Pro tip: An old timer in a Wyoming truck stop showed me the real way to check a 6.7 Powerstroke's oil level.

I was working on a 2019 F-250 in a blizzard outside Rock Springs, and the dipstick reading was all over the place. This retired fleet mechanic named Carl saw me struggling and said, 'Kid, you gotta let it idle for ten minutes, shut it off, then wait five more. The book is wrong.' He was right, and I've done it that way ever since. Anyone else run into weird oil check procedures on newer diesels?

2 comments

2 Comments

julia9211d ago

My 2017 Duramax has a similar quirk, it needs a full 20 minutes after a highway run to give a true reading. I looked like a total clown at a gas station in Billings checking it three times in five minutes, the dipstick was just lying to me. Modern diesels have their own secret rules, I swear.

the_robert10d ago

Ever notice how everything with a computer in it now has a secret waiting period? My smart thermostat takes ten minutes to realize I'm home, my phone needs a reboot to find wifi, and now our trucks need a coffee break before telling the truth. It's like we bought all this tech to save time, but now we're just standing around waiting for it to think. Feels like the machines are training us to be patient, not the other way around.