Oil level reads high on dipstick

[AH64ID]

I've done 2 oil changes my self now and the only way I can get my dipstick to read right at the top of the safe mark is to put on 11.5qts in. I drained the living **** out of it too. It's just weird. I don't know.

What filter are you using? How long after getting to operating temp and shutting down are you checking the oil?

 

[BlueOx2500]

What filter are you using? How long after getting to operating temp and shutting down are you checking the oil?

The AMS Oil filter (EA080). I fill it with almost a qt and then dump the rest in the truck to total 11.5qt.

I just checked my oil today after the truck sat for 12 hours. Oil is right at top of safe mark.

 

[AH64ID]

The AMS Oil filter (EA080). I fill it with almost a qt and then dump the rest in the truck to total 11.5qt.

I just checked my oil today after the truck sat for 12 hours. Oil is right at top of safe mark.

Oil filters drain back when sitting overnight, up to 1/2 a quart. It’s normal to read overfilled from this when compared to 30-45 minutes after shutdown.

Be sure to only fill the outer holes of the oil filter if you choose to prefill a filter. Filling the inner hole will send unfiltered oil thru your engine and virgin oil is much dirtier than most people realize, it’s meant to be filtered but the filter before use.

 

[BlueOx2500]

Oil filters drain back when sitting overnight, up to 1/2 a quart. It’s normal to read overfilled from this when compared to 30-45 minutes after shutdown.

Be sure to only fill the outer holes of the oil filter if you choose to prefill a filter. Filling the inner hole will send unfiltered oil thru your engine and virgin oil is much dirtier than most people realize, it’s meant to be filtered but the filter before use.

Thanks. I use the outer holes, so to speak.

Also, if I let my truck sit overnight back when the full 12 qts were dumped in, it still showed over-full.

 

[AH64ID]

Also, if I let my truck sit overnight back when the full 12 qts were dumped in, it still showed over-full.

Correct, the oil filter isn’t full so the pan has more oil in it and shows overfilled but it’s not.

 

[BlueOx2500]

Correct, the oil filter isn’t full so the pan has more oil in it and shows overfilled but it’s not.

Ok, thanks for the clarification. So are you saying if I wait more than 30 mins to check the oil it will be higher on the dipstick? In other words, in my case of 12hrs and it reads right at full, it's actually down some if I were to check it right at 30 mins after running it?

 

[AH64ID]

Ok, thanks for the clarification. So are you saying if I wait more than 30 mins to check the oil it will be higher on the dipstick? In other words, in my case of 12hrs and it reads right at full, it's actually down some if I were to check it right at 30 mins after running it?

Correct.

I like to check after it sits overnight and 1/4” overfilled is normal.

 

[H3LZSN1P3R]

I've done 2 oil changes my self now and the only way I can get my dipstick to read right at the top of the safe mark is to put on 11.5qts in. I drained the living **** out of it too. It's just weird. I don't know.

The way its designed the pan holds about 1/2 a qt due to the way the drain plug bung is in the pan.

 

[roegs]

I got mine to register correctly on the dipstick with 12 quarts by jacking the rear of the truck up 2 inches. I just placed the jack under the rear hitch and lift. Was the weirdest thing, but somehow I was able to drain just a little more and that took care of the problem.

 

[johnmyster]

Put 3 gallons in when you do a change and know that it's right. Don't futz with adding more based on any dipstick tomfoolery.

Do dipstick checks immediately after shutting off the motor...just like you might do at the filling station on a long trip.

Every time I've done an oil change, after letting the truck sit in my driveway, the filter is only 1/2 to 2/3 full. All that volume is in the sump.

 

[roegs]

Put 3 gallons in when you do a change and know that it's right.....

Its only right if you drained all the old oil out first.

 

[johnmyster]

Its only right if you drained all the old oil out first.

Which is not hard to achieve. This is pretty much oil changes 101.

If I'm about to get hounded about the cup of old oil that gets caught in the sump by the plug bung, I insist that during operation the level (of 3 gallons plus one cup) is not so high as to cause detrimental effects. It is not overfull when checked after running, and after all when the engine is running it is running, so it is not overfull when running.

Life is too short to stress over fractions of a quart of dipstick scrutiny on a dead simple Cummins 6.7 oil change.

 

[BlueOx2500]

Correct.

I like to check after it sits overnight and 1/4” overfilled is normal.

So I waited 35 minutes to check the oil today after the engine was fully warmed and shut off and it was perfectly at the top of the Safe mark.

The manual says: "Note: It is recommended that every 3,000 miles, check the engine oil level at least (my emphasis) 30 minutes after a fully warmed engine is shut off." (page 367)

Therefore, it only make sense that the accurate reading is after 30 minutes, so that begs the question, why would you design a dipstick that would show over-full after 30 minutes to indicate a perfectly full oil level?

To @johnmyster point, this is micro-units-of-gives-a-sh*t but it just intrigues me and make me wonder, W-T-F...

 

[Units]

So I waited 35 minutes to check the oil today after the engine was fully warmed and shut off and it was perfectly at the top of the Safe mark.

The manual says: "Note: It is recommended that every 3,000 miles, check the engine oil level at least (my emphasis) 30 minutes after a fully warmed engine is shut off." (page 367)

Therefore, it only make sense that the accurate reading is after 30 minutes, so that begs the question, why would you design a dipstick that would show over-full after 30 minutes to indicate a perfectly full oil level?

