2025 Tahoe 6.2-liter first oil change interval

[stiedemann]

With a new '25 tahoe with the 6.2, what is the recomended miles to do the first oil change? Dealer says 6000 miles, but I believe the first 500-800 miles is probably the worst on an engine since that is the break-in and when I suspect will have the most debris in the oil. I don't want to change the oil too early but also want to make sure I minimize damage to a new engine.

 

[viven44]

I'll probably be schooled for this... but I've just not bought into the debris theory a whole lot ever, after all there is an oil filter but break-in debris related damage makes a lot more sense if you are talking about break-in on small engines without filters (air compressors, and the like)... there can certainly be particulates that are smaller than the filter size mesh so it is probably a good thing to replace sooner than needed....we did ours at around 4000 miles on the 5.3....

 

[Stbentoak]

Since the first one is free, take it back at a convenient time around 2500 miles. I then change it myself in 5000-mile blocks. I know whenever I see 7500, 12,500 Etcetera roll around that it's time. Easy and if you're off a few hundred miles either way it's no big deal. Any earlier in that and you're really just wasting oil. It's been proven multiple times that the oil is good well beyond the time you think you should change it. Use a high-quality filter like AC Delco gold.....

 

[PPK_]

I did 500 miles on both my '24 5.3 and my '25 duramax. Duramax was clean.. 5.3 has a lot of debris in it. you can see... i would not wait.

 

[Silverado4x4]

I have never done early oil changes in new vehicles motors and I have had alot throughout the years unless it's a small motor without a oil filter. I always wait until the message pops up to change oil and back when vehicles didn't have OLM I did it at about 4-5000 miles.

 

[GMCnewbee]

Many opinions here and "feelings". Let's just say that an oil change never hurts. I think we did our first change at 3000 miles and then went to 5000 miles. That is what makes me feel good.

 

[Antonm]

I've been a gear head for a few decades and built several engines in my home garage (when you're an amateur drag racer, you break some engines). Anyway, I've always found the best practice to be a short interval first oil change (like 500 miles) on a new engine.

I'm sure GM does a better job at keeping things clean than I do during engine assembly, but it sure as hell can't hurt to do any early first oil change.

For my 23 Tahoe 6.2 I did a 500 mile oil change, and 3K mile oil change and a 6K mile oil change, then started sending oil samples for analysis. The oil sample results came back good BTW.
...

 

[Marky Dissod]

With a new '25 tahoe with the 6.2L, what is the recommended miles to do the first oil change?
Dealer says 6000 miles, but I believe the first 500-800 miles is probably the worst on an engine,
since that is the break-in and when I suspect will have the most debris in the oil.
I don't want to change the oil too early but also want to make sure I minimize damage to a new engine.

I'll never own a brand new vehicle - they're far too complex,
and almost none of that complexity makes them meaningfully superior to my '02 Z71.
But if I DID, I'd baby the engine and the transmission for the first 5000 miles.
Go ahead and change the oil too early, TWICE. Motor oil is SO MUCH cheaper than an engine.
Were I you, I'd even run premium for the first thousand miles for a gentler break-in.
Less of it winds up in the crankcase, and it has more upper cylinder lubricants than 87.

 

[Antonm]

I'd baby the engine and the transmission for the first 5000 miles.

While arguable if needed with a factory build engine as they are suppose to break them in on spintron type device, but babying a new engine is actually detrimental to it.

Reason being is you need to seat the piston rings before the cylinder walls glaze over and the only way to that is with cylinder pressure. So a few 3/4 throttle accelerations and varying RPM is recommended. Not saying to beat the hell out of it, but it needs some throttle input during break-in to get the rings seated correctly.
...

 

[Marky Dissod]

Wile arguable if needed with a factory build engine as they are suppose to break them in on a spintron type device,

If GM had broken in those L87s on a SpinTron,
then how'd they fail to notice how many hundreds of thousands of them made subpar?
If 14,000 owners hadn't complained, would they have done ANYTHING about it at all?
How many more thousands of complaints did it take before they extended the warranty on the ones that don't have P0016?

How many L87s are not going to make it to 175,000 miles? How many won't make it to 200,000?

... but babying a new engine is actually detrimental to it.

Reason being is you need to seat the piston rings before the cylinder walls glaze over, and the only way to that is with cylinder pressure.
So a few 3/4 throttle accelerations and varying RpM is recommended.
Not saying to beat the hell out of it, but it needs some throttle input during break-in to get the rings seated correctly.
...

I don't disagree with this; in fact I'd not use Cruise Control on level ground for the first 5000 miles.
But is a vehicle that weighs at least 5000lb ever truly babying the engine?
The way I drive, despite being far tamer than ever in my life, is far from gentle.
My point was and still is that I strongly doubt GM actually does enough break-in (if any at all).