# 100K Miles in a 2014 Chevrolet Cruze Diesel



## oilburner (Jun 13, 2013)

good read diesel, I too am very happy with mine................. but the short sun visors need to be lower.


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## Robby (Mar 1, 2013)

Very nice writeup for a very well assembled and designed car.

It seems like any issues that cropped up can be placed at the feet of the beancounters.....design probably called for better quality parts, such as this cable business.

Regardless, I believe the majority of CTD owners are having the same positive experiences you have enjoyed.

Thanks for taking the time to post.

Rob


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## TDCruze (Sep 26, 2014)

Very nice write up! Congrats on your first 100k miles being mostly trouble free. 

Are you planning on doing you timing belt here soon? Or are you going to stretch it out for a while?


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## cruze01 (Mar 25, 2011)

Enjoyed your report! I hope you next 100k is as trouble free as your first. Man you drive a lot! I hope your getting paid mileage from an employer, got to be running a delivery service for this king of miles...


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

Congratulations.


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## Robby (Mar 1, 2013)

TDCruze said:


> Very nice write up! Congrats on your first 100k miles being mostly trouble free.
> 
> Are you planning on doing you timing belt here soon? Or are you going to stretch it out for a while?



Heh, heh......avoid using the terms 'Timing belt and Stretch' in the same post......bad ju ju.

Sorry, couldn't leave it alone,
Rob


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## TDCruze (Sep 26, 2014)

Robby said:


> Heh, heh......avoid using the terms 'Timing belt and Stretch' in the same post......bad ju ju.
> 
> Sorry, couldn't leave it alone,
> Rob


lol pun was intended with that word choice! :grin:


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## Robby (Mar 1, 2013)

TDCruze said:


> lol pun was intended with that word choice! :grin:


Ah, good......another comic on board......well done then.

Rob


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## Barefeet (Jan 1, 2014)

Badge Kit Holden Captiva Diesel and Eco Badges Hatch | eBay



diesel said:


> View attachment 133161
> 
> 
> . The only other complaint is the fact that it looks just like an Eco. GM, you should be proud of this car and proudly label it DIESEL or TURBODIESEL or even 2.0TD, but as a separate label (in the same size and font as where you see LT and LTZ on the gassers), not on the green eco badge. There is no easy way to discern a diesel from an Eco unless you are right on top of it or know the difference in the rims. If you spot one in motion on the road, you really cannot tell the difference at all. Other than that, I can’t really think of anything I don’t like about it. Oh yeah, and GM should tell people about it. There’s no reason why they couldn’t easily sell more CTDs than VW sells Jetta TDIs. The reason VW sells so many TDIs is because people know about them.
> ...


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

Barefeet said:


> Badge Kit Holden Captiva Diesel and Eco Badges Hatch | eBay
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## PanJet (Jun 18, 2013)

Excellent write-up, diesel. You are a valuable resource on the longevity of these cars. Here's to your next 100k.



diesel said:


> The interior and body has remained rattle and squeak free and still feels as tight as it did on the day I bought it.


I wish I could say the same, but I have developed some small rattles, primarily when the front seat shoulder belt adjusters are on the mid-post and the speaker grill on top of the dash (I have the Pioneer system). My 2011 never had a hint of a rattle. 

To be fair, however, my Subaru has developed even worse squeaks and rattles since we moved last spring to the PacNW where the roads are so pitted from the thousands of drivers unnecessarily driving with studded tires in the winter that it is like driving on gravel roads. There aren't many cars that could stand up to these pitted roads without developing some rattles.



diesel said:


> I just love the way the engine sounds. It very clearly lets you know it’s a diesel from outside the car (I have called it “my little tractor” but the sound is well muted and isolated inside the car.


Agreed! I love the sound of this thing. From the inside it is subtle, yet satisfying, especially when accelerating hard, and quiet as a mouse while cruising (no pun intended). The only down side is that the turbo is very difficult to hear. I wouldn't mind a little more satisfying turbo whistle. Even the 1.4 turbo gasser has a lot more turbo sound than the diesel.


