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2004 Oldsmobile Silhouette

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2004 Silhouette.

Body VANTransmission Automatic 4-spd

The 2004 Oldsmobile Silhouette is a van equipped with a 4-speed automatic transmission. It maintains an EPA-rated fuel economy of 17/24/20 mpg and utilizes 4.5 quarts of 5W-30 API engine oil. Positioned at the end of a model history spanning 1990 to 2004, this final year recorded the lowest number of owner complaints at 11—with tires as the top complaint area—and had three recalls.

Model year2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996

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 torque100 ft-lbsOEM · verified

EPA fuel economy17/24/20 mpgEPA · verified

Fitment & sizes

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

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI 78 · 600 CCA battery, OE oil filter 12731175. Note the factory fuel filter, front wiper blades and cabin air filter are now discontinued — plan on a superseded or quality aftermarket equivalent, which the part pages below list where known. 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 78 · 600 CCAOEM · verified

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter	12731175 alt 25322835
Engine air filter	19166106
Fuel filter	10333072 discontinued
Spark plug	12681664
Battery	88866306 alt 88866305
Front wiper blades	10329206 discontinued · alt 10329207
Serpentine belt	12576454
Thermostat	24507563 alt 10226107
Cabin air filter	10322538 discontinued

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Engine & drivetrain NHTSA vPIC

Transmission

Automatic 4-spd

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length	201.2 in
Overall width	72.8 in
Overall height	68.1 in
Wheelbase	120.1 in
Curb weight	3948 lb
Track (front / rear)	61.4 / 63.4 in
Weight distribution (front / rear)	58/42

Ratings & economy EPA / vPIC

EPA city / highway / combined	17 / 24 / 20 mpg
Drivetrain	Front-Wheel Drive
Recommended fuel	Regular 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. Torque lug nuts to 100 ft-lbs, the oil drain plug to 18.0 ft-lbs. The firing order is 1-2-3-4-5-6. 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 Fluid	ATF
Automatic Transmission Fluid Capacity	7.4
Engine Oil	5W-30 · API
Engine Oil Capacity	4.5 qt

Engine torques

Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts	Upper: 18 ft-lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts	12 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug	18.0 ft-lbs
Engine Valve Cover Bolts	7.4 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Lug Nuts	100 ft-lbs
Transfer Case Fill Plug	21.0 ft-lbs
Transfer Case Drain Plug	23.0 ft-lbs
Front Wheel Hub	118 ft-lbs

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order	1-2-3-4-5-6
Spark Plug Manufacturer	AC Delco
Spark Plug Type	41-940
Spark Plug Gap	0.060 in
Spark Plug Torque	11.0 ft-lbs

Battery & A/C

Refrigerant	R134a
Refrigerant Capacity	Front A/C only, 1.68; front and rear A/C, 2.20. lbs
Oil Group	PAG
Oil Type	46
Oil Capacity	Front A/C only, 7.10; front and rear A/C, 7.77. oz
Standard BCI Group Number	78
Standard BCI Cranking Performance	600 cca

Service checks

Pressure Test	15 psi
Radiator Cap Pressure Relief	15 psi
Thermostat Opening Temperature	188-206 °F
Injector Primary Resistance	11.4-12.6 @ 50-95 degreesF ohms
Engine Compression	100
Engine Compression	100 Minimum psi
Engine Oil Pressure	60 psi
Engine Oil Pressure RPM	1850 rpm

Brakes

Brake Application	WITH REAR DISC / WITH STANDARD
Torque Caliper to Bracket	32 ft-lbs / 40 ft-lbs
Torque to Knuckle	92 ft-lbs / 137 ft-lbs
Brake Application	WITH REAR DISC / WITH STANDARD
Torque Caliper to Bracket	32 ft-lbs / 40 ft-lbs
Torque to Knuckle	92 ft-lbs / 137 ft-lbs
Minimum Pad Thickness	Front: 0.030; Rear: 0.030 specification
Brake Application	WITH REAR DISC / WITH STANDARD

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages

52 ft. lbs., step 2: 72

52 ft. lbs

Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 2 stages

1	44 ft. lbs.	44 ft. lbs
2	95 degrees.	95 degrees

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 25,000 mi	Engine Air Filter Element (replace) · Exhaust System (Complete) (inspect) · Fuel System (inspect)
Every 100,000 mi	Spark Plug Wires (inspect) · Spark Plugs (replace) · Transmission Fluid & Filter (replace)
At 150,000 mi	Accessory 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.

