Oil Capacity Question/Verification

[Antonm]

Hard to believe you are still talking about this several months later. I would have compared the dipstick to a few other 6.2's and that would have been a definitive answer to this months long drama.

Its okay, the OP has that special one-of-one vehicle that is somehow different from the literally 100s of thousands of otherwise identical vehicles that rolled off the same assembly line that all take eight quarts.

And oh, my 6.2 dipstick looks exactly the same as yours after adding 8 quarts, running the engine, then letting it sit for a few minutes so all the oil drains back to the pan.
...

 

[Vladimir2306]

Its okay, the OP has that special one-of-one vehicle that is somehow different from the literally 100s of thousands of otherwise identical vehicles that rolled off the same assembly line that all take eight quarts.

And oh, my 6.2 dipstick looks exactly the same as yours after adding 8 quarts, running the engine, then letting it sit for a few minutes so all the oil drains back to the pan.
...

About the length of the dipstick, I will tell you a funny observation of my friend on Yukon 6,2. 23 production. He also likes to observe and experiment, just like me. And so, we have a GMC Yukon, with a mileage of 5,000 miles after an oil change, oil 0-20. The person drives calmly, so the oil consumption is low. And so, there are four photos with four different positions of the oil dipstick. The owner stands at the right front fender. Accordingly, the positioning will be relative to it.
Position 1. The oil dipstick is inserted with the ribbed side facing the wearer, i.e. it is directed towards the right front wing. As you can see in the photo, the oil level is just below the maximum.
Position 2. Next, turning the dipstick 90 degrees clockwise, I found the following pattern.The oil dipstick "looks" at the back of the car: As you can see, the level is lower than in Position 1.
Position 3. Next, the oil dipstick is pointed with the ribbed side to the left: The level is the lowest.
Position 4. The oil dipstick is directed with the ribbed side forward of the carIt turns out that the maximum level shows at Position 1, when the ribbed side is directed at the person standing at the right wing, probably most of us insert the oil dipstick and check it that way. but I suspect that the maximum oil level in this position does not mean the maximum oil level in the engine.

 

[23Seven]

Where are you guys getting that it takes 8 liters vice 8 quarts,,, because GM specifically says 8 quarts or 7.6 liters

View attachment 444618


And really, holy crap, a five page thread because someone can't read a dipstick (or can't count) and thinks that their truck must be special and is different from the literally hundreds of thousands of other identical trucks out there.
...

LOL I was reading forever to see if I was the only one catching all this fake news and crazy logic. Manufacturing Engineers measured two hundred times and cut once to ensure 8 quarts not liters was the optimal amount of oil for all of these motors not some or most but all. They all take 8 quarts and if your dip stick says otherwise then the dip stick is either being used wrong or it is the wrong length. No amount of ridiculousness will change the fact that 8 quarts is the right amount unless you make changes to your engine like a bigger or smaller pan. Thanks for this reply because I thought I was the only one scratching my head wondering how much nonsense could be posted on one thread!

 

[23Seven]

By the way. I just changed the oil in my Z71 with a 6.2. I put exactly 8 quarts and my oil was right at the full mark. My dipstick must be too long because with these reading the required 9 quarts will not fit without going way over! Or the engineers at GM and the GM literature are correct when all experts point to 8 quarts being the correct amount of oil! Craziest thread I’ve ever read! Any rational person would go with the builders literature, service techs, and expert mechanics advice. This is not a thread that should go by opinions just black and white facts!

I hope this is the last thing written on this thread!

“8 Quarts Final Answer”

 

[WalleyeMikeIII]

About the length of the dipstick, I will tell you a funny observation of my friend on Yukon 6,2. 23 production. He also likes to observe and experiment, just like me. And so, we have a GMC Yukon, with a mileage of 5,000 miles after an oil change, oil 0-20. The person drives calmly, so the oil consumption is low. And so, there are four photos with four different positions of the oil dipstick. The owner stands at the right front fender. Accordingly, the positioning will be relative to it.
Position 1. The oil dipstick is inserted with the ribbed side facing the wearer, i.e. it is directed towards the right front wing. As you can see in the photo, the oil level is just below the maximum.
Position 2. Next, turning the dipstick 90 degrees clockwise, I found the following pattern.The oil dipstick "looks" at the back of the car: As you can see, the level is lower than in Position 1.
Position 3. Next, the oil dipstick is pointed with the ribbed side to the left: The level is the lowest.
Position 4. The oil dipstick is directed with the ribbed side forward of the carIt turns out that the maximum level shows at Position 1, when the ribbed side is directed at the person standing at the right wing, probably most of us insert the oil dipstick and check it that way. but I suspect that the maximum oil level in this position does not mean the maximum oil level in the engine.

