What oil does a Chevrolet Onix 2019 take

Q: What does «5W-30» mean?

No es una marca ni una calidad. Son dos números que dicen qué tan espeso es el aceite , y cada uno habla de un momento distinto. El 5W es el motor frío, recién prendido. La W es de winter , invierno en inglés. Entre más bajo el número, más rápido corre el aceite apenas arrancas, que es cuando más se desgasta un motor. El 30 es el motor caliente, después de unos minutos andando. Ese es el número que trabaja casi todo el tiempo en Cartagena, donde el carro nunca amanece helado.

Q: What's that code next to it?

Junto al grado va dexos1 . Eso es la norma , y es la parte que casi nadie mira. La norma es el sello que Chevrolet le pone al aceite que probó en este motor y aprobó. Un tarro puede decir 5W-30 bien grande en el frente y no tener el sello: el grado es el mismo, pero el aceite no es el que la marca aprobó. Por eso la norma manda sobre la marca del tarro. Si cumple la norma, sirve; si no, da igual lo bonita que sea la etiqueta.

Q: Why does the gearbox change the engine oil?

Suena raro, y es la pregunta más justa de toda esta página: la caja de cambios tiene su propio aceite, aparte. ¿Por qué iba a mandar sobre el del motor? Porque el motor no trabaja igual con una caja que con otra. Con más marchas, el motor pasa más tiempo en revoluciones bajas y el fabricante afina el conjunto para gastar menos gasolina. Un aceite más delgado ayuda a eso, y Chevrolet lo probó y lo aprobó así. Por eso el mismo Onix, con el mismo motor de 1.389 centímetros cúbicos, pide 5W-30 con caja manual de 5 velocidades, y 0W-20 con caja de 6 velocidades. La cantidad sí es la misma: 3,5 litros en los dos casos.

Q: How do I know which one I have?

Esta es fácil, y no hay que abrir nada: 1. Mira la palanca. Si tienes que embragar y meter los cambios tú, es caja manual de 5 velocidades. Si sólo pones D y arranca, es caja de 6 velocidades. 2. Cuenta las marchas. En la perilla de la palanca viene el dibujito con las posiciones. Ahí se ven de una. 3. Por la tarjeta de propiedad o la factura. La línea del carro suele decir si es mecánica o automática. Si no estás seguro, mándanos una foto de la tarjeta de propiedad por WhatsApp y nosotros te decimos cuál es.

Q: What happens if they put in the wrong one?

Nada explota al otro día, y por eso mucha gente ni se entera. Lo que pasa es más lento: un aceite muy espeso tarda en llegar a las partes de arriba del motor cuando lo prendes, y uno muy delgado no aguanta la presión con el motor caliente. En los dos casos el desgaste corre más rápido de lo que debería. Y por eso preguntamos la caja antes de ir: es la diferencia entre llevarte el aceite que pide tu carro y llevarte uno parecido.

The short answer

The Onix of that year came with two different gearboxes, and they don't call for the same oil.

5-speed manual gearbox

3,5 liters

Counting the new filter

Oil 5W-30

6-speed gearbox

3,5 liters

Counting the new filter

Oil 0W-20

A LubriGo technician changing a car's oil on site in Cartagena — This is how the change is done: the technician arrives with the oil and filter your Chevrolet Onix calls for and works wherever you have the car.

What each number means, explained from scratch

If you've never sat down to look at this before, here's everything behind those figures.

What does «5W-30» mean?

It isn't a brand and it isn't a quality rating. They are two numbers telling you how thick the oil is, and each one is about a different moment.

The 5W is the engine cold, just started. The W stands for winter. The lower the number, the faster the oil flows the moment you start up, which is when an engine wears most.

The 30 is the engine hot, after a few minutes of driving. That's the number doing the work almost all the time in Cartagena, where a car never wakes up frozen.

What's that code next to it?

Next to the grade there's dexos1. That is the standard, and it's the part almost nobody looks at.

The standard is the seal Chevrolet puts on the oil it tested in this engine and approved. A bottle can say 5W-30 in big letters on the front and not carry the seal: the grade is the same, but it isn't the oil the manufacturer approved.

That's why the standard outranks the brand on the bottle. If it meets the standard, it works; if it doesn't, it makes no difference how nice the label looks.

Why does the gearbox change the engine oil?

It sounds odd, and it's the fairest question on this whole page: the gearbox has its own oil, separately. Why would it have any say over the engine's?

Because the engine doesn't work the same way with one gearbox as with the other. With more gears, the engine spends more time at low revs and the manufacturer tunes the whole package to burn less fuel. A thinner oil helps with that, and Chevrolet tested and approved it that way.

That's why the same Onix, with the same 1.389 cubic centimetre engine, calls for 5W-30 with the 5-speed manual gearbox and 0W-20 with the 6-speed. The quantity is the same either way: 3,5 liters in both cases.

How do I know which one I have?

This one is easy, and you don't have to open anything:

1. Look at the gear lever. If you have to use the clutch and change gear yourself, it's the 5-speed manual. If you just put it in D and go, it's the 6-speed.
2. Count the gears. The knob on the lever has the little diagram of the positions. You can see them at a glance.
3. From the registration card or the invoice. The car's trim line usually says whether it's manual or automatic.

If you're not sure, send us a photo of your registration card on WhatsApp and we'll tell you which one it is.

What happens if they put in the wrong one?

Nothing blows up the next day, which is why plenty of people never find out. What happens is slower: an oil that's too thick takes longer to reach the top of the engine when you start it, and one that's too thin can't hold up under pressure with the engine hot. Either way, wear runs faster than it should.

And that's why we ask which gearbox you have before we set out: it's the difference between bringing you the oil your car calls for and bringing you something similar.

How much does the mobile change cost?

The full change —synthetic oil and filter, done wherever the car is— starts at $240.000. The price moves with the number of liters the engine calls for. Message us with your car's gearbox and we'll give you the exact figure before we set out.

We come to your home, your workplace or wherever you have the car parked. Nothing to drop off, no queue.

Ask for the price on WhatsApp

Where these figures come from

We didn't take these from our own experience or from a blog: they are the documents Chevrolet publishes for this car. You can open them and check for yourself.

Manual del propietario Chevrolet Onix (modelo 2019) — Chevrolet Colombia, accessed 2026-09-09.
Ficha técnica Chevrolet Onix Sedán — Chevrolet Colombia, accessed 2026-09-09.