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First oil change and chassis lube

zedbear

By zedbear
in Ask A GM Technician

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zedbear Enthusiast

zedbear

Posted
Posted

I recently bought a new 2013 Sierra with a 5.3L. Its now approaching 1000 miles. I didn't notice anything in the owners manual but is there supposed to be an "early" first oil change? Or do I just go with the normal change intervals from the start? I know some vehicles now don't require an early first oil change but I just want to make sure as I'm taking it on a 2000 mile round trip in a few days.

 

The weather has sucked and I haven't felt like sliding under the truck to look but do these new trucks have greasable balljoints, etc?

 

Also, I noticed the door hinges seem to have no lube of any sort. I read in the owners manual the hood hinges and a couple other parts need to be lubed periodically but the doors/latches weren't mentioned. Are they supposed to be dry?

 

Thanks!

Jsdirt Senior Enthusiast

Jsdirt

Posted
Posted

600 miles was recommended for years. That's what I follow with everything, 2 wheels or 4. Remember, GM is in the businsess of selling trucks - not making them last 10 - 20 years. Use your own judgement there ...

 

For hinges, latches, etc .. I use synthetic spray grease. Lubriplate is probably recommended there, but any good lithium lubricant will work.

 

Up north here, if you don't lube them, they don't last very long.

bossier62guy Senior Enthusiast

bossier62guy

Posted
Posted

600 miles was recommended for years. That's what I follow with everything, 2 wheels or 4. Remember, GM is in the businsess of selling trucks - not making them last 10 - 20 years. Use your own judgement there ...

 

For hinges, latches, etc .. I use synthetic spray grease. Lubriplate is probably recommended there, but any good lithium lubricant will work.

 

Up north here, if you don't lube them, they don't last very long.

 

Nothing in my owners manual stated 600 miles....

Jsdirt Senior Enthusiast

Jsdirt

Posted
Posted

Exactly my point - it WAS recommended for years ...... now what has changed? Why no recommendation today? I have a few guesses ....

zedbear Enthusiast

zedbear

Posted
  • Author
Posted

I bought a POS 99 Dakota w/pos V-6 new and it was emphasized that it had to be brought back for a free first oil change at 1000 miles, IIRC. Our 2011 Forester stated a 3000 mile first oil change, then at 7500 and then every 7500 after that (normal service). We bought an 07 Focus new but I can't remember what the deal was with that thing. I'm not seeing anything anywhere that states it should be changed early for the new Sierra. I know one company, Honda, supposedly emphasizes NOT changing the factory fill early. Seems like this stuff is all over the place. Hope I didn't start an oil debate lol.

gmtech4 Senior Enthusiast

gmtech4

Posted
Posted

dump your oil now ,my opinion only ,,,spray hinges every 6 months or so with a lasting lube ,of your choice ,,,as mentioned ,lubriplate (white grease) was used in days of old lol

Gone Again Enthusiast

Gone Again

Posted
Posted

This will probably open a can of worms but is just my opinion and experience. Have owned /operated (still do) an independent repair shop for 41 years and helped my dad fix cars for 13 years before that-god I'm old. Always said that no 2 oils are the same. With todays cars and no specific info on how long to leave the original oil in, I've always told my customers to leave it in 2500-3000 miles. That way the rings should be seated well with one kind of oil. After that change, pick a quality oil and stay with it. You can go to what ever interval suits you after that. I really think that many of todays oil consumption problems are caused by switching brands of oil. I see where people buy "whatever is on sale". I think this is a mistake. Take this all for what it's worth. It has worked for me.

waumo1 Enthusiast

waumo1

Posted
Posted

In the overall scheme of what it costs to own and operate a vehicle, oil changes don't amount to much. I tend to err on the side of more frequent changes but I also keep my vehicles 15 years or more. If I traded every 3-5 years, I wouldn't worry much about oil changes except to maintain the warranty.

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