How to do an oil change for beginners?

[StylingSequ]

UPDATE
I found out what’s going on. All the websites that state the oil capacity for the 2023 and 2024 Mazda CX-5 as 4.3/4.5 quarts are wrong! It's actually 4.3/4.5 liters. I guess one dealership posted the wrong info and everyone just copied them without checking. Mother f….

True Capacity. The true capacity is 4.5/4.8 quarts. And according to current owners, even this amount is low by about .4 quarts. So a good amount might be 4.9/5.2 quarts. I cut and pasted the manual below. I had to look hard for this info because it's not in the oil change section.

https://www.mazdausa.com/siteassets/pdf/owners-optimized/2023/cx-5/2023-cx-5-owners-manual.pdf

​

Checking the oil level. It was a real b**** for me in the Mazda CX-5. After turning the car on so the oil gets through the entire engine, the oil gets everywhere. Just waiting a few minutes won’t work because there is oil always above the high mark. Neither is cleaning the dipstick by putting it in and out a few times. You need to wait until the car has rested for a few hours. I waited till the next morning.

Outcome. When I put 4.3 quarts, it seemed to create an oil level that’s a bit beneath the lower marker on the dipstick. That’s why the oil warning light came on after driving a bit. I guess driving makes the oil level dip a bit and that triggers the sensor. I put in another .4 quarts for a total of 4.7. I’ll check to see the oil level tomorrow morning to see the correct oil level.

Thanks everyone for their help. It was a blessing.


ORIGINAL POST
I'm learning how to do oil changes for my 2024 Mazda CX-5. I having issues on whether I put enough oil.

A few days ago, I put my car’s front end on a ramp (so the car was tilted). I drained the oil and replaced the oil filter. Before putting in the new oil filter, I filled it halfway with oil so I put in exactly 4.3 quarts of oil into the engine. (Manual says 4.5 quarts with filter/4.3 without filter). I used a measuring pail to determine the exact amount.

After driving a couple of days, I noticed the oil warning light come on, which scared the heck out of me since I'm thinking I may have accidentally overfilled the engine with oil. When I checked the dipstick, it was really hard to tell if I had too much oil or too little. I just assumed that maybe there was too much because there was oil all the way to the top of the dipstick. No matter how many times I would clean the dipstick, there always seemed to be oil at the top of the dipstick. Just to be safe, I drained all the oil and replaced the oil filter again. (Major pain in the butt but I wanted to be safe.)

I again put in exactly 4.3 quarts. After driving the car off the ramp, I checked the oil level with the dipstick. It’s really hard to tell if I have enough oil or I have too much. The oil is 0W-20 so there seems to be oil all over the place. On one side, there seems to be too much oil. On the other side of the dipstick, there doesn't seem to be any oil. I'm going to wake up early in the morning and check. Hopefully, the oil will have all settled.

Can anyone give me some advice on what I should do?

Thanks!

 

[yrwei52]

“Manual says 4.5 quarts with filter/4.3 without filter”, this looks like the oil capacity for the 2.0L which is no longer available in the US. What kind of engine do you have? Where are you from?

You can’t trust Mazda manual. When it says 4.8 quarts for the 2.5L NA it really needs 5.2 quarts. 5.1 quarts for the 2.5T but it really needs 5.5 quarts.

Yeah it’s hard to read the oil level on the dipstick. Try checking the oil at the first thing in the morning before the engine start and see. Just pull up you should be able to see the oil level without wiping.

You definitely short of 0.4 quart if you have a 2.0L. If you have a 2.5L NA, well ⋯

 

[MyFirstMazda]

I would guess that the oil light went on because it was low, not from aeration from too much oil. And yes checking in the morning after all the oil settled makes it easier to read. I hate the impreciseness of the fluid levels that are stated in the manual. It has caused a lot of debates on this forum and confusion for DIYers.

 

[yrwei52]

I'm learning how to do oil changes for my 2024 Mazda CX-5. I having issues on whether I put enough oil.
⋯ I noticed the oil warning light come on, which scared the heck out of me since I'm thinking I may have accidentally overfilled the engine with oil.

Usually there’s no warnings for oil overfill. You definitely saw the amber Low Oil Level Warning Light to the right. If you saw the red Low Oil Pressure Warning Light, your engine is in big trouble.

 

[dunhillmc]

the 2024 just came out a month ago. why are you already changing the oil?

the 'official' capacity for the 2.5L non-turbo is 4.8 qts, but most people just use 5 and call it a day. where are you getting 4.5 qts from?

 

[StylingSequ]

the 2024 just came out a month ago. why are you already changing the oil?

the 'official' capacity for the 2.5L non-turbo is 4.8 qts, but most people just use 5 and call it a day. where are you getting 4.5 qts from?

I bought the car in September, and it already has 5k miles on it. I wanted to change it when it had 1k miles as some people suggest but didn't have the time.

I think the capacity for the cx-5 was 4.8 quarts for models before 2022 but it's not 4.3/4.5. When I do google search, everyone says these numbers.

