highmilage oils are a good alternative since you got this car late in the game it is useless using anything fancy.

[bikeman1]

Quote, originally posted by Cougar Vibe »Any SM-rated 5W30 dino oil if you're doing less than 5K OCI's. If you get worried about leaks and want a bit more additive, you could go with Maxlife or similar high-mileage oil; but at $16.50 for a 5qt jug, and you have no leaks, I'd just use whatever SM-dino is on sale at Wally-World. ya know, I get really peeved when people talk about "dino oil" (referring to petroleum-based lubricating oils) like it was something real. Like, dinosaurs had zero to do with petroleum. 98% of petroleum is derived from remains of > organic matter, mainly algae. Dinosaurs were almost all on land, a few within 5 miles of the shore. Zero petroleum is derived from terrigenous organic matter. Too much oxygen up there - it doesn't survive. Get it straight dudes....you are suffering from badly misinformed marketing efforts...........(and stay away from those Sinclair pumps.....)coal is a different story - that's trees and plants, mainly. But few or no vibes I have seen are burning coal or turning it into thick oils.There has been talk about coal to liquid conversion, today. Its been done. But right now its a pipe dream production-scale. May happen.and yes, I agree, go with 5W30 (2003-2008) and Purolator or Toyota (Denso) OEM filters are best (Cougar Vibe -- right on!). Look on Ebay for dealer prices that are very competitive (send me a PM if you need a link) -- go to Advance Auto if you want to see what a Fram looks like cut open vs a Purolator.Sorry gang....I lose it every once in a while!!! Thought it was a good time to invoke a little earth-science reality...

[mike83]

Thanks for the response, 5w30 even with 145k?

[star_deceiver]

Quote, originally posted by mike83 »5w30 even with 145k?Yup! Unless you're burning oil like there's no tomorrow, I see no reason why you'd need to go to a higher grade. But do get the high-mileage type oil, well worth the extra dollar or two IMO!

[mike83]

Castrol 5w30 high mileage then, the car has its miles but you gotta see it it drives like a top, cant tell it has them miles really

[mike83]

not to bad for a 2004 with 145k huh it has sunroof, power everything, wheels, not bad at all

[j42.snyder]

My 2002 Sunfire (previous car) had 243,000kms (about 151,000 miles) when I sold it last year - and it's never used anything other than 5W30 or 0W30 oils. I typically used synthetic oils in the winter, and conventionals in the summer.My brother-in-law still drives the car (I think up to about 258,000km now), and it runs like a top. No leaks anywhere, or oil consumption. I once ran Amsoil 0W30 for about 24,000km and it only consumed less than 1/2 a liter in that time. I even used the car to tow my boat at least 1,000km per year. Original clutch is still going too.My point is that this mileage isn't really a big deal these days. If that Sunfire with it's older technology 8 valve 2.2L is still standing up like that - then a Vibe with its excellent reputation for durability shouldn't even be breaking a sweat before 200,000 miles (with proper care - I hope).I would run any name brand 5W30 with confidence. If there's reason to believe that it's not been taken care of properly - then the extra cleaning additives in the "high mileage" oil may help clean things up - but it's probably unnecessary for normal use - especially in your climate. I only used synthetics because of the colder winters here - and potentially longer drain intervals if the weather wasn't nice.Just stick to regular intervals, and you should be fine. I'd probably flush the coolant soon though - if there's no sign of it being done previously.Sounds like a good find! Keep us posted.John

[mike83]

Well I paid $2,800 for it, cant beat it really, how do you go about flushing coolant?

[j42.snyder]

If the coolant looks good - I'd just drain as much as possible and refill with fresh stuff (50-50 mix with de-ionized water). Just make sure you use the correct coolant. I'll bet the manual says to use Dexcool - but I doubt that's what's in there. My '09 has Toyota long life pink from the factory. Maybe another Gen 1 member can help out here as to what's best to use.If it looks a bit dirty or discolored - ask your dad if he has someone to take it to that does flushes. They use a machine to circulate the old coolant out, and replace hopefully all of it with new. I'm not going to recommend doing it yourself if you're unsure how - as it can be messy.Check in your manual first to see if there's any special procedure for filling the system as well. Some cars have vents that have to be opened to allow air out as the system fills. I'm not sure if yours does or not. Again, I'm sure many others here have the answer.Coolant used to be a more routine item (every 2 years or so) - but the newer long life products have made it easy to forget. Oil is certainly the most important still though.

[petervivian]

I live in Miami too, and I have a 05 vibe with 141k miles.

[burns]

Saw whatever you want about Fram oil filters, I've had two GM's, both with over 250,000 miles on them when I drove them in for trade-in, and always used full synthetic oil and Fram extended life filters. Changed the oil every 10,000 miles and never had a single oil related problem.

[djkeev]

Quote, originally posted by bikeman1 »ya know, I get really peeved when people talk about "dino oil" (referring to petroleum-based lubricating oils) like it was something real. Like, dinosaurs had zero to do with petroleum. ...........Fight with the wife??? It's just a term used to denote decomposed matter from a really really really long time ago, you know, when dinosaurs roamed the earth.It simply designates in street language between man made synthetic oil and that oil made from Black Crude mostly shipped over from the middle east.Take a deep breath, realize that this is NOT important. let it go........Dave