2004 GMC SIERRA oil

Additives
To provide cleaner air, all gasolines in the United States
are now required to contain additives that will help
prevent engine and fuel system deposits from forming,
allowing your emission control system to work
properly. You should not have to add anything to your
fuel. However, some gasolines contain only the
minimum amount of additive required to meet U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency regulations. General
Motors recommends that you buy gasolines that
are advertised to help keep fuel injectors and intake
valves clean. If your vehicle experiences problems due
to dirty injectors or valves, try a different brand of
gasoline.
Gasolines containing oxygenates, such as ethers and
ethanol, and reformulated gasolines may be available in
your area to contribute to clean air. General Motors
recommends that you use these gasolines, particularly if
they comply with the speci®cations described earlier.
Notice:Your vehicle was not designed for fuel that
contains methanol. Do not use fuel containing
methanol. It can corrode metal parts in your fuel
system and also damage the plastic and rubber
parts. That damage would not be covered under
your warranty.Some gasolines that are not reformulated for low
emissions may contain an octane-enhancing additive
called methylcyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl
(MMT); ask the attendant where you buy gasoline
whether the fuel contains MMT. General Motors does
not recommend the use of such gasolines. Fuels
containing MMT can reduce the life of spark plugs and
the performance of the emission control system may
be affected. The malfunction indicator lamp may turn on.
If this occurs, return to your authorized GM dealer for
service.
Fuels in Foreign Countries
If you plan on driving in another country outside the
United States or Canada, the proper fuel may be hard
to ®nd. Never use leaded gasoline or any other fuel
not recommended in the previous text on fuel. Costly
repairs caused by use of improper fuel would not
be covered by your warranty.
To check the fuel availability, ask an auto club, or
contact a major oil company that does business in the
country where you will be driving.
5-6

Checking Things Under
the Hood
{CAUTION:
Things that burn can get on hot engine parts
and start a ®re. These include liquids like fuel,
oil, coolant, brake ¯uid, windshield washer and
other ¯uids, and plastic or rubber. You or
others could be burned. Be careful not to drop
or spill things that will burn onto a hot engine.
Hood Release
To open the hood do the following:
1. Pull the handle inside
the vehicle located
under and to the left of
the steering wheel.
5-10

A. Engine Air Cleaner/Filter. SeeEngine Air
Cleaner/Filter on page 5-23.
B. Coolant Surge Tank. See
Engine Coolant on
page 5-33.
C. Air Filter Restriction Indicator (If Equipped). See
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter on page 5-23.
D. Engine Oil Dipstick. See
Engine Oil on page 5-18.
E. Automatic Transmission Dipstick (If equipped).
See
Automatic Transmission Fluid (Except Allison
Transmissionž) on page 5-25orAutomatic
Transmission Fluid (Allison Transmissionž)on
page 5-28.
F. Fan. See
Cooling System on page 5-39.
G. Engine Oil Fill. See
Engine Oil on page 5-18.H. Power Steering Fluid Reservoir. See
Power Steering
Fluid on page 5-45.
I. Remote Negative (-) Terminal (GND). See
Jump
Starting on page 5-53.
J. Remote Positive (+) Terminal. See
Jump Starting on
page 5-53.
K. Brake Fluid Reservoir. See
Brakes on page 5-48.
L. Clutch Fluid Reservoir (If Equipped). See
Hydraulic
Clutch on page 5-32.
M. Underhood Fuse Block. See
Fuses and Circuit
Breakers on page 5-126.
N. Battery. See
Battery on page 5-52.
O. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir. See
Windshield
Washer Fluid on page 5-46.
5-13

A. Engine Air Cleaner/Filter. SeeEngine Air
Cleaner/Filter on page 5-23.
B. Coolant Surge Tank. See
Engine Coolant on
page 5-33.
C. Air Filter Restriction Indicator (If Equipped). See
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter on page 5-23.
D. Engine Oil Dipstick. See
Engine Oil on page 5-18.
E. Automatic Transmission Dipstick (If Equipped).
See
Automatic Transmission Fluid (Except Allison
Transmissionž) on page 5-25orAutomatic
Transmission Fluid (Allison Transmissionž)on
page 5-28.
F. Engine Oil Fill. See
Engine Oil on page 5-18.
G. Fan. See
Cooling System on page 5-39.H. Remote Negative (-) Terminal (GND). See
Jump
Starting on page 5-53.
I. Power Steering Fluid Reservoir. See
Power Steering
Fluid on page 5-45.
J. Remote Positive (+) Terminal. See
Jump Starting on
page 5-53.
K. Brake Fluid Reservoir. See
Brakes on page 5-48.
L. Clutch Fluid Reservoir (If Equipped). See
Hydraulic
Clutch on page 5-32.
M. Underhood Fuse Block. See
Fuses and Circuit
Breakers on page 5-126.
N. Battery. See
Battery on page 5-52.
O. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir. See
Windshield
Washer Fluid on page 5-46.
5-15

