Oil weight for 5.3? 0-20 no good?

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GMCChevy

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0W-20 has been the specified oil since around 2013 and the 5.3 hasn't had the problems the later 6.2 has so you'd be safe continuing with that weight.
Sure it's a CAFE thing but at the same time all those other gimmicky fuel mileage things built in to newer engines make them pickier about weight of oil then older engines so why mess with it.
 

Stbentoak

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Once you start up the supercar 0W-40 ladder, you may get one free and a free oil cap.... But the price of the next one's that are on you will rock your socks. I'd personally stick with 0W-20 Dexos and change it a little more often, maybe. You've done nothing wrong, and it is priced like a normal oil change...If the engine barfs out You'd still be covered by the extended warranty. You haven't violated anything....

What about people who have bought changes ahead from the dealership or GM? Do they get the new prescription for those changes?
 

vcode

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Once you start up the supercar 0W-40 ladder, you may get one free and a free oil cap.... But the price of the next one's that are on you will rock your socks. I'd personally stick with 0W-20 Dexos and change it a little more often, maybe. You've done nothing wrong, and it is priced like a normal oil change...If the engine barfs out You'd still be covered by the extended warranty. You haven't violated anything....

What about people who have bought changes ahead from the dealership or GM? Do they get the new prescription for those changes?
He has the 5.3L. He won't get a freebie as they are not doing the 0W40 thing with that engine.
 

B-train

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I agree with the above posts....however I choose to be proactive and use common sense and critical thinking based on life experiences. 10w-30 was the norm of the 80's, / early 90's. Then 5w-30 came out an everyone was leary (myself included).....I watched motors grenade after running 100k on regular 10w-30 with a switch to 5w-30.

Fast forward, the 5w-30 regime has millions of miles on LS engines, and most GM engines. 0w-20 just seems wrong to me. I've run it, but I don't like it. I think 5w-30 is just a good, sensible oil all around.
 

Silverado4x4

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This got me thinking, the motors that require and getting 0W40 supercar oil and you bought the maintenance plan that include oil changes for the term of the contract from the dealer being the 0W40 is alot more expensive then the 0W20 I guess they will absorb the extra cost. I suppose since it's a signed contract they have to honer.
 

fredcook

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I wouldn't move to 0W30. Especially on one with miles on it. We had to have some work performed on one of our 5.3's while on a road trip that required draining the oil. The dealer put 0W30 in it. By time we got home (~700 miles), the oil pan gasket was seeping like crazy. At first I thought they messed with the pan when they didn't need to, so I checked torque. All were OK, and it didn't look like any bolts were ever removed. No sign of manipulation. On a hunch, I changed the oil, putting 5W30 back in. Sure enough, seepage stopped.
 

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