- General Motors is removing the oil dipstick from its new V8 engines for the 2027 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra.
- The trucks will feature a digital oil level gauge in GM’s new user interface.
- GM’s other truck engines will continue to include a dipstick.
Automakers continue to digitize their vehicles, replacing analog features and controls with digital ones. General Motors is taking another step in this direction with its 2027 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra, replacing the oil dipstick with a digital gauge.
It’s part of the automaker’s new user interface, first reported by The Verge. GM’s decision to ditch the dipstick only affects the new 5.7-liter and 6.6-liter V8 engines, according to a spokesperson who spoke with The Drive. Motor1 reached out to the automaker for more information about what prompted the decision. We will update this post if GM responds.
The other engines available, the 2.7-liter four-cylinder and 3.0-liter diesel, will still feature a dipstick, which has been disappearing from vehicles for a quarter-century.
Ditching The Dipstick
Automakers have been using digital oil level gauges since the early 2000s, believe it or not.
German brands like BMW and Mercedes-Benz pioneered the technology, but it's still not ubiquitous. Many automakers, especially mainstream brands like Honda, Kia, and Ford, still build engines with a traditional dipstick. Even most new Chevrolet models keep the analog feature.
Ram’s revived Hemi V8 in the 1500 still has a dipstick, but buyers who opt for the 3.0-liter inline-six Hurricane engine must make do with a digital gauge. The brand’s latest engine lacks an oil dipstick.
Motor1’s Take: GM’s decision to remove the dipstick from its new V8 engines will likely ruffle a few feathers, but we expect most people won’t even care. Making it digital and baked into the dash might be the first time many people even think about their oil level.
