# 2007 Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD — accidentally used synthetic oil **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** chevrolet, silverado-2500hd\ **Created:** [January 6, 2019, 10:19pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2007-chevrolet-silverado-2500hd-accidentally-used-synthetic-oil/132127 "2019-01-06T22:19:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DavidPalumbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecd19e/32.png) [@DavidPalumbo](https://community.cartalk.com/u/DavidPalumbo)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2019, 10:19pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2007-chevrolet-silverado-2500hd-accidentally-used-synthetic-oil/132127/1 "2019-01-06T22:19:09Z")
I plow with a 2500 HD Chev Diesel 6.0 Ltr. I changed the oil yesterday rushing to get it done during a brief warmup here in northern Vermont. I didn’t realize the Valvoline Heavy Duty Diesel motor oil I bought also was labeled as Fully Synthetic. I had never used synthetic oil before. The truck has 105,000 miles and it is only used for plowing during the winter now. Should I drain the synthetic oil out right away and go back to regular diesel engine motor oil? Full disclosure, I got the wrong oil filter and did not swap that out when I changed the oil. I’m a cold idiot, I know. ---
**Author:** ![It\_s-Me](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/it_s-me/32/12660_2.png) [@It\_s-Me](https://community.cartalk.com/u/It_s-Me)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2019, 10:24pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2007-chevrolet-silverado-2500hd-accidentally-used-synthetic-oil/132127/2 "2019-01-06T22:24:05Z")
The synthetic is not going to hurt anything, but I would change the filter as soon as possible, and top off the oil. ---
**Author:** ![pyrolord314](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/6a8cbe/32.png) [@pyrolord314](https://community.cartalk.com/u/pyrolord314)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2019, 10:26pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2007-chevrolet-silverado-2500hd-accidentally-used-synthetic-oil/132127/3 "2019-01-06T22:26:47Z")
+1. 100% agreement. The fully Synthetic may look a little more dirty next time you change it since it has more detergent than regular dino oil, but that’s about the extent of difference. ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2019, 2:44am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2007-chevrolet-silverado-2500hd-accidentally-used-synthetic-oil/132127/4 "2019-01-07T02:44:52Z")
> [@DavidPalumbo](#): > > Diesel 6.0 Ltr. ?? I’m seeing the 6L engine is gasoline and the 6.6 is a turbo-diesel for that year. Presuming you have the 6.6 L turbo-diesel, I believe Chevy requires the oil spec meet API CJ-4, either 15w-40 or 5w-40. Make sure you see that spec printed on the bottle. ---
**Author:** ![DavidPalumbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecd19e/32.png) [@DavidPalumbo](https://community.cartalk.com/u/DavidPalumbo)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2019, 5:11pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2007-chevrolet-silverado-2500hd-accidentally-used-synthetic-oil/132127/5 "2019-01-07T17:11:31Z")
Yes. My mistake it is a 6.6L Duramax The oil I used is 5W-40 API CJ-4 rated hvy duty diesel engine oil ![](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/2X/6/677f06bdf711468707faf594c72c7993f90d2513.png) ---
**Author:** ![Purebred](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/purebred/32/46796_2.png) [@Purebred](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Purebred)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2019, 5:15pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2007-chevrolet-silverado-2500hd-accidentally-used-synthetic-oil/132127/6 "2019-01-07T17:15:45Z")
Should be go to go. Any oil that meets or exceed manufacturers requirements is fine. Agree with pyrolord314 too. ---
**Author:** ![TenB33R5](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b77776/32.png) [@TenB33R5](https://community.cartalk.com/u/TenB33R5)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2019, 6:57pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2007-chevrolet-silverado-2500hd-accidentally-used-synthetic-oil/132127/7 "2019-01-07T18:57:49Z")
There are some people who believe that changing to synthetic oil late in a vehicle’s life can cause oil leaks…Or make small leaks worse. I have actually experienced this on one of my own vehicles. Switched to Synthetic @ 130k mi. and soon after the valve covers started leaking…Maybe just coincidence…then again maybe there is some truth to the “myth”. ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2019, 7:00pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2007-chevrolet-silverado-2500hd-accidentally-used-synthetic-oil/132127/8 "2019-01-07T19:00:42Z")
I’d prefer full syn for plowing duty in cold weather. I’d keep using it. ---
**Author:** ![jtsanders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@jtsanders](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jtsanders)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2019, 7:53pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2007-chevrolet-silverado-2500hd-accidentally-used-synthetic-oil/132127/9 "2019-01-07T19:53:13Z")
> [@TenB33R5](#): > > Maybe just coincidence… You got that right. ---
**Author:** ![MikeInNH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a587f6/32.png) [@MikeInNH](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MikeInNH)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2019, 3:28pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2007-chevrolet-silverado-2500hd-accidentally-used-synthetic-oil/132127/10 "2019-01-08T15:28:23Z")
Agree - Totally by coincidence. These old wives-tales are so hard to kill (especially with the internet). ---
**Author:** ![pyrolord314](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/6a8cbe/32.png) [@pyrolord314](https://community.cartalk.com/u/pyrolord314)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2019, 3:57pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2007-chevrolet-silverado-2500hd-accidentally-used-synthetic-oil/132127/11 "2019-01-08T15:57:04Z")
> [@TenB33R5](#): > > Switched to Synthetic @ 130k mi. and soon after the valve covers started leaking…Maybe just coincidence…then again maybe there is some truth to the “myth”. I think it’s coincidence. I had a Corolla that I got with 120-130k miles on it (early 2000s model year), switched it to full synthetic after i got it…no problems. My 05 Town & Country I also switched to full synthetic after I got it (about 135k)…no problems (with oil consumption anyway, I had other problems with that beast…) ---
**Author:** ![TenB33R5](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b77776/32.png) [@TenB33R5](https://community.cartalk.com/u/TenB33R5)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2019, 5:31am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2007-chevrolet-silverado-2500hd-accidentally-used-synthetic-oil/132127/12 "2019-01-12T05:31:20Z")
Well maybe its not just coincidence. - **Synthetics damage seals:** “A synthetic oil won’t create a leak,” said David Canitz, technical services manager at Royal Purple, "but it will find any marginal seals due to lack of maintenance” ---
**Author:** ![jdmere](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/jdmere/32/3002_2.png) [@jdmere](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jdmere)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2019, 6:16am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2007-chevrolet-silverado-2500hd-accidentally-used-synthetic-oil/132127/13 "2019-01-12T06:16:34Z")
Which is why high mileage synthetic oil is always an option. ---
**Author:** ![TenB33R5](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b77776/32.png) [@TenB33R5](https://community.cartalk.com/u/TenB33R5)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2019, 7:00am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2007-chevrolet-silverado-2500hd-accidentally-used-synthetic-oil/132127/14 "2019-01-12T07:00:35Z")
Agreed. And by the way I have no qualms with synthetics… they are almost certainly superior to a conventional mineral oil in most every way, no matter the mileage but the fact remains, in a high millage egine, it is plausible, they could cause or “ exacerbate” an oil leak… The reason, I have gathered, is that the molecules in a synthetic are smaller and can therefore get past a gap in a seal or gasket that a conventional may not physically be able to. I would emphasize the word plausible.