chevy equinox oil capacity – How Much Oil Does equinox Take?

Standard 1.5L turbocharged 4-cylinder front wheel drive engine takes 4.2 quarts of fully synthetic oil. And, the 1.5L 4-cylinder all-wheel drive engine takes 5.3 quarts. A standard 2.4L engine requires 4.97 – 5 quarts of fully synthetic oil and a 3.6 L equinox engine requires 6 quarts.

Chevy Equinox comes with different types of engines and each type has a different oil capacity. But on average, equinox engines require 4 – 6 quarts of full synthetic oil. 

Here’s a chart that can help you understand the oil capacity of most of the Equinox engine’s oil requirements. 

chevy equinox oil capacity – engine only

Engine TypeOil Requirement 
1.5L (2010 – 2013) FWD4.2 quarts
1.5L (2010 – 2013) AWD5.3 Quarts
2.4L (2010 – 2013) FWD4.97 Quarts
2.4L (2010 – 2013) AWD4.97 Quarts
3.0 V6 (2010 – -2012) FWD/AWD6.02 Quarts
3.4 V6 (2005 – 2007) FWD/AWD4.54 Quarts
3.4 V6 (2007 – 2009) AWD4.02 Quarts
3.6 V6 (2008 – 2009) FWD/AWD5.49 Quarts
3.6 V6 (2013) FWD/AWD6.2 Quarts

recommended oil for chevy equinox

As said before, there are equinox engines of different kinds and versions. And Chevy recommends different oils for them. 

Having that said, most of the Chevy equinox engines use 5W-30 synthetic oil at normal temperatures which include, 2004 – 2009 3.4L, 2009 – 2017 2nd gen 2.4L/3.6L, and 2018 – 2022 3rd & 4th gen engines. 

And it’s recommended to use 0W – 30 synthetic oil on 2.0L turbo and 0W – 20 synthetic on 1.5L turbo engines when the weather is cold. 

There are 3 kinds of oil, conventional, fully synthetic, and synthetic mix. But why does the manufacturer only recommend synthetic oil for Chevy Equinox? 

Conventional oil is naturally made, it comes directly from refined crude oil. 

Synthetic oils also come from refined crude oil, but they are further refined to filter out impurities. And as a result, this oil is incredible at cleaning engine deposits and sludge. 

Not only that, this oil gives satisfactory fuel economy, it causes very little emissions, increases wear resistance, and lowers friction. 

On top of everything, compared to other oil types, synthetic oil comes with a fine quality to perform well in harsh conditions as well. And these are the reasons why this oil is heavy on the wallet. 

And synthetic blend oil is a combination of conventional and fully synthetic oil.

When Should You Change Your Oil for Chevy Cruz

Well, the manufacturer recommends getting the oil and filter changed every 3000 miles or 1 year if the vehicle’s using conventional oil.

If it’s been a year since you’ve changed the oil, and since then you didn’t ride 3000 miles, you should still get the oil and filter changed. 

And when the Chevy Cruz is using fully synthetic oil, then you should get the oil and filter changed every 7,500 miles or 2 years, this is what the manufacturer recommends.

Having said that, if you’ve taken the Cruz through heavy dust, and bumpy & muddy roads frequently, you’d want to get the oil and filter changed faster. 

And it’s always best to check the owner’s manual that comes with the vehicle, it has everything you would want to know about oil changing.

How to Change Oil for Chevy equinox All by Yourself (DIY) 

How to Change Oil for Chevy equinox All by Yourself

Changing the oil for your Chevy Equinox is a simple task, with the right guideline anyone would be able to do it easily. Check it out!

Things you’ll need:

  • An oil drain pan
  • Engine Oil
  • 15-millimeter Socket
  • Filter wrench
  • Oil funnel 
  • Hand Rubber Gloves

Locate the air filter 

If your equinox has good ground clearance, then you should reach the filter easily. Otherwise, you’ll have to put the vehicle on a drive-on ramp for convenience.

Many people lift their vehicles with the jack when draining oil which is very risky. If the wheel moves even a bit, the vehicle will crush you down. Thus, never take this risk! Better place the vehicle on a ramp.

Reach under the vehicle, right underneath the passenger seats, and near the rear wheels, you should see a blue thing and that’s the oil filter. 

Locate Oil Drain Plug 

Near the oil filter, you’ll see a black pan-shaped thing where you should see only one plug which is the oil drain plug. For easier navigation, you should check the owner’s manual that came with the vehicle. 

Drain Engine Oil 

Wear rubber gloves, take the oil drain pan, and place it right under the drain plug or valve. And with the 15mm socket, slowly loosen the drain plug, you should see the oil coming out when you’ve loosened the plug. 

Remove the plug and let the oil pour onto the oil drain plug you placed under. 

Put the Plug Back 

When you’ve drained all the oil, put the plug back in using the socket. But you need to be very careful when tightening the plug. You can’t over-tighten the plug, nor can you keep it loose. 

Remove the Oil Filter 

Take the oil drain pan, and put it under the oil filter. And then remove the oil filter using the filter wrench. Oil filters also hold a little bit of oil which will drop down upon removing the filter, so be careful with that. 

Lubricate the O-Ring 

After removing the old one, thoroughly clean the filter adapter. Then wear a new set of rubber gloves and take a little bit of lubricant to apply over the O-ring rubber gasket of the new oil filter, after that apply some oil too. 

Lubricating and oiling the gasket will help you seal the filter better so that there won’t be any leakage. And while applying the lube or oil your hands need to be cleaned. 

Pre-fill the Filter 

When the filter is installed in an upright position, then it’s okay to pre-fill the filter with a little bit of engine oil. 

To do that, you’ll have to pour a little bit of engine oil in the middle of the filter, upon pouring, the filter will soak the oil completely. 

There’s no side effect of this. And if you don’t want to do it, that’s totally fine.

Install the New Filter

Pick the filter wrench and install the new filter. And remember, do not over-tighten it, otherwise, it won’t come to lose the next time you want to change it. 

Pour New Oil 

Open the hood and take off the oil cap which is located on top of the engine. Set the oil funnel and start pouring the engine oil slowly. Use the dipstick to check the oil level. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How many quarts does a Chevy Equinox take of oil?

Though it depends on the oil capacity of the engine, on average, Equinox engines require anywhere between 4 – 6 quarts of fully synthetic oil. 

What oil does a Chevy Equinox take?

The manufacturer recommends using 5W – 30 fully synthetic oil on most of the Chevy Equinox. 

Does my Chevy Equinox need synthetic oil?

Though it depends on the engine type and version. But on 1st – 4th generation (2004 – 2022) engines you need to use synthetic oil. Though this is expensive, the performance is up to the mark. 

How to Change Oil 10-17 Chevy Equinox >> Check out the video below:

Conclusion 

If you’ve gone through the guide, you now know the chevy equinox oil capacity, and how much oil the chevy equinox takes! And as, there are different types and versions of equinox engines, therefore it’s better to check the user manual for accurate information. 

Who Worked on This post?

Anderson

Chef-Editor

Anderson is an experienced auto mechanic with over 10 years in the industry. He is skilled in diagnosing and repairing a wide range of vehicles, from sedans to trucks and SUV

Syed Ahmed

Writer

Syed Ahmed has been working as an auto mechanic editor for the past five years. He has a background in mechanical engineering and a love for all things automotive

Leave a Comment