Engine Oil Change
2018 Chevrolet Equinox
Also fits the GMC Terrain: same vehicle, different badge.
This is about as easy as engine maintenance gets on a 2018 Equinox, across all three engines and both drivetrains. The catch is that this platform isn't one-size-fits-all: the 1.5L Turbo, 2.0L Turbo, and 1.6L Turbo Diesel take different oil, different amounts of it, and the diesel uses a totally different filter design. Nail down which engine and drivetrain you actually have before you touch anything, then work off the specs and steps on this page.
How Rough Is This Going to Be? Know what you're getting into.
You're under the front of the car either way, so jack stands are non-negotiable even though this also works fine on ramps. Drain the oil, deal with the filter — a spin-on canister up front for the gas engines, a cartridge under a housing cap for the diesel — then refill, run it, and check for leaks. The estimate on this page assumes no surprises: a stuck filter gasket, a lazy drain, or fumbling the diesel housing cap turns twenty minutes into something longer. Mess level is medium, so keep the catch pan generous and expect some drips getting the filter off.
Save Another Trip to the Parts Store Clips, seals, fluids, and the little stuff people forget.
People forget to check whether the old spin-on filter's gasket came off with it or stayed stuck to the engine — that one bites you at startup. Have a fresh drain plug seal ready in case the old one's flattened, a clean funnel, and a lint-free cloth for the dipstick. Buy the right oil in the right amount for your specific engine and drivetrain, not a generic number off a chart — FWD and AWD versions of the same engine don't take the same volume.
Here's Where It Gets Greasy The procedure, pain points, and common ways this job fights back.
Overtightening the drain plug is the classic one: the pan is aluminum, and going past the drain plug torque in the specs strips the threads, turning a fifteen-minute job into a pan replacement. Putting gasoline-spec dexos1 oil into the 1.6L diesel is another — it's not approved for that engine and it'll load up the DPF with soot over time. Guessing at oil capacity instead of confirming FWD versus AWD leaves you over or under by a noticeable margin. And skipping the leak check after the idle-and-look step means you find out about a loose filter or plug on your driveway, not before you drive off.
Procedure
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1
Step
Park the vehicle on a level surface, set the electronic parking brake, shut off the engine, and allow it to sit for at least 15 minutes if warm to allow oil to drain into the sump.
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2
Step
Open the hood, remove the engine oil fill cap, and pull the dipstick partially out to eliminate vacuum in the crankcase for smoother draining.
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3
Step
Raise the front of the vehicle using an automotive floor jack at the reinforced subframe lift point or side pinch welds, and support the vehicle securely on two load-rated jack stands placed at the rocker panel pinch weld locations.
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4
Step
Never work beneath a vehicle supported only by a hydraulic jack.
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5
Step
Position an oil drain catch pan beneath the oil pan drain plug.
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6
Step
Allow the old oil to drain completely until the stream slows to an occasional drip.
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7
Step
Inspect the drain plug and its bonded seal washer for damage or flattening
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8
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replace the seal or entire plug assembly if worn.
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9
Step
Thread the oil drain plug into the pan clockwise by hand to avoid cross-threading.
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10
Step
For 1.5L and 2.0L gasoline engines: Position the catch pan beneath the spin-on oil filter in front of the oil pan.
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11
Step
Loosen the filter counterclockwise using an oil filter wrench, allow residual oil to drain, and unscrew the filter.
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12
Step
Verify the old rubber gasket came off with the filter and is not stuck to the engine mounting pad.
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13
Step
For 1.5L and 2.0L gasoline engines: Clean the filter mounting pad on the engine.
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14
Step
Apply a light film of clean engine oil to the rubber gasket of the new spin-on filter (ACDelco PF64).
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15
Step
Thread the filter clockwise by hand until the gasket contacts the mounting surface, then tighten an additional 3/4 to 1 turn by hand.
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16
Step
Do not over-tighten with a wrench.
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17
Step
For 1.6L diesel engines: Unscrew the cartridge oil filter housing cap counterclockwise using a socket wrench.
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18
Step
Remove the old cartridge element and discard the old housing cap O-ring.
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19
Step
Lower the vehicle to the ground so it is completely level.