A. Engine Air Cleaner/Filter. SeeEngine Air
Cleaner/Filter on page 5-23.
B. Coolant Surge Tank. See
Engine Coolant on
page 5-33.
C. Air Filter Restriction Indicator (If Equipped). See
Engine Air Cleaner/Filter on page 5-23.
D. Engine Oil Dipstick. See
Engine Oil on page 5-18.
E. Automatic Transmission Dipstick (If Equipped).
See
Automatic Transmission Fluid (Except Allison
Transmissionž) on page 5-25orAutomatic
Transmission Fluid (Allison Transmissionž)on
page 5-28.
F. Engine Oil Fill. See
Engine Oil on page 5-18.
G. Fan. See
Cooling System on page 5-39.H. Remote Negative (-) Terminal (GND). See
Jump
Starting on page 5-53.
I. Remote Positive (+) Terminal. See
Jump Starting on
page 5-53.
J. Power Steering Fluid Reservoir. See
Power Steering
Fluid on page 5-45.
K. Brake Fluid Reservoir. See
Brakes on page 5-48.
L. Clutch Fluid Reservoir (If Equipped). See
Hydraulic
Clutch on page 5-32.
M. Underhood Fuse Block. See
Fuses and Circuit
Breakers on page 5-126.
N. Battery. See
Battery on page 5-52.
O. Windshield Washer Fluid Reservoir. See
Windshield
Washer Fluid on page 5-46.
5-17

Engine Oil
If your vehicle has a diesel engine, see ªEngine Oilº in
the Diesel Engine Supplement.
If the CHECK OIL LEVEL light appears on the
instrument cluster (except vehicles equipped with the
4.3L engine), it means you need to check your engine oil
level right away.
For more information, see
Driver Information Center
(DIC) on page 3-55.
You should check your engine oil level regularly; this is
an added reminder.
Checking Engine Oil
It is a good idea to check your engine oil every time you
get fuel. In order to get an accurate reading, the oil
must be warm and the vehicle must be on level ground.
The engine oil dipstick handle is a yellow loop. See
Engine Compartment Overview on page 5-12for
the location of the engine oil dipstick.Turn off the engine and give the oil several minutes to
drain back into the oil pan. If you don't, the oil
dipstick might not show the actual level.
Pull out the dipstick and clean it with a paper towel or
cloth, then push it back in all the way. Remove it again,
keeping the tip down, and check the level.
All Other Engines
8.1L Engine
5-18

When to Add Engine Oil
If the oil is at or below the cross-hatched area at the tip
of the dipstick, then you will need to add at least one
quart of oil. But you must use the right kind. This section
explains what kind of oil to use. For engine oil
crankcase capacity, see
Capacities and Speci®cations
on page 5-134.
Notice:Do not add too much oil. If your engine has
so much oil that the oil level gets above the
cross-hatched area that shows the proper operating
range, your engine could be damaged.See
Engine Compartment
Overview on page 5-12for
the location of the
engine oil ®ll cap.
Be sure to add enough oil to put the level somewhere in
the proper operating range. Push the dipstick all the
way back in when you are through.
What Kind of Engine Oil to Use
Look for two things:
·GM6094M
Your vehicle's engine requires oil meeting GM
Standard GM6094M. You should look for and use
only an oil that meets GM Standard GM6094M.
5-19

·SAE 5W-30
As shown in the viscosity chart, SAE 5W-30 is best
for your vehicle. However, if it is going to be 0ÉF
(±18ÉC) or above and SAE 5W-30 is not available,
you may use SAE 10W-30.
These numbers on an oil container show its
viscosity, or thickness. Do not use other viscosity
oils such as SAE 20W-50.
Oils meeting these
requirements should also
have the starburst
symbol on the container.
This symbol indicates
that the oil has been
certi®ed by the American
Petroleum Institute (API).
You should look for this information on the oil container,
and use
onlythose oils that are identi®ed as meeting
GM Standard GM6094M and have the starburst symbol
on the front of the oil container.
5-20