Types Of Gas A GMC Yukon Uses (All Generations)

We put in a lot of research to save you time doing all of that grinding work. To make things easy for you, we have scrutinized dozens of databases, bringing you the essential information at your fingertips. We aim to answer all your automotive-related questions in the best way possible. Today, we will be looking at the fuel requirements across the American-made GMC Yukon’s lineup. Before we go deep into the details, here’s a quick summary that will help you get an overview of what’s coming ahead.

Across all four generations of GMC Yukon, a minimum of 87 rated-octane is required except the 6.2L V8 engines and the 8.1L of the first generation, which requires 93 premium. During heavy towing, it is recommended to go for the 91 or 93 rated-octane. E85 can only be used in engines made to run on E85 – already specified here in this article. Only use the manufacturer’s recommended additives, including TOP TIER Detergent Gasoline.

This is just the tip of the enormous iceberg. Let’s dive deep into each aspect and have a look at gas prices that you would have to pay for the complete fill-up of your GMC Yukon.

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Infographic explaining the different fuel types for a GMC Yukon

What's Inside show

Fuel Requirements Based On Engine Type

First Generation 1999-2006

Engine	Fuel Requirement
4.8L V8	Regular 87 Octane (pump gas) or higher
5.3L V8	Regular 87 Octane (pump gas) or higher
6.0L V8	Regular 87 Octane (pump gas) or higher
8.1L V8	Premium with 93 rated octane

Second Generation 2008-2014

According to the manufacturer’s guidelines, 87 or higher rated octane should be used. Usually, engines with more than 6-liter displacement have 93 premium recommendations. So make sure if an audible knocking is heard, immediately put high-quality gasoline with octane 91 or higher.

If the knocking doesn’t go away even with 91 or higher rated gasoline, then your engine needs service.

Engine	Fuel Requirement
5.3L V8	Regular 87 Octane (pump gas) or higher, E85*
6.0L V8	Regular 87 Octane (pump gas) or higher
6.2L V8	Regular 87 Octane (pump gas) or higher, E85*

Third Generation 2014-2020

Engine	Fuel Requirement
5.3L V8	Regular 87 Octane (pump gas) or higher
6.2L V8	Premium with 93 rated octane

Fourth Generation 2020-Present

Engine	Fuel Requirement
Duramax 3L Turbo Diesel Inline-6	Ultra-Low Sulfur Diesel, no more than 15ppm
5.3L V8	Regular 87 Octane (pump gas) or higher
6.2L V8	Premium with 93 rated octane

What Types Of Gasoline Can And Can’t Be Used?

Reformulated Gasoline

RFG is known to reduce emissions, and GMC has no objections against using the reformulated gasoline in most GMC models. These are especially useful in areas that have poor air quality index. This type of fuel can also be beneficial in areas with strict emissions standards. So if you are worried about the emissions test, reformulated gasoline is the go-to option.

Gasoline/Oxygenated Blends Or E-85

Oxygenated blends are available in the market, and GMC is not against using these in any of their lineups, but specific regulations must be followed. For the vehicles made after 2011, up to 15% ethanol (E15) can be used across all variants. Vehicles made before 2011 can take gasoline with a maximum of 10% ethanol (E10)

Some variants are specifically designed to run on FlexFuel. These variants will have a yellow gas cap and/or have flex-fuel imprinted over the gas filling area. In some cases, it might be written behind the gas door.

After making sure that your vehicle can run on FlexFuel, you would further have to keep some things in check.

You are not supposed to keep on changing the fuel types. If you have FlexFuel in the tank, you would have to burn all that up before you can shift to normal gasoline.
When refilling, do not add less than 3 gallons at a time.
After refueling, drive the vehicle for about 8 miles before parking it.

Gasoline With Added Materials

In today’s era, the market is saturated with millions of products, and each one of them claims to be the best. There are additives including, methanol, metals, MMT, etc. – that you shouldn’t be using as the manufacturer advises against using them.

GMC recommends using the TOP TIER gasoline to keep your engine in optimal condition. Gasoline sold by TOP TIER retailers has a higher than average percentage of cleaning agents and has been proven to keep your engine and fuel system cleaner than non-TOP TIER retailers. If you aren’t using this regularly, you can add a GM Fuel System Treatment Plus bottle at every oil change instead. It will keep your engine healthy for a more extended period.

Gasoline With MMT

This additive MMT stands for Methylcyclopentadienyl Manganese Tricarbonyl. Gasoline with MMT was used back in the days to increase the octane ratings of gas and reduce engine knock. But this additive, later on, was no longer acceptable due to the restrictions on emissions. The metal Mn in this additive damaged the emission control system.

On top of damaging the emissions control system, this additive also reduces the spark plug’s lifespan, and because of that, spark plugs had to be changed frequently. GMC strictly advises against using this additive. Any damage that is done to the engine due to improper additives will not be covered under warranty. So make sure you only use those additives that GMC itself recommends.

Biodiesel

This is an additive that is used in Diesel engines. It is said to increase the mpg and lower emissions. GMC advises using biodiesel not more than 20% by volume mixed with regular diesel. Biodiesel is mainly made by refining – a process known as transesterification, which utilizes waste cooking oil, vegetable oil, animal fat, yellow grease, etc., to make biodiesel.

