Overfilled from the factory?

[Flatrate]

Hope all is well. So yesterday I went to do the first oil change on my 2026 Durango with Hemi (5.7) 945 miles and I wish I would have videoed it all.

I was curious so on level pavement I pulled the drain plug and let it go till a slight drip and plugged it up filter still on. I took my oil collector and poured it into a 2 Qt measuring cup and then pouring it into a waste jug. I collected 7.8 Qts? Should also say it was a brand new collector, so nothing from the past.

Is this a factory thing or just a mistake? As I was thinking about I've bought a fair number of new vehicles in my life but always took them to the dealer, hanging around here changed that. So it was a first time for me cracking a new one open. The system is supposed to be a 7 Qt system.

Pennzoil Ultra Platinum 0W-20 went in OEM filter.

Any thoughts.

 

[Dutchy491]

Did you verify that it’s a 7 qt sump by the manual? Did the oil smell strongly of fuel?
Oil filter might hold a cup of oil….

 

[Flatrate]

Verified by manual and tons of searching. No real fuel scent.

Yep, filter is the same as last car and changed it many times, holds about 8oz.

 

[AuthorEditor]

I've found official oil capacity can be off by quite a bit. Did you observe the dipstick reading first? I would fill according to that. I have a Honda and a Subaru and they both take more oil than the manual says.

 

[Rand]

How much oil did you put back in.. and was it on full?

I always check oil level before I drain.

the 2020 ram hemi I do oil changes on takes 7.25 qt for full.

 

[Hirev]

What did the dipstick say after you put in 7 qts of new oil???

 

[Flatrate]

I did not check the dipstick prior and did put in about 7.25 qt in and it was good after the test start. It sat all night long and this morning I checked it and it was a little on the high side. It only got pulled out to the driveway for a wash today. Tomorrow I got somethings to do and will get it up to temp and check it a bit after I get home.

 

[AuthorEditor]

If it's a little on the high side doesn't that indicate the 7qt figure is correct? But, I wouldn't worry if it's a tad bit above when cold. Check your manual for what it says about checking the oil level and go with that procedure.

 

[GMBoy]

Oil specs seem to be an average because they rarely match perfect to the stick. I bet 95% of the vehicles I have serviced required around 1/2 qt over the listed capacity to reach the full mark on the stick. The only vehicles I ever saw that the manual spec was dead on was BMW. Any oil change I do I fill to capacity per the service manual then adjust as required.

 

[BHopkins]

Reports of factory fill being off always boggle my mind. Anyone who has worked in an assembly plant can correct me if I'm wrong, but from the few visits I have done to assembly plants, fluid fills are carefully metered and controlled by the process equipment. The tech just pushes a button and the metered amount is filled, and stops on it's own. It's hard to see much chance for variation.