I meant to say "ride" not "ridge". sorry.
Ecogard X4612 (WIX 51358, NAPA ) vs correct WIX 57002 on 2014 2.0L I4 Mazda 3
- Thread starter johdirt784
- Start date
We love the 2016 CX-9 for its quick acceleration, comfort, ride, etc. It's also a three row seat car which gives us plenty of cargo area when the third row seats are folder. We now have also acquired a 2021 Mazda 3 and a 2020 Mazda CX-5 (both non turbo 2.5) and we love both of them. They seem to be well built.
The oil filter can't have any effect on the oil consumption of the engine ... unless the filter is actually leaking oil.
When checking the oil with the dipstick it appeared as if it were missing either a quart or 1/2 quart (different measurements taken), but when the oil was changed after getting oil message on dashboard, we were told that the oil level was normal. When an OE Mazda filter has been installed, the oil level checks fine and there are no oil messages at all.
What is the orientation of the oil filter? That could change the oil level if checked a long time after engine shutdown if the ADBV leaks - but that would make the oil level higher, not lower. An oil filter has zero effect on is the engine oil level going down if due to the engine using/burning oil.
The filter is in a completely vertical position. Oil level is usually measured at different times, either early in the morning before starting car up, or shortly after it has been running for some time. When a Mazda filter has been used, the oil level appears in the normal section of the dipstick throughout the entire 6,000 miles OCI and no oil messages appear. When other filters have been used (once at Pep Boys and once at Firestone) everything is normal for around 3,000 - 4,000 miles (oil level is fine and no oil messages appear). But after that mileage, we start getting varying levels of oil from low 1/2 quart or 1 quart and the oil message appears at times, usually immediately after starting car, but then immediately disappears and car seems to be fine with no issues at all and the light does not come back until another random time (always when starting up). There are no oil leaks anywhere (I have had service shops and dealers check). So I don't know if using a non-Mazda oil filter has anything to do with that. Not sure if this is a CX-9 problem since it looks like it uses a very specific Mazda filter not comparable with other Mazda filters. The thing has been a mystery to me. I must clarify that when these oil messages have shown up, the car had oil and filter changed immediately and the service shops said that the level was fine. So I don't know if perhaps I was doing something wrong when checking oil level or if service techs just said it was normal since there was oil in the dipstick although at or below the lower mark on the dipstick. Now that we have two other Mazdas (2020 CX5 and 2021 Mazda 3), I am reluctant to have oil changed at any other place except the dealer. Any ideas you can share are helpful. Sorry for the long post.
Base up or base down?
Is the same oil brand and viscosity always used?
Are you checking the oil level in exactly the same location every time exactly the same way? I always check my oil level in the same exact spot in the level garage, and typically check it cold (ie, the next morning after driving it) or 30 minutes hot after shutting off the engine. Oil levels can be very sensitive to how level the vehicle is depending where the dipstick is located. You can only compare cold oil level checks to cold level checks, and hot level checks to hot level checks. The cold oil level will be somewhat lower than the hot oil level depending on the engine.
Like said, there is no way an oil filter would effect oil consumption of an engine. If there are no oil leaks anywhere, then the engine is using oil and/or the way the oil level is checked is not consistent, and therefore resulting in varying readings.
Thanks for your tips. I will be more consistent checking oil level going forward. But I still have the question as to why oil levels and/or oil check light has never been an issue when the Mazda oil filter has been used.
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- Jul 11, 2014
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The method to check oil level correctly is in your owners manual.
For example, most of my cars have something similar to this:
1. Be sure the vehicle is on a level surface. Gas station pad at pumps is reasonably level.
2. Warm up the engine to normal operating temperature. My daily commute does this so I fill up before/after/during normal commute.
3. Turn it off and wait at least 5 minutes for the oil to return to the oil pan. Time how long it takes to fill vehicle up, pop hood, get rag ready...
4. Pull out the dipstick(slowly), wipe it clean, and reinsert it fully.
5. Pull it out again(slowly) and examine the level. The level is normal if it is between Low and Full. If it is near or below Low, add enough oil to bring the level to Full. I keep my cars all full always to the optimum full point and sometimes a couple tenths above since I might get a little spill happy when topping off.
I added the words slowly to allow some oil to drip back into pan. Too many remove dipstick too quickly and fudge up their reading by drawing oil into the dipstick tube or port. Take your time with dipstick removal.
Cheap oil filters have issues. My recommendation is not to use jobber filters from Firestone/Pepboys/quicklubes/indies.... Always pick a quality midgrade or full synthetic media from a reputable manufacturer or reboxer. Another issue is that you should verify oil level more often per the procedure in your owners manual.
I don't think that I've ever owned a car that required a cold oil level check. My engine is cold for the 1st 3 minutes of my commute and not cold for the remainder of the 57 minutes. Why would I even want a cold level check when ~95% of my driving is with engine at normal operating temp? And you wonder why ATF has specific temp ranges for level?
For example, most of my cars have something similar to this:
1. Be sure the vehicle is on a level surface. Gas station pad at pumps is reasonably level.
2. Warm up the engine to normal operating temperature. My daily commute does this so I fill up before/after/during normal commute.
3. Turn it off and wait at least 5 minutes for the oil to return to the oil pan. Time how long it takes to fill vehicle up, pop hood, get rag ready...
4. Pull out the dipstick(slowly), wipe it clean, and reinsert it fully.
5. Pull it out again(slowly) and examine the level. The level is normal if it is between Low and Full. If it is near or below Low, add enough oil to bring the level to Full. I keep my cars all full always to the optimum full point and sometimes a couple tenths above since I might get a little spill happy when topping off.
I added the words slowly to allow some oil to drip back into pan. Too many remove dipstick too quickly and fudge up their reading by drawing oil into the dipstick tube or port. Take your time with dipstick removal.
Cheap oil filters have issues. My recommendation is not to use jobber filters from Firestone/Pepboys/quicklubes/indies.... Always pick a quality midgrade or full synthetic media from a reputable manufacturer or reboxer. Another issue is that you should verify oil level more often per the procedure in your owners manual.
I don't think that I've ever owned a car that required a cold oil level check. My engine is cold for the 1st 3 minutes of my commute and not cold for the remainder of the 57 minutes. Why would I even want a cold level check when ~95% of my driving is with engine at normal operating temp? And you wonder why ATF has specific temp ranges for level?
Very interesting they make the language so clear about engine damage. Good luck feeling safe when the discount lube goes to select the right filter. When it's this clear, do as Mazda states. No reason to even think about anything else.
I have a car that has a "cold full" and a "hot full" markings on the engine oil dipstick. I've checked it both cold and hot, and the marks are right on. I've always checked my vehicles oil level when both cold and hot ... that way I can see the delta in level due to the oil being cold vs hot. I like checking the oil level cold ... it's so much easier to see on the dipstick, and it ensures all the oil has drained back down as much as possible before the check.