 

[StylingSequ]

Usually there’s no warnings for oil overfill. You definitely saw the amber Low Oil Level Warning Light to the right. If you saw the red Low Oil Pressure Warning Light, your engine is in big trouble.

View attachment 324342

Thanks so much for your reassurance. I was really scared that I almost went crazy. The light would go on temporarily when the car was driven for some time. I don't remember what the words said (or if it had any). The color was definitely orange though.

 

[StylingSequ]

I would guess that the oil light went on because it was low, not from aeration from too much oil. And yes checking in the morning after all the oil settled makes it easier to read. I hate the impreciseness of the fluid levels that are stated in the manual. It has caused a lot of debates on this forum and confusion for DIYers.

In the morning, the oil was just below the lower dot. Thanks for your words. It was really reassuring just like the other people's here. I was going a little crazy last night. After I wrote my post, I was back outside trying to figure out how to read the dipstick.

It seems like when you turn the engine on, the oil goes everywhere so the dipstick is useless. With the engine off, I would put the dipstick 3/4 in and pull it out in order to clean the dipstick. But no matter how many times I did this, it didn't seem to work.

 

[StylingSequ]

“Manual says 4.5 quarts with filter/4.3 without filter”, this looks like the oil capacity for the 2.0L which is no longer available in the US. What kind of engine do you have? Where are you from?

You can’t trust Mazda manual. When it says 4.8 quarts for the 2.5L NA it really needs 5.2 quarts. 5.1 quarts for the 2.5T but it really needs 5.5 quarts.

Yeah it’s hard to read the oil level on the dipstick. Try checking the oil at the first thing in the morning before the engine start and see. Just pull up you should be able to see the oil level without wiping.

You definitely short of 0.4 quart if you have a 2.0L. If you have a 2.5L NA, well ⋯

I have the 2.5 without turbo. I notice on the web that 4.8/5.2 is suggested for the 2020 model but for some reason, it says 4.3/4.5 for the 2023 and 2024. I don't know why since the engine didn't change, I think.

I ended up putting in about 4.7 quarts, .4 quarts more than the recommended amount. Hopefully, this will be ok and see how it works today.

Thanks again for the help. Much appreciated.

 

[madar]

Add 4.5 to 5 quarts when refilling then forget it. Check the oil when the engine is warm and off for maybe 10 to 15 minutes on a level surface (Mazda recommendation, look in your manual) or just check it cold (overnight). Don't check engine oil when the engine is running. Check on the side of the dipstick that has the markings. You might see a slight variation between hot and cold levels but it's not life altering. As long as it's reasonably between the full and add mark you're golden. Don't make too much of this and enjoy the car.

 

[Conrad 16.5]

I have the 2.5 without turbo. I notice on the web that 4.8/5.2 is suggested for the 2020 model but for some reason, it says 4.3/4.5 for the 2023 and 2024. I don't know why since the engine didn't change, I think.

I ended up putting in about 4.7 quarts, .4 quarts more than the recommended amount. Hopefully, this will be ok and see how it works today.

Thanks again for the help. Much appreciated.

As others have said, measuring the level is imprecise. When I do an oil/filter change I just dump in 5 quarts and call it good. No need to mess around measuring a fraction of a quart.

 

[StylingSequ]

Add 4.5 to 5 quarts when refilling then forget it. Check the oil when the engine is warm and off for maybe 10 to 15 minutes on a level surface (Mazda recommendation, look in your manual) or just check it cold (overnight). Don't check engine oil when the engine is running. Check on the side of the dipstick that has the markings. You might see a slight variation between hot and cold levels but it's not life altering. As long as it's reasonably between the full and add mark you're golden. Don't make too much of this and enjoy the car.

I think I know what happened. It's really messed up. If you google "Mazda CX-5 oil change capacity", every dealership website states that you need 4.3 and 4.5 quarts. But if you look in the specification section in the Mazda online manual, you'll find that it's 4.3/4.5 liters. They've been posting the wrong information everywhere for the latest models. I guess that one dealership posted the wrong info and everyone just followed suit. I found the following after scouring the online manual.

WTF. Damn, I'm pissed. I wasted all my time for nothing. Drained the oil and replaced the filter for nothing. Stressed out all day for nothing.

I'm glad I found this forum. You guys are right. It should be 4.8/4.5 quarts. And with the fact that this amount is on the low according to you guys, I guess I should put in about 5 quarts to be safe.

 

[StylingSequ]

As others have said, measuring the level is imprecise. When I do an oil/filter change I just dump in 5 quarts and call it good. No need to mess around measuring a fraction of a quart.

You're right. The problem was that if you do an online search for the 2024, every website says that it requires 4.3/4.5 quarts. But they are all wrong. That's if it's in liters.

Wow... I'm guessing that a lot of other people are going to run into the same issue as me.

 

[Conrad 16.5]

You're right. The problem was that if you do an online search for the 2024, every website says that it requires 4.3/4.5 quarts. But they are all wrong. That's if it's in liters.

