Is the CX-5 Dip Stick Calibrated for Hot Oil temp? It would explain a lot

As mentioned countless times before, keeping your oil level at the full mark is personal preference. Do it if you want to. As long as you take your oil readings correctly and perform maintenance/inspections within the recommended intervals, you'll be fine.
Several have tested the oil level measurement in hot (follow Mazda owner’s manual “Turn it off and wait at least 5 minutes for the oil to return to the oil pan.“, so technically I can wait 8 hours and check the oil level which still meets Mazda’s recommendation) and cold (first thing in the morning before the engine start) and the difference is minimum. And for those who want to follow owner’s manual exactly, Mazda says:
“If it is near or below MIN/ADD, add enough oil to bring the level to MAX/FULL.”, not in between.

And for those truly worried about falling oil levels and just-in-case scenarios, keep a quart of oil in the trunk.
In my incident keeping a bottle of oil in the truck is useless. I lost almost 3 quarts of oil while driving on the highway for 400-mile trip. I did check the oil level before the trip which was over-filled about a half quart as usual. And there was no low oil pressure warning light lit whatsoever and I had no incentive to stop the car only for checking the oil level right after a oil change by the dealer and checked before the trip. I only found out the very low oil level the next day in the morning when I was shocked to see there was nothing on dipstick!
 
I have done 2 oil changes on my 2019 GT-R. Both times with new filters and letting the hot oil drain for at least an hour.

In both cases it took 5.5 quarts to reach the max line on the dipstick and that included pre-filling the filter with several ounces of the 5.5 quart total.

If I check my oil level within a half hour of driving or check it in the morning cold, on a flat level garage floor, the difference in the level on the dipstick iis maybe 1/16". Not enough to even be slightly concerned about.

My car only has about 8000 miles on it and I have not noticed any consumption so far. If it ever does start using oil I will add oil until it hits that top mark again and sleep easily.
why have you already done 2 oil changes with so few miles?
 
Yes you have missed it. DwightFrye who has a 2.5T had given the answer earlier in detail to the OP:

Thanks. Good data point, but there is some variance as the procedure calls for taking the reading at least 5 minutes after engine shut down. I can't say for certain, but I assume that there would be a noticeable difference in oil drained into the sump after 5 mins vs 30 mins (meaning the dipstick reading could be lower if the reading was taken at 5 mins vs 30 mins).


And for those who want to follow owner’s manual exactly, Mazda says:
If it is near or below MIN/ADD

The oil level should rarely ever be at MIN/ADD. If the oil is ever near that level, that indicates a potential oil leak or oil consumption issue - in which case, it makes sense bring the level to MAX/FULL to ensure you can drive it to a shop.


I will stand on my recommendation of following the oil reading procedure in the owner's manual. I'm not willing to risk a warranty claim denial because someone on the internet said that letting the oil drain into the sump for 5 mins is "technically the same" as letting it sit overnight.
 
If you went on a hike would you only fill your canteen halfway with water ?
As others have already stated, this comment is completely ridiculous.

Filling oil to the midpoint on the dipstick does NOT mean the engine is only at 50% oil capacity. The MIN/MAX lines on the dipstick do NOT indicate "Empty" and "Full".
In reality, the difference between the midpoint and the MAX line on the dipstick is only a few ounces.

Additionally, oil is not a consumable item. Modern (non-Subaru) engines do not burn meaningful amounts of oil when you take them on a drive. So the comparison to drinking water on a hike is completely irrelevant.

There's really no advantage to filling it to the exact MAX level on the dipstick. In fact, it's not good to overfill an engine with oil, so you could end up doing more harm than good.

In your analogy...
I'm suggesting you fill a canteen to the bottom of the fill neck, so 15.8 ounces in a 16 ounce canteen. This allows you to quickly fill it without much fuss or thought, and prevents water from leaking out all over your gear.

You are suggesting filling the canteen to the very top, with exactly 16 ounces. Requiring you to be very precise during the filling process. But then it spills out and gets your map and matches wet!
 
