File in Section:
Bulletin No.:

Service Bulletin

Date:

00 - General Information
13-00-90-001
July, 2013

INFORMATION
Subject:

Information for Engine Oils Used in 2014 Model Year Vehicles

Models:

2014 GM Passenger Cars and Trucks

dexos1™ and dexos2™ Information Website
Refer to the following General Motors website for
dexos1™ and dexos2™ information about the different
licensed brands that are currently available:
http://www.gmdexos.com

dexos1™ Engine Oil Trademark and
Registered Trademark Logos

3512027

3511747

Only those oils displaying the dexos1™ trademark and
a registered trademark logo on the front label of the
container meet the demanding performance
requirements and stringent quality standards set forth
in the dexos1™ specification.
Look on the front label for either of the registered
trademark logos shown above and the 11 digit
alphanumeric dexos license number on the back label
to identify an authorized, licensed dexos1™ engine oil.
Unless an oil package displays these two markings, the
engine oil is not an authentic, licensed dexos product
and is not recommended for use in GM vehicles.

dexos1™ Engine Oil Specification
The dexos1™ specification was uniquely designed to
complement the exacting requirements of GM's
advanced engine technology. The specification has
gone through an extensive developmental and testing
process. It requires a number of proprietary tests that
are not included in current industry standards and sets
performance criteria at a level that exceeds many
current standards. The result is a high performance
fluid providing significant wear protection, improved
Copyright 2013 General Motors LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Page 2

July, 2013

piston cleanliness, a reduction in volatility and oil
consumption, enhanced aeration control for improved
fuel efficiency, and better oxidation properties.
The reasons for the new dexos1™ engine oil
specification are as follows:
• To meet environmental goals such as increasing
fuel efficiency and reducing engine emissions.
• To promote long engine life.
• To minimize the number of engine oil changes in
order to help meet the goal of lessening the
industry's overall dependence on crude oil.
dexos1™ is a GM-developed engine oil specification
that has been designed to provide the following
benefits:
• Further improve fuel economy, to meet future
corporate average fuel economy (CAFE)
requirements and fuel economy retention by
allowing the oil to maintain its fuel economy
benefits throughout the life of the oil.
• More robust formulations for added engine
protection and aeration performance.
• Support the GM Oil Life System, thereby
minimizing the replacement of engine oil, before
its life has been depleted.
• Reduce the duplication of requirements for a large
number of internal GM engine oil specifications.

Frequently Asked Questions About
dexos1™ 0W20 Engine Oil
Question: Why dexos1™ 0W20 engine oil?
Answer: The new 5.3L and 6.2L V8 EcoTec3 engines
available in the completely redesigned 2014 Silverado
1500 and Sierra 1500 pickup trucks are the most fuel
efficient and technologically advanced engines in the
market.
These engines utilize an advanced combustion system
that maximizes the potential of the direct injection (DI)
fuel system, active fuel management (AFM), variable
valve timing (VVT), two stage oil pumps and other
technologies. The dexos1™ 0W20 oil supports these
technologies and is an enabler for the improved fuel
economy performance that is exhibited in these
products.