The 2004 Oldsmobile Silhouette shows a dramatic improvement in consumer complaints compared to earlier years in this generation: complaints dropped from a peak of 190 in 1998 to just 11 in 2004, representing the lowest complaint count in the entire dataset spanning 1990-2004. Recalls also trended downward, with only 3 recalls issued for 2004 versus the 9-10 recalls recorded during the 1997-1998 peak period. However, TSBs (Technical Service Bulletins) remain elevated at 432, which is typical for a vehicle nearing the end of its production run as dealers and manufacturers address cumulative engineering issues—the data does not specify the nature of these bulletins. The top complaint areas for 2004 (tires at 4, electrical system at 2) are relatively minor and span different systems, with only 2 crash-related complaints and zero fire complaints recorded. This places 2004 at the tail end of a clear downward trend in serious issues, suggesting the model had matured and reliability had improved by this final model year. Given the very low complaint count, minimal recalls, and the absence of fire complaints, the 2004 Silhouette appears to be a relatively sound choice within this generation—though the high TSB count indicates ongoing dealer-level maintenance rather than major defects.

Open recalls

NHTSA campaigns

432

Service bulletins

Manufacturer communications

ODI investigations

Office of Defects Investigation

Owner complaints

2 involved a crash · 0 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 ’93 ’94 ’95 ’96 ’97 ’98 ’99 ’00 ’01 ’02 ’03’04

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 11 complaints on record, top 7 components.

Tires4

Electrical System2

Structure1

Air Bags1

Structure,Latches/Locks/Linkages1

Parking Brake1

Seats1

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 3 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

09E005000SteeringReported 17/02/2009

DORMAN IS RECALLING 979 STEERING KNUCKLES, DORMAN P/NOS. 697-902 AND 697-903, SOLD UNDER DORMAN'S "OE SOLUTIONS<SUP>TM</SUP>" BRAND NAME, AND NAPA P/NOS. 7-8502 AND 7-8503 WHICH WERE SOLD FOR REPLACEMENT USE ON THE… Remedy: DORMAN WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE STEERING KNUCKLES FREE OF CHARGE AND REIMBURSE THE REPAIR FACILITY OR OWNER FOR LABOR. THE RECALL BEGAN ON FEBRUARY 23, 2009…

04V597000Latches/Locks/Linkages:Doors:LatchReported 22/12/2004

ON CERTAIN MINIVANS EQUIPPED WITH SECOND-ROW BUCKET SEATS OR CAPTAIN'S CHAIRS AND A POWER SLIDING DOOR ON THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE VEHICLE, A PASSENGER USING THE INTERIOR HANDLE TO OPEN THE POWER SLIDING DOOR COULD BE… Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE POWER SLIDING DOOR INTERIOR HANDLE ON THE PASSENGER-SIDE. IF THE VEHICLE IS EQUIPPED WITH A POWER OR MANUAL SLIDING DOOR ON THE DRIVER-SIDE, THE INTERIOR…

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 432 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

Bulletin	Date	Component	Summary
PIP5601C	2025-07-18	Unknown Or Other	This PI communicates the requirement to provide a pico file to receive diagnostic…
PIP5358D	2025-02-19	Unknown Or Other	This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about…
PIP4723J	2024-10-25	Electrical System	This Preliminary Information communicates to the dealer the process for downloading or…
PIT5099H	2024-09-12	Unknown Or Other	This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about…
PIT5099H	2024-09-12	Unknown Or Other	This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about…

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 Silhouette. 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 78 battery Vehicles taking 4.5 qt Engine oil filter 12731175 Engine air filter 19166106 Fuel filter 10333072 Spark plug 12681664

Reference guides

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

Vehicle recalls & TSBs OBD-II trouble codes Torque specifications Maintenance schedules Fluid capacities & specs

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 2004 Silhouette take?

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

Does the 2004 Silhouette have open recalls?

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

What gas mileage does the Silhouette get?

EPA figures are 17 city / 24 highway / 20 combined mpg.