The Cummins 5.9 liter engine has a maximum 5.9 Cummins Oil Capacity of 24 quarts. It is critical to use the correct weight and type of oil in order for your engine to run properly. Using the incorrect oil can severely damage your engine, which will necessitate costly repair. Check with your owner’s handbook to see what specific requirements are necessary for your car.
Motor oil is the lifeblood of your car’s engine, which keeps it running properly by supplying lubrication and cooling to a complicated system of fast-moving mechanical components under heavy strain. Oil changes are recommended on a regular basis to ensure that old, worn engine oil is changed before it loses its chemical and physical characteristics, ensuring maximum wear protection.
Oil changes can range from every 12,000 kilometers (6,900 miles) to every 24,000 kilometers (12,800 miles), depending on the manufacturer and model of your vehicle. If you meet 1 or more of the conditions listed above, follow the manufacturer’s suggested service interval and use the alternative “severe duty” timetable if available.
Engine Oil Capacity
The 5.9L Cummins diesel engine (6BT and ISB) has a capacity of 12 quarts (with filter change). The oil capacity of the 5.9L Cummins diesel engines (6BT and ISB) is identical at 12 quarts. Unless otherwise stated, replace engine oil at 100,000 miles using the recommended viscosity on the chart below.
Overfilling or understanding the crankcase can cause oil aeration and low oil pressure. Check the oil level on the dipstick (the top of the engine must flow back into the crankcase before checking the oil fill level) after running the engine and allowing it to cool for 15 minutes.
There is no need for an oil additive in 5.9L diesel engines made by Cummins or Chrysler. For all engines, use high-quality synthetic engine oil. Fill the oil filter with approximately 1 quart of clean engine oil before reinstalling it to assist prevent dry starts and boost oil pressure quickly after changing the oil.
Cummins Oil Change Periods
Towing, transporting, driving in stop-and-go traffic, making frequent short trips, operating in hot weather and extremely cold weather, and frequently idling are all examples of serious service situations.
Unless your truck is used exclusively for commuting and your journey consists of little city driving, it will most likely be classified as severe service.
1989 – 1998 (6BT, 5.9L Cummins 12v)
- 6,000 miles/6 months
- 3,000 miles/3 months
1998.5 – 2002 (ISB, 5.9L Cummins 24v)
- 7,500 miles/6 months
- 3,750 miles
2003 – 2007 (ISB, 5.9L Cummins 24v)
- 15,000 miles/6 months
- 7,500 miles/6 month
Best 5.9 Cummins Oil
Valvoline Premium Blue 8600 ES SAE 15W-40
Premium Blue is without a doubt the best protection and lubrication for your 5.9 Cummins, according to our test results.
Valvoline and Cummins engineers collaborated to ensure that Cummins engines received the lubrication and protection they required to perform at their best. Because of this collaboration, the Premium Blue allows for a 10,000-mile drain extension in Cummins X15 engines as well as a statistically verified 3% fuel economy boost potential in Class-8 trucks.
Premium Blue synthetic base stocks provide quicker and safer starts at 0 degrees Fahrenheit, superior cold pumpability, as well as enhanced resistance to harsh conditions that the turbocharger in your 5.9 Cummins generates.
Conventional motor oil lacks good resistance to heat, resulting in it solidifying and accumulating inside the turbocharger. These deposits can obstruct the oil supply to the turbo and cause early turbo failure, but Premium Blue Full Synthetic resists oil breakdown at high temperatures and ensures that your turbo is properly lubricated.
Additive Composition
Valvoline’s full synthetic Premium Blue contains a strong additive combination that controls abrasive soot generated by your 5.9 Cummins and keeps your engine clean. It combines Dispersive Polymer Technology (DPT) with an advanced additives package to prevent foaming and corrosion while protecting the engine’s critical lubrication sites from soot-related valve train and ring wear.
Compatibility
The Premium Blue is also suitable with contemporary diesel emissions treatment systems like Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) and Diesel Particulate Filters (DPF), as it is like every excellent turbo diesel engine oil. However, the 5.9 Cummins does not have a DPF or a conventional EGR valve – those we were introduced to in the 6.7 Cummins in 2007 – but it does have a catalytic converter, which would benefit from it greatly and will not clog up as quickly.
Shell Rotella T6 SAE 15W-40
The Rotella T6 is a heavy-duty diesel oil with maximum protection and heat stability in mind. The Rotella T6 is far more solid (less volatile) in high-heat environments than normal oils, making it extremely popular and widely used — some people even use it to fuel their motorcycles and high-performance turbocharged gasoline vehicles.
When compared to Rotella T4 15W-40, which has a comparable viscosity index, Rotella T6 15W-40 demonstrated lower volatility during Noack testing. Because volatility has an impact on more than simply oil usage rate – as well as engine performance, fuel efficiency, cold temperature starting, and deposit formation – motor oils with low volatility are particularly important.
The Rotella T6 is excellent synthetic oil that outperforms semi-synthetic and conventional Rotellas in the cold. It’s due to its entirely synthetic makeup that it can quickly arrive at crucial engine lubrication sites in the cold. It’s what your 5.9 Cummins requires – the first few seconds when oil pressure builds are when most (about 90 percent) engine wear takes place.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Many Quarts Of Oil Does A 2006 5.9 Cummins take?
A 2006 5.9 Cummins takes between 13 and 18 quarts of oil, depending on the weight and type of oil you use. Consult your owner’s manual to find out the specific requirements for your car.
How Much Oil Does A 24 Valve Cummins Hold?
11 quarts should be used for oil and filter replacements. If you fill your 24-valve with 12 quarts, it will be 1 quart over full (3 gals).
What Oil Is Best For Cummins?
A 5.9 Cummins takes synthetic 5W-30 oil. You can use an engine oil additive if you wish, but it is not necessary. Consult your owner’s manual to find out the specific requirements for your car.
5.9 Cummins owners should change their oil every 6,000 miles or 6 months, whichever comes first. If you drive in severe service conditions, you should change your oil every 3,000 miles or 3 months, whichever comes first. 5W-30 is the recommended weight and type of oil for 5.9 Cummins engines.
