Engine Oil Change
2013 GMC Sierra 1500
Also fits the Chevrolet Silverado 1500: same vehicle, different badge.
This 2013 GMC Sierra 1500 shares one basic oil change procedure across the whole GMT900 lineup, whether it's running the 4.3L V6, the 4.8L V8, either 5.3L V8, the 6.2L V8, or the 6.0L V8 Hybrid. It's rated Easy for a reason: level ground, jack stands, drain, swap the filter, refill, reset the oil life monitor. The one thing that decides how smooth it goes is whether your truck has the factory skid plate — if it does, that's an extra step before you can even reach the pan. Specs, torque values, and the full procedure are below.
How Rough Is This Going to Be? Know what you're getting into.
Getting under the truck means jack stands or ramps, not a lift, so the estimated time assumes you're already set up before you start turning bolts. If there's a factory splash shield or skid plate, that comes off first with a 15 mm socket, and that alone is the difference between a quick job and a longer one. After that it's the drain plug, then the filter, which sits low on the driver's side on the V8 engines and further forward on the V6 — different enough that people go looking in the wrong spot. Wipe the filter mounting pad and actually check that the old gasket came off with the canister; leaving it behind and stacking a new one on top is the easiest way to turn a routine oil change into a leak you chase later. Refill, idle it, check for drips, then confirm the level on the dipstick before you call it done.
Save Another Trip to the Parts Store Clips, seals, fluids, and the little stuff people forget.
The obvious miss is the filter itself — PF48E for the 4.8L, 5.3L, 6.0L Hybrid, and 6.2L engines, PF47E for the 4.3L V6 — and it's easy to grab whichever one is on the shelf. The drain plug's sealing washer is meant to be replaced rather than reused, and GM sells it separately, so don't assume the old one is fine. Have a clean rag ready for the filter mounting pad, and a drain pan big enough to actually catch what comes out instead of a container you have to swap halfway through. And don't forget the oil life monitor reset at the end — it doesn't happen on its own.
Here's Where It Gets Greasy The procedure, pain points, and common ways this job fights back.
The two ways people turn an easy job into a mess: skipping the splash shield removal and trying to drain around it, spilling everywhere or missing the plug entirely if the truck has one, and leaving the old filter's rubber gasket stuck to the mounting pad when the new one goes on, which shows up later as a slow weep nobody can find. People also reuse the old drain plug washer instead of fitting a new one, or forget to reset the Engine Oil Life System and just live with an inaccurate reminder. On the refill side, guessing at capacity instead of confirming which engine is actually under the hood costs you either an underfill or oil sitting in the pan longer than it should. None of this is exotic; it's just easy to rush an Easy-rated job.
It's a Good Idea To... Greasy tips and useful while-you're-in-there advice.
Before you spin on the new filter, run a finger around the mounting pad and confirm the old rubber gasket didn't stay glued to the block — that's the classic way this job turns into a mystery leak days later. Hand-tighten the new filter until the gasket makes contact, then give it about three-quarters of a turn past that, not a wrench-tightened guess.
You Already Have a Screw Loose. Your Car Shouldn't. Final checks before you call it done.
Once it's topped off, idle it, glance under the truck for drips at the plug and filter, then double check the dipstick reads correctly before you drop it off the stands. Reset the oil life monitor so the dash isn't lying to you next time, and get rid of the old oil and filter the way your local rules require. That's it — full specs and torque numbers are on the page above if you need to double check anything.