How-to: Duramax LWM 2.8L Oil Change Colorado & Canyon

Doing your own oil changes can save you time and money, plus you can be sure the job is done right and with the best parts.  Changing your oil and filter on 2016+ Chevy Colorado/GMC Canyon Duramax diesel is easy!

Parts Necessary:

• 6 Liters/Quarts of 5w30 Dexos2 Approved Oil (Find Dexos2 oils at IDParts)
• Oil Filter ACDelco P/N 12679114/PF2262G *Hint: save $$ if you get the OE filter from UFI rather than ACDelco (IDParts)
• New Drain Plug O-Ring Seal GM 12616850 (IDParts)

Tools Necessary

• 15 mm Socket/Wrench for the oil drain plug
• 27mm Socket Wrench for the oil filter housing (IDParts)
• Shop Towels
• 6-liter Oil Drain Pan, Extractor or Equivalent

Procedure

For this how to we’ll be using the Duramax LWM Oil Change Kit from IDParts.com.  We chose Rowe SYNT RS DLS 5w30 dexos2 motor oil, which is a premium oil from Germany.

Procedure:

To make draining the oil faster we recommend removing the oil filter first.  The oil filter is located on the left hand side of the engine.

Use a 27mm oil filter wrench to remove the cap of the oil filter housing.

Remove the cap.  The oil filter will likely be stuck in the housing.  The oil filter pulls straight up and out, though it can be a bit hard to pull out.

With the oil filter removed, it is time to remove the old oil.  There are two ways to do this – drain from the bottom or extract from the top.

Top side extracting can save time and make the job cleaner overall, especially if you are doing oil changes in your driveway.  We use and recommend eXtoil oil extractors (IDParts, Extoil Direct).  To extract your LWM’s oil, remove the oil dipstick and insert the extractor tube down the oil dipstick tube.  See our Guide to Oil Extractors for more information.

If you are going to drain from the bottom of the drain pan, the oil pan is located near the rear of the engine.

The oil drain plug is a 15mm socket size.  Position your oil drain pan or collecting tool before removing the oil drain plug.

The oil drain plug uses custom molded o-ring rather than a crush washer.  You may need to clean off the drain plug to locate the seal. 

Remove the seal and replace with a new one.

Once the oil has finished draining reinstall the oil drain plug and tighten to 18 ft/lbs.  This is a VERY low torque, but remember that the seal is being made by a elastomer o-ring, not a crush washer, so there is no reason to really torque the drain plug down.

Now it is time to prepare the filter. There are many oil filter brands available. Here we use a filter from UFI. UFI is the OEM manufacturer for GM – it is what was installed at the factory and sold at the dealer.

Good quality oil filters will come with replacement o-rings for the oil filter housings.  This OE unit from UFI comes with a large blue o-ring, which matches the factory o-ring perfectly.

Retrieve the oil filter cap and remove the large o-ring above the threaded section. Remove the seal and replace with a new one.

The new oil filter should be clipped into the oil filter cap before installing it in the housing.

Before installing the filter, lubricate all three o-rings (the one on the cap and the two on the filter) with oil.  This prevents the o-rings from binding when being installed.

Reinstall the new oil filter and cap into the housing.  Once again, this is a LOW TORQUE specification, as noted on the cap, tighten to 25nm, which is about 18 ft/lbs.

Finally, refill the engine with oil.  Be sure to use an oil that carries the dexos2 approval. 

This oil, Rowe SYNT RS DLS shows the approval on the front label.

The 2.8L takes just over 5 liters/quarts of oil. So put in 5 liters/quarts first and check the oil level to see how much you need to add.

The oil level dipstick is located on the driver side near the firewall. It has a yellow cap.

Add oil until the oil level reaches that middle part. Then start the engine and let it run for a few minutes. Then check the oil level again and add more if necessary. Starting the engine and letting it run will fill the new filter and other areas of the engine with oil so you will get a more accurate reading the second time around.

Reset Oil Change Interval: Once the oil is refilled to the proper level go inside the truck to reset the oil life indicator.  Go to information, then scroll to oil life, then press the right arrow and it will offer you the option to reset.  Select and confirm.  Now you’re good to go for another 10,000 miles!

IDParts.com specialized in diesel powered vehicles, especially the 2.8L Durmax. Check out their Duramax 2.8L oil change kit or their Colorado/Canyon Duramax 2.8L Complete Service Kit.