Which Engine Oil?

[sourdough44]

I went in today for my 1st 'free' oil change, 6 months and 3500 miles. He made a comment about me being 3000 miles early for this change. I said I like to do the 1st one early. Not that 3500 is all that early.

 

I will check the level next time I take it out.

[ToesonTheNose]

called today to ask about getting synthetic put in place for first oil change I was told the 0w-20 they put in is syntheitc is this true?

[gone_fishing]

called today to ask about getting synthetic put in place for first oil change I was told the 0w-20 they put in is syntheitc is this true?

 

If they are using AC Delco/GM 0W-20 oil it's a syn blend

 

[ToesonTheNose]

 

thanks for the info, Ive always done my own oil changes as I don't trust anyone but if they are gonna do it rotate tires and wash my truck why not

[Ventilator]

called today to ask about getting synthetic put in place for first oil change I was told the 0w-20 they put in is syntheitc is this true?

If you want synthetic instead of synthetic blend, most will do it. You just have to pay the difference in price from the normal synthetic blend to what they call full synthetic price. Still cheaper than doing a full synthetic oil change on your own. They also rotate the tires like you said and perform a check of several points on the truck.

[redwngr]

Dexos approved 0w20's seem to be synthetic.

 

Here's a list of those that are approved to the dexos spec:

 

http://www.centerforqa.com/gm/dexos1-brands

[FL335i]

First off, the 2yrs maintenance is 4 oil changes & tire rotations. The computer will go approx. 7,500 miles on one change. So that's 15k/yr, hence the 2yrs maintenance. I also heard last year that they wanted the % to be under 20%, but I've had 2x of mine done so far and both were around 27-30% and they didn't even bring it up. I think it's the idea you have 4x changes, use them as you see fit. I don't think my dealer is using the correct 0-20 oil. I'm betting they're using bulk 5-30. If you read the owner's manual in our 14's it states 0-20 is the preferred/optimum or whatever oil. Then it states to NOT use 10-30 and above. So they basically left 5/30 on the table for dealers. Fancy wording in that paragraph. Let's recommend 0-20, specify that 10-30 and above is not to be used. And let's not even discuss 5-30 so the dealers don't get in trouble and have a leg to stand on when someone with a brain figure out they're using 5-30. The point is 5-30 is probably OK, we'll just lose MPG's. Which we pay for, not the dealer. I'm getting my 4x free changes and doing it myself. 0-20 M1 @ wal-mat is $24/jug for 5qts. I'll use a PureOne filter from Advance or online.

 

 

Wife's '13 Honda CRV was in he same boat. Calls for 0-20. Honda dealer gave us 2 free oil changes. We were getting 29mpg combined on the factory fill oil. Go in for the first oil change and then she's down to 24-26. Could not break 26. 3k later I did a 0-20 Pennzoil change and she was back up to 30mpg. Like clock work. I'm betting in a 4cyl Honda it's a bigger issue than in a small block V8.

[redwngr]

From GM Techlink:

 

Frequently Asked Questions:

dexos1™ 0W-20 Engine Oil

Q: Why dexos1 0W-20 engine oil?

A: The new 5.3L and 6.2L V8 EcoTec3 engines available in the

new 2014 Silverado 1500 and Sierra 1500 trucks are the most

fuel efficient and technologically advanced engines in the market.

These engines feature an advanced combustion system that

maximizes the potential of the direct injection (DI) fuel system,

active fuel management (AFM), variable valve timing (VVT), two

stage oil pumps and other technologies. The dexos1 0W-20 oil

supports these technologies and is an enabler for the engines’

improved fuel economy performance.

Q: Are other automobile manufacturers recommending

0W-20 engine oil for their products?

A: Some other manufacturers are already recommending 0W-20

engine oil for their products. General Motors expects this to

become an industry trend and more automobile manufacturers will

be recommending the use of 0W-20 engine oil in the future.

Q: What do the numbers 0W-20 represent?

A: 0W-20 represents the standard SAE measurement of oil

viscosity. Viscosity is a measurement of the oil’s resistance to

flow. The more resistant the oil is to flow, the higher its viscosity.

Q: If dexos1 0W-20 oil is recommended for a vehicle’s

engine, does it have to be used?

A: Yes. As an example, the 5.3L and 6.2L V8 EcoTec3 engines

were designed, engineered, validated and EPA certified using

dexos1 0W-20 oil. This is the ONLY oil approved for these

engines. Another oil, such as 5W30, that may be more widely

available should not be used in place of dexos1 0W-20 oil.

GM Powertrain also has approved the use of 0W-20 oil for

applications specifying 5W-20 oil.

Q: What if the engine is low on oil and dexos1 0W-20 oil

is not available to top off the oil level?

A: There are many different GM licensed oil products that

meet the dexos1 specification. If one cannot be located, a GF5

Synthetic grade 0W-20 oil that meets the dexos1 specification,

such as Mobil 1™ 0W-20 Advanced Fuel Economy synthetic

oil, can be used. It meets or exceeds International Lubricant

Standardization and Approval Committee (ILSAC) GF-5 requirements.

