GM’s new user interface has a digital oil level gauge instead of a traditional dipstick.
Update: This story now includes a statement from General Motors regarding the reason for the decision to replace the oil dipstick with a digital gauge.
For the new light-duty 5.7L and 6.6L V8 engines, GM’s decision to move to electronic oil-level monitoring was intended to simplify the ownership experience. The system allows customers to check their engine-oil level from the vehicle cabin through an on-screen readout, without opening the hood or using a traditional dipstick.
The virtual display continuously monitors oil level, reduces the potential for human error, and can alert drivers to an oil leak while they’re on the road—something a traditional dipstick cannot do.
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.
A General Motors spokesperson told Motor1 that the decision to move to a digital oil gauge “was intended to simplify the ownership experience.” The spokesperson explained further in the email:
‘The system allows customers to check their engine-oil level from the vehicle cabin through an on-screen readout, without opening the hood or using a traditional dipstick. The virtual display continuously monitors oil level, reduces the potential for human error, and can alert drivers to an oil leak while they’re on the road—something a traditional dipstick cannot do.’
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.
2027 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 ZR2
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.
Keep It Analog, Please
Sources:
The Verge, The Drive
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