In my incident keeping a bottle of oil in the truck is useless. I lost almost 3 quarts of oil while driving on the highway for 400-mile trip. I did check the oil level before the trip which was over-filled about a half quart as usual. And there was no low oil pressure warning light lit whatsoever and I had no incentive to stop the car only for checking the oil level right after a oil change by the dealer and checked before the trip. I only found out the very low oil level the next day in the morning when I was shocked to see there was nothing on dipstick!

So because a quart of oil would not have helped you in the single incident you had, that bottle of oil is now completely useless for other scenarios (slow oil leak, oil consumption)? 🤨
 
Thanks. Good data point, but there is some variance as the procedure calls for taking the reading at least 5 minutes after engine shut down. I can't say for certain, but I assume that there would be a noticeable difference in oil drained into the sump after 5 mins vs 30 mins (meaning the dipstick reading could be lower if the reading was taken at 5 mins vs 30 mins).




The oil level should rarely ever be at MIN/ADD. If the oil is ever near that level, that indicates a potential oil leak or oil consumption issue - in which case, it makes sense bring the level to MAX/FULL to ensure you can drive it to a shop.


I will stand on my recommendation of following the oil reading procedure in the owner's manual. I'm not willing to risk a warranty claim denial because someone on the internet said that letting the oil drain into the sump for 5 mins is "technically the same" as letting it sit overnight.
Yeah, follow the manual. If you deviate from it, your RESULTS will also deviate from it. People have mucked with this until they are certain to mess up something as simple as an oil change. This thread is my argument for having a good dealer. The price of an oil change is easily worth the stress of this or the risk of a mouse crawling into your oil pan late one night or some other random oddness, lol!
 
Yeah, follow the manual. If you deviate from it, your RESULTS will also deviate from it. People have mucked with this until they are certain to mess up something as simple as an oil change. This thread is my argument for having a good dealer. The price of an oil change is easily worth the stress of this or the risk of a mouse crawling into your oil pan late one night or some other random oddness, lol!
But your case still doesn’t add up to me. For one thing, you brought in 5 quarts of oil for your 2.5T, and it’s already a bit over-filled based on your picture even though Mazda’s spec is 5.1 quarts. You’ve said it before that it’s the same situation on your previous 2015 CX-5 where 5 quarts brought you a bit over-filled just like your 2.5T. Since I have a 2.5L and I know for sure that’s impossible unless your old faithful Mazda dealer doesn’t give the car enough time to drain the old oil out completely. Secondly, DwightFrye did oil change on his 2.5T twice. Both time it took 5.5 quarts to get to the MAX mark. Between a Mazda dealer and a DIYer for a discrepancy, I’d believe a passionate DIYer more than a dealer for a simple oil change job.
 
I just checked the oil level on my 2017 2.5L Mazda 6. It hasn't been turned on in two days and I always use 5qts of Mazda Moly Oil

Oil Level Cold.jpg


I'll take another pic tomorrow after running around town and letting it settle for 5 min
 
the risk of a mouse crawling into your oil pan late one night or some other random oddness, lol!

I never leave the drain plug out overnite and I'm usually watching while I drain the oil in case one of them tries it. They know better not to.
 
But your case still doesn’t add up to me. For one thing, you brought in 5 quarts of oil for your 2.5T, and it’s already a bit over-filled based on your picture even though Mazda’s spec is 5.1 quarts. You’ve said it before that it’s the same situation on your previous 2015 CX-5 where 5 quarts brought you a bit over-filled just like your 2.5T. Since I have a 2.5L and I know for sure that’s impossible unless your old faithful Mazda dealer doesn’t give the car enough time to drain the old oil out completely. Secondly, DwightFrye did oil change on his 2.5T twice. Both time it took 5.5 quarts to get to the MAX mark. Between a Mazda dealer and a DIYer for a discrepancy, I’d believe a passionate DIYer more than a dealer for a simple oil change job.
Dip sticks are not precision instruments. I have zero anxiety about this discrepancy.
 
No one has mentioned that in cold weather and short trips you will likely gain some fuel in the oil until the engine is taken on a long enough run to evaporate off the gas. Half between the top and bottom holes is fine in that case as it gives you some space for the oil/fuel gain...
 
