Chevrolet Lacetti - changing engine oil and oil filter

Chevrolet Lacetti from the South Korean company GM Daewoo, which appeared in Russia in 2004, went on sale in five different trim levels: Plus, Star, Elite, Premium and Platinum. Depending on the type of equipment, four types of engines and 3 types of gearboxes were installed on the car. All engines are sixteen-valve, volume: 1.4, 1.6, 1.8 liters complying with Euro 3 standards. And since 2007, cars have also appeared with a 2.0 TCi diesel unit with a power of 121 hp.

In this case, using the example of a Chevrolet Lacetti with a 1.6 engine, the engine oil was changed, and we will show how it happened in photo report format.

2199-5-08-07

Remove the oil filter.

We clean the filter seat on the cylinder block from dirt and oil drips.

Apply engine oil to the filter O-ring.

We wrap the oil filter by hand until the sealing ring comes into contact with the cylinder block. Then turn the filter another 3/4 turn to seal the connection.

Pour 3.75 liters of oil into the engine through the oil filler neck.

Screw the neck cap clockwise.

We start the engine for 1–2 minutes. We make sure that the indicator of insufficient (emergency) oil pressure in the engine in the instrument cluster has gone out and there are no leaks from under the plug and filter. If necessary, tighten the oil filter and drain plug.

We stop the engine, after a few minutes (so that the oil flows into the oil pan), check the oil level and bring it to normal.

[How to save money on Chevrolet Lacetti maintenance] [Chevrolet Lacetti maintenance at 15,000/75,000/105,000 km] [Chevrolet Lacetti maintenance at 30 thousand km] [Chevrolet Lacetti maintenance at 45 thousand km] [Maintenance of Chevrolet Lacetti at 60,000/120,000 km] [Maintenance of Chevrolet Lacetti at 90,000 km] [Do-it-yourself maintenance - general recommendations] [Safety rules for doing maintenance yourself] [Tools required for Chevrolet maintenance Lacetti]

Replacing engine oil and oil filter Chevrolet Lacetti

Stages of replacing lubricant in a Chevrolet Lacetti

The oil is changed according to the standard procedure, first the old waste is drained, the filter element is changed and new oil is poured. Access to components during replacement is quite convenient, so you can carry out maintenance yourself.

The Lacetti model is very popular in the world; it can also be found under other names, which it received for sale in different countries. Therefore, oil change instructions apply to the following brands:

Chevrolet Lacetti;
Chevrolet Estate;
Chevrolet Nubira;
Chevrolet Optra;
Daewoo Gentra;
Daewoo Lacetti;
Ravon Gentra;
Buick Excelle;
Holden Viva;
Suzuki Forenza;
Suzuki Renault.

The most popular engines are 1.6 and 1.4 petrol, although the 1.8 liter capacity is also quite common. There are no fundamental differences in the process of changing engine oil; there is only a slight difference in volume.

Draining waste fluid

It is necessary to drain the used engine fluid when the engine is warm. This is due to the fact that heated oil is more liquid. This makes it easier for it to leak out of the thin channels of the lubrication system.

To drain old engine oil, it is advisable to drive the Chevrolet Lacetti into a pit or overpass, since the drainage is done from below. If this is not possible, then the most inconvenient step will be unscrewing the drain plug. Especially if there is protection installed that will need to be removed.

When everything is ready, we proceed to the draining operation:

Raise the hood, then find the filler neck on the engine and unscrew the cap (Fig. 1).

Fig.1 Oil filler neck
We unscrew the oil filter, which is located in the front of the engine, under the hood. Visually, it is located on the right, near the exhaust manifold protective casing, directly under the dipstick (Fig. 2).

Fig.2 Oil filter
Now we go down under the car and place a waste container in the drainage area. You can use a cut canister or an old bucket.
We unscrew the drain plug using a 17 socket, but in some cases you may need a 19 wrench (Fig. 3).

Fig.3 Drain plug
The drain plug is not located at the lowest point, so about 150-250 milliliters of waste may remain in the pan. To remove them, you can use a rubber bulb or a syringe with a hose attached to it (Fig. 4).

Fig.4 Pumping out residues with a syringe

To unscrew the filter element, it is advisable to have a special puller. If it is not available, you can try to unscrew the filter using improvised means. In this case, you can use, for example, an old alternator belt, a regular belt, a bicycle chain or a simple screwdriver.

Unscrewing the oil filter using improvised means

Using this method, you can drain the maximum amount of used oil, after which you can proceed to further actions. The main thing is not to forget, everything that we unscrewed must be put back in place.

Flushing the lubrication system

Engine flushing on a Chevrolet Lacetti should be carried out only in exceptional cases, which include:

Purchasing a used car when you cannot know about the quality, as well as the regularity of lubricant replacements.
During operation, the service replacement interval was repeatedly exceeded.
Engine operation with constant frequent overheating, which contributes to coking and other deposits.
In cases of switching to another type, for example from synthetics to semi-synthetics.

