Dipstick over full

[AHarris]

I've got 9450 miles on the truck in sig and consistently, ever since new, the oil level consistently reads just above the plastic indicator on the dipstick. The oil has been changed 3 times and the reading is about the same whether the oil change was just done or a couple thousand miles later.



Never had a CEL or any other issue with this truck since brand new, except the G56 recall was done a few months ago--100% trouble free. Is it normal for these trucks to read above the safe zone on the dipstick and should I be concerned about it or just change the oil when the computer says or every 5K, whichever occurs first?



Appreciate your thoughts.

 

[HBarlow]

Yooper,

There have been several posts on this subject over the past few months but I've never read an answer or solution. IIRC the concern always referred to early 6. 7L engines.

Next time you are near a dealer why don't you try measuring the dipstick support tube on your '07. 5 and do the same on an '08 to see if the tube is different. Then borrow the dipstick from an '08 and compare length side by side with your dipstick and try dipping the dipstick from the '08 in your engine and see if the reading is the same.

The oil level in my '08 reads properly.

 

[JohnBower]

You probably need to get your truck updated to the latest flash which is AY. It helped my truck which is just about like yours.

 

[River-Runner]

Yooper,



There have been several posts on this subject over the past few months but I've never read an answer or solution. IIRC the concern always referred to early 6. 7L engines.



Next time you are near a dealer why don't you try measuring the dipstick support tube on your '07. 5 and do the same on an '08 to see if the tube is different. Then borrow the dipstick from an '08 and compare length side by side with your dipstick and try dipping the dipstick from the '08 in your engine and see if the reading is the same.



The oil level in my '08 reads properly.

My 08's oil level is high too and appears to increase with time between oil changes. I agree, no solutions to date - dealer says no problem... .....



River-Runner

 

[jelag]

Our 08 5500 has 40K miles... we have checked the oil at least once a week since we put it in service and do our own oil changes... we've not seen a change.

Our last change was at a 7,500 interval between changes and the next will be 10K... we've never seen the change oil indicator come on... since we have several trucks that we run for 15-20K miles between changes we see no reason not to increase the interval of the 08 as its the same quality of engine as our other larger Cat's and Cummins products. .

 

[JimB1]

Verify your oil filter canister is OEM volume size or by chance is OEM installing varying size oil filter canisters.



If oil filter canister is correct size and OEM spec amount of oil is put in then that's your correct reference point and if dipstick reading appears high then it seems either dipstick length or tube length have some variation.

 

[OBayer]

Hi guys, been lurking for a couple of months finally want to pipe in on something.



My 2008 oil level was high when the truck was delivered, thought the dealer did it. After I did the first oil change it was good for about 1 day and right back to overfilled, right to about the top of the plastic indicator on the stick. Just did the 2nd oil change last week and this time only put in 11 qts instead of the spec of 12 qts. Came out right on the mark on the white indicator. Been about a week and so far so good.



I also did a Blackstone report on the last change and I was at <2% fuel which I had been worried about.

 

[JimB1]

OBayer, You're now a quart low.



Spec calls for 12 qts. You know you put in 11 qts.



Who to believe? Designer mfg of engine and what amount of oil you know for sure has been put in OR length dipstick rod & dipstick tube?



Tip for oil changing. Pre-fill new filter before installing, finish the job, run engine maybe 5 minutes, turn off let sit maybe 30 minutes, check dipstick.



The resulting level will be the true FULL mark with mfg spec 12 qts & new filter.



If oil level goes up a week later then there's other issues.

 

[grasmo]

On the dipstick there is a range (the textured part of the plastic stick)that has markings for FULL XXXXXXXXXXXXXX ADD , does any one know how many quarts this range represents ????? Just curious ... ... I would guess probably 4qts. Only a guess though.

