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2001 Oldsmobile Silhouette EXT

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2001 Silhouette EXT.

Body VANTransmission Automatic 4-spd

The 2001 Oldsmobile Silhouette EXT is a minivan that pairs a 4‑speed automatic transmission with an engine requiring 4.5 qt of 5W‑30 API oil, delivering EPA fuel‑economy ratings of 17 mpg city, 24 mpg highway and 20 mpg combined. Owner feedback for the year tallied 90 complaints, with engine and engine‑cooling issues leading the list, and the vehicle was subject to nine recalls. Placed in the Silhouette’s reliability timeline, the 2001 EXT reflects a year marked by a pronounced concentration of engine‑related problems.

Model year200320022001199919981997

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 torque100 ft-lbsOEM · verified
EPA fuel economy17/24/20 mpgEPA · 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 12731175. Note the factory front wiper blades and cabin air filter are now discontinued — plan on a superseded or quality aftermarket equivalent, which the part pages below list where known.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 sizeP215-70R15OEM · verified

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter12731175 alt 25322835
Engine air filter19166106
Fuel filter10290491
Spark plug19301810
Front wiper blades10329207 discontinued · alt 10329206
Serpentine belt12576454 alt 12588408
Thermostat24507563 alt 10226107
Cabin air filter10322538 discontinued

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Engine & drivetrain NHTSA vPIC

TransmissionAutomatic 4-spd

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length201.2 in
Overall width72.8 in
Overall height68.1 in
Wheelbase120.1 in
Curb weight3948 lb
Track (front / rear)61.4 / 63.4 in
Weight distribution (front / rear)58/42

Ratings & economy EPA / vPIC

EPA city / highway / combined17 / 24 / 20 mpg
DrivetrainFront-Wheel Drive
Recommended fuelRegular Gasoline

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. Torque lug nuts to 100 ft-lbs, the oil drain plug to 18.0 ft-lbs. The firing order is 1-2-3-4-5-6. 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

Engine Oil5W-30 · API
Engine Oil Capacity4.5 qt

Engine torques

Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts76 ft-lbs
Intake Manifold to Engine BoltsUpper: 18 ft-lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts12 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug18.0 ft-lbs
Engine Valve Cover Bolts7.4 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Lug Nuts100 ft-lbs
Front Wheel Hub118 ft-lbs

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order1-2-3-4-5-6
Spark Plug ManufacturerAC Delco
Spark Plug Type41-940
Spark Plug Gap0.060 in
Spark Plug Torque11.0 ft-lbs

Battery & A/C

RefrigerantR134a
Oil GroupPAG
Oil Type46
Standard BCI Group Number78
Standard BCI Cranking Performance600 cca

Service checks

Pressure Test20 psi
Radiator Cap Pressure Relief15 psi
Thermostat Opening Temperature188-206 °F
Injector Primary Resistance11.4-12.6 @ 50-95 degreesF ohms
Engine Compression100
Engine Compression100 Minimum psi
Engine Oil Pressure60 psi
Engine Oil Pressure RPM1850 rpm

Brakes

Brake ApplicationWITH REAR DISC / WITH STANDARD
Torque Caliper to Bracket33 ft-lbs / 63 ft-lbs
Torque to Knuckle92 ft-lbs / 137 ft-lbs
Minimum Pad ThicknessFront: 0.030; Rear: 0.030 specification
Brake ApplicationWITH REAR DISC / WITH STANDARD
Rotor Max Parallel Variation0.001 in
Rotor Runout Limit0.002 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness From0.43 in / 1.27 in

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 2 stages
144 ft. lbs.44 ft. lbs
295 degrees.95 degrees

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the engine oil and filter every 10,000 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.

Every 7,500 miTire & Wheel Assembly (rotate)
Every 10,000 miEngine Oil (drain & refill) · Engine Oil Filter (replace) · Underbody (inspect)
Every 15,000 miCabin Air Filter (replace)
Every 30,000 miEngine Air Filter Element (replace)
Every 100,000 miSpark Plug Wires (inspect) · Spark Plugs (replace) · Transmission Fluid & Filter (replace)
At 150,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Engine 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 2001 Oldsmobile Silhouette EXT top in one area — the engine & engine cooling, 11 of 90 reports (12%), well ahead of the next concern. None of this vehicle's 9 recall campaigns target the engine & engine cooling, so those reports read as owner-reported wear-and-tear rather than an acknowledged defect. 7 of the reports describe a crash and 3 a fire — a small share of the total, but worth weighing against the engine & engine cooling 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.

9
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
379
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
1
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
90
Owner complaints
7 involved a crash · 3 a fire

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 90 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Engine & Engine Cooling11
Electrical System7
Tires7
Latches/Locks/Linkages6
Wheels5
Power Train5
Exterior Lighting5
Service Brakes, Hydraulic5

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 9 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

09E005000SteeringReported 17/02/2009

DORMAN IS RECALLING 979 STEERING KNUCKLES, DORMAN P/NOS. 697-902 AND 697-903, SOLD UNDER DORMAN'S "OE SOLUTIONS<SUP>TM</SUP>" BRAND NAME, AND NAPA P/NOS. 7-8502 AND 7-8503 WHICH WERE SOLD FOR REPLACEMENT USE ON THE… Remedy: DORMAN WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE STEERING KNUCKLES FREE OF CHARGE AND REIMBURSE THE REPAIR FACILITY OR OWNER FOR LABOR. THE RECALL BEGAN ON FEBRUARY 23, 2009…

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.

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 379 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

BulletinDateComponentSummary
PIP5601C2025-07-18Unknown Or OtherThis PI communicates the requirement to provide a pico file to receive diagnostic…
PIP5358D2025-02-19Unknown Or OtherThis Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about…
PIP4723J2024-10-25Electrical SystemThis Preliminary Information communicates to the dealer the process for downloading or…
PIT5099H2024-09-12Unknown Or OtherThis Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about…
PIT5099H2024-09-12Unknown Or OtherThis 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 Silhouette EXT. 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.

Group 78 batteryVehicles taking 4.5 qtEngine oil filter 12731175Engine air filter 19166106Fuel filter 10290491Spark plug 19301810

Reference guides

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

Vehicle recalls & TSBsOBD-II trouble codesTorque specificationsMaintenance schedulesFluid capacities & specs

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 2001 Silhouette EXT take?

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

Does the 2001 Silhouette EXT have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 9 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.

What gas mileage does the Silhouette EXT get?

EPA figures are 17 city / 24 highway / 20 combined mpg.