To the degree Possible, I calibrated and aligned your dipstick photos. I would say at the center of the dipstick, positions 1, 3, and 4 are virtually identical oil levels, given capillary action and spread of oil adhering to the crosshatched area. You might argue position 2 is just slightly lower than the others (by one square on the cross hatch area). Position 2 is the outlier, but still by only one cross hatch. Even then, if the scale from the bottom bar to the top is 1qt (32 oz), and there appear to be 8 cross hatches on that scale, then each small square is 4oz (118 ml) of oil. I would say close enough.

But, indeed, it is interesting, must have to do with the angle of the dipstick entering the pan (clearly, since the two measurements taken with the dipstick gauge facing the side of the vehicle are angled on the level).

OR, your friend didn't have the vehicle parked on a level surface (but I believe anyone astute enough to make this observation would be aware that parking on a flat surface matters).

One other note, if you have the air suspension, GM says they do lower the front by 1" vs the back to improve the "aggressive look" while parked.

This is indeed interesting!

 

[Kpwweb]

That's not what we have been seeing, multiple 6.2l and a few 5.3l. I believe all the oil changes that we are doing with the front wheels up on ramps, open the oil fil caps and pull the dipstick out and drain the oil.

You may want to rotate the dipstick and check the oil level with the dipstick at different rotations and see what you end up with.

As I zoom in and really look close at the cross hatch area, to me it looks like the bottom 1/3 of the cross hatch has more oil than the upper part.

I would also look at the back of the dipstick.

View attachment 455951

The bottom 1/3 does have more due to gravity, pulling the dipstick out after insertion the oil tends to flow before getting the dipstick horizontal.

Oil is changed with all four wheels on the ground and air suspension raised 1” (over already leveled & lifted air suspension).

Back of dipstick shows higher level as the cross-hatch is inserted toward the engine.

 

[jfoj]

@Kpwweb and anyone else reading this thread.

Below is a picture of my dipstick with the oil level at 9 quarts. Notice the oil level is just above the top line above the hash marks, maybe 1/8" tops. Matches the same level I found my oil level in the engine when I received the vehicle with 8 miles on it and the same as 2 - 2025 6.2l Yukon that had 7 and 40 miles on them. Other members have seen the same situation.

I had to wait until the oil had some color so you can see the oil easier. Have about 2000 miles since the last oil change and the color is still very light.

Notice how heavy the oil is in the hash marks, it needs to be this way, as I mentioned in the picture that Kpwweb posted above, his oil level is about 2/3 low on the has marks. It is not that oil has flowed to the bottom of the dipstick. The oil must have a thickness as seen in the picture below, This is why there is plenty of confusion of the oil level in these engines.

Take your dipstick and dip it in some used oil 1/2 way up the hash marks and look at it, then do the same at the top of above the hash marks and see what it looks like.

You guys do what you think you want to do, I am running 9 quarts with filter change as are my 2 neighbors with their 2025 as they saw the same oil level in their engines at time of delivery. I am sure I will have PLENTY of "you overfilled your crankcase, the crank will aerate the oil and you will have a crankcase full of foam". Well not the case, I have run 9 quarts of oil for the past 7500 miles and never have I had any problems with foam, oil leaks, oil consumption or any other negative effects. If 1/8" above the top full mark has the crankshaft frothing the engine oil below the windage tray we have bigger problems. I could probably put 1-2 more quarts in the engine before the level would be anywhere near the crankshaft.

For everyone else, enjoy running your engine chronically low on oil.

 

[Scarey]

I agree. I’m doing a little less than you. I put 8 qts in and the 9 qt I use for refill filter, just under half qt in filter. I always have 1/2 qt in garage if I need a little touch up. The math on purchasing oil works out well, 3 6packs for total 18th divided by 2 gives me 2 oil changes of 9 qts.

 

[jfoj]

I do the same 3 x 6 packs = 18 qts for 2 oil changes. But as stated, I matched the oil level as I found it from the factory.

I am also not too interested in splitting quarts in any engine. Almost everything I have ever owned or worked on that called for some fraction of a quart ended up getting the rest of the partial quart, not screwing around measuring out 0.6 or 0.7 qts.

 

[viven44]

Up until 2013, the 5.3L and 6.2L used only 6 qts 5W-30.... I'm still running 6 qts 10W-40 in my 460 CI big blocks. Runs through peak Texas summer just alright on a 2 row radiator and 195C thermostat....

It ridiculous that in 2014, the oil capacity went up to 8 qts along with 0W-20 use. More quarts = longer time to warm up, just the thing that DI engines needed, right ? I think 8 qts is overkill for these engines but given that they burn oil (our 2018 did) and no one checks for oil level these days it was probably an insurance. Oil burning was probably factored into this by GM.