Yeah, follow the manual. If you deviate from it, your RESULTS will also deviate from it. People have mucked with this until they are certain to mess up something as simple as an oil change. This thread is my argument for having a good dealer. The price of an oil change is easily worth the stress of this or the risk of a mouse crawling into your oil pan late one night or some other random oddness, lol!

That's fine for you, not me and not for others who ENJOY taking care of their vehicles themselves.

I don't know what stress you're talking about since for me maintaining my vehicles causes me ZERO stress, in fact it's often meditative. On the other hand, if I had to take my car to the dealership, for anything, this would cause me a great deal of stress.

A mouse crawling into the oil pan? Say what? Are you talking about the car's oil pan or the oil pan the old oil is being drained into? If you're talking about the former, impossible. If the latter, that's the mouse's problem...
 
That's fine for you, not me and not for others who ENJOY taking care of their vehicles themselves.

I don't know what stress you're talking about since for me maintaining my vehicles causes me ZERO stress, in fact it's often meditative. On the other hand, if I had to take my car to the dealership, for anything, this would cause me a great deal of stress.

A mouse crawling into the oil pan? Say what? Are you talking about the car's oil pan or the oil pan the old oil is being drained into? If you're talking about the former, impossible. If the latter, that's the mouse's problem...
I just enjoy sipping coffee and looking for my next possible vehicle and then driving off, never having worried about anything. To me, that's a luxury. I find my therapy in other things, but that's neither here nor there. I am talking about people quibbling over oil fill levels on the dipstick. If it's within range more or less, roll with it if you put in 5 quarts and move on.
 
But your case still doesn’t add up to me. For one thing, you brought in 5 quarts of oil for your 2.5T, and it’s already a bit over-filled based on your picture even though Mazda’s spec is 5.1 quarts. You’ve said it before that it’s the same situation on your previous 2015 CX-5 where 5 quarts brought you a bit over-filled just like your 2.5T. Since I have a 2.5L and I know for sure that’s impossible unless your old faithful Mazda dealer doesn’t give the car enough time to drain the old oil out completely. Secondly, DwightFrye did oil change on his 2.5T twice. Both time it took 5.5 quarts to get to the MAX mark. Between a Mazda dealer and a DIYer for a discrepancy, I’d believe a passionate DIYer more than a dealer for a simple oil change job.

Depends on the DIYer. 🤷‍♂️
 
why have you already done 2 oil changes with so few miles?
I changed the factory fill at 1000 miles and changed it again at 5000 miles. I plan on doing 5000 mile OCI's for the life of the car due to the DI engine.
Regarding my canteen analogy, perhaps it was a bit broad. But nitpicking aside,I don't see the point of having any of my important automotive fluids not filled to full capacity. That includes the brake, clutch, power steering fluid, battery water, coolant, etc.
Traditionally, the difference between the high and low marks on a dipstick has been 1 quart. But that has never been an industry standard. I suppose the next time I do an oil change, if I remember I will fill the engine to the first mark and then see how much more oil it takes to reach the top mark.

You guys can do what you want, but I see no downside at all to keeping the level at the top mark as long as it is not overfilled.

Now that I think of it, I seem to recall that on my first oil & filter change I added the contents of a 5 quart jug, ran the engine for a few minutes and checked it later that afternoon. The oil was at the lower dipstick mark. It took another half quart to hit the top mark That was my first indication that the Mazda manual was in error.
I'll repeat the experiment upon my next oil & filter change.
 
I just enjoy sipping coffee and looking for my next possible vehicle and then driving off, never having worried about anything. To me, that's a luxury. I find my therapy in other things, but that's neither here nor there. I am talking about people quibbling over oil fill levels on the dipstick. If it's within range more or less, roll with it if you put in 5 quarts and move on.

Dealership coffee? 🤮
 
Ok, here is the oil level after 2 hours of freeway driving and waiting 10 min. It's actually a smidge lower than the level after sitting for 2 days (pic is a few posts up). I'm guessing that this is because all of the oil hasn't flowed down yet

Oil Level Hot.jpg
 
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