Oil basics, help please.
 

Hello,

I know these are questions that will be easy to answer, but i'm very confused, and thanks for your time.

A lot of people say the phrase "oil change" and i get confused because sometimes it means adding more oil into the oil tank (5w-20) thing, and it is sometimes referred to as unscrewing something under your car to drain out oil...

The thing is, when do i add more oil into the tank, and when do i actually have to drain all the oil out? (when draining, do i have to change the oil filter aswell?)

If i'm adding oil into the car, i have looked at the dipstick, and it's hard to read, do i read the thick layer of oil on it, or does the thin oil layer count too?, sometimes i just think the oil slid all the way down to the low part (due to gravity), and it sometimes looks like there's oil there but there actually isn't.. o.O Bottom line is.. how much i measure/know how much to add in, i've read you add about 1 quart every 3K miles? how much is 1 quart? lol


Sorry for all the stupid questions, i tried searching the forums, seems like it's just common knowledge to know these things..

Thanks,
Chris

You have to change your oil because, after all the heat and dirt, your oil will loose its effect after a while. and it cannot protect your engine, that is why after a certain miles, you should change it out and put some new ones in.

You have to add oil because, this engine will use a bit of your engine oil to lube some parts in the combustion process.

You might want to search howstuffworks.com for How Rotary engine works.

Hmm, u should take your dip stick out and check for oil. Cuz I can burn 1 quart of oil in 2 hours, or 1 quart of oil in 1000 miles. it really depends on how you drive.

1 US Quart = 0.95 Liter.

Hey =] thanks for the helpful responses.. now that i've read your signature...

umm should i use 5w-30 (i've just searched up some of your posts), EVEN if i'm in north america and it recommends 5w-20 instead?

why are they recommending different type of oil in different areas? are the rx8s different? or am i safe if i use 5w-30 even in North America?

Thanks again,
Chris

Is this your first car ever?

Not to sound mean but this (like you said) is really common knowledge.

Topping off your oil is what you do when you check the dipstick and add an appropriate amount of oil to.. top it off if its not full.

You need to change your oil at certain intervals (i do at 3.5k intervals) because after some time the oil looses its effect to put it simply.. this is when you go to your oil pan which is directly under your engine and you take off the drain plug and let it all drain out, you then put the plug back in (new crush washer) and you completely refill the oil.. in our cars it will usually take 4.5-5 quarts depending on how much you managed to drain.

additionally, yes it is also highly recommended that with every oil change you change your oil filter. as to what oil you use, that is at your discretion.. but I would say if you're not sure.. just stick to the manual. 5w20 or push it to 5w30.

google this stuff dude.. it's the basic basic basics..

Yes it is my first car, but you didn't catch my points.

I knew what a dip stick was for, but it seems soo hard to tell where the oil was because sometimes it looks transparent o.O, but that's just me i guess

And thanks for the oil type suggestions

Thanks for your time,

Chris

I fully get what you're saying Saiho, call me a fellow rx8 newb..

the thing is, gravity wont pull it in the direction u need to read anyways so basically you dont need to worry..

I did a topup today as well and yes the oil is fairly thin thats the 5w-20. My thing is, do it slowly, you'll get the hang of it.... check, poor, check, poor, check poor... you'll notice the change.

Today mine was