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2013 GMC Truck Sierra 4WD

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2013 Sierra 4WD.

The 2013 GMC Sierra 4WD represents a generation of full-size truck engineering backed by nearly two decades of documented owner feedback, with complaint records spanning 1990 through 2008—a period that saw complaints peak at 732 in 2000 and reach their lowest point at just 12 in 1991. This model requires 10 quarts of oil with a 15W-40 API CI-4 viscosity specification, reflecting the heavy-duty demands of its drivetrain. For researchers evaluating the Sierra's long-term ownership experience, the complaint history data provides a baseline against which this generation's reliability can be contextualized, with the 2013 model arriving well after the model's early refinement period. The trajectory from those early complaint figures suggests a mature product cycle, though the 2013 itself falls outside the tracked data window, making it a notably distinct generation within the Sierra's lineage.

Model year20132012

Quick specs

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

Engine oil capacity10 qtOEM · verified
Engine oil type15W-40 API CI-4OEM · verified
Lug nut torque140 ft-lbsOEM · 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 sizeP245-70R17OEM · verified
Wheel / rim7.5 inOEM · verified

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter12690386 alt 12731175
Engine air filter22845992 alt 15908916
Fuel filter12646512 alt 22990975
Spark plug12680072 alt 12681664
Battery88866271 alt 88866309
Front wiper blades25877402
Serpentine belt19210691 alt 12626222
Thermostat89018168 alt 12632948

Service quick specs OEM factory data

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

This engine holds 10 qt of 15W-40 API CI-4 engine oil, Synthetic · SAE 75W in the differential, DOT 3 brake fluid. Torque lug nuts to 140 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 Capacity11.5
Brake FluidDOT 3
Differential Gear OilSynthetic · SAE 75W · GL-5
Differential Gear Oil Capacity1.83 qt
Differential Gear OilSynthetic · SAE 75W
Differential Gear Oil Capacity3.17 qt
Engine Oil15W-40 · API

Engine torques

Cylinder Head StepsApply sealant GM P/N 12346004
Cylinder Head StepsInstall the NEW cylinder head bolts.
Intake Manifold to Engine BoltsLower: 2nd
Intake Manifold to Engine BoltsLower: 2nd
Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts7.4 ft-lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts18.0 ft-lbs
Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts7.4 ft-lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts42.0 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 Hub173 ft-lbs

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order1-8-7-2-6-5-4-3
Cylinder Firing Order1-6-5-4-3-2
Cylinder Firing Order1-8-7-2-6-5-4-3
Spark Plug ManufacturerAC Delco
Spark Plug Gap0.037-0.043 in
Spark Plug Torque15.0 ft-lbs
Spark Plug ManufacturerAC Delco
Spark Plug Gap0.037-0.043 in

Battery & A/C

RefrigerantR134a
Refrigerant Capacity1.60 lbs
Oil GroupPAG
Oil Type46
Oil Capacity7.10 oz
RefrigerantR134a
Refrigerant Capacity1.40-1.62 lbs
Oil GroupPAG

Service checks

Pressure Test15 psi
Radiator Cap Pressure Relief15 psi
Thermostat Opening Temperature188-206 °F
Pressure Test15 psi
Radiator Cap Pressure Relief15 psi
Thermostat Opening Temperature188-206 °F
Pressure Test15 psi
Radiator Cap Pressure Relief15 psi

Brakes

Torque Caliper to Bracket77 ft-lbs / 38 ft-lbs
Torque to Knuckle221 ft-lbs / 148 ft-lbs
Torque Caliper to Bracket77 ft-lbs / 38 ft-lbs / 74 ft-lbs
Torque to Knuckle221 ft-lbs / 148 ft-lbs / 129 ft-lbs
Brake ApplicationWITH RPO J92, JD9, JF3, JF7
Torque Caliper to Bracket74 ft-lbs
Torque to Knuckle129 ft-lbs
Minimum Pad ThicknessFront: 0.030; Rear: 0.030 specification

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages
1Installation, 110 ft. lbs., step 2: 360 degrees., step 3: 59 ft. lbs., step 4: 125 degrees, install new bolt.110 ft. lbs
Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages
1installation, 110 ft. lbs., step 2: 360 degrees., step 3: 59 ft. lbs., step 4: 125 degrees., install new bolt.110 ft. lbs
Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages
174 ft. lbs., step 2: 100 degrees., step 3: 90 degrees., install new bolt.74 ft. lbs
Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 4 stages

Prep Do not reuse old bolts. Use new bolts coated with clean engine oil.

