Oil Capacity Question/Verification

[WalleyeMikeIII]

Antomn you really do not offer much here.

I can assure you I can read a dipstick just fine and have been doing so for MANY years. I can also count, have been doing this for MANY years as well. You and many of the others here seem to want to make this engine meet to the written spec which maybe fine, but it is just not me, there is evidence that what I am seeing is not so uncommon. Well with 8 quarts of oil in my engine, it barely was on the bottom of the dipstick, not close to the lowest hash mark.

I think if people would stop and actually look at the disptick closely they will find 8 quarts will not be on the full mark. One additional thing everyone should note is the oil level is checked "cold" or at least after the engine has been off for 2+ hours. Checking the oil while fueling the vehicle will likely show a higher level due to fluid expansion. So following the manufactures recommendation, check the oil cold, possibly even after sitting overnight.

I will stated this ONE LAST TIME!!!!

I MATCHED THE OIL LEVEL ON THE DIPSTICK AS IT WAS FILLED FROM THE FACTORY.

8 quarts was below the the lower hash marks on the distick. I am not running an oil level any higher than when the vehicle was delivered to me. So the engine is NOT overfilled with oil as everyone seems to state, even when they have not even checked the oil in my vehicle.

Seems people have blinders on and don't see the benefit on matching the oil level the vehicle was delivered with, at the top of the hash marks on the dipstick. If you blindly put 8 quarts of oil in the engine after a oil and filter change and do not verify the engine oil level, while the engine is cold, not sure what to tell you.

Everyone can and will do what they choose, but again, if I would not have changed the oil, the engine would have had this same level, less any oil consumed until the first oil change based on the OLM which would have probably been somewhere in the range of 6000-7500 miles depending on the vehicle driving conditions. If I would have blindly folllowed the "spec", I would have an engine starting out 1 quart low on oil. Then the first time I checked it (cold) I would have then complained the engine had an oil consumption problem!

Suggest everyone pay a bit more to the oil level on the dipstick, when the vehicle has sat for more than 2 hours and see where the oil level shows up. You may be surprised, but maybe not. Just a word to the wise, pay attention to detail, regardless of what any spec states. I have found typo's, carrry overs and wrong information many times before in the automotive world and with regard to many other things. This is nothing new.

I believe it when I see/confirm it.

There is a possibility you have the wrong dipstick...while not likely, it could happen. You could take your vehicle to the dealer and ask them to compare your dipstick to another one on the lot...

 

[Blackcar]

Wow, this discussion went from the simple (short dipstick?), to the philosophical (metric vs English measurement), to the conspiracy of GM selling us bad design.

My service bill at the Dealer charged me for 8 quarts at $6.99 each. I can assure you that they would have charged me for 9 if they had used 9 quarts. Oil level was right in the middle of the hash marks. But wait, they did charge me $24.99 for a Premium Oil Conditioner that was not mentioned up front. That must have raised the oil level a little right? Maybe there is a conspiracy!

Is there a part number on the oil conditioner they used??


This page is out of 2024 Yukon owners manual the bottom three line says not to use addives or flushes.

318 Vehicle CareWhen to Add Engine OilIf the oil is below the cross-hatched area at thetip of the dipstick and the engine has been offfor at least 15 minutes, add 1 L (1 qt) of therecommended oil and then recheck the level.See “Selecting the Right Engine Oil” later in thissection for an explanation of what kind of oilto use. For engine oil crankcase capacity, seeCapacities and Specifications 3 400.CautionDo not add too much oil. Oil levels aboveor below the acceptable operating rangeshown on the dipstick are harmful to theengine. If the oil level is above the operatingrange (i.e., the engine has so much oil thatthe oil level gets above the cross-hatchedarea that shows the proper operatingrange), the engine could be damaged. Drain(Continued)Caution (Continued)the excess oil or limit driving of the vehicle,and seek a service professional to removethe excess oil.See Engine Compartment Overview 3 314 forthe location of the engine oil fill cap.Add enough oil to put the level somewhere inthe proper operating range. Push the dipstickall the way back in when through.Selecting the Right Engine OilSelecting the right engine oil depends on boththe proper oil specification and viscosity grade.See Recommended Fluids and Lubricants 3 396.SpecificationUse full synthetic engine oils that meet thedexos1 specification. Engine oils that havebeen approved by GM as meeting the dexos1specification are marked with the dexos1approved logo.CautionFailure to use the recommended engine oilor equivalent can result in engine damagenot covered by the vehicle warranty.Viscosity GradeUse SAE 0W-20 viscosity grade engine oil.When selecting an oil of the appropriateviscosity grade, it is recommended to selectan oil of the correct specification. See“Specification” earlier in this section.Engine Oil Additives/Engine Oil FlushesDo not add anything to the oil. Therecommended oils meeting the dexos1specification are all that is needed for goodperformance and engine protection.Engine oil system flushes are notrecommended and could cause engine damagenot covered by the vehicle warranty.

 

[blondie70]

All this dipstick talk reminds me of a guy at work calling me a "dipstick". Wondered what he meant? Should I have gotten angry ? Happy ? or what ???

 

[GMCnewbee]

Dipstick is the polite version of "*******". Not a term of endearment, but still a put down. However, depending on the personal relationships it is normally used as a way to make a joke or as a way of poking fun at someone, like being called an idiot, moron, etc. How do I know this?

 

[GMCnewbee]

Looks like I got edited. Sorry about that Admin. The word I was looking for is dip-sh##.

 

[Dipstick]

You rang?

 

[PG01]

You rang?

Ain’t nothing like lipstick around your dipstick …..

 

[igor2]

Oil was checked on level ground.

8 quarts added after oil change had NO oil on the dipstick hash marks. Yes, I also realize with this dipstick it is tricky to determine the oil level with fresh, clean oil. As mentioned, I checked it before the oil change to see where the oil level was on the dipstick from the factory fill.

Not sure this is an "over fill" condition because with 8 quarts, there was nothing showing in the hash marks on the dipstick. So unclear how this is an "opinion", I have/had no "opinion" I want be able to confirm the amount of oil in the engine, which is what I did.

This post was to question what everyone else is seeing. Putting 8 quarts in the engine and calling it a day could be a problem if the oil level is not verified. At least we still have a dipstick to check the level, many newer cars have no dipstick at all.

Word to the wise, check the oil immediately after an oil change. Verify for yourself the oil level on the dipstick. With all the engine failures and complaints about oil consumption, it would be wise to know EXACTLY where the oil fill is on a fresh oil change.

Will be interested to see over time if others see similar results.

I would check the housing for the dipstick, make sure it's pushed in completely to wherever it goes, the oil pan or the block , second I would measure the length of the dipstick to make sure it's correct for your engine. I'd give you the measurement on mine but I have a 5.3 and it's probably different.

 

[Kpwweb]

I rarely see 4 quart containers readily available, most of what I see are 5 qt containers, but you must buy something special.

While you indicate that you fill your containers with what came out of the engine, the oil filter will not easily and completely drain with the oil drain back valve and the filter media holding oil.

I am starting to wonder if anyone ever really uses and looks at their dipstick closely?

I look at the dipstick every other week, if not every week. Full. If it starts getting below a half-quart low, I top off with a half quart and it is full again. And after oil change with 8qts—full.

And yes, some will be in the filter media. You can (I think you can) estimate that—it will NOT be a full quart.

BTW—you can use a five-quart container if desired. The math really isn’t that hard.