According to my owners manual. Oil change with filter on my 2016 CX-5 should take 4.8 qts. When I drained the oil today, I got a little over 5 qts. I added 4.8 qts (US) of new oil and the dipstick reads 1/2 qt. low. Clearly it was overfull before I drained it and the dipstick is wrong. I wonder if there is a way to fix it? In the old days the dipstick an s-bend in it that you could bend to correct the reading. Not so now. Anyways, now I know its full at the half mark.

 

I do not believe that the dipstick is wrong. I think the stated capacity is wrong. The reason that I say this, is because after driving about 2,000 miles (with the 4.8 quarts), the low oil light came on. I called Mazda, and they told me that a light will come on when the car is one quart low. I believe that the true capacity (with oil filter change) is around 5.3 quarts, i.e. an extra 0.5 quarts more than what is stated in the manual. 5.3 quarts puts my car just below the full mark on the stick.

 

I guess it comes down to what do believe: a oil level sensor or the stated capacity in the manual. What we really want to know is what is the real actual oil capacity of the motor. Maybe it doesn't matter? 4.5 - 5.5 qts? Most engines don't like to be overfilled. Until we find out definitively, I think I'm going to believe the manual.

 

I understand. I just don't get warm feeling after putting in the recommended 4.8 quarts, and then seeing the level down 2/3 of a quart on the stick. There's an issue there that Mazda USA needs to address.

 

While not a recommendation or suggestion this is only what I personally do!
2018 2.5 NA
When I change my oil and filter I will refill with 5QTs. On the dip stick checking it with engine cold or hot the oil shows right at the full mark.
I have a core engine and pulled the pan to check out a few things. It appears that you can actually have almost an addition quart of oil in the sump before you come close to anything that would cause seal,gasket leaking or adverse negative damage running under *6 quarts of oil? ( *use common sense and don't put this much in your engine)

I might add that oil specifically synthetic oil have good shear qualities that you theatrically could run an engine for a short time with no oil what so ever and still have protective qualities. But dont test this out it. hahah!

I think this all goes back to what grim_reaper posted from a Mazda Factory Service Manual how to check you engines oil in the Mazda.

 

I had contacted Mazda Canada and specifically asked if you use the owner's manual or the oil dipstick to determine the correct oil fill level. I did this because all Gasoline Direct Injection Engines experience engine oil dilution where gasoline goes by the piston rings and enters the crankcase thereby diluting the engine oil. Mazda has a service information technical bulletin #E023/17 Subject Engine Oil Dilution With Fuel issued December 13, 2017. It requires the oil be changed if the level exceeds the dipstick full mark. In cold weather climates with short frequent trips where the engine does not warm sufficiently to vaporize and burn the fuel in the oil it is possible that enough fuel will enter the crankcase and indicate an overfull condition on the engine oil dipstick. I believe this is the means Mazda provides in determining when too much fuel has entered the crankcase and thus the oil must be changed. Below is Mazda's response to my question of owner's manual or the oil dipstick to determine the correct oil fill level.

Thank you for contacting Mazda Canada. In response to your inquiry, the oil level, when inspected hot, should read half way between MIN and MAX. The vehicle comes from the factory with 0W-20 oil. As for the additive content in our branded oil, we can not provide specifications as this is a proprietary formula. Should you need to contact us for any other reason in the future our customer assistance department is open Monday-Thursday between 8:30 am and 4:30 pm and Friday between 10:00 am and 4:30 pm eastern standard time at 1-800-263-4680 and of course you can reach us via email at mciep@mazda.ca. Thank you again for your patronage.

Sincerely,


Customer Assistance Team
MAZDA CANADA INC
800.263.4680
(SR Number: 1-2396172679)

 

I just dump in 5 quarts, along with a new filter of course, and call it good.

 

I contacted Mazda Canada and asked about oil capacity and if it was the oil dipstick or the owners manual that should be used to determine the proper oil level. Their response was as follows:Thank you for contacting Mazda Canada. In response to your inquiry, the oil level, when inspected hot, should read half way between MIN and MAX. The vehicle comes from the factory with 0W-20 oil. As for the additive content in our branded oil, we can not provide specifications as this is a proprietary formula. Should you need to contact us for any other reason in the future our customer assistance department is open Monday-Thursday between 8:30 am and 4:30 pm and Friday between 10:00 am and 4:30 pm eastern standard time at 1-800-263-4680 and of course you can reach us via email at mciep@mazda.ca. Thank you again for your patronage.

Sincerely,


Customer Assistance Team
MAZDA CANADA INC
800.263.4680
(SR Number: 1-2396172679) I believe that Mazda is using the dipstick midway level because every gasoline direct injection engine suffers from oil dilution. Oil dilution occurs predominately in cold climates when the vehicle is operated a lot for short distances without sufficient engine warm up in cold weather. What happens is a small amount of gasoline goes by the piston rings and collects in the oil pan and because the engine never warms up sufficiently the gasoline is unable to vaporized and be burnt by way of the PCV valve. Eventually the oil level may increase to above the full mark on the dipstick. Mazda released a Service Information Bulletin #E023/17 Subject: Engine Oil Dilution With Fuel in which they recognize the oil dilution condition and advise to replace the engine oil if the level is above the full mark on the dipstick.

 

In October 2019 I contacted Mazda Canada about the discrepancy between the owner's manual oil capacity and the level on the oil dipstick. Here's their response:
Thank you for contacting Mazda Canada. In response to your inquiry, the oil level, when inspected hot, should read half way between MIN and MAX. The vehicle comes from the factory with 0W-20 oil. As for the additive content in our branded oil, we can not provide specifications as this is a proprietary formula. Should you need to contact us for any other reason in the future our customer assistance department is open Monday-Thursday between 8:30 am and 4:30 pm and Friday between 10:00 am and 4:30 pm eastern standard time at 1-800-263-4680 and of course you can reach us via email at mciep@mazda.ca. Thank you again for your patronage.

Sincerely,


Customer Assistance Team
MAZDA CANADA INC
800.263.4680
(SR Number: 1-2396172679)

Mazda probably does this because every direct injection gasoline engine suffers from a condition referred to as oil dilution, where a small amount of gasoline makes its way by the piston rings into the oil pan diluting the engine oil. This happens when the vehicle experiences frequent short trips in cold weather where the engine does not warm up sufficiently to vaporize the gasoline in the oil pan and burn the vapours by way of the PCV valve. Mazda recommends that when the dipstick indicates an overfull condition that the oil be changed. So they use the remaining dipstick space before the full reading to provide a means of indicating when oil dilution has reached a level that requires intervention. Attached is a Mazda Service Information Oil Dilution Bulletin from December 13, 2017 that provides information on the subject. Hope this clears any confusion on determining the proper amount of oil for Mazda gasoline engines.

 

From Mazda Canada email.
Thank you for contacting Mazda Canada. In response to your inquiry, he oil level, when inspected hot, should read half way between MIN and MAX. The vehicle comes from the factory with 0W-20 oil. As for the additive content in our branded oil, we can not provide specifications as this is a proprietary formula. Should you need to contact us for any other reason in the future our customer assistance department is open Monday-Thursday between 8:30 am and 4:30 pm and Friday between 10:00 am and 4:30 pm eastern standard time at 1-800-263-4680 and of course you can reach us via email at mciep@mazda.ca. Thank you again for your patronage.

Sincerely,


Customer Assistance Team
MAZDA CANADA INC
800.263.4680
(SR Number: 1-2396172679)