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## money_man (Feb 25, 2014)

Yup, only time I hear the turbo is in a parking garage or next to a jersey barrier on the highway. Makes me sad that i don't hear it all the time. 


Sent from the sexy electrician


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## diesel (Jun 8, 2013)

Glad y'all found the writeup interesting/useful, thanks for the kind words. I haven't really made a decision on the timing belt yet. I am thinking 120K or so would be safe, but I don't know just how far I want to push it. And yes I do get paid mileage so that helps


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## money_man (Feb 25, 2014)

You've paid off the car if that's the case. 


Sent from the sexy electrician


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## money_man (Feb 25, 2014)

When I have to use my own car I get $0.40/km, which doesn't take long to rack up


Sent from the sexy electrician


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## diesel (Jun 8, 2013)

money_man said:


> When I have to use my own car I get $0.40/km, which doesn't take long to rack up
> 
> 
> Sent from the sexy electrician


 We get the govt rate which is $0.575 per mile this year. A good chunk of the miles I drive are on my own dime, but the extra bonus from work miles is very nice


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## Su8pack1 (Apr 17, 2014)

ccasion14:


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## Canadian Cruzer (Oct 27, 2014)

Thanks, Diesel for that report! It makes the rest of us feel good about our decision to go for the diesel.


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## Sperry (Aug 3, 2013)

Very nice write up.. coming up on 60,000 and have had one sensor in the wheel hub replaced very early .. No other issues


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## MilTownSHO (Oct 9, 2013)

Good to know about the oil life and fuel filter. 

Both of mine have been at 0% for the past few thousand miles and I haven't had time to take it in.

This Thursday it's getting done, I currently only have 43k on mine but have enjoyed every mile, especially with the tune.


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## au201 (May 18, 2013)

MilTownSHO said:


> Good to know about the oil life and fuel filter.
> 
> Both of mine have been at 0% for the past few thousand miles and I haven't had time to take it in.
> 
> This Thursday it's getting done, I currently only have 43k on mine but have enjoyed every mile, especially with the tune.


Your oil life has been at 0 for a few thousand miles?? ?. I would avoid driving it as much as possible until you get changed! The oil life monitor already stretches that oil out on the gassers im assuming it stretches it pretty far on the diesels too they suggest getting an oil change within 500 miles of the warning on the gassers and that's pushing it a lot to me. 


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## MilTownSHO (Oct 9, 2013)

au201 said:


> Your oil life has been at 0 for a few thousand miles?? . I would avoid driving it as much as possible until you get changed!


I can't not drive it, I drive 88 miles round trip a day for my commute.

Generally I agree about taking it in right away and I always have but about 4,000 miles after having my oil changed I had a stripped out oil drain plug replaced under warranty. So the oil is right at the normal change interval, the filter is just working a little longer than it normally has to.

I'm honestly not to concerned, was more concerned about the fuel filter with it being winter and all.

Like I said I have been SO busy but finally have it scheduled for Thursday.


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## au201 (May 18, 2013)

MilTownSHO said:


> I can't not drive it, I drive 88 miles round trip a day for my commute.
> 
> Generally I agree about taking it in right away and I always have but about 4,000 miles after having my oil changed I had a stripped out oil drain plug replaced under warranty. So the oil is right at the normal change interval, the filter is just working a little longer than it normally has to.
> 
> ...


Ohhhh Alrighty then yeah if the drain plug was replaced and oil changed (minus filter) then you're most likely fine. 


