The 250,000 Mile Club

alchip

Do you have any advice on how to make our 2006 Chevy Uplander LS last to 250,000 miles? We are currently at 162,500 miles. Thanks!

jpf

Congratulations so far! Regular maintenance, in particular servicing the fluids; change oil every 3k miles; change transmission fluid every 50k miles; change anti-freeze every 2 years. This is the best prescription to get to the 250 club. Good luck.

alchip

Thanks, yes, recently I did a transmission service on our Uplander and, I must say, I was shocked at what a difference it made. My local shop also suggested a fuel/injection service which I was a bit skeptical about given the price ($ 175), but it really has seemed to make a difference for our vehicle. I think they did a little extra for me when I had it in the shop (maybe adjusted the timing somehow?), but whatever they did made it run better. Thanks again for the encouragement!

cchanij

My Uplander has 187,000 on it with very few problems. One of the main things we did was keeping the fluids changed. We have the 3.9 liter engine and it runs fabulously on Castrol full synthetic. We run Amsoil in the transmission. Im expecting to make it easily to the 250,000 mile club. Ill let you know!

alchip

Great! Thanks for the post. You know, when you look at the cost of maintenance versus buying new, it's really a fraction of the cost of a new vehicle. Don't get me wrong, there is some great new product out there, but our 3.5 liter engine now has 173,500 miles on it and I'm planning to tack on another 5,000 over the holidays. The thing is, I really like the basic design of the Uplander for my stage (Dad) in life. We have had so many great trips in it and I use it for commuting to work every day. The Uplander, for us, has been a great investment.

alchip

Well, we made it through the winter and are now at about 185,000 miles, but our transmission is starting to slip. When we are stopped at a light and I give it gas, the car hesitates, then "slams into gear". Do you know the cause of this? I tried a product called TransX which seemed to help for a while, but I am trying to avoid a transmission replacement on the way to 250,000. Thanks.

jpf

Has the transmission ever been serviced (i.e. fluid and filter service)? The transmission fluid should be a pinkish color. I now have 93k miles on my Uplander. Head gasket and cross over pipe gasket were done under the powertrain warranty in early 2012. Engine does not burn oil and transmission shifts smoothly on our van. Good luck.

alchip

Yes, I have not had it done at my dealership but I have had the transmission serviced at least twice at a local shop. I'll recheck the fluid level and condition. Thanks.

jpf

Just passed 100k miles. No oil usage, just regular oil changes at 3000 mile intervals. Averaging just under 27 mpg on current trip. Changed struts, tie rods, rear shocks, stabilizer bar at 80k and it makes a world of difference in improving ride quality. good luck to all Uplander/Montana owners.

mn300kuplander

Mine has 306,000 miles and is still running strong. Regular maintenance and TLC will get you there

alchip

306,000 miles! I'll bet you could teach me a few things about car care! If you had to pick one thing that has gotten you into the 250,000 Mile Club what would it be? Again, I'm most concerned about the transmission. Thanks.