ok i have always done my own oil changes so i know how to do them. now since i did my first oil change on my dodge i add till the oil is in at the top of the crossed section as its supposed to be. but if i do that on my 02 ram 2500 4x4 5.9ltr it only take about 3 quarts. which i know is bs cuz my wifes minivan takes more oil. so i add as my repair manual says. but then it shows about 3 quarts over. i dont know what to think. i know for a fact that all the old oil is out of the truck. im wondering if maybe the truck has a dipstick from a different ram maybe a 1500 or something???? i dont know what to think. this has got me puzzled

 

Could be wrong dipstick. look and see if there are additional marks on the other side of dipstick higher up.
Wait 10 mins for oil to settle and re check
Oil change with filter is about 4.75 L
5L will be slightly over full but ok.

 

ive got the right amount of oil in the truck. and ive even driven it about 20 miles to make sure the oil gets through the motor real good. then i let it sit for about 20 min and its always about 3 quarts high. now i was thinking. if it is a dipstick from a 5.2 it would be too short correct so it would read low.???? there arent any marks on the other side of the dipstick. i looked hoping i was just over thinking this. its very strange its the first time ive ever encountered this.

 

5.9 and 5.2 hold the same amount of oil.
Do you know the history of your truck?
I'm betting wrong dipstick, but I have seen a few really sludged engines that only had room for 2-3 quarts because there was so much junk in the pan.
Hopefully that ain't the case with yours

 

i dont know much about the history other than it was bought new in vermont. i bough it last year with 60k miles on it. the top end of the motor was rebuilt due to the cracked heads that this year was notoriouse for. is there any way i can tell if there is a ton of crap in the pan? nothing seems to come out in the oil and oil pressure is perfect. how much of a pain is it to drop the pan? this will continue to drive me crazy until i figure it out. i would hope that alot of sludge hasnt built up in the pan with only 60k miles. any way of telling if its the right dipstick. can some one get a measurement of there dipstick and let me know how long it is so i can compare.

 

On my '01 Ram 1500 with the 5.9 I measure an even 36" from the tip of the dipstick to flat part of the handle that meets the dipstick tube. Hope this helps.