Owners manual say capacity with filter is 4.8 quarts. However 4.8 quarts only brings oil lever to half way between the 2 "dots" on the dip stick. Added the rest of a 5 qt. container and still not at top dot. And before you ask, I did allow time for oil to drain into sump and I did depress dip stick fully. Anyone else have this happen?

 

SkyActiv engines, regardless of displacement, never fill completely (according to the dipstick) using the recommended fill volume. Your experience using 5 full quarts in a 2.5 liter is exactly what others have experienced. My 2.0 liter calls for 4.3 qts w/filter and I use 4.5 to get to the same point on the dipstick. Apparently, at least with Mazda, oil capacity is not an exact science; so don't worry about it. Since you're technically "overfilling" the sump by a small margin and still not getting a "full" reading on the stick, you gotta' know you're in the ballpark!

 

It isn't just Mazda; pretty much every car I've had with a mid-1990s vintage or newer only shows half way between Min and Max on the dipstick when the requisite amount of oil is poured in following a change. Those cars include Chryslers, Mazdas, VWs, Hondas, BMWs, and Fords.

 

Maybe BMW has the answer with its maddenly dipstick-free engines!

 

Both of my BMWs were just before the dipstick free era.

 

Big thing to remember on Skyactiv engines. The engine needs to be fully warmed up, ie a 5 minute road test, then park the vehicle on a flat surface, turn off engine, let it sit for at least 5 minutes, then check oil level.

 

isn't this how the dipstick is suppose to read?

 

I think most people would expect the recommended refill to bring the level up to the top mark.

 

Not saying your'e wrong, just that isn't how it works in virtually every car I've worked on over the last twenty or so years.

 

Not to "one-up" you, but I've been wrenching on cars for over 50 years and have never noticed what you mentioned. But there certainly are some engines that don't read "full" on the stick after changing oil and filter.