OIL CHANGES 00 SILVERADO 5.3

john273

IM LOOKING FOR ANY ADVISE ON OIL CHANGES FOR A 00
SILVERADO 5300, 4X4 AS FAR AS REGULAR OIL OR
SYNTHETIC OIL AND TIME FRAMES OR MILEAGES. THE
TRUCK IS USED FOR ROADWAY DRIVING LOCAL AND
HIGHWAY, RECREATIONAL VEHICLE IN THE L.I. AREA OF
N.Y.. PLEASE INCLUDE OIL VISCOSITY. THIS IS A ONE
MONTH OLD VEHICLE WITH UNDER 1000 MILES.

bud_light_dude

There is a good topic here on Edmunds regarding slick50 and synthetics. Might try your questions over there.

lwittorf

I have a 2000 silverado with just under 5000 miles and I went with mobil 1 syn for the reason I have seen specs and the oil will stand up longer and not break dn as quick if hot. My nephew tried to use 15-40 in his 350 chev and his gas milage went dn 3mpg went back up when he used 5-30 so that is what I use but if it gets cold and it is change time I might even go to 0-30 but so far it starts good and oil pressure comes up real quick. I will go 5000 and change.

tracyo

My owners manual says not to use synthetic oil until you give your engine a good chance to break in, to let the moving parts mate with each other.Synthetic oil is too slick for this to occur properly.

jeffthro

An independent mechanic friend of mine stated to wait until engine has logged 35,000 miles before adding synthetic motor oil. He stated that the piston rings need to wear into the cylinders to properly seat. With synthetic being added prior to this mileage, he stated that oil consumption may be a concern due to the lack of ring-cylinder seating. This is what I intend on doing.

My 2¢...

Jeff

mdw1000

I've also heard that waiting is no longer necessary, also from mechanics. Guess the newer synthetics/engines are a better combo? Not an expert, but just what I've heard. I put mobil1 in my silverado at 600 miles, and no complaints. Did have a leaky rear seal on the oil pan, but I've heard of other people having that as well. Once they replaced that, no problems. Don't know for sure if its true, but I've heard you will see the leaks quicker with synthetics because of their better lubrication. I guess in some ways that's good, because you know about them sooner. Again, I'm no expert - just my $0.02

tracyo

What does the owners manual say about useing synthetics in the GM trucks?

mdw1000

I'll have to check to make sure, but I think it says its OK. I think it recommends it for cold weather, but that might be our Grand Am. I'll try to remember to double check. If I forget, email me at mdw1000@yahoo.com

mgdvhman

and did the first at 978 with conventional 10-30...and at 3201 went to Mobil 1 5-30....which is what it will use for the rest of the time I own it.
I'll probably go 3000-5000 between changes...not sure yet.

I hear more talk of waiting 3000 or so then i do 25000.....course some cars have it from day one also??

I'd say a lot more damage can be done waiting 25000 miles....VS...putting it in too soon..

- Tim

mgdvhman

35000 miles..

YIKES!

- Tim

jeffthro

Plan on using non-synthetic up to 35,000 miles and using only GM oil filter for my 4.8L engine. I've heard that the Fram and Mobil filters, etal do not allow oil to recirculate to the rocker assembly, especially when using 10 W 30 or 40. I plan on using only 5w 30. The thinner oil and large flow GM filter allows more oil to reach the head area. Some postings at Edmunds have indicated valve or rocker noise at startup. This damage may have been avoided if the owners manual would have been followed with regard to using 5w oil and GM filter. This way, warranty remains intact.


Jeff

bud_light_dude

I have heard from three different GM service shops that if you plan to run synthetic in your truck, it is better to switch as soon as possible. The theory of improper wear in if using synthetic oil is no longer of any merit. Plenty of vehicles come straight from the factory with synthetic oil, i.e. Corvettes, BMW's, Porche's, the higher priced SUV's like the Lincoln Navigator, Cadillac, and the Diamante, etc. The only reason all vehicles don't come from the factory with synthetic is the price. Think about it....at almost $5 a quart for Mobil1 oil times 6, thats $30. Take that times all the vehicles that are manufactured in a year, that's a lot of extra cash. They save a lot of money on using conventional oil over the synthetic. Now, granted, I know that the manufacturers would not have to pay $5 a quart, but even if they get it discounted to say as low as $2-$2.50 a quart, thats a dollar or more a quart more expensive than the petroleum based oils.

tweverts

Yes, agree that some cars come from the factory with synthetic oil. When I did some checking on GM products (ie vette) I found out that the engines were broke in and put on dyno with regular dino oil before being placed in the car with the new synthetic oil. Maybe someone else with more "insider info" could confirm break in duration of these new cars.

I personally changed oil on my new Silverado at 1000 miles with regular dino and you could see all the metal filings on the magnetic drain plug. Changed again at 3,000 to Synthetic (no metal fragments on drain plug this time) as this was the minimum mileage recommended for break in by both a good mech and the Syn oil company rep. I plan on 5,000 mi intervals for average driving.
PS. no oil leaks or problems of any type to date with 7K on the clock.

Tony

wtking

I'll throw this out for debate. How do the other brands of synthetic oil compare with Mobil 1? I've always used Pennzoil in my cars/trucks, and do all my own oil changes. I always try and use the manufacturer brand oil filter. (ie Motorcraft for Fords/AC Delco for GM)Any thoughts on other brands of synthetic oil??

bud_light_dude

I think that it is no different in synthetic brands than in petroleum based oils. I think it is more based on preference and brand reputation. I use the Mobil1 because it is very popular, has a great reputation, is readily available, is not the "most" expensive readily available synthetic oil, and because since I drive a Chevy, GM uses Mobil products.

Is Amsoil, Redline, etc. better? I could not factually confirm it. I do know that Amsoil was the very first to provide synthetic oil based on the same commercial airline grade synthetics that are used in turbo jet engines. The high temps and demanding use of those engines required a special grade of oil. The founder of Amsoil was a military pilot that left the military and engineered the synthetic products based on the same oil that these jets used. It is also about $7.00 unless you are a dealer or know someone who is. They also claim once a year or 15,000 miles oil change intervals with it though.

If you are asking if Pennzoil synthetic or Valvoline synthetic is as good as say Mobil1 synthetic. I would say so. I think with the oil readily found in Walmart, Kmart, and Autoparts retail stores, its all pretty close to the same stock.

meredith

As a result of 30 or more days of inactivity....

this topic is being "frozen". It will be archived or deleted in the next 10 days or so.

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