If a different viscosity oil is added to the engine other

than dexos1 0W-20 oil, GM recommends that an oil change

be performed as soon as practical, but no longer than the next

scheduled oil change in order to return the engine to the original

dexos1 0W-20 oil factory requirements.

Q: When will dexos1 0W-20 oil be available to Service

Agents (Dealerships)?

A: In the United States, dexos1 0W-20 oil is currently available

at retailers nationwide in 1 quart and 5 quart containers. In the

United States, Mobil 1 0W-20 oil is currently available in quart/

drum/bulk through the GM Oil Program.

In Canada, Mobil 1 0W-20 oil is currently available in 1 L and 4.4 L

sizes through the GM Oil Program.

In the United States and Canada, Customer Care and Aftersales

will release pricing and availability for ACDelco dexos1™ 0W-20

oil as soon as it becomes available.

[nuclearxp]

I always find it interesting when folks throw away the owners manual guidance for some good 'ol fashioned internet crowd-sourced opinions. Simply put, GM primarily tests and verifies their engines based on the AC Delco part # for oil/filter in the back of your manual. Obviously they couldn't determine a new oil grade measuring system for AC Delco only so they established quality standards (Dexos) to which you can follow and match the viscosity based on the temperature in your area.

 

Below is an excerpt from my manual:

 

Selecting the Right Engine Oil

Selecting the right engine oil

depends on both the proper oil

specification and viscosity grade.

See Recommended Fluids and

Lubricants on page 11-12.

Specification

Use and ask for licensed engine oils

with the dexos1® approved

certification mark. Engine oils

meeting the requirements for the

vehicle should have the dexos1

approved certification mark. This

certification mark indicates that the

oil has been approved to the dexos1

specification.

{ Caution

Failure to use the recommended

engine oil can result in engine

damage not covered by the

vehicle warranty. Check with your

dealer or service provider on

whether the oil is approved to the

dexos1 specification.

Viscosity Grade

SAE 0W-20 is the best viscosity

grade for the 5.3L and 6.2L

V8 engines. SAE 5W-30 is the best

viscosity grade for the 4.3L V6, and

6.0L V8 engines. Do not use other

viscosity grade oils such as

SAE 10W-30, 10W-40, or 20W-50.

Cold Temperature Operation: In an

area of extreme cold, where the

temperature falls below −29°C

(−20°F), an SAE 0W-30 oil may be

used in the 4.3L or 6.0L engine. An

oil of this viscosity grade will provide

easier cold starting for the engine at

extremely low temperatures. When

selecting an oil of the appropriate

viscosity grade, always select an oil

of the correct specification. See

“Specification” earlier in this section

for more information.

To me that makes it simple. Choice "A" would be AC Delco Dexos 0W-20. There is no alternative listed for the 5.3L in cold weather, so I'd stick with it exclusively if it were up to me. After that, I would go with a Mobile 1 or other Dexos labeled oil at the 0W-20 viscosity.

 

​Fiddling with brands, old wives tales, blogs, and what your neighbor said is just silly. They designed, tested, and warranty the vehicles for what they recommend - why people still insist on deviating stumps me.

[2017SierraSLT]

I love Pennzoil Ultra oil. It is widely respected in the automotive circles.

[redwngr]

I love Pennzoil Ultra oil. It is widely respected in the automotive circles.

Pennzoil Ultra 0W20 is a dexos1 approved oil. (so are Pennzoil Platinum Full Synthetic and Pennzoil Synthetic Blend and Pennzoil Gold Synthetic)

 

http://www.pennzoil.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Pennzoil-Ultra-Platinum-0W-20-SN-GF-5-en-TDS.pdf

 

http://www.centerforqa.com/gm/dexos1-brands

[inspktr]

I got my first oil change at the GMC dealer and the invoice showed 9 quarts of 88864006, is this the proper oil for the 2014?

9 - 88864006 8800BOPCK Oil

[arkenzo]

Just did my fist oil change, car hit 20,000 miles already, had GM do the 3rd free oil change, had an oil leak because they forgot to take the oil filter rubber gasket off. I couldn't take the risk of downtime so I ditched the 4th free oil change and just did it myself, took 30 minutes, used 6 quarts of Halvoline ProDS dexos approved oil and a bosch oil filter. Truck running great like usual and NO LEAKS!

[Ventilator]

Just did my fist oil change, car hit 20,000 miles already, had GM do the 3rd free oil change, had an oil leak because they forgot to take the oil filter rubber gasket off. I couldn't take the risk of downtime so I ditched the 4th free oil change and just did it myself, took 30 minutes, used 6 quarts of Halvoline ProDS dexos approved oil and a bosch oil filter. Truck running great like usual and NO LEAKS!

4.3L? If you have the 5.3, you need 2-1/2 more quarts.

[arkenzo]

4.3L? If you have the 5.3, you need 2-1/2 more quarts.

4.3