Daox's 2003 Matrix Build Thread - Page 7 - Fuel Economy, Hypermiling, EcoModding News and Forum

Daox · 04-10-2009, 09:30 AM

Time for new summer tires for the Matrix. The previous tires I had were General Exclaim UHP, a summer performance tire. They were a great grippy tire, and oddly enough rated as a LRR, but they only lasted one summer. So, I picked up a different set of LRRs, Michelin HX MXM4's. I got them mounted on my summer wheels and put them on the car last night. I'll get to test out their usefulness this weekend as I travel out to LaCrosse area. Its about 200 miles one way, so we'll go through a tank of gas.

The MXM4s on air blender wheels!

Nice tread pattern. I can see why its LRR, those grooves are HUGE, I'd say almost 1/4".

Also, again (I do it yearly), these are my winter tires that say 35 psi max sidewall. I use them all winter at 50 psi. After two years and probably ~15k miles they still look like this.

Deezler · 04-10-2009, 10:57 AM

Daox, looking good. Do you have any after-market suspension on the matrix? Those wheels would look sharp tucked under the fenders....

Whats the red car in the background? Kind of looks like an MR2!

Daox · 04-10-2009, 12:41 PM

Yep, the Matrix has some Eibach springs on it. The air blenders do looks very nice IMO.

The red car is a Paseo I picked up a while back with a siezed engine. Not sure what I'm doing with it yet. Its a possible EV, possible rebuild...

Daox · 07-01-2009, 02:30 PM

Bad news for the Matrix.

According to the past few oil analysis test I've had done, I have too much silicon in my oil. I called up the testing facility and talked with them trying to find out what it could be. It sounds like it is from coolant leaking into my oil. This means a bad head gasket. It also means increased wear on all engine components that require oil. I'll be changing the oil one last time very soon to see if switching oils makes any difference. If there is no improvement, its time for a new head gasket at the least.

This does make sense. My average mileage has been slowly slipping down (versus last year) for no apparent reason. The last long trip I made was last weekend and I didn't even break 40 mpg! I took the same trip last November and averaged over 44. Time to test compression and/or do a leak down test to see if thats a problem. Any other tests you might suggest?

stevey_frac · 07-01-2009, 03:33 PM

Sorry to hear about the Matrix Silicon problem.

Did they report that they detected coolant? Or just Silicon? I thought that silicon was primarily from a the engine ingesting dust or sand. I'd make sure you check your air filter and intake tract for leaks.

Most of the oil analysis reports i've seen on BITOG (Bob is the Oil Guy) have separate reports for coolant and silicon. Generally, if there is any kind of coolant leak your oil will come up milky in color, and your coolant level will go down.

As an aside, what kind of fastener are you using for your grill block? It looks hawt.

-Steve

Daox · 07-01-2009, 03:59 PM

Its a very slow weep. I need to top off the coolant reservoir every 10-15k miles or so. Ironically, that is about when I was changing my oil too. I have checked my air filter, and the oil filter isn't leaking either.

The grill block is fastened with thumb screws and wing nuts I got at a local hardware store.

KJSatz · 07-01-2009, 04:08 PM

Do you think it's possible that "advanced techniques" had anything to do with this wear?

stevey_frac · 07-01-2009, 04:24 PM

It's more likely that the car is 5-6 years old now and thats the single biggest reason why the head gasket has decided to go on strike.

Is this something you can do yourself Daox? I hope so. Head gaskets are $15 in parts, and $500 in labour.

Daox · 07-01-2009, 05:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KJSatz

Do you think it's possible that "advanced techniques" had anything to do with this wear?

Nope. I drive my Matrix much more mildly than the Paseo. I do P&G, but with the engine on costing. Nothing that could effect the head gasket. That is about as advanced as it gets.

I'll be doing the head gasket and whatever other work is needed, so its only parts and time thankfully. The bad thing is my wife uses the Matrix for hauling stuff around for work. Poor her, she'll have to cram her stuff in the Paseo for a week or so while the head is getting checked/resurfaced.

stevey_frac · 07-01-2009, 05:06 PM

Good luck getting her back in order. I doubt an oil change is going to have any effect, but i guess it's worth a shot. I wouldn't let her go very far with water in the oil though. Not a good scenario for engine longevity.