The receipt from the parts store said $45.92, and I rounded it to $46 in the notebook because I'm not an animal. The quick-lube place by the Belt Highway had quoted me $94 for a full synthetic change on the truck the week before, so the difference paid for most of a tank of gas.
The Silverado was at 132,040 miles last Saturday, right on schedule. The oil life monitor said 4 percent, and the notebook said it had been about 5,200 miles since the last change. I tend to go by whichever one speaks up first.
What the 5.3 takes
The 5.3-liter V8 in a 2014 Silverado takes 8 quarts of 0W-20 with a filter change. That number surprises people who are used to cars, and it's the main reason the quick-lube bill is so high. It also needs a full synthetic that meets GM's dexos spec, which is printed on the back of the jug. Here's what I bought:
- A 5-quart jug of 0W-20 full synthetic, dexos approved: $26.97
- Three single quarts of the same: $11.97
- An oil filter for the 5.3: $6.98
Tax got it to $45.92. The old oil goes back to the same store in the empty jugs, and they take it for free.
My drain pan routine
The truck doesn't fit in our garage with the door shut, so oil changes happen on the driveway. The good news about a four-wheel-drive pickup is that it sits high enough for me to slide under on a creeper without lifting it, which means no jack and no stands for this job. If your vehicle needs lifting to reach the plug, use ramps or jack stands on solid ground. Never work under something that's only on a jack.
I run the engine for about five minutes first so the oil is warm and flows, then shut it off and let it sit another five so I'm not getting a forearm full of hot oil. Oil that's been running at operating temperature can burn you, and the exhaust is a lot hotter than the oil. I wear nitrile gloves and old safety glasses because I have learned what oil in the eye feels like exactly once.
The order goes like this. Pull the dipstick and loosen the fill cap so the oil drains faster. Slide the pan under the drain plug, and keep the pan a few inches behind the plug because the first rush shoots backward. Loosen the plug with a wrench, back it out by hand the last few turns, then let it drain for a good ten minutes. While it drains, I move the pan to catch the filter, which hangs down near the front of the oil pan, and spin it off. It always lets go of another half quart, so the pan needs to be under it, not next to it.
Before the new filter goes on, I wipe the mounting surface clean and check that the old rubber gasket came off with the old filter. If it's stuck on the engine and you put a new filter on top, you get a double gasket, and a double gasket leaks a lot of oil very quickly. I rub a little fresh oil on the new gasket and spin it on hand tight, then about three-quarters of a turn more. No wrench on the new filter.
The one bolt I always check twice
That's the drain plug. I put it back in by hand first so I know it isn't cross-threaded, then snug it with a wrench. It doesn't need much. The spec is a modest number of foot-pounds, and people strip oil pans by leaning on it with their whole body. Then I go back and put a hand on it again before I pour in a single quart, because I know myself. Dad used to say the plug you didn't check is the one you'll see on the garage floor, and he's been right about that for 30 years.
Then the oil goes in. I pour 7 quarts, start the engine and let it idle for a minute while I look underneath for drips at the plug and the filter. Shut it off, wait a couple of minutes, check the dipstick, and top up toward the full mark with the last quart. On ours, the full 8 quarts usually puts it right where it should be. Last, reset the oil life monitor through the driver information menu, which took me longer to find the first time than the whole oil change.
At $94 versus $46, I save $48 per change. I do about three a year on the truck, so call it $144 a year, plus I know what went in and that the plug was tightened by someone who cared. It takes me about 45 minutes including cleanup. That's a decent hourly wage for lying on a cold driveway.
On a family note, Garrett passed his learner's permit test on March 8 on his second try. The first time, on the 3rd, he got 19 out of 25 and missed a following-distance question that I've since asked him at the dinner table more often than he'd like. He watched the oil change from the garage step. Next year, it's his turn under there.