Hey everyone I just bought my truck a couple months ago so I'm pretty new to the truck world. I was wondering what kind of maintenance everyone here does to keep their trucks running good. I have a 2005 chevy silverado 2500HD with the 6.0L and was wondering what kind of oils and other maintenance I should do on my truck.

I also read in the owners manual that Premium gas is preferred for the 6.0L, but I've only been running unleaded, should I switch over to Premium?

Thanks everyone.

When my truck was stock I got 40 more miles per tankfull by switching to Premium (from midgrade) nowhere else could you get 40 miles for $2.00.....
if you figure it out in pennies per mile, running premium is a better deal, although it cost $2.00 more ti fill up you get better milage. This is my personal experiance, it hasn't worked out for everybody (if they really tried it, Lol) but it can't hurt and the truck will run better since the pcm will let you have more timing from the better fuel.

Hey everyone I just bought my truck a couple months ago so I'm pretty new to the truck world. I was wondering what kind of maintenance everyone here does to keep their trucks running good. I have a 2005 chevy silverado 2500HD with the 6.0L and was wondering what kind of oils and other maintenance I should do on my truck.

I also read in the owners manual that Premium gas is preferred for the 6.0L, but I've only been running unleaded, should I switch over to Premium?

Thanks everyone.


I've been using mid grade in my 6.0 and it seems to work just fine. I would definitely stay away from regular though.

I run only regular and I my mileage is generally better than most.

As far as the maintenance schedule, I have a good one for ya, but my computer is down right now, so its going to be a few days.

Unless it's the "vortec max" version, it SHOULD run better on regular unleaded. The ECM is optimized for low-grade fuel. Therein it will advance the timing right up until the knock sensor tells it to stop. With higher octane fuel, it will never find the maximum and just start over each time. If the advance function can't "make" it knock, it never finds the maximum.

Other than that, just run whatever brand you like of synthetics and you should have a long-lasting truck.

I run RedLine injector cleaner once or twice a year in the wife's Yukon.

I'm not sure what type of gas I should be getting now with all these different answers... If anyone has a good maintenance schedule I'd love to hear it.

Have a fleet of 01-06 2500 Regular cab job site long bed work trucks with 6.0 engines in all of them.. The job site supervisers all have one and they drive them to and from work too.. Most of the older ones have over 250K miles on them with the original 6.0 engines still running strong. These trucks get pretty beat and most of them are pretty ugly now from all the towing and abuse they see on the job sites.
My opinion on the 6.0..
Its noisy "expecially the 02's and earlier years that had the cold start knock.
they idle like they need a tune up from brand new.. I havnt sat it any truck with a 6.0 in it that didnt shake and feel like it had a slight miss.
They suck gas.
The postive side, they are the most durable engines Ive ever seen..
We used to run 454's in all the trucks and those all blew up between 188K and 260K miles.. The 6.0 engines are just plain killer motors and are outlasting the late 90's 454's by quite a bit..

I know a lot of guys here will tell you to run synthetic lubes, premium fuels and all that expensive stuff and thats fine if you want to do all that..
But these trucks have seen nothing but cheap regular gas, non synthetic oil changes and jiffy lubes every 5-7K miles, transmissions and axles serviced like uh never.. etc etc etc... and they still run like they did new.

Im pretty sure you will be real tired of driving that truck by the time you can even come close to burning up that 6.0..

Me myself, i am one of those anol guys who does his own oil changes, uses good lubes etc.. But then again I drive an 8.1 and have heard mixed reviews of its longevity and Im coming up to 100K miles.