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## diesel (Jun 8, 2013)

au201 said:


> Your oil life has been at 0 for a few thousand miles?? . I would avoid driving it as much as possible until you get changed! The oil life monitor already stretches that oil out on the gassers im assuming it stretches it pretty far on the diesels too they suggest getting an oil change within 500 miles of the warning on the gassers and that's pushing it a lot to me.
> 
> 
> Sent from AutoGuide.com Free App





MilTownSHO said:


> I can't not drive it, I drive 88 miles round trip a day for my commute.
> 
> Generally I agree about taking it in right away and I always have but about 4,000 miles after having my oil changed I had a stripped out oil drain plug replaced under warranty. So the oil is right at the normal change interval, the filter is just working a little longer than it normally has to.
> 
> ...


I have determined that a 15,000 mile oil change interval is perfectly fine for the diesel Cruze. I've had every change analyzed and I have posted my results in the thread on oil test results.


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## cdb09007 (Aug 7, 2013)

Congrats Diesel! 20 months to 100k...not bad...hows Adolph going towards that mark? hah.


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## diesel (Jun 8, 2013)

cdb09007 said:


> Congrats Diesel! 20 months to 100k...not bad...hows Adolph going towards that mark? hah.


Lol! Adolph is on his way out the door soon to be replaced by ???????


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## Cetane (Dec 10, 2014)

Nice write up, congrats!


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## spacedout (Dec 7, 2010)

diesel said:


> I have determined that a 15,000 mile oil change interval is perfectly fine for the diesel Cruze. I've had every change analyzed and I have posted my results in the thread on oil test results.


With your driving route and oil you used. Would assume under less than ideal conditions most would need to change more frequently.


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## cdb09007 (Aug 7, 2013)

diesel said:


> Lol! Adolph is on his way out the door soon to be replaced by ???????


Already?? Hah!


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## diesel (Jun 8, 2013)

cdb09007 said:


> Already?? Hah!


Short attention span. Except for the Cruze


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## MilTownSHO (Oct 9, 2013)

diesel said:


> I have determined that a 15,000 mile oil change interval is perfectly fine for the diesel Cruze. I've had every change analyzed and I have posted my results in the thread on oil test results.


Stock oil and filter?


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## Gator (Jul 14, 2013)

keep us up to date. love reading the post. I'm like you disappointed in the badging. I'm at 63000 miles so Im watching to see what the belt change is going to cost. Been trouble free other than a EGR valve that wasn't covered by warranty. Great write up.


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## diesel (Jun 8, 2013)

MilTownSHO said:


> Stock oil and filter?


Stock Dexos2 oil for the first 4 oil changes every 6000 miles courtesy of GM then I switched to Total Quartz INEO MC3 for the long intervals. I also ran one change with the Amsoil low SAPS 5W30. Always stock filters


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## plasticplant (Mar 26, 2013)

It might just be me, but I still don't understand why one would buy an oil capable of 15,000+ mile change intervals, when you still have to replace the filter after half those miles. I get it, you're saving money on oil, but to me, if you're already taking the time to change the filter, why not just change the oil too?


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## KpaxFAQ (Sep 1, 2013)

You don't have to change the filter half way through....that's the whole point of the long interval.


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## diesel (Jun 8, 2013)

I have never changed the filter in between oil changes. They have never appeared to be abnormally dirty during even my 17K mile interval.


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## plasticplant (Mar 26, 2013)

I guess I'm mistaken then, but I could have sworn there have been multiple threads on this site about oil and oil changes, stating that 7500 miles is about the time the filter should be replaced. I know Xtremerevolution (the self proclaimed "duke of oil") who seems to know his stuff when it comes to oil, has stated this several times and he is all for extended oil change intervals. I usually let mine go about 8000 miles and then I have it changed along with the oil. Very interesting to see how many different opinions there are on this subject.


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## KpaxFAQ (Sep 1, 2013)

it's all about the type of driving you do...diesel would never make it 17,500mi on a single change if he did the type of driving most drivers do. My last test looked like 7500mi would of been about right with all the short tripping I do.

I guess the moral of the story is that's why you test the oil, one number doesn't apply to everyone. 7,500mi factory recommendation is a conservate safe one that they can safely pigeon-hole all drivers of all climates and style into. Someone that lives in a mild climate that rarely short trips can easily double the factory recommendation and someone who's driven like me this winter barely makes it to 7,500mi before the oil is toast.