There are several types of flushes for the Chevrolet Lacetti engine:

Five- or seven-minute, capable of cleaning even the most difficult deposits. They must be used very carefully and strictly follow the instructions printed on the packaging. It is recommended to use them only when absolutely necessary. Since there is a high probability of causing premature wear of the sealing seals. And also clog the oil channels with particles of washed away carbon deposits.
Special compounds that are added to the oil several hundred kilometers before the expected change. They are more gentle, but there is also a possibility of clogging of the oil channels.
Flushing oil is the most gentle method of cleaning the engine from the inside. This composition is poured after draining the waste, the engine runs for 15-20 minutes, after which the liquid with deposits is drained. The absence of aggressive additives in the wash composition gently cleans the engine, but is not able to remove heavy contaminants.
Regular oil that you are going to use when changing. This method is not so popular due to its high price.

Before flushing a Chevrolet Lacetti, you should weigh all the pros and cons. And also understand that it will not be possible to completely drain the liquid. Some of it will remain in the channels, which will then mix with the new oil.

Installing a filter, filling in new engine fluid

If the Chevrolet Lacetti lubrication system is sealed and does not require repair work to eliminate leaks, you can proceed to adding fresh oil. In addition to the engine oil itself, we will need a new gasket-washer for the drain plug GM 94525114. As well as the original GM oil filter 96879797. If you wish, you can look for analogues on the Internet.

Consumables for maintenance

When everything is ready, let's move on to the bay:

We put the drain plug in place, it is advisable to replace the washer-gasket.
We wipe the seat under the filter.
We tighten and put in place the new oil filter. Pre-lubricate the rubber sealing ring with fresh oil.
Pour new oil into the filler neck.
We check the level on the dipstick; it should be between the MIN and MAX marks.
We start the engine, let it run for 10-15 seconds, then turn it off.
After 5 minutes, check the level with a dipstick and top up if necessary.

There are several opinions regarding replacing the oil filter. Many old-school owners advise filling it with new oil before installation. However, nothing is said about this in the official operating instructions for the Chevrolet Lacetti. And also in information from global filter manufacturers it is recommended to simply lubricate the o-ring.

What role does oil play in an engine?

Motor oil is responsible for the reliability of the main engine components. In many ways, the demands of his work are contradictory. The crankshaft plain bearings must be given high oil pressure so that the engine life does not decrease. The oil cools the bearings and at the same time acts as a hydraulic wedge material, which ensures their operation for a long time, ensuring reliability. During operating mode, the bearing becomes hydrodynamic and loses the properties of a conventional plain bearing. In this case, the unit without oil under dynamic load can only work for a fraction of a second, but at idle it can work for several hours.

The second important component is the pistons and cylinders of the engine compartment. Oil is needed in this unit to eliminate contact between the pistons themselves and the cylinder walls. In addition, piston rings move in the assembly from above to remove excess oil, to provide a thin film that facilitates lubrication of the rings. Such a film is also necessary to remove heat from the piston to the piston rings, and from the rings to the cylinder. If the engine has a high load, then it is equipped with oil nozzles that supply oil to the bottom of the piston to directly cool it.

Since engine oil is an important component that affects the proper operation of the engine, it is therefore necessary to change it at least once every 10 thousand kilometers. If you ignore changing the oil, this can lead to failure of the power unit. The oil change procedure is not complicated; you just need to have the necessary tools and know the sequence of work.

Do-it-yourself oil change for a Chevrolet Lacetti

14.12.2015

Do-it-yourself oil change for a Chevrolet Lacetti

Every 10,000 km, a mandatory oil change for the Chevrolet Lacetti is recommended. At the same time, solving this issue requires an individual approach, since the operating conditions for each vehicle are different. There are often cases when the oil is changed much more often due to difficult road conditions and increased load on the vehicle.

Selecting a filter for the Chevrolet Lacetti

When choosing a filtration device, first of all pay attention to the throughput of the paper, as well as the properties of the material and design. For the Chevrolet Lacetti, there are five most suitable filtration devices (the area of the filter part, in square centimeters, is indicated in brackets):

Oil filter for Lacetti GM Original (832.6)
GM Original (832.6);
Mann filter (798);
Parts-Mall (613.2);
UFI (1267.5);
Mahle (903).

It is worth noting that the fifth filter from the list has the best throughput characteristics.

Leaks and problems

The longer the Chevrolet Lacetti's mileage increases, the more problems appear, as in principle in any car. Most often this is due to natural wear and tear of the engine, causing oil to burn. Although the manufacturer allows for a small consumption.

