Oil is high after oil change

[navyjoe]

Apparently the person who changed my 06 3500 (Cummings of course) oil did not wait long enough on the drain (I think the turbo takes about 15 minutes to fully drain). When I got home I checked it and its about 3/8" over the fill mark after siting 15 minutes. If you shut it down and check it immediately, its about 1/4" below full. I'm guessing it's about 1/2 to 3/4 of a quart overfilled.



Surely that's not enough to cause foaming and consequent damage????



Or do I need to drain off some?



I'm hitting the road Sunday, so I need to know.

 

[steved]

I wouldn't worry about it being overfilled by that much, other than if its being caused by a cracked injector adding fuel to the crankcase. As soon as the oiling system pressurizes, the oil level drops.



Most dipsticks are only guides, some owners have found they are not anywhere near accurate.

 

[amsoilman]

The best time to check oil levels is before starting your engine after it has set for awhile, so the oil can run back to the sump from the top of the motor. This way you are getting a more accurate reading.

 

[rbattelle]

I once overfilled mine by about 1/4". I couldn't sleep at night with it that overfull, so I ended up draining a little out (which is hard to do with the stock drain plug!).

Be sure you're on a level surface when you check the oil!

Ryan

 

[steved]

As I said, the dipstick is a known bad/inaccurate "guage"... I would think they filled the filter and crankcase with the advertised 12 quarts of oil, and this is showing how "off" the dipstick is actually.

 

[CDonaldson]

From day one, after a complete filter/oil change my 2006's dipstick reading has been slightly over the full/fill mark. I have always warmed the engine up to operating temp, parked on a level spot, left the drain open and the valve cover cap open for a good 20-30 minutes. I have not had any type of related overfill problems.



CD

 

[navyjoe]

I normally do my own oil changes and I too give it enough time. I also hold off on the last jug by a quart or so. Wish I had instructed the guy that did it to do the same thing.



I reposted this on 911 today. Hope I did not do wrong by that, but trying to drain out a quart is a little hard on the low clearance of a 2wd without making a mess.

 

[Wingate]

I would rather have a hot low idle mark on the dipstick. To me, its a much more accurate reading for where the oil level is while the engine is running. Now that my shop is almost complete, I will have a flat surface to work on... I think Imight drain my engine oil, let it set for several hours, put 12 qts in it and a filter, fire it up and establish a hot low idle level.

As others have said, dipstick marks are merely a guide to ensure that you have oil in the engine at all... .

I've seen engines that when filled to the full line on the stick, the engine would "puke" oil out until it got down to a lower level, then quit "puking" oil... if you topped it back off, it would just puke it out again!!. I'd rather run one under-full that over-full... .

 

[navyjoe]

On my next oil change I think I'm going to do something like that too. I've changed oil before many times and never had a problem until now. Must have been the turbo, but who knows.



I appreciate all of the input from everybody.



Thanks.

I would rather have a hot low idle mark on the dipstick. To me, its a much more accurate reading for where the oil level is while the engine is running. Now that my shop is almost complete, I will have a flat surface to work on... I think Imight drain my engine oil, let it set for several hours, put 12 qts in it and a filter, fire it up and establish a hot low idle level.

As others have said, dipstick marks are merely a guide to ensure that you have oil in the engine at all... .

I've seen engines that when filled to the full line on the stick, the engine would "puke" oil out until it got down to a lower level, then quit "puking" oil... if you topped it back off, it would just puke it out again!!. I'd rather run one under-full that over-full... .

 

[SNGLESHOT]

Guys: Dont forget that the new DPF systems on these trucks will build oil by virture of fuel being sprayed into the cylinder during the exhaust phase... this fuel makes its way into the crankcase and adds to the oil volume and also dilutes the oil in the process. Cummins allows for 5% buildup actually. Combine this fact with the issue of not allowing complete drain times during oil changes... and you will have a higher oil evel eventually huh?

 

[Bessler]

To reduce the mess Pull your Filter drain it off reinstall, check and adjust oil level after a run up.