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## plasticplant (Mar 26, 2013)

KpaxFAQ said:


> it's all about the type of driving you do...diesel would never make it 17,500mi on a single change if he did the type of driving most drivers do. My last test looked like 7500mi would of been about right with all the short tripping I do.
> 
> I guess the moral of the story is that's why you test the oil, one number doesn't apply to everyone. 7,500mi factory recommendation is a conservate safe one that they can safely pigeon-hole all drivers of all climates and style into. Someone that lives in a mild climate that rarely short trips can easily double the factory recommendation and someone who's driven like me this winter barely makes it to 7,500mi before the oil is toast.


Agreed. But Diesel is the outlier here. 95% of the people that will read his posts (especially the ones who just come to the site for certain questions/answers) on oil life will see the 15,000 mile interval he is using and think they can do the same (not knowing his full history). I don't want to get into a whole big thing here and I have no doubt his oil and filter are just fine after all those miles as his driving patterns are nothing like the majority of the CTD owners out there. I put 26k on my first year of ownership and thought that was a lot of driving. I had the oil changed 4 times. I guess what I'm trying to say is that the information that he supplies is priceless, but we need to be careful when talking about things that clearly would only apply to his driving habits. Oil analysis is great, but going off your point (and current driving patterns) his analysis at 15k would look a lot different than yours at 15k. Just don't want to confuse people.


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## MilTownSHO (Oct 9, 2013)

I missed my appointment today, I think I am going to have an analysis done to see how it held up when I take it in.

I have about 10k miles on my oil right now and about 13k on the filter.

Before this I always changed somewhere between 20% and 0%, generally closer to 0%.


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## diesel (Jun 8, 2013)

plasticplant said:


> Agreed. But Diesel is the outlier here. 95% of the people that will read his posts (especially the ones who just come to the site for certain questions/answers) on oil life will see the 15,000 mile interval he is using and think they can do the same (not knowing his full history). I don't want to get into a whole big thing here and I have no doubt his oil and filter are just fine after all those miles as his driving patterns are nothing like the majority of the CTD owners out there. I put 26k on my first year of ownership and thought that was a lot of driving. I had the oil changed 4 times. I guess what I'm trying to say is that the information that he supplies is priceless, but we need to be careful when talking about things that clearly would only apply to his driving habits. Oil analysis is great, but going off your point (and current driving patterns) his analysis at 15k would look a lot different than yours at 15k. Just don't want to confuse people.


Although I agree that my driving may be different than most drivers in how quickly I accumulate the miles, I do want to point out that 4 says a week, I drive short trips and sit in traffic, just barely getting the car up to operating temperature. 25% of the time I spend driving (time not miles) is short trips, idling, stop start, etc. This does play some role in advocating a longer oil interval, however it id definitely not one size fits all. Totally agree on that. ****, my '79 Plymouth may only have 500 miles on the oil in 3 months before I think it's overdue for a change lol.


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## Classy56 (Jul 16, 2014)

how many mile did you get out of the stock LRR tires?


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

plasticplant said:


> I guess I'm mistaken then, but I could have sworn there have been multiple threads on this site about oil and oil changes, stating that 7500 miles is about the time the filter should be replaced. I know Xtremerevolution (the self proclaimed "duke of oil") who seems to know his stuff when it comes to oil, has stated this several times and he is all for extended oil change intervals. I usually let mine go about 8000 miles and then I have it changed along with the oil. Very interesting to see how many different opinions there are on this subject.


The 7500 mile number was in reference to the gasoline engine. Note which section of the forum this thread is in. The byproducts of gasoline fuel differ greatly from the byproducts of diesel fuel. Furthermore, a filter change in the gasoline Cruze requires nothing more than unscrewing a cap and removing a filter, which by the way will not be dripping with oil unless you just turned the car off. It is a 2 minute procedure and doesn't even require topping off the oil level. 