1All bolts22 ft. lbs
2Long bolts 1,4,5,8,975 degrees
3Medium bolts 12and1365 degrees
4Short bolts 2,3,6,7,10,1155 degrees
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
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
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 1-10:

122.0 ft. lbs.22 ft. lbs
290 degrees90 degrees
370 degrees; M8 Bolts 11-15:70 degrees
122.0 ft. lbs.22 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 1-10:

122.0 ft. lbs.22 ft. lbs
290 degrees90 degrees
370 degrees; M8 Bolts 11-15:70 degrees
122.0 ft. lbs.22 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 1-10:

122.0 ft. lbs.22 ft. lbs
290 degrees90 degrees
370 degrees; M8 Bolts 11-15:70 degrees
122.0 ft. lbs.22 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 1-10:

122.0 ft. lbs.22 ft. lbs
290 degrees90 degrees
370 degrees; M8 Bolts 11-15:70 degrees
122.0 ft. lbs.22 ft. lbs
Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 4 stages

Prep Do not reuse old M12 bolts. Reuse M8 Bolts. Coat all bolts with clean engine oil. · M12 Bolts

137.0 ft. lbs.37 ft. lbs
259.0 ft. lbs.59 ft. lbs
360 degrees60 degrees
460 degrees; M8 Bolts60 degrees
118.0 ft. lbs.18 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: 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
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages
142 ft. lbs., Step 2: retorque 4 center bolts: 4242 ft. lbs

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the spark plugs every 97,500 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.

At 6,000 miWheel Lug Nut (torque)
Every 7,500 miAccelerator Pedal (inspect) · Body Latches, Locks & Hinges (lubricate) · Brake Shift Interlock Solenoid (inspect) · Brake System (inspect) · Diesel Emissions Fluid (fill) · Engine Air Filter Element (inspect)
At 45,000 miTransmission Filter (replace)
Every 45,000 miFuel Evaporative Emission Control System (inspect)
Every 97,500 miSpark Plug Wires (inspect) · Spark Plugs (replace) · Transfer Case Assembly (drain & refill) · Transmission Fluid & Filter (replace)
At 150,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Brake Hydraulic System (drain, refill & bleed) · Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill) · Hybrid Inverter (drain, flush & refill coolant) · Transmission Filter (replace)

Reliability & federal safety record

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

3
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
0
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
0
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
0
Owner complaints
0 involved a crash · 0 a fire
Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent
’90’91’92’93’94’95’96’97’98’99’00’01’02’03’04’05’06’07’08

No owner complaints on record with NHTSA for this vehicle.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 3 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

13V544000Equipment:Other:LabelsReported 30/10/2015

General Motors (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Chevrolet Silverado HD, Chevrolet Express, and GMC Sierra HD vehicles, and model year 2013 GMC Savana compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles that fail to… Remedy: GM will notify owners and will send them a replacement label, free of charge. The recall began December 3, 2015. Owners may contact Chevrolet customer service at 1-800-222-1020 or…

13V001000Steering:Column Locking:Anti-Theft DeviceReported 02/01/2013

General Motors (GM) is recalling certain model year 2013 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, and Escalade EXT; Chevrolet Avalanche, Express, Silverado HD, Silverado LD, Suburban, and Tahoe; and GMC Savana, Sierra HD… Remedy: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the affected vehicles and replace the steering column as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on January 21, 2013. Chevrolet…

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 Sierra 4WD. 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 10 qtEngine oil filter 12690386Engine air filter 22845992Fuel filter 12646512Spark plug 12680072

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 2013 Sierra 4WD take?

10 qt of 15W-40-API CI-4, CH-4, per the factory manual.

Does the 2013 Sierra 4WD have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 3 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.