But on some engines oil appears in the spark plug wells; this is a fairly common problem. The reason for this lies in the valve cover gasket, as well as the sealant that has lost its elasticity.

Therefore, to eliminate leakage into the spark plug wells, we change the valve cover gasket. After first removing the old sealant and cleaning the seating surface with a cleaner.

When carrying out this procedure, it should be taken into account that the sealing rings under the bolts require replacement. The original ones are expensive, so you can look for one from Kamaz, article number 7401003040. They are suitable for many engines of this model.

But in case of a big burn, you should pay attention to the oil scraper rings, most likely they are stuck. In this case, if decarbonization helps, it will not be for long, especially since there is a possibility of clogging the thin oil channels.

If it turns out that oil has flowed through the breather, then this may also indicate a problem with the rings or piston. The piston rings begin to leak exhaust gases that enter the engine crankcase. After which, mixed with oil, they rise into the breather. In this case, the most effective way is capital with replacement of rings.

All this is general information, which may manifest itself differently on each specific vehicle, since everyone’s operating modes are different. The same applies to leak locations; it is impossible to identify the cause from a distance.

When to replace

The manufacturer's recommended replacement frequency is every 12.5 thousand km. mileage for engines up to 1.6 liters. and 15 thousand km. for units over 1.8 liters. At the same time, it is necessary to change the oil and filter in the Lacetti at least once a year, even if the specified mileage has not been reached.

These periods can be reduced to six months (up to 7.5 thousand km) under certain operating conditions:

regular short distance driving;
leaving the car at idle for a long time;
driving on dirt roads and broken surfaces;
increased loads when towing;
frequent alternation of movement and stops;
polluted dusty air;
low quality fuel.

The above applies, first of all, to traffic in an urban environment, where short distances, constant traffic jams and a polluted environment lead to increased load. This is especially true in winter conditions, when for short periods the engine does not have time to warm up to normal operating temperature. Also, more frequent replacement will be required if you use low-quality oil.

Replacing transmission fluid

Chevrolet Lacetti is available with manual and automatic transmission, depending on the configuration. We will look at how to change the oil composition in a manual transmission (manual transmission). To do this you need to purchase and prepare:

oil viscosity 75W90, GL4, 2 liters;
gasket for the pallet, sealant for it;
a large syringe or watering can with a hose;
container for draining waste;
rags and metal brush;
a set of keys.

Before work, you should drive the car 5–10 kilometers to warm up the gearbox. Then the car is driven onto an overpass or into a viewing hole.

The engine protection is removed. Then you need to find a breather with a protective cap, which is located near the pan. You need to remove the cap by pulling it up and unscrew it. This can be done with a 17 or 19 key - both heads are there.
Now you need to loosen the bolts that secure the pallet. There may be 10 or 11 of them, depending on the modification. Therefore, you need to be careful when buying a pan gasket.
The container is placed, on one side the tray is unscrewed and tilted. The grease is partially drained.
The pan with remaining oil is completely removed. It is thoroughly cleaned, after which it can be washed with diesel fuel. Remaining chips are removed from the magnet. The old gasket is removed, the end surface is cleaned of the remnants of the old sealant.
The small control plug for the lubricant level also needs to be unscrewed and cleaned.
A new gasket is installed on the cover using sealant, then the pan is screwed back on. The inspection hole remains open.
The oil mixture to be filled is pumped into the box body using a syringe.
When the liquid flows through the control hole, the filling stops. The control plug and breather are screwed in. Then the tightness of the pan is checked.

At this point the work can be considered completed. The car is ready to drive for the next 60 thousand kilometers.

Which oil to choose

The oil recommended by the manufacturer, which is poured at the factory into the engines of Chevrolet Lacetti cars, is GM Dexos II 5W30, and for diesel modifications it is the same with a viscosity of 5W40. This is an all-season lubricant that ensures stable operation at temperatures from -25 degrees Celsius.

As analogs to the original Chevrolet Lacetti oil, products of other brands that match it in viscosity and meet the following requirements are also suitable:

standard not lower than SM according to API classification;
marked A3/B3 and A3/B4 according to ACEA;
A3/C3 for diesel engine.

For the Chevrolet Lacetti diesel engine, you can also use oil with a viscosity of 0W40. It is suitable for all-season use and does not lose its properties at high temperatures. The choice should always take into account the climatic operating conditions. The first digit of the marking indicates the lower limit of permissible temperatures (30 degrees must be subtracted from the number), and the second indicates the hottest conditions under which the lubricant retains its characteristics.

It is good to fill the engine with oils of those brands that are marked by the manufacturer itself as best suited to the Chevrolet Lacetti model, in particular fully synthetic viscosity 5W30:

TEBOIL Diamond;
Comma Syner-Z;
Liqui Moly Special LL;
MOTUL Specific LL A/B 025.