Note: the "duke of oil" reference was a title given to me by other moderators. None of the little purple titles are assigned by their owners; they are given by other members. 

I support extended oil change intervals on the basis of being economical, environmentally friendly, and reducing engine wear. Trending oil analysis has shown that most engine wear occurs in the first few thousand miles after an oil change, after which it begins to drop off. It is not a linear increase. As a huge benefit, it is far more convenient to change oil at 15,000 miles instead of 7,500 miles. 



plasticplant said:


> Agreed. But Diesel is the outlier here. 95% of the people that will read his posts (especially the ones who just come to the site for certain questions/answers) on oil life will see the 15,000 mile interval he is using and think they can do the same (not knowing his full history). I don't want to get into a whole big thing here and I have no doubt his oil and filter are just fine after all those miles as his driving patterns are nothing like the majority of the CTD owners out there. I put 26k on my first year of ownership and thought that was a lot of driving. I had the oil changed 4 times. I guess what I'm trying to say is that the information that he supplies is priceless, but we need to be careful when talking about things that clearly would only apply to his driving habits. Oil analysis is great, but going off your point (and current driving patterns) his analysis at 15k would look a lot different than yours at 15k. Just don't want to confuse people.


He is an outlier only in the sense that he puts on a lot of miles in a short period. His actual driving conditions do not differ all that significantly from everyone else's. You need to remember that diesel engines are far easier on oil than gasoline engines are. The EGTs are much, much lower, which is why your turbo is only oil cooled. The heat simply isn't an issue. The engine generally runs oil cooler than a gasoline engine does, and contaminants from the combustion of diesel fuel are *much *less acidic than that of gasoline fuel. As a result, 15,000 mile oil drain intervals on a synthetic oil are very easy to achieve. 

I'll wager half the cost of an OAI oil analysis that your oil analysis report won't look all that different from his.


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## diesel (Jun 8, 2013)

Classy56 said:


> how many mile did you get out of the stock LRR tires?


I am not sure. I still have them and they are still good, but I use snows in the winter.


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## Classy56 (Jul 16, 2014)

diesel said:


> I am not sure. I still have them and they are still good, but I use snows in the winter.


WOW!!! So what, 60-70k so far and still going?


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## Gator (Jul 14, 2013)

I got 64000 on mine and still have good tread depth left.


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## diesel (Jun 8, 2013)

Classy56 said:


> WOW!!! So what, 60-70k so far and still going?


Something like that. I think they still have about 40% left. Well above the wear bars.


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## revjpeterson (Oct 2, 2013)

diesel said:


> Something like that. I think they still have about 40% left. Well above the wear bars.


I had my stock LRR Goodyears taken off at 31k miles, and they were measuring 6/32 of remaining tread depth, which is 60% of the tread depth when new. So, if they were taken to the legal minimum of 2/32, they probably would have made it a little past 60k. I decided I'd rather take the trade value on them and get my preferred tire a year earlier instead of drive on them another year to use them up.


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## diesel (Jun 8, 2013)

I usually don't run tires down to the wear bars, so I am not sure how many more miles I will go on the stock tires.


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## ParisTNDude (Oct 7, 2013)

I have less than 1/3 the miles you've racked up, but my sentiments are the same. When I had the GM card and other rebates burning a hole in my pocket, I contacted my dealership with the possibility of buying a new CTD, but the trade in allowance they offered was an offense to my senses. I should have known better.

Looking at the design of the 2016 Volt and it's greatly improved range, I would consider that as our next family car. We'll see when I get 100k on this one (3 or 4 years).


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## diesel (Jun 8, 2013)

It's funny, I think I am more excited to hit 110K this week than I was to hit 100K.


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## KpaxFAQ (Sep 1, 2013)

Keep piling those miles on diesel!


