Yesterday I decided to change the factory fill oil on my 2015 Silverado with 5.3l V8. I changed the oil at 4700 miles, Went with Mobil 1 0W20 AFE and an AC Delco PF63 oil filter. I do have the 4 free oil changes from the stealership, but my fear of someone else messing up my vehicle would not allow me to take it to the service center. We will see I will probably have them service the truck every 10,000 miles when I need to get the tires rotated.

 

if they mess anything up its warranty, especially if its under the 4/24 freebies.


I find it a little comical you don't want them to change your oil but you're ok with them rotating the tires?!

 

Let them do the oil changes, believe me when I say this. Anything that might go wrong with the engine or any other components of your new truck will be blamed on YOUR oil change. They will say it voids any warranties because THEY can. Then you have to prove it did not. Oil changes are cheap from them compared from doing it yourself. They are a CASH COW and will find any reason to NOT fix any future problems you may have because of your oil change. Take it to them and have them change the oil. Let them do it until warranties are up. BELIEVE me, it will save you tons of future grief !!!!!

 

Question: Do the GM dealerships put in synthetic under the free oil change program?

 

They should put whatever the vehicle calls for in it, atleast that's what we do. So if it calls for dexos and you want full synthetic then the oil cost is on you...I think...I don't really do the office work

 

that is what they do.

 

Enjoy doing it yourself. I have never availed myself of the "free" oil change stuff for similar reasons. Matter of fact, whenever I buy a new vehicle, it is usually a good bet that it will never see the dealership, or any other, again. Those "free" oil changes are not free to me. By the time I take time off from business to go get it done, just one oil change costs me about $1000 dollars in lost business revenue. Cheaper than their "free" stuff to just do it myself, and I know that it is done properly, including all the various grease points on my 2500.

I wouldn't even bother myself with worrying over the "if something goes wrong, they can blame your oil change" stuff. That is for folks with enlarged paranoia glands. Just use a oil that meets the standard, live long, and prosper. The Federal Trade Commission has clearly outlined that owners can do their own servicing without the OEM being able to browbeat them over it. It would be quite a stretch to prove that an owner doing an oil change caused damage to cause a warranty issue. And then, the FTC requires the OEM to prove that it is what caused the damage, not just take their word for it.

I don't even worry about this when it comes to my commercial stuff, even on engines that cost more, alone, than most folk's total pickup cost. I have never had a commercial engine OEM even question who was doing the servicing or even what oil I was using, and I have had warranty work done without question. Some folks just see a boogy man around every corner.

 

this is an example of a diy oil change I ran into....guy brought it in with check engine light (knock sensor and random misfire codes) and an engine tick, needless to say warranty wasn't even a thought and he had to fight like hell to even get his insurance to help him out....


well I have a pic but some reason the "insert" thing isn't working....there was a paper towel/shop rag between the oil filter and adapter

 

Both DIY and shop oil changes can go bad. In 1969, I was doing gas pump jockey and grease monkey duties at a rural gas station in Northern BC. I was changing the oil and filter on a Chev step van used commercially. Of course, the bell kept dinging, and I had to keep running out to "Fillerup with supreme?"

Because of the distractions, I did not fully remove all the old o-ring gasket from the base of the filter. That led to a slow leak, and the truck ran dangerously low on oil.

Everyone can and does make the odd mistake, dealerships included. That mistake taught me a lesson, and one I'll never forget.

 

they legally cannot deny warranty for doing your own oil changes. the problem however, is you must be able to prove they were done if an oil related engine problem exists. I have seen warranty denied many times as the customer has no proof they were done. repair orders with vin, date, mileage, oil type make it easy to prove. A receipt that you bought oil and a filter does not prove it went on the vehicle in question. When a $6000 engine replacement is on the line because your burning oil; let a shop change your oil until powertrain runs out. slide under your truck and check, the filter, plug and oil level if your paranoid about someone else's work.