Preferably, biodiesel should be used for about 5%. More biodiesel would mean that you would have to change the filter more frequently, which will increase the overall maintenance cost.

Does The GMC Yukon Require Premium Gas?

In the first generation (1999-2006), all engines except the 8.1L V8 required regular 87 octane gasoline or higher. The 8.1L V8 needed premium 93 octane fuel. So in most cases, your Yukon will run fine on 87 octane.

In the second generation (2008-2014), the manufacturer’s guidelines suggested using 87 or higher rated octane fuel. Engines with more than 6-liter displacement were recommended to use 93 premium fuel, particularly if knocking was heard. All engines, including the 5.3L V8 and 6.2L V8, could run on regular 87 octane gasoline or higher, and E85 ethanol fuel was also acceptable.

For the third generation (2014-2020), the 5.3L V8 engine continued to use regular 87 octane gasoline or higher, while the 6.2L V8 required premium 93 octane fuel.

The fourth and current generation (2020-present) introduced the Duramax 3L Turbo Diesel Inline-6 engine, which requires ultra-low sulfur diesel with no more than 15ppm sulfur content. The 5.3L V8 engine continued to use regular 87 octane gasoline or higher, and the 6.2L V8 continued to require premium 93 octane fuel.

All this is similar to other GMC models, like the Sierra, which have varying requirements for premium fuel based on the engine type.

What If I Hear A Knocking Noise From The Engine After Refilling

A slight audible knocking noise from the engine is not a big deal. It’s normal. If you hear a knocking sound right after refilling – chances are, fuel quality isn’t up to mark. You can run your vehicle on mid-grade or premium for a while and see if the noise goes away.

As we’ve mentioned in other articles about, what gas GMC Terrains take, as well as other models like GMC Sierra, if loud noise is still heard even after refilling with premium or mid-grade gasoline, then your engine needs service.

Does the GMC Yukon Have Good Gas Mileage?

The GMC Yukon has relatively good gas mileage, considering the class of vehicle, and you can see how it varies between engine size and generation below.

You can also check out this quick video for a real world test of gas mileage:

You can also find a few generations that use diesel fuel which can offer even better mile-per-gallon. Gear heads might also prefer 10-speed transmission that’s paired with the diesel engine too.

First Generation 1999-2006

Engine	Lowest Combined MPG	Highest Combined MPG
4.8L V8	13	18
5.3L V8	12	15
6.0L V8	11	15
8.1L V8	7	9

Second Generation 2008-2014

Engine	Lowest Combined MPG	Highest Combined MPG
5.3L V8	15	21
5.3L V8 E85	11	16
6.0L V8 (hybrid)	20	23
6.0L V8 (non-hybrid)	10	16
6.2L V8	14	18
6.2L V8 E85	10	15

Third Generation 2014-2020

Engine	Lowest Combined MPG	Highest Combined MPG
5.3L V8	15	22
5.3L V8 E85	11	16
6.2L V8	14	20

Fourth Generation 2020-Present

Engine	Lowest Combined MPG	Highest Combined MPG
Duramax 3L Turbo Diesel Inline-6	21	27
5.3L V8	16	20
6.2L V8	13	19

What’s The Gas Tank Size Of A GMC Yukon?

First Generation 1999-2006

Type	Quantity
Four-door utility	26 gallons
Suburban/Yukon XL (1500 Series)	32.5 gallons
Suburban/Yukon XL (2500 Series)	38.5 gallons

Second Generation 2008-2014

Type	Quantity
Regular	26 gallons
Extended 1500 Series	31.5 gallons
Extended 2500 Series	39 gallons

Third Generation 2014-2020

Type	Quantity
Short Wheelbase	26 gallons
Long Wheelbase	31.5 gallons

Fourth Generation 2020-Present

Type	Quantity
Short Wheelbase	24 gallons
Long Wheelbase	28 gallons

How Much Does It Cost To Fill Up A GMC Yukon

There are many gas tanks available in the GMC Yukon’s lineup. The smallest is 24 gallons, while the largest is 39 gallons. If you happen to have the 24-gallon tank and live in California, you would be paying the highest price per gallon, $4.388, which will make a total of $105 approximately.

With a 39 gallon tank in California, you would be looking at a number close to $170. But if you are in Texas or Mississippi, then you would be paying the least price per gallon, $2.816, which will make a total of approximately $67 for the 24-gallon tank. On the other hand, roughly $110 for the 39-gallon tank.

Our research has shown that gas prices are going up quickly. So, all in all, whichever state you are in with whichever gas tank you have, you will be paying somewhere between $67-$170 to fill up a GMC Yukon. These estimates were made at the time of writing this article.

Sources

Stefan K.

Hi! My name is Stefan; I’m the owner and lead writer at TheDriverAdviser.com.

I’m an active writer on this blog myself, as well as a novice car mechanic. For the really technical stuff, I find writers with experience as a mechanic or who have studied mechanical engineering.

Read more about our fantastic team on our about page!

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