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## Cruze2.0TD (Feb 12, 2014)

diesel said:


> It's funny, I think I am more excited to hit 110K this week than I was to hit 100K.


How much longer before you think you will be doing the timing belt?


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## diesel (Jun 8, 2013)

Cruze2.0TD said:


> How much longer before you think you will be doing the timing belt?


I haven't really decided yet. I am sure I will get flamed for this, but I may go for 150K miles.


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## money_man (Feb 25, 2014)

diesel said:


> I haven't really decided yet. I am sure I will get flamed for this, but I may go for 150K miles.


Hey if you can afford to replace the engine, be my guest. 


Sent from the sexy electrician


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## Cruze2.0TD (Feb 12, 2014)

diesel said:


> I haven't really decided yet. I am sure I will get flamed for this, but I may go for 150K miles.


Personally, I wouldn't try for more than 125k miles. It seems extremely risk. I will be interested to see if it does make it that long though. Keep us posted


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## plasticplant (Mar 26, 2013)

diesel said:


> I haven't really decided yet. I am sure I will get flamed for this, but I may go for 150K miles.


Yikes, Diesel. That's almost double the recommend change interval. I don't know if I could do that to my "baby", especially since it's my DD. All I'll say is, good luck and may the force be with you.


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## KpaxFAQ (Sep 1, 2013)

I worry about idler pulleys taking a dump more than the belt itself. Id bet 9/10 a person is fine though, probably more.


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## diesel (Jun 8, 2013)

Well, I will be the guinea pig on this one. My logic is that I have an average speed of 55 MPH so my engine will be actually running a LOT less than someone who averages half that much. Someone could average 25 MPH and it is still recommended to be the same 100K mile interval. At that rate the person will have run their engine longer at 100K than I have at 200K. The 150K I am shooting for is very specifically for my driving habits. I am hitting 111K today, and so far so good


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## Tomko (Jun 1, 2013)

diesel said:


> Well, I will be the guinea pig on this one. My logic is that I have an average speed of 55 MPH so my engine will be actually running a LOT less than someone who averages half that much. Someone could average 25 MPH and it is still recommended to be the same 100K mile interval. At that rate the person will have run their engine longer at 100K than I have at 200K. The 150K I am shooting for is very specifically for my driving habits. I am hitting 111K today, and so far so good


Any update on your timing belt strategy over the last three months?


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## oilburner (Jun 13, 2013)

hope pistons an valves don`t have sex!!:sad010:


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## jalaner (Dec 28, 2013)

I agree with diesels' timing belt strategy. His engine run hours are much lower than average for his miles driven. All commercial vehicles such as forklifts, tractors, earth movers etc. base maintenance schedules on hours run, not miles. It's actually a better indicator of wear.


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## diesel (Jun 8, 2013)

My timing belt strategy remains the same, 150K miles. However, i think I may have a wheel bearing starting to go again. If the wheel bearing goes out, i might just have them do the t-belt while it's there and get it over with. Stay tuned.


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## Tomko (Jun 1, 2013)

jalaner said:


> I agree with diesels' timing belt strategy. His engine run hours are much lower than average for his miles driven. All commercial vehicles such as forklifts, tractors, earth movers etc. base maintenance schedules on hours run, not miles. It's actually a better indicator of wear.


Makes me wonder why GM didn't program this into the engine management system. 

The oil life monitor in my Impala SS counts engine revolutions. A similar, more accurate, approach could have been taken for the diesel's timing belt.


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## money_man (Feb 25, 2014)

Why bother? At 100k miles replace it. There, it's that easy. 


Sent from the sexy electrician


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## boraz (Aug 29, 2013)

Tomko said:


> Makes me wonder why GM didn't program this into the engine management system.
> 
> The oil life monitor in my Impala SS counts engine revolutions. A similar, more accurate, approach could have been taken for the diesel's timing belt.


how many revolutions on its own isnt of any value

the car does have an hour meter

and theyre not trying to save you a trip to the profit center, i mean service dept


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