This morning I was finally able to get around to doing an oil change and replacing the air filter. I used a 17 mm socket wrench for the oil drain plug.
Oil: Valvoline 5w-30 Full Synthetic
Oil Filter: WIX #51085
Air Filter: WIX #42133
Caravan odometer = 181,096 miles
Showing posts with label Oil. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Oil. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
The Van is Back.
In my last post, blogger "have a nice day" pretty much described the repair work my mechanic performed better than I could have described, so read his comment.
Other information:
1. The oil pressure sender was replaced because it was leaking oil.
2. I have switched from Valvoline synthetic blend 5w-30 to Valvoline synthetic 5w-30. I have had problems finding the synthetic blend recently, so I thought now would be a good time to make the switch to full synthetic.
3. Lastly, I filled up with 91 octane (no ethanol) after getting the caravan back from the shop. I won't be doing this very often, but I thought it would be interesting to see any differences in performance compared to the 89 octane (10% ethanol) and 87 octane (no ethanol).
The following fill-up was achieved with 87 octane (no ethanol):
December 27:
277.9 miles / 13.935 gallons = 19.94 mpg
Other information:
1. The oil pressure sender was replaced because it was leaking oil.
2. I have switched from Valvoline synthetic blend 5w-30 to Valvoline synthetic 5w-30. I have had problems finding the synthetic blend recently, so I thought now would be a good time to make the switch to full synthetic.
3. Lastly, I filled up with 91 octane (no ethanol) after getting the caravan back from the shop. I won't be doing this very often, but I thought it would be interesting to see any differences in performance compared to the 89 octane (10% ethanol) and 87 octane (no ethanol).
The following fill-up was achieved with 87 octane (no ethanol):
December 27:
277.9 miles / 13.935 gallons = 19.94 mpg
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Late-August Gas
I spent $49.20 filling up the caravan with 87 octane (no ethanol) today, after going over 300 miles on 1 tank. That's normally not a big deal for most minivan owners, since they are usually 20-gallon tanks, but my gas tank holds only 15 to 15.5 gallons, thanks to an off-road incident with a rock.
There are a few things I should note before displaying the MPG:
1. This tank had about 10 gallons of 87 octane (no ethanol) and 5 gallons of 89 octane (10% ethanol).
2. I added a quart of Valvoline Max Life synthetic blend 5w-30 to the crankcase, and I made sure the tires were full of air before leaving for my trip to Lake Albert, America.
3. Roughly 190 miles came while I drove to and from the lake, so a lot of interstate/highway driving.
4. There's a small chance I didn't fill up completely, and my next MPG update could be significantly lower. I don't think this is the case, because the fuel gauge displayed 1/8 of a tank left. 1/8 of a 15-gallon tank is 1.875 gallons, and I bought over 13 gallons today.
So with those notes in mind, here are the numbers:
August 30:
335.5 miles / 13.482 gallons = 24.885 mpg!
I'm very proud of Beulah, myself, and our accomplishments together.
Caravan odometer = 177,443 miles
There are a few things I should note before displaying the MPG:
1. This tank had about 10 gallons of 87 octane (no ethanol) and 5 gallons of 89 octane (10% ethanol).
2. I added a quart of Valvoline Max Life synthetic blend 5w-30 to the crankcase, and I made sure the tires were full of air before leaving for my trip to Lake Albert, America.
3. Roughly 190 miles came while I drove to and from the lake, so a lot of interstate/highway driving.
4. There's a small chance I didn't fill up completely, and my next MPG update could be significantly lower. I don't think this is the case, because the fuel gauge displayed 1/8 of a tank left. 1/8 of a 15-gallon tank is 1.875 gallons, and I bought over 13 gallons today.
So with those notes in mind, here are the numbers:
August 30:
335.5 miles / 13.482 gallons = 24.885 mpg!
I'm very proud of Beulah, myself, and our accomplishments together.
Caravan odometer = 177,443 miles
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
November Update
I recently bought an oil filter wrench to make oil changes easier. It works swell! I also installed new front wiper blades for the upcoming winter. It's impossible to find a rear wiper blade that will fit with the windshield washers.
November 17:
253.3 miles / 12.375 gallons = 20.5 mpg.
Caravan odometer = 175,500 miles
November 17:
253.3 miles / 12.375 gallons = 20.5 mpg.
Caravan odometer = 175,500 miles
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Oil change
On Tuesday, I changed the oil in the caravan. I use Valvoline Max Life synthetic blend 5w-30. I need to invest in an oil filter wrench. As of now, I have been using something called Wonderliner. It is a non-slip shelf and drawer liner, but I use it to grip the oil filter, much like an old woman trying to open a pickle jar.
Caravan odometer = 173,770 miles
Caravan odometer = 173,770 miles
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Maintenance
Nice weather today, so I decided to change the oil. I bought a box of Valvoline Max Life (5W-30) a few weeks ago, I assumed I was getting the non-synthetic oil. When I opened the box, I was very little happy with what was inside. 12 quarts of Max Life synthetic blend! Damn you, Valvoline!
In addition to changing the oil and oil filter (pain in the butt to reach), I replaced the front wipers and added a can of Seafoam to the gas tank.
In addition to changing the oil and oil filter (pain in the butt to reach), I replaced the front wipers and added a can of Seafoam to the gas tank.
Caravan odometer = 170,257 miles.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
September Maintenance (Part 2)
September 24, 2008 - My Caravan = 169,609 miles.
I drove my caravan to a Chrysler dealership on Monday (22nd). I brought it there in July to change the transmission fluid and filter. But now the transmission was bump shifting from 1st to 2nd. It turns out there was a little too much transmission fluid in it, so they leveled it out. It seems to be running all right for now.
Today, I added 1/2 quart of oil (5w-30 Valvoline MaxLife synthetic blend) to the crankcase since it was a little low.
I drove my caravan to a Chrysler dealership on Monday (22nd). I brought it there in July to change the transmission fluid and filter. But now the transmission was bump shifting from 1st to 2nd. It turns out there was a little too much transmission fluid in it, so they leveled it out. It seems to be running all right for now.
Today, I added 1/2 quart of oil (5w-30 Valvoline MaxLife synthetic blend) to the crankcase since it was a little low.
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