Changing your own oil on a Silverado 1500 is one of the best maintenance habits you can build. It takes 30–45 minutes and saves you a shop visit — while giving you confidence in exactly what went into your engine.
This guide covers every generation of Silverado 1500 from 2007 through 2026.
What You'll Need
- Correct oil for your engine and model year — see the viscosity warning below before you buy a case
- Oil quantity: 8 quarts (2014–2026 5.3L / 6.2L) or 6 quarts (pre-2014 5.3L) — verify against your owner's manual
- The correct oil filter for your engine, confirmed by VIN
- Drain plug socket, oil filter wrench, and a drain pan of at least 8 quart capacity
- Vehicle ramps or a floor jack with jack stands
- Torque wrench, funnel, rags, nitrile gloves
Important: Which Viscosity Does Your Engine Actually Take?
For most 2014–2026 EcoTec3 trucks the answer is 0W-20 full synthetic meeting dexos1, and for pre-2014 Vortec engines it is 5W-30. But there is a significant exception you need to check before buying oil.
If you have a 6.2L L87 engine from the 2021–2024 model years, do not assume 0W-20. GM recalled these engines over connecting rod and crankshaft manufacturing defects, covering units produced between 1 March 2021 and 31 May 2024. For vehicles that passed inspection and kept their original engine, GM's remedy specifies switching from 0W-20 to a dexos R 0W-40 oil, along with a new oil fill cap showing the revised specification.
Whether that applies to your truck depends on your VIN, not just the model year — if the engine was replaced under warranty, the correct viscosity depends on when the replacement engine was built. Check your fill cap, and confirm with your dealer against your VIN before you order a case of anything. Our dexos specification guide explains how dexos1, dexosD and dexos R differ.
Step-by-Step Oil Change Procedure
Step 1: Warm the Engine (2–3 Minutes)
Run the engine for 2–3 minutes to warm the oil — warm oil drains faster and more completely than cold oil. Don't do a full drive; just idle briefly. Turn the engine off and let it cool for 5 minutes before getting underneath.
Step 2: Raise and Support the Truck
Drive onto ramps or use a floor jack with jack stands. Never work under a truck supported only by a jack. The drain plug and filter are reachable without lifting on many 2WD Silverados; on 4WD models, raising the front helps. Our jack and jack stand capacity guide covers sizing both to your truck.
Step 3: Remove the Drain Plug
Locate the drain plug on the bottom of the oil pan. Position your drain pan, then loosen the plug counterclockwise. Once it's finger-loose, pull it away quickly to avoid getting hot oil on your hands. Let the oil drain fully (5–7 minutes).
Inspect the drain plug washer. Where your truck uses a crush washer, replace it when it shows any deformation rather than reusing it indefinitely.
Step 4: Remove and Replace the Oil Filter
The 5.3L and 6.2L EcoTec3 V8s use a spin-on canister filter — the same ACDelco PF63 family used across GM's Gen V small block V8s. Unscrew it counterclockwise with a filter wrench, letting residual oil drain into your pan.
Before fitting the new filter, wipe the mating surface on the block clean and confirm the old gasket came off with the old filter. A doubled-up gasket is a guaranteed leak. Lightly oil the new filter's gasket, thread it on by hand until the gasket contacts the block, then tighten by the amount printed on the filter itself — usually around three-quarters of a turn. Do not use a wrench to tighten a spin-on filter.
Not every GM engine uses a spin-on filter — several V6 and turbo four-cylinder applications use a cartridge element in a housing with a screw-off cap, which is a different procedure and a different tool. Confirm which one your engine has by VIN before you buy.
Step 5: Reinstall the Drain Plug
Clean the drain plug and pan mating surface. Thread the plug in by hand first to avoid cross-threading, then torque to the figure in your service information. Do not overtighten — aluminum oil pans strip easily, and a stripped pan is a far bigger job than the oil change was.
Step 6: Add New Oil
Remove the oil fill cap on the valve cover. Using a funnel, add most of the capacity first, then check the dipstick and add in small increments until it reads in the FULL zone. The dipstick is the authority, not the number on the jug.
Step 7: Start the Engine and Check for Leaks
Start the engine and let it idle for 60 seconds. The oil pressure light should go out within a few seconds — if it stays on, shut the engine off immediately and investigate. While idling, look under the truck for drips at the drain plug or filter. Shut off, wait 5 minutes, recheck the dipstick.
Step 8: Reset the Oil Life Monitor
2022–2026: Settings → Vehicle → Oil Life Reset on the touchscreen.
2019–2021: Navigate the DIC with steering wheel buttons to Oil Life % → hold OK for 3 seconds.
2014–2018: Press the trip reset button three times rapidly with the key in ON, then once more to confirm.
2007–2013: Navigate the DIC to OIL LIFE REMAINING → hold SET/RESET for 3 seconds.
Menu paths vary by trim and model year, so if yours does not match, check the manual rather than assuming the reset failed.
How Often to Change Oil on a Silverado 1500
- Normal driving: When the oil life monitor gets low — typically every 7,000–10,000 miles on full synthetic
- Towing/hauling regularly: Sooner than the monitor asks
- Short trips/city driving: Sooner as well — short trips don't fully warm the engine and contaminate oil faster
- Maximum interval: Do not exceed 12 months regardless of mileage
The oil life monitor is a model, not a measurement. It does not know you towed a trailer through a mountain pass last weekend. Treat it as a ceiling rather than a target.
📖 Back to: The Complete Silverado 1500 How-To Guide
Related: Best Oil for the Silverado 1500 5.3L | How to Reset the Oil Life Monitor (Every GM Model) | ACDelco PF63 vs PF64 Cross-Reference
— GM Service Guy
Shop Related Parts & Accessories
Confirm your engine's viscosity and filter by VIN before ordering:
