oil level on dipstick

Hey guys, I've read lots of posts on the hard to read dipstick on this car and mine is no different. I have resorted to looking at the backside of the stick (where the FoMoCo stamp is) to get any sort of reading.

Beyond that, I just got my first oil change and I'm wondering if the level I see on the dipstick is normal. From what I can tell, the level is about 1/4" or so above the full line, pretty much covering the entire metal piece that is attached to the dipstick cable. At 4.5 quarts of oil, does this seem correct? Want to make sure the dealer didn't overfill. Where does your oil level read after an oil change?

Hey folks. I actually just bought a 2008 Mazda 5 and when I got it home, I drained oil out thinking they overfilled it. I ran it like that for 1000 miles. Then, this week, I gave it a filter and oil change (motorcraft 5w20 and motorcraft filter from Wally's Mart). Now I'm lost like 'lacky. I put the 4.5 quarts in, and when you put the dipstick all the way back in (lined up with the V-notch on the cover), it reads over full. When you don't line up the V-notch, and just do a quick dip, with the notch keeping the dipstick from going all the way in and sealing the hole, it reads the correct level. I dug through the owner's manual which, of course, was a waste of time. We have any 2.3 gurus here? Which is it? 4.5 quarts is overfull, and we've got to drain out a quart or two? Or don't line up the notch when you are checking the oil level?

Can you actually damage the car by over filling it a small amount? I always do my own oil changes on my 07 mazda 3 hatchback and I always put in 4.5 quarts. I have never had a problem with the engine. Personally I see the stick reading problem, but I don't think I have ever over filled it by enough to notice. Mazda says 4.5 quarts for a reason, maybe because that is how much we should use?

Indeed you can damage an engine by overfilling the oil. Every car owner's manual and shop manual I have ever read on the subject says to verify the oil isnt over the "full" line on the dipstick. I'm not an engineer so I dont know by how much over, for how long, and why the damage happens. The thing that concerns me is that the owner's manual lists 4.5 quarts as the "approximate" capacity. That sounds like legalese for "You can't sue us if your engine gets damaged with 4.5 quarts in it." Perhaps we have an engineer here who can shine light on this for us? Perhaps we have a 3.2 guru who can solve the conundrum? I am n00b here so if I missed the thread that answers this, bash me and gimme a linky please!

Kinda frustrating, I know. I actually drained a little over a half quart out with a vacuum pump through the dipstick tube. Now it reads just over the full line. I think the next change I'm going to take the dealer 4 quarts of oil and see where the level is after that. I usually do oil changes myself but I live in an apartment at the moment and can't. Also want to do dealer changes while under warranty.

I'm probably just being paranoid. I know on my Nissan pickup when I add the required 4 quarts, it always shows about a half inch over the full mark. Got 178k on that one...

ive been putting 4.25 - 4.5qts in the car since i got it. and it was reading right a hair line over full..... right now after BSD (Balance Shaft Delete) i have to put 5.5qts... much more cooling