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20
Step
Insert a clean funnel into the oil fill neck and add the specified oil type and volume based on engine and drivetrain (e.g., 4.2 qt 0W-20 for 1.5L FWD, 5.3 qt 0W-20 for 1.5L AWD, 5.0 qt 5W-30 for 2.0L FWD, 6.0 qt 5W-30 for 2.0L AWD, 5.3 qt 5W-30 dexos2 for 1.6L Diesel).
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21
Step
Initial fill should be 80-90% of capacity to prevent overfilling.
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22
Step
Reinstall the oil filler cap, fully insert the dipstick, start the engine, and let it idle for 1 to 2 minutes while checking underneath the vehicle for leaks around the drain plug and oil filter.
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23
Step
Shut off the engine and allow it to sit for at least 15 minutes on level ground to let oil settle.
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24
Step
Pull the dipstick, wipe it clean with a lint-free cloth, reinsert it completely, withdraw it again keeping the tip down, and verify that the oil level is within the cross-hatched operating zone between the MIN and MAX marks.
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25
Step
Top off slightly if needed.
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26
Step
Reset the Engine Oil Life System on the Driver Information Center (DIC): Turn the ignition on (engine off).
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27
Step
Use the steering wheel directional controls (five-way keypad) to scroll to the 'Vehicle Info' menu.
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28
Step
Scroll up or down to highlight 'Oil Life' (or 'Remaining Oil Life').
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29
Step
Press and hold the '✓' (Checkmark / Select) button on the steering wheel until the display beeps and resets to 100%.
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30
Step
Turn ignition off.
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31
Step
manufacturer jack and lift point locations for this body, and any pinch-weld or subframe restrictions. The manufacturer-designated jacking and hoist lift points are located at four reinforced pinch-weld flange positions along the rocker seams: directly behind the front wheel openings and forward of the rear wheel openings.
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32
Step
Each designated lift location is identified by an alignment notch on the bottom sheet-metal weld flange, where the center of the jack lift head or hoist pad must be placed.
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33
Step
Key restrictions and warnings include: (1) Do not place the jack or lift pads against body panels, plastic rocker moldings, floor pans, suspension arms, or fluid/electrical lines
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34
Step
(2) Use appropriate saddles/adapters on floor jacks or lift arms to avoid bending or crushing the sheet metal pinch weld
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35
Step
(3) Never get underneath the vehicle while it is supported only by a jack
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36
Step
always transfer load to rated jack stands positioned at the designated support points.
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37
Step
If the vehicle has to come up, it goes on rated jack stands or ramps, with the parking brake set and the wheels still on the ground chocked. Never work under a vehicle held up only by a jack. For this vehicle, verified research describes: Shut off the engine and allow it to sit for at least 15 minutes on level ground to let oil settle.
Gotchas
- The 1.5L and 2.0L engines carry different oil pan sump designs between Front-Wheel Drive (FWD) and All-Wheel Drive (AWD) models, resulting in up to a 1.1-quart difference in refill capacity. Relying on generic capacity charts without verifying AWD vs FWD will result in underfilling or overfilling.
- On 1.5L and 2.0L engines, the rubber gasket from the old spin-on oil filter (PF64) can stick to the engine block mounting flange. Installing a new filter over the old gasket causes catastrophic oil loss upon engine startup.
- The 1.6L LH7 turbo diesel engine requires low-SAPS diesel approved oil meeting GM dexos2 or dexos D standards to protect the Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) and emission sensors. Standard gasoline dexos1 oil will cause premature DPF clogging and soot accumulation.
- The engine oil pan is aluminum. Exceeding the 18 lb-ft (25 N·m) drain plug torque will strip the internal threads, requiring pan rethreading or pan replacement.
It's a Good Idea To... Greasy tips and useful while-you're-in-there advice.
Before you spin on the new filter, actually look at the mounting pad on the engine and confirm the old rubber gasket isn't still stuck to it. Threading a new filter down onto a doubled-up gasket doesn't leak a little — it dumps your oil the moment you start the engine.
You Already Have a Screw Loose. Your Car Shouldn't. Final checks before you call it done.
Run the engine, look under it for drips at the plug and filter, then let it sit and pull the dipstick to confirm the level sits in the cross-hatched zone. Reset the oil life monitor through the Driver Information Center so it stops nagging you. Done — check the specs table if anything about your engine or drivetrain still isn't obvious.