Chevrolet›Silverado 2WD›2008›Overview/chevrolet/silverado-2wd/2008/base/

2008 Chevrolet Silverado 2WD

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2008 Silverado 2WD.

Body TRUCKTransmission Automatic 4-spd

The 2008 Chevrolet Silverado 2WD is a truck built around an automatic four-speed transmission and an engine requiring 4.5 quarts of 5W-30 API oil, with EPA ratings of 12/16/14 mpg city/highway/combined. Those specs frame a reliability record drawn from 1990-2008 data that includes 1,074 owner complaints, five recalls, and air bags as the top complaint area. Against that same span, the 2008 model falls below the 2000 peak of 2,168 complaints and well above the 1991 low of 17, leaving it in the middle of the Silverado's reported-reliability range rather than at either extreme.

Model year201120092008

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Engine oil capacity4.5 qtOEM · verified
Engine oil type5W-30 APIOEM · verified
Lug nut torque140 ft-lbsOEM · verified
EPA fuel economy12/16/14 mpgEPA · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI 48 · 615 CCA battery, OE oil filter 12690386. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.

Battery groupBCI 48 · 615 CCAOEM · verified
Tire sizeSILVERADO, SIERRA 2500 LT245-75R16E; LT265-75R17EOEM · verified
Wheel / rim6.5, 7.5 inOEM · verified

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter12690386 alt 12731175
Engine air filter22845992 alt 15908916
Fuel filter12646512
Spark plug12681665 alt 12621258
Front wiper blades25877402
Serpentine belt12576447 alt 12626222
Thermostat89018168 alt 12632948

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Engine & drivetrain NHTSA vPIC

TransmissionAutomatic 4-spd

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length224.4 in
Overall width79.9 in
Overall height74 in
Wheelbase143.7 in
Curb weight5135 lb
Track (front / rear)68.5 / 67.3 in
Weight distribution (front / rear)58/42

Ratings & economy EPA / vPIC

EPA city / highway / combined12 / 16 / 14 mpg
DrivetrainRear-Wheel Drive
Recommended fuelRegular Gasoline

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine holds 4.5 qt of 5W-30 API engine oil, SAE 75W · Synthetic in the differential, DOT 3 brake fluid. Torque lug nuts to 140 ft-lbs, the oil drain plug to 62.0 ft-lbs. The firing order is 1-8-7-2-6-5-4-3. Note the cylinder-head bolts finish on a torque angle (torque-to-yield) — they stretch permanently and should be replaced, not reused, during any head service.

Lubricants & capacities

Automatic Transmission FluidATF
Automatic Transmission Fluid Capacity7.4
Brake FluidDOT 3
Differential Gear OilSAE 75W · Synthetic
Differential Gear Oil Capacity2.75 qt
Engine CoolantDEX-COOL OR EQUIVALENT
Engine Oil5W-30 · API
Engine Oil Capacity4.5 qt

Engine torques

Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts18 ft-lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts42 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug18.0 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug18.0 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug18.0 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug18.0 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug62.0 ft-lbs
Engine Valve Cover Bolts9.0 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Leaf Spring to Axle (U-bolts)74.0 plus 90 degrees ft-lbs
Leaf Spring to Chassis Bracket162.0 ft-lbs
Leaf Spring to Rear Shackle129.0 ft-lbs
Leaf Spring Rear Shackle to Chassis Bracket85.0 ft-lbs
Lug Nuts140 ft-lbs
Front Wheel Hub177 ft-lbs

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order1-8-7-2-6-5-4-3
Spark Plug ManufacturerAC Delco
Spark Plug Gap0.060 in
Spark Plug Torque11 ft-lbs
Spark Plug ManufacturerAC Delco
Spark Plug Gap0.040 in
Spark Plug Torque11.0 ft-lbs

Battery & A/C

RefrigerantR134a
Refrigerant Capacity1.40-1.62 lbs
Oil GroupPAG
Oil Type46
Oil Capacity6.00-7.10 oz
Standard BCI Group Number48
Standard BCI Cranking Performance615 cca
Standard BCI Group Number48

Service checks

Pressure Test20 psi
Radiator Cap Pressure Relief15 psi
Thermostat Opening Temperature188-206 °F
Key ON Engine OFF (KOEO)50-60 New body style
Key ON Engine OFF (KOEO)50-60
RPM43-45 @ Idle rpm
Injector Primary Resistance11-14 @ 50-90 degreesF ohms
Injector Primary Resistance0.95-1.17 @ 68 degreesF ohms

Brakes

Torque Caliper to Bracket28 ft-lbs / 74 ft-lbs / 80 ft-lbs
Torque to Knuckle148 ft-lbs / 129 ft-lbs / 221 ft-lbs
Torque Caliper to Bracket28 ft-lbs / 74 ft-lbs / 80 ft-lbs
Torque to Knuckle148 ft-lbs / 129 ft-lbs / 221 ft-lbs
Minimum Pad ThicknessFront: 0.030; Rear: 0.030 specification
Rotor Max Parallel Variation0.0007 in / 0.001 in
Rotor Runout Limit0.002 in / 0.005 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness From0.787 in / 1.181 in / 1.496 in

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages
170 ft. lbs., step 2: 95 ft. lbs.70 ft. lbs
Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages
1Installation, 92 ft. lbs., step 2: then remove bolt, install new bolt., step 3: 92 ft. lbs., step 4: 130 degrees.92 ft. lbs
Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages
174 ft. lbs., step 2: 100 ft. lbs., step 3: 105 degrees.74 ft. lbs
Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 4 stages