 

[LILHauler]

This is something I have been doing to get a more accurate reading. I have changed how I take the reading. I make sure the truck is level the night I shut it down. When I check it in the morning, I take the first reading right away without wiping the dip stick. I have noticed, if you wipe it off and take the second reading it most definatly will read at the top of the plastic. The first reading always gives the most accurate reading. I think what is happening, is the first time the plastic passes up the tube it draws oil up the tube with it. The next time it passes up the tube on the second reading, it registers higher on the plastic because it gathered the oil on the plastic from the first pass. Being that the oil is it's usual BLACK, it shows everything on the widest part of the plastic which is at the top of it.
If this is clear as mud, just take the first reading on a level plain and see what you get. Curious to see what you guys are getting.
Was the 6. 7 the first engine to use this type of dip stick? This may be the problem because of it's diameter and drawing oil up the tube upon readings.

 

[OBayer]

OBayer, You're now a quart low.



Spec calls for 12 qts. You know you put in 11 qts.



Who to believe? Designer mfg of engine and what amount of oil you know for sure has been put in OR length dipstick rod & dipstick tube?



Tip for oil changing. Pre-fill new filter before installing, finish the job, run engine maybe 5 minutes, turn off let sit maybe 30 minutes, check dipstick.



The resulting level will be the true FULL mark with mfg spec 12 qts & new filter.



If oil level goes up a week later then there's other issues.

Well Jim I felt guilty so I added the extra quart so I'm back to a full 12qts in the pan.



Who to believe is a good question. Could be the stick is wrong, or maybe the pan is wrong for the application or did somebody make a typo on the spec sheet ?



So far as checking the dipstick, with the 12qts. it is once again at or over the top of the white plastic marker section so it is now useless.



Today I tried a dipstick from a 2006 5. 9 which is the regular flat steel strip. It didn't fit 100% and my oil was still hot but suprise suprise the level came to about where you would expect it in the marked range and was actually a lot easier to read.



I'm going to look more into using an older dipstick with a little modification, the 5. 9 T handle didn't match the tube on the truck and the length may be too long, but that would be easy to shorten and still have the marked section show the 12 qts at the full mark. Think I'll just buy one and see if I can make it work by swapping the 6. 7 handle to the 5. 9 stick.

 

[LILHauler]

Well Jim I felt guilty so I added the extra quart so I'm back to a full 12qts in the pan.



Who to believe is a good question. Could be the stick is wrong, or maybe the pan is wrong for the application or did somebody make a typo on the spec sheet ?



So far as checking the dipstick, with the 12qts. it is once again at or over the top of the white plastic marker section so it is now useless.



Today I tried a dipstick from a 2006 5. 9 which is the regular flat steel strip. It didn't fit 100% and my oil was still hot but suprise suprise the level came to about where you would expect it in the marked range and was actually a lot easier to read.



I'm going to look more into using an older dipstick with a little modification, the 5. 9 T handle didn't match the tube on the truck and the length may be too long, but that would be easy to shorten and still have the marked section show the 12 qts at the full mark. Think I'll just buy one and see if I can make it work by swapping the 6. 7 handle to the 5. 9 stick.

I think the round tip on the dipstick is causing all the problems. On the flat sticks you always read the inner lowest level on either side of the blade. The round stick never shows this and the oil wicked up in the tube will always give a false reading. You will never find that lowest reading on a round stick because the oil stuck in the tube will wick around the round indicator. You got the right idea OBayer, time to go back to the blade style of stick and that would cure 99% of every ones high readings.

I run into false readings on sloped inboard marine engines. Counting what you pour in for oil is the only way to be sure what is in the pan. Looking for the lowest indication is what the level is and yes the oil wicked up the tube causes false readings and a blade stick is the only way to tell.

 

[AHarris]

Follow up

I stopped by the stealership and the service manager came out and looked at the dipstick with me. We pulled the stick in and out a few times with the same result: the lower part of the white indicator is solid oil until about 3/4 of the way up... then there's a break and splotches of oil all the way up to above the end of the white plastic. He said it was fine and the oil splotches were just oil that is in the dipstick tube.



Seems like Dodge/Cummings could have just used an easier to read dipstick like the one mentioned above for the 5. 9s.



At any rate, I'm not too worried about it but will keep an eye out.