Bulletin No.: 13-00-90-001

Question: If dexos1™ 0W20 oil is recommended for
my vehicle’s engine, do I have to use it?
Answer: Yes. As an example, the 5.3L and 6.2L V8
EcoTec3 engines available in the 2014 Silverado 1500
and Sierra 1500 pickup trucks, were designed,
engineered, validated and EPA certified using
dexos1™ 0W20 oil. This is the ONLY oil approved for
these engines.
Question: What if the engine Is low on oil and
dexos1™ 0W20 oil is not available to top off the oil
level?
Answer: There are many different retailers nationwide
that sell GM licensed oil products that meet the
dexos1™ specification. Refer to the first section in this
Bulletin: dexos 1™ and dexos 2™ Information Website
If you are unable to locate a retailer, then a GF5
Synthetic grade 0W20 oil that meets the dexos1™
specification, such as Mobil 1™ 0W-20 Advanced Fuel
Economy synthetic oil can be used. It meets or
exceeds International Lubricant Standardization and
Approval Committee (ILSAC) GF-5 requirements.
Question: Can another oil such as 5W30 that is
cheaper and more widely available be used in place of
dexos1™ 0W20 oil?
Answer: No. The 5.3L and 6.2L V8 EcoTec3 engines
available in the 2014 Silverado 1500 and Sierra 1500
pickup trucks were designed, engineered and validated
to run using dexos1™ 0W20 oil. This is the ONLY oil
approved for these engines.
Question: What if a different viscosity oil is added to
the engine other than dexos1™ 0W20 oil?
Answer: If a different viscosity oil is added to the
engine other than dexos1™ 0W20 oil, GM recommends
that an oil change be performed as soon as practical,
but no longer than the next scheduled oil change. in
order to return the engine to the original dexos1™
0W20 oil factory requirements.

Question: Are other automobile manufacturers
recommending 0W20 engine oil for their products?
Answer: Some other manufacturers are already
recommending 0W20 engine oil for their products.
General Motors expects this to become an industry
trend and more automobile manufacturers will be
recommending the use of 0W20 engine oil in the future.

Question: Will using a different viscosity oil other than
what is recommended damage the engine?
Answer: It is not possible to comment on every type
and viscosity of oil that is available. Some higher
viscosity oils may impact engine and fuel economy
performance. Likewise for example, using a lower
viscosity oil in an engine that requires 5W30 oil may not
provide appropriate lubrication and may impact engine
and fuel economy performance.
Always follow GM recommendations and only use
the oil specified in the GM Service Manual and/or
the GM Owner Manual for the appropriate Model
Year/Vehicle/Engine.

Question: What do the numbers 0W20 represent?
Answer: 0W20 represents the standard SAE
measurement of oil viscosity. Viscosity is a
measurement of the oil’s resistance to flow. The more
resistant the oil is to flow, the higher its viscosity.

Question: When will dexos1™ 0W20 oil be available
to Service Agents (Dealers)?
Answers: In the United States, dexos1™ 0W20 oil is
currently available at retailers nationwide in 1 qt and
5 qt containers.

Bulletin No.: 13-00-90-001

July, 2013

In the United States, Mobil 1™ 0W20 oil is currently
available in quart/drum/bulk through the GM Oil
Program.
In the United States, Customer Care and Aftersales
(CCA) will release pricing and availability for ACDelco
dexos1™ 0W20 oil as soon as it becomes available.
In Canada, Mobil 1™ 0W20 oil is currently available in
1 L and 4.4 L sizes through the GM Oil Program.
In Canada, Customer Care and Aftersales (CCA) will
release pricing and availability for ACDelco dexos1™
0W20 oil as soon as it becomes available. Refer to GM
of Canada Bulletin GMP2013-149.

Page 3

dexos2™ Engine Oil Trademark and
Trademark Logos

Question: Can Service Agents stop using/selling other
oil weights in lieu of dexos1™ 0W20 oil?
Answer: That’s an individual decision that GM Service
Agents will need to make based on the vehicles they
are servicing. GM Powertrain has approved the use of
0W20 oil for applications specifying 5W20 oil.
Question: What is the oil with filter capacity for the
new 5.3L and 6.2L V8 EcoTec3 engines used in the
2014 Silverado 1500 and Sierra 1500 5.3L and 6.2L V8
EcoTec3 engines?
Answer: The oil with filter capacity has increased to
8.5 qt (8.0 L) in order to support the advanced
technology used in the engines, ensure proper engine
oil cooling, aeration control and vehicle performance.

