oil change 2008 2500hd silverado duramax/allison combo

[Timski]

I just changed the oil on my work truck and it seems to have taken 12 qts. i thought this was a bit much and have been reading on line that the older duramaxs only took 10 qts. But 12 seems to have put it just over the full mark although there is a little bit of oil up the wire but only on the front side so i am assuming it is just scraping when pulling up otherwise it would be all the way around. I checked the manual and it says nothing about how many quarts should be added. Just curious as if other people have added 12 qts to there trucks or not?? Does anyone else have a hard time reading the oil level on this wire mesh dipstick.... and Yes i am a newbie and i am just worried about killing my work truck and getting fired. Thanks in advance for any help

[Hook_'em_Horns!]

I just changed the oil on my work truck and it seems to have taken 12 qts. i thought this was a bit much and have been reading on line that the older duramaxs only took 10 qts. But 12 seems to have put it just over the full mark although there is a little bit of oil up the wire but only on the front side so i am assuming it is just scraping when pulling up otherwise it would be all the way around. I checked the manual and it says nothing about how many quarts should be added. Just curious as if other people have added 12 qts to there trucks or not?? Does anyone else have a hard time reading the oil level on this wire mesh dipstick.... and Yes i am a newbie and i am just worried about killing my work truck and getting fired. Thanks in advance for any help


My '02 and '05 Dmax/Allison with a combined 180k miles and I've always used 3 gallons (Wix Filters) on every change.

[worley70]

Hey Timskie, GM shows it should be only 10 qts if u have the LMM DMax

[DmaxMaverick]

The Duramax sump is 10 qts, including the filter. The best, most accurate way to ensure your engine has the right amount of oil is to ignore the "markings" on the dipstick, for now. It is NOT a precision measuring tool. After a thorough drain and filter change, add 10 qts. Run it up to temp and shut down. After 15 minutes of sitting (engine off), check the level on the dipstick with the truck parked on level ground. That will be your "full/normal" level. Unless you have a dent in the oil pan, or some aftermarket accessory in the system taking up volume, this will work for any Duramax engine. I'm not sure at what level overfilling becomes an issue, but it can damage the engine if ran with too much oil (or any fluid) in the crankcase, not to mention additional engine load, loss of economy, and possibly other unpleasant issues.