 

[JimB1]

OBayer, Did you hold the two dipsticks next to each other, lined up at the top shoulder?



I'll bet that with shoulders lined up, that the indicated oil level wet marks also line up.



My '07 5. 9 dipstick has the same white plastic bottom mounted to round flex-rod type stick, which is what I believe you're describing for your '08.



Anyhow, you might try a '07 5. 9 dipstick, maybe it'll be exact match fit onto tube and correct marker location at bottom.



My '06 5. 9 also has flat style dipstick tho' I've never tried seeing if they crossmatch correctly between trucks in that both dipsticks show correct level markings with 12 qt + oil filter change.



If you SEARCH TDR archive, "dipstick overfull" or something like that, you'll discover bunch of posts for '07's giving wrong level dipstick readings which I believe to be dipstick length issue but as I recall no one ever posted having taken true measurements of suspected bad dipstick readings, tho' I seem to recall I posted true measurements of my '07 dipstick at the time in one of those threads, from shoulder to wet mark or maybe shoulder to top & bottom crosshatch.



I also believe capillary action, both dipstick and tube, can give misleading info so I always do three pullouts. 1st one just to clean wipe and readings do vary between 1st pullout and 2nd & 3rd.



2nd & 3rd insertions & pullouts not fast not slow and wet marks almost always match each other.



If there is a discrepancy on 2nd & 3rd it almost has to be capillary action on the 2nd and then I do a 4th pullout and it always matches the 3rd.



Also neither rig has changed wet mark location, even the smallest noticeable amount between oil changes.



Bye the bye, you should be able to get dealer to replace dipstick under warranty if you can show it's incorrect length, no need to spend un-necessary $$ AND it gives great opportunity to get a measure of how professional is the dealership on a issue that really has no gray area.

 

[Forrest Nearing]

is this thread for real? I feel like I'm in a Family Guy eppisode

 

[LILHauler]

is this thread for real? I feel like I'm in a Family Guy eppisode

LOL, Forest I do see this incorrect reading with inboard marine engines. Blade dipsticks will indicate on one side 1/2 inch high. Flip it over and the correct level will be indicated on the other. If they were to use a round one such as what the 6. 7 uses, everyone would be draining out a liter of oil thinking that to much oil was added.

Rule of thumb, always use the lowest reading and look on both sides of the dipstick. Unfortunately, round sticks have no way of preventing capillary action from giving false high readings. A blade stick is still the best for giving a correct reading.

 

[HBarlow]

I like the direction this thread is taking. I am reading some good thoughts centered on the accuracy of the dipstick rather than worries about the integrity of our Cummins engines.

I'll bet you guys are on the right track suspecting the new style round dipsticks and the possibility of pulling oil up the tube on subsequent pulls of the dipstick.

In the meantime I'm going to continue draining for ten or fifteen minutes then filling with 12 qts. of fresh oil and not worrying about oil contamination or increasing oil level.

 

[LILHauler]

I have to admit that I was also puzzled at first when I seen the high oil level when I bought the truck in Feb. I figured it out after I pulled the boat out of storage and checked the oil. The light bulb lit up after I checked the oil and had to look for the low reading. That's when I realized what the problem was with the new round dipstick.

For the 6. 7 Cummins, allowing the oil to settle in the pan over night and taking the first reading showed a correct level in the pan. I had an oil change done just to make sure what the level was after a fresh oil change. No worries, oil reads correctly every time.

 

[starkmr]

Hmmm, I was always taught to take a reading on a warm engine. The problem with my '08 is that with 12 quarts, it reads over the top of that plastic piece of crap. I can't get a good reading at all. I'll see what it shows on a cold engine, maybe that'll make a difference.

 

[grasmo]

I had a 1974 ? Vega station wagon when I was 16 it cost 300. 00 I actually poured oil in this thing so often I was trying to figure out a wayto add oil to it while driving it ... . no kidding ... . 3 quarts every 75 miles ???? Man I wish I could be 16 again I swear to you I would drive that damn Vega the rest of my life to be 16 one more time!