3512033

Question: Can dexos2™ 5W30 be used in a Duramax
diesel engine?
Answer: No. The Duramax diesel engine requires
using the API CJ-4 specification, 15W40 and in cold
weather 5W40 oil. This specification oil MUST be used.
Refer to the section in this Bulletin titled: Duramax
Diesel Engine Oil

GM Oil Life System in Conjunction With
dexos1™ Supports Extended Oil
Change Intervals
To help conserve oil while maintaining engine
protection, many GM vehicles are equipped with the
GM Oil Life System. This system can provide oil
change intervals that exceed the traditional 3,000 mile
(5,000 km) recommendation.
The dexos1™ specification, with its requirements for
improved oil robustness, compliments the GM Oil Life
System by supporting extended oil change intervals
over the lifetime of a vehicle.
If all GM customers with GM Oil Life System equipped
vehicles would use the system as intended, GM
estimates that more than 100 million gallons of oil could
be saved annually.

3512036

Only those oils displaying the dexos2™ trademark and
a trademark logo on the front label of the container
meet the demanding performance requirements and
stringent quality standards set forth in the
dexos2™specification.
Look on the front label for either of the trademark logos
shown above and the 11 digit alphanumeric dexos
license number on the back label to identify an
authorized, licensed dexos2™ engine oil. Unless an
oil package displays these two markings, the engine oil
is not an authentic, licensed dexos product and is not
recommended for use in GM vehicles.

Page 4

July, 2013

dexos2™ Engine Oil Specification
The dexos2™ specification was uniquely designed to
complement the exacting requirements of GM's
advanced engine technology. The specification has
gone through an extensive developmental and testing
process. It requires a number of proprietary tests that
are not included in current industry standards and sets
performance criteria at a level that exceeds many
current standards. The result is a high performance
fluid providing significant wear protection, improved
piston cleanliness, a reduction in volatility and oil
consumption, enhanced aeration control for improved
fuel efficiency, and better oxidation properties.
•
•

•
•
•

dexos2™ is approved and recommended by GM
for use in the 2014 Chevrolet Cruze Clean Turbo
Diesel engine.
dexos2™ is approved and recommended by GM
for use in Europe starting in model year 2010
vehicles, regardless of where the vehicle was
manufactured.
dexos2™ is the recommended service fill oil for
European gasoline engines.
dexos2™ is the recommended service fill oil for
European light-duty diesel engines and replaces
GM-LL-B-025 and GM-LL-A-025.
dexos2™ protects diesel engines from harmful
soot deposits and is designed with limits on
certain chemical components to prolong catalyst
life and protect expensive emission reduction

Bulletin No.: 13-00-90-001
systems. It is a robust oil, resisting degradation
between oil changes and maintaining optimum
performance longer.

Duramax Diesel Engine Oil — Requires
Lubricants Meeting Specification
API CJ-4
The Duramax diesel engine is a heavy duty
application. Due to the loads and temperatures that this
engine operates in, the Duramax diesel engine
requires using 15W40, or 5W40 oil in cold weather,
meeting the specification API CJ-4. DO NOT use
dexos2™ engine oil in a Duramax diesel engine. There
is NO substitution for this application.
Duramax is a registered trademark of General
Motors LLC
dexos is a registered trademark of General
Motors LLC
dexos1™ and dexos2™ are trademarks of General
Motors LLC
dexos1™ logos and emblems are registered
trademarks of General Motors, LLC
dexos2™ logos and emblems are trademarks of
General Motors LLC
Mobil 1™ is a trademark of Exxon Mobil
Corporation

GM bulletins are intended for use by professional technicians, NOT a "do-it-yourselfer". They are written to inform these
technicians of conditions that may occur on some vehicles, or to provide information that could assist in the proper
service of a vehicle. Properly trained technicians have the equipment, tools, safety instructions, and know-how to do a
job properly and safely. If a condition is described, DO NOT assume that the bulletin applies to your vehicle, or that your
vehicle will have that condition. See your GM dealer for information on whether your vehicle may benefit from the
information.

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