Low oil/High oil

[mfurrh55]

Had a funny thing happen couple of weeks ago, I started my truck , killed it, went to start again and all i get is click...click...click, so i raise the hood, put charger on batteries and while im waiting i decide to check oil...whoa nothing on dip stick, so i put 2 quarts in and it brings it up halfway on stick, take battery cables off and clean them , recheck oil , still halfway, wife drives truck next day, following day i recheck oil, Dang its 2 quarts overfull, let it set another day, still 2 quarts over, drive it for another week, still just 2 quarts overfull, never had this scenario before, been 3 weeks now and still says the same on stick, go figure, Monte

 

[Jim W]

This is just a guess but you may have had the correct amount of oil in the engine before you tried to start the engine. After cranking and with no start the oil is still pushed to the top of the engine, checking in that condition you may have been low on the dip stick. So, by filling up with the two quarters of oil you may have overfilled the engine.
I never check my engine oil after running/starting the engine. I only check after the engine has sat for at least a 1/2 hour (off) to allow the oil to drain in the pan before checking.
Just my opinion and a guess as to why!

 

[mfurrh55]

This is just a guess but you may have had the correct amount of oil in the engine before you tried to start the engine. After cranking and with no start the oil is still pushed to the top of the engine, checking in that condition you may have been low on the dip stick. So, by filling up with the two quarters of oil you may have overfilled the engine.
I never check my engine oil after running/starting the engine. I only check after the engine has sat for at least a 1/2 hour (off) to allow the oil to drain in the pan before checking.
Just my opinion and a guess as to why!

yeah what i figured , but after it sitting for a couple of hours before i put 2 qts. oil in it, it still wasnt reading on dip stick, could've been the way i was parked to i guess, wasnt level, front tires were a little higher up than usual on driveway

 

[Mark31]

If my truck showed up 2 quarts low, I'd look for a loose oil filter first. Next, I would look for some tracks and other signs that someone was funnin me or wanted 2 quarts of Amsoil. My old wore out 04 guzzles about a pint in 10K miles. LOL Edit: Hey Furr! Did u 'member to dobb up dem battrees wid sum Vasserleen so u don't hear no mo clicky clicky?

 

[mfurrh55]

If my truck showed up 2 quarts low, I'd look for a loose oil filter first. Next, I would look for some tracks and other signs that someone was funnin me or wanted 2 quarts of Amsoil. My old wore out 04 guzzles about a pint in 10K miles. LOL

No sign of it anywhere on motor or driveway, now its 2 qts. Overfull, so i figure was still in motor and was not level when checked, I'm gonna change it soon , so I'll keep an eye on it, i do have an amsoil bypass system on it, besides my big ol black Dog woulda got more than a couple of bites outa their hide if he caught anyone messing around, Lol, yeah i bought some of that new fangled stuff you spray on em now

 

[Tuesdak]

The 5.9 is one of the most difficult engines to check the oil and get a good reading... I find that the unneeded and thus missing check valve in the oil filter allows oil to drain out of the filter and raise the oil level generally on a hot engine. IMO cold the oil stays in the filter for 4+ hours. The expansion of 3 gal of oil makes a quart on the dipstick alone. IMO Cold oil likes to hang out in the head (and filter) - I have even posted pictures of a clean dipstick, remove oil fill cap, and then there is oil dripping on the dipstick: after hot engine sitting 4 hours. I haven't seen this oil cap removal raise the oil level.

Check the oil the same way every time... Best way I have found is after sitting 30 min or longer from a hot engine of course on a level spot. (Level spots for me are hard to find.)

 

[AH64ID]

It takes a LONG time, probably 12 hours or more in the winter, for cold oil to drain back to the pan after a quick start and shutdown.

The low oil was normal given the start and stop you mentioned. That was a poor time to check the oil.

As JDoremire mentioned, these motors are a PITA to get a good reading. I'll check the oil randomly just to see where it's at, but I don't get wrapped up around it's level unless I check it in my shop, after it's been hot, and then off overnight. It's too easy to read a qt high/low just based on shutdown time/temp and grade of the surface.

Engine oil expands about 6% from 40° to 200°, which is going to appear like 3/4 of a quart on the dipstick, or 1/3 of the cross hatch section. That's just cold to hot, assuming it all drained and is still hot. I run 14 quarts, so it's closer to .9qt from 40° to 200°, which is why I check the oil the way I do.

 

[mfurrh55]

It takes a LONG time, probably 12 hours or more in the winter, for cold oil to drain back to the pan after a quick start and shutdown.

The low oil was normal given the start and stop you mentioned. That was a poor time to check the oil.

As JDoremire mentioned, these motors are a PITA to get a good reading. I'll check the oil randomly just to see where it's at, but I don't get wrapped up around it's level unless I check it in my shop, after it's been hot, and then off overnight. It's too easy to read a qt high/low just based on shutdown time/temp and grade of the surface.

Engine oil expands about 6% from 40° to 200°, which is going to appear like 3/4 of a quart on the dipstick, or 1/3 of the cross hatch section. That's just cold to hot, assuming it all drained and is still hot. I run 14 quarts, so it's closer to .9qt from 40° to 200°, which is why I check the oil the way I do.

yeah that plus the by pass takes close to 2 qts., at the time it happened i wasn't thinking about all the factors in the reason, was fixing battery cable corrosion and charging batteries, Thanks for the info, Monte