To @johnmyster point, this is micro-units-of-gives-a-sh*t but it just intrigues me and make me wonder, W-T-F...

I agree. I’ve drove gasoline trucks of all sorts all my life. This is my first diesel and it has been a learning curve for sure.

 

[johnmyster]

So I waited 35 minutes to check the oil today after the engine was fully warmed and shut off and it was perfectly at the top of the Safe mark.

The manual says: "Note: It is recommended that every 3,000 miles, check the engine oil level at least (my emphasis) 30 minutes after a fully warmed engine is shut off." (page 367)

Therefore, it only make sense that the accurate reading is after 30 minutes, so that begs the question, why would you design a dipstick that would show over-full after 30 minutes to indicate a perfectly full oil level?

To @johnmyster point, this is micro-units-of-gives-a-sh*t but it just intrigues me and make me wonder, W-T-F...

Problem is that if I get the notion to check oil level at a fuel stop or campground, suspecting that there's a problem, I'm not going to wait 30 minutes. More logically, just do it consistently after shut off and your readings will be on a consistent basis. If your method is consistent and your readings are consistent, you know you aren't loosing/burning oil. Consistency is more important than how you got there. 1" of difference either way in the sump and the pickup will still be submerged without hitting the crank.

What really matters is the oil level when the engine is running, right? Level after drain-all-night is kinda irrelevant. Some cars these days have digital level meters and only give you a reading after the car is hot. Hot/running level is what they are trying to control. (Makes it hard to be exact at an oil change so you just put the right amount in there to begin with.)

On an oil change, dump three gallons in there and memorize where it lands on the stick.

 

[24Megacab]

Problem is that if I get the notion to check oil level at a fuel stop or campground, suspecting that there's a problem, I'm not going to wait 30 minutes. More logically, just do it consistently after shut off and your readings will be on a consistent basis. If your method is consistent and your readings are consistent, you know you aren't loosing/burning oil. Consistency is more important than how you got there. 1" of difference either way in the sump and the pickup will still be submerged without hitting the crank.

What really matters is the oil level when the engine is running, right? Level after drain-all-night is kinda irrelevant. Some cars these days have digital level meters and only give you a reading after the car is hot. Hot/running level is what they are trying to control. (Makes it hard to be exact at an oil change so you just put the right amount in there to begin with.)

On an oil change, dump three gallons in there and memorize where it lands on the stick.

Yeah, and the engine manufacturer explicitly states the most appropriate time to check it is after it has been sitting for 30 minutes….but keep on preaching.

 

[AH64ID]

What really matters is the oil level when the engine is running, right? Level after drain-all-night is kinda irrelevant. Some cars these days have digital level meters and only give you a reading after the car is hot. Hot/running level is what they are trying to control. (Makes it hard to be exact at an oil change so you just put the right amount in there to begin with.)

Not when it comes to checking the oil level. What matters is where it sits on the dipstick when checked as recommended, simple as that.

My Sprinter doesn’t have a dipstick just the electronic reading when it’s warm, unless you access the hidden menu where you can check the level at any temp and it tells you what to add too. It’s kinda cool and frustrating at the same time, but also irrelevant to checking the oil level on a Cummins.

 

[johnmyster]

Yeah, and the engine manufacturer explicitly states the most appropriate time to check it is after it has been sitting for 30 minutes….but keep on preaching.

I’m not hanging out at a fuel stop for 30 minutes with a stopwatch but you do you friend.

Instead I put three gallons in at oil change, which is explicitly how much the engine manufacturer says is appropriate.

Then if I check later and it’s a little high, I use my brain and say, “makes sense, it’s been sitting for hours/overnight”. Or if it’s a little low, my brain says, “makes sense, just shut off.”

And since the manufacturer says “at least 30,” you’re still inviting variability so brain activity is still helpful.

 

[johnmyster]

Not when it comes to checking the oil level. What matters is where it sits on the dipstick when checked as recommended, simple as that.

My Sprinter doesn’t have a dipstick just the electronic reading when it’s warm, unless you access the hidden menu where you can check the level at any temp and it tells you what to add too. It’s kinda cool and frustrating at the same time, but also irrelevant to checking the oil level on a Cummins.

Are the principles at hand any different in the sprinter and the Cummins? Seems like they’re both wet sump systems with a level indicator. Spinning crank above, pickup tube down low. Gravity and such.

 

[AH64ID]

Instead I put three gallons in at oil change, which is explicitly how much the engine manufacturer says is appropriate.

Nowhere does Cummins or Ram tell you to blindly dump three gallons. They explicitly state the capacity of the engine is 12 quarts, not the drain and fill amount. There is a difference, and on this engine it’s 1/2-3/4 quart based on what stays in the head and the pan. 3 gallons gets most engines to the top of the full level and is easy, so that’s what people do.

This is the only engine on any of the forums I frequent where so many people are so adamant about dump 3 gallons and deal with what the dipstick says, it’s a pretty interesting phenomenon.

The reason for the 30 minute mention is the same as the 30 minute drain when changing the oil, the block is slow to drain and the dipstick is calibrated for that drain interval.

Are the principles at hand any different in the sprinter and the Cummins? Seems like they’re both wet sump systems with a level indicator. Spinning crank above, pickup tube down low. Gravity and such.

In terms of how you check the oil, yes they are quite different from an engineering and operator standpoint.