Prep Do not reuse old bolts. Do not allow oil on cylinder head or head bolt bosses · M11 Bolts:

122.0 ft. lbs.22 ft. lbs
290 degrees90 degrees
3bolts 1-890 degrees
4Bolts 9and1050 degrees
111.0-15.0 ft. lbs.11–15 ft. lbs
Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 3 stages

Prep Do not reuse old bolts. Do not allow oil on cylinder head or head bolt bosses · M11 Bolts:

122.0 ft. lbs.22 ft. lbs
290 degrees90 degrees
370 degrees; M8 Bolts:70 degrees
122.0 ft. lbs.22 ft. lbs
222.0 ft. lbs22 ft. lbs
Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 3 stages

Prep Do not reuse old bolts. Do not allow oil on cylinder head or head bolt bosses · M11 Bolts:

122.0 ft. lbs.22 ft. lbs
290 degrees90 degrees
370 degrees; M8 Bolts:70 degrees
122.0 ft. lbs.22 ft. lbs
222.0 ft. lbs22 ft. lbs
Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages
13.7 ft. lbs., step 2: 7.43.7 ft. lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages
111 ft. lbs., step 2: 1511 ft. lbs
Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages
13.7 ft. lbs., step 2: 7.43.7 ft. lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages
111 ft. lbs., step 2: 1511 ft. lbs
Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages
13.7 ft. lbs., step 2: 7.43.7 ft. lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages
111 ft. lbs., step 2: 1511 ft. lbs
Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages
13.7 ft. lbs., step 2: 7.43.7 ft. lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages
111 ft. lbs., step 2: 1811 ft. lbs
Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages
13.7 ft. lbs., step 2: 7.43.7 ft. lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages
111 ft. lbs., step 2: 1511 ft. lbs
Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages
13.7 ft. lbs., step 2: 7.43.7 ft. lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages
111 ft. lbs., step 2: 1511 ft. lbs

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the spark plugs every 100,000 mi; coolant at 150,000 mi. The big-interval services (at 150,000 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

Every 15,000 miFuel Filter (replace)
Every 25,000 miExhaust System (Complete) (inspect) · Fuel System (inspect)
Every 50,000 miEngine Air Filter Element (replace) · Fuel Evaporative Emission Control System (inspect) · Transfer Case Assembly (drain & refill) · Transmission Fluid & Filter (replace)
Every 100,000 miSpark Plug Wires (inspect) · Spark Plugs (replace)
At 150,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

Owner complaints about the 2008 Chevrolet Silverado 2WD dominate in one area — the air bags, 568 of 1,074 reports (53%), well ahead of the next concern. None of this vehicle's 2 recall campaigns target the air bags, so those reports read as owner-reported wear-and-tear rather than an acknowledged defect. 46 of the reports describe a crash and 14 a fire — a small share of the total, but worth weighing against the air bags pattern above. These are tallies of what owners actually reported to the federal government, not an editorial score — and higher-selling models naturally rack up more reports.

5
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
1611
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
3
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
1,074
Owner complaints
46 involved a crash · 14 a fire
NHTSA crash-test rating federal NCAP · out of 5 stars
Rollover★★★★★
Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent
’90’91’92’97’99’00’01’02’03’04’05’06’07’08

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 1,074 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Air Bags568
Unknown Or Other59
Electrical System49
Structure34
Engine33
Latches/Locks/Linkages29
Air Bags,Structure23
Power Train23

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 2 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

08V441000Electrical SystemReported 28/08/2008

GM IS RECALLING 857,735 MY 2006-2008 BUICK LUCERNE; CADILLAC DTS; HUMMER H2; MY 2007-2008 CADILLAC ESCALADE, ESCALADE ESV, ESCALADE EXT; CHEVROLET AVALANCHE, SILVERADO, SUBURBAN, TAHOE; GMC ACADIA, SIERRA, YUKON, YUKON… Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A WIRE HARNESS WITH AN IN-LINE FUSE FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON SEPTEMBER 12, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT BUICK AT 1-866-608-8080; CADILLAC AT…

08E050000Exterior Lighting:HeadlightsReported 11/08/2008

K2 MOTOR IS RECALLING 1,921 AFTERMARKET HEADLAMPS OF VARIOUS MODELS SOLD FOR USE ON THE ABOVE LISTED VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS ARE MISSING THE AMBER SIDE REFLEX REFLECTOR WHICH FAILS TO CONFORM WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF… Remedy: K2 MOTOR WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER A FULL REFUND. THE RECALL BEGAN ON DECEMEBER 17, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT K2 MOTOR AT 1-909-839-2992.

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420
Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1
P0300
Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected
P0171
System too lean — Bank 1
P0455
Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak
P0128
Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature
P0442
Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN
Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific Silverado 2WD. OEM
Build data
Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.
Recalls
Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Group 48 batteryVehicles taking 4.5 qtEngine oil filter 12690386Engine air filter 22845992Fuel filter 12646512Spark plug 12681665

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Vehicle recalls & TSBsOBD-II trouble codesTorque specificationsMaintenance schedulesFluid capacities & specs

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 2008 Silverado 2WD take?

4.5 qt of 5W-30 API, per the factory manual.

Does the 2008 Silverado 2WD have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 2 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.

What gas mileage does the Silverado 2WD get?

EPA figures are 12 city / 16 highway / 14 combined mpg.