Wow... I'm guessing that a lot of other people are going to run into the same issue as me.

You did get an owner's manual with your new CX right? This info is in there along with a TON of other useful stuff. Take the manual into the bathroom with ya and do some reading.

 

[dunhillmc]

I think I know what happened. It's really messed up. If you google "Mazda CX-5 oil change capacity", every dealership website states that you need 4.3 and 4.5 quarts. But if you look in the specification section in the Mazda online manual, you'll find that it's 4.3/4.5 liters. They've been posting the wrong information everywhere for the latest models. I guess that one dealership posted the wrong info and everyone just followed suit. I found the following after scouring the online manual.

View attachment 324350

WTF. Damn, I'm pissed. I wasted all my time for nothing. Drained the oil and replaced the filter for nothing. Stressed out all day for nothing.

I'm glad I found this forum. You guys are right. It should be 4.8/4.5 quarts. And with the fact that this amount is on the low according to you guys, I guess I should put in about 5 quarts to be safe.

Pull out the physical owner's manual that is in the glove compartment. Look at page 9-8.

When checking the oil you have to wait for the oil to settle back into the pan before checking the dipstick. The manual says at least 5 min, but at least 15 min is usually what it takes before you can read the dipstick. And after you clean it to get the reading, you have to insert it all the way back in

 

[yrwei52]

I think I know what happened. It's really messed up. If you google "Mazda CX-5 oil change capacity", every dealership website states that you need 4.3 and 4.5 quarts. But if you look in the specification section in the Mazda online manual, you'll find that it's 4.3/4.5 liters. They've been posting the wrong information everywhere for the latest models. I guess that one dealership posted the wrong info and everyone just followed suit. I found the following after scouring the online manual.

View attachment 324350

WTF. Damn, I'm pissed. I wasted all my time for nothing. Drained the oil and replaced the filter for nothing. Stressed out all day for nothing.

I'm glad I found this forum. You guys are right. It should be 4.8/4.5 quarts. And with the fact that this amount is on the low according to you guys, I guess I should put in about 5 quarts to be safe.

This’s the first oil change you’ve done and some mistakes could happen. Did the oil change twice should be considered the lesson learned. Since you used a measuring pail to determine the exact amount of oil you put in, you may be like me wanting the perfect amount. I personally put in 5.2 quarts for oil change on my 2.5L NA so that the oil level can reach the Full mark of the dipstick. Or you can take the easy route dumping in 5 quarts and call it a day.

Nevertheless the 4.8 quarts oil capacity listed in the manual for the 2.5L NA is incorrect still and has caused many confusions when people are changing the oil the first time on the CX-5.

Check oil level the first thing in the morning before the engine start would be much easier to see. In my case I don’t even need a wipe, one pull and the oil level is right there.

Hot:

Cold:

 

[StylingSequ]

I would guess that the oil light went on because it was low, not from aeration from too much oil. And yes checking in the morning after all the oil settled makes it easier to read. I hate the impreciseness of the fluid levels that are stated in the manual. It has caused a lot of debates on this forum and confusion for DIYers.

Somebody needs to invent a way to check the oil level at all times…

 

[StylingSequ]

This’s the first oil change you’ve done and some mistakes could happen. Did the oil change twice should be considered the lesson learned. Since you used a measuring pail to determine the exact amount of oil you put in, you may be like me wanting the perfect amount. I personally put in 5.2 quarts for oil change on my 2.5L NA so that the oil level can reach the Full mark of the dipstick. Or you can take the easy route dumping in 5 quarts and call it a day.

Nevertheless the 4.8 quarts oil capacity listed in the manual for the 2.5L NA is incorrect still and has caused many confusions when people are changing the oil the first time on the CX-5.

Check oil level the first thing in the morning before the engine start would be much easier to see. In my case I don’t even need a wipe, one pull and the oil level is right there.

Hot:
View attachment 324355

Cold:
View attachment 324356

Thanks!

The problem for me was that there was some oil between and around the markers but there was oil above the markers. It was thick as if oil was there, all the way near the top of the dipstick. That's what confused the hell out of me.

I guess when the engine is on, the oil is distributed all over the engine crankcase. I guess this is a good thing for the engine but it's a bad thing for determining the true oil level.

 

[StylingSequ]

Pull out the physical owner's manual that is in the glove compartment. Look at page 9-8.

When checking the oil you have to wait for the oil to settle back into the pan before checking the dipstick. The manual says at least 5 min, but at least 15 min is usually what it takes before you can read the dipstick. And after you clean it to get the reading, you have to insert it all the way back in

Thanks. I actually read the section that's above the oil but it doesn't state the amount of oil to use, just the type. You have to go all the way to the end in the specifications section. Why hide it there? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Anyway, all is good now. Thanks!

 

[StylingSequ]

As others have said, measuring the level is imprecise. When I do an oil/filter change I just dump in 5 quarts and call it good. No need to mess around measuring a fraction of a quart.

Definitely going to do that from now…