ChevroletSilverado C1999Overview/chevrolet/silverado-c/1999/base/

1999 Chevrolet Silverado C

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 1999 Silverado C.

The 1999 Chevrolet Silverado C, with its 4.5-quart oil capacity and 5W-30 API specification, defines a straightforward maintenance baseline for this model year. Owner feedback totals 1,724 complaints, overwhelmingly concentrated in the service brakes, hydraulic area, while 17 recalls further underscore the vehicle's reliability challenges. This record positions the 1999 Silverado C as a notably troublesome year, urging careful attention to brake system condition.

Model year200120001999

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Engine oil capacity4.5 qtOEM · verified
Engine oil type5W-30 APIOEM · verified
Lug nut torque140 ft-lbsOEM · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI 78 · 600 CCA battery, OE oil filter 19210286. Note the factory fuel filter is now discontinued — plan on a superseded or quality aftermarket equivalent, which the part pages below list where known. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.

Battery groupBCI 78 · 600 CCAOEM · verified
Tire sizeP215-75R15OEM · verified
Wheel / rim6-, 6.5-JJ; 6.5-JJ inOEM · verified

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter19210286 alt 12731172
Engine air filter22845992 alt 15908916
Fuel filter25171792 discontinued
Spark plug12681665
Front wiper blades15214346
Serpentine belt12576447 alt 12637202
Thermostat12632948 alt 12551507
Cabin air filter19257782 alt 12489479

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length241.3 in
Overall width78.3 in
Overall height70.9 in
Wheelbase157.5 in
Track (front / rear)65 / 66.1 in

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine holds 4.5 qt of 5W-30 API engine oil, 80W-90 · GL-5 in the differential, DOT 3 brake fluid. Torque lug nuts to 140 ft-lbs, the oil drain plug to 18.0 ft-lbs. The firing order is 1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2. Note the cylinder-head bolts finish on a torque angle (torque-to-yield) — they stretch permanently and should be replaced, not reused, during any head service.

Lubricants & capacities

Brake FluidDOT 3
Differential Gear Oil80W-90 · GL-5
Differential Gear Oil Capacity5.5 qt
Differential Gear Oil80W-90 · GL-5
Differential Gear Oil Capacity8.5 qt
Engine CoolantDEX-COOL OR EQUIVALENT
Engine Oil5W-30 · API
Engine Oil Capacity4.5 qt

Engine torques

Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts74 ft-lbs
Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts110 ft-lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts40 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug18.0 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug18.0 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug18.0 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug18.0 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug18.0 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Leaf Spring to Axle (U-bolts)110.0 ft-lbs
Leaf Spring to Chassis Bracket70.0 ft-lbs
Leaf Spring to Rear Shackle70.0 ft-lbs
Leaf Spring Rear Shackle to Chassis Bracket70.0 ft-lbs
Lug Nuts140 ft-lbs
Front Wheel Hub177 ft-lbs

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order1-6-5-4-3-2
Cylinder Firing Order1-8-7-2-6-5-4-3
Cylinder Firing Order1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2
Spark Plug ManufacturerAC Delco
Spark Plug Gap0.060 in
Spark Plug Torque11-14 ft-lbs
Spark Plug ManufacturerAC Delco
Spark Plug Gap0.060 in

Battery & A/C

RefrigerantR134a
Refrigerant Capacity2.00 lbs
Oil GroupPAG
Oil Type46
Oil Capacity8.00 oz
Standard BCI Group Number78
Standard BCI Cranking Performance600 cca
Optional BCI Group Number78

Service checks

Pressure Test15 psi
Radiator Cap Pressure Relief15 psi
Thermostat Opening Temperature188-206 °F
Fuel Pump Pressure Minimum66.0 psi
Key ON Engine OFF (KOEO)60-66
RPM50-63 @ Idle rpm
Injector Primary Resistance11.8-12.6 @ 50-95 degreesF MFI ohms
Injector Primary Resistance11.8-12.6 @ 50-95 degreesF ohms

Brakes

Brake ApplicationWITH RPO JC5 / WITH RPO JC6
Torque Caliper to Bracket80 ft-lbs / 31 ft-lbs
Torque to Knuckle129 ft-lbs / 221 ft-lbs
Minimum Pad ThicknessFront: 0.030; Rear: 0.030 specification
Brake ApplicationWITH RPO JC5 / WITH RPO JC6
Rotor Max Parallel Variation0.005 in / 0.0005 in
Rotor Runout Limit0.003 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness From1.142 in / 0.787 in / 1.496 in / 1.5 in

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 4 stages

Prep M11 Bolts 1-10

122.0 ft. lbs.22 ft. lbs
290 degrees90 degrees
3bolts 1-8 90 degrees90 degrees
4bolts 9and10 50 degrees; M8 Bolts50 degrees
122 ft. lbs.22 ft. lbs
Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 4 stages
120 ft. lbs.20 ft. lbs
255 ft. lbs.55 ft. lbs
355 ft. lbs.55 ft. lbs
490 degrees90 degrees
Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 3 stages
1All bolts37 ft. lbs
2Bolts 1,2,3,6,8,9,12,13,14,15,16150 degrees
3Bolts 4,5,10,1190 degrees
Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages
122 ft. lbs., step 2: 3022 ft. lbs

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the engine oil and filter every 7,500 mi; spark plugs every 100,000 mi; coolant at 150,000 mi. The big-interval services (at 150,000 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

At 7,500 miDrive Axle Assembly (drain & refill)
Every 7,500 miCV Joint Boot (inspect) · Differential (inspect fluid level) · Driveshaft Slip Yoke (lubricate) · Driveshaft U-Joint (lubricate) · Engine Oil (drain & refill) · Engine Oil Filter (replace)
Every 12,000 miUnderbody Splash Shield (inspect)
Every 15,000 miCabin Air Filter (replace)
Every 30,000 miClutch Cross Shaft (lubricate) · Clutch Release Lever Pivot Points (lubricate) · Drive Axle Assembly (drain & refill) · Fuel Filter (replace) · Wheel Bearing (inspect)
Every 60,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect) · EGR System (inspect) · Fuel Evaporative Emission Control System (inspect) · Fuel Line (inspect) · Fuel System (inspect) · Fuel Tank (inspect)
Every 100,000 miPCV Valve (inspect) · Spark Plug Wires (inspect) · Spark Plugs (replace) · Transmission Fluid & Filter (replace)
At 107,500 miDrive Axle Assembly (drain & refill)
At 150,000 miEngine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

Owner complaints about the 1999 Chevrolet Silverado C dominate in one area — the service brakes, hydraulic, 714 of 1,724 reports (41%), well ahead of the next concern. None of this vehicle's 17 recall campaigns target the service brakes, hydraulic, so those reports read as owner-reported wear-and-tear rather than an acknowledged defect. 101 of the reports describe a crash and 7 a fire — a small share of the total, but worth weighing against the service brakes, hydraulic pattern above. These are tallies of what owners actually reported to the federal government, not an editorial score — and higher-selling models naturally rack up more reports.

17
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
238
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
14
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
1,724
Owner complaints
101 involved a crash · 7 a fire

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 1,724 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Service Brakes, Hydraulic714
Service Brakes, Air95
Tires86
Suspension71
Structure66
Vehicle Speed Control66
Power Train57
Service Brakes45

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 17 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

08E050000Exterior Lighting:HeadlightsReported 11/08/2008

K2 MOTOR IS RECALLING 1,921 AFTERMARKET HEADLAMPS OF VARIOUS MODELS SOLD FOR USE ON THE ABOVE LISTED VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS ARE MISSING THE AMBER SIDE REFLEX REFLECTOR WHICH FAILS TO CONFORM WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF… Remedy: K2 MOTOR WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER A FULL REFUND. THE RECALL BEGAN ON DECEMEBER 17, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT K2 MOTOR AT 1-909-839-2992.

06E060000Exterior LightingReported 29/06/2006

CERTAIN AAI MOTORSPORTS COMBINATION LAMPS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON THE ABOVE LIST PASSENGER VEHICLES. COMBINATION LAMPS NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL TO CONFORM WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF… Remedy: AAI MOTORSPORTS WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE LAMPS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON AUGUST 1, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT AAI MOTORSPORTS AT 909-923-9188.

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 238 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

BulletinDateComponentSummary
06-03-09-004H2017-07-17SuspensionThis technical bulletin provides a procedure to lube the rear leaf springs on vehicles…
PIT3227M2017-02-08StructureThis Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about…
PIT3665E2017-01-31Service Brakes, HydraulicThis Preliminary Information communication advises the technician that the Hydro-Boost is…
SB-13-05-22-0012014-09-01Service Brakes, HydraulicCHEVROLET/GMC/CADILLAC: ANYTIME HYDRAULIC BRAKE PIPES ASSEMBLY NEED REPLACING, PRE-FORMED…
PIT3227J2014-01-28StructureThis Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about…

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420
Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1
P0300
Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected
P0171
System too lean — Bank 1
P0455
Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak
P0128
Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature
P0442
Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN
Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific Silverado C. OEM
Build data
Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.
Recalls
Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 1999 Silverado C take?

4.5 qt of 5W-30 API, per the factory manual.

Does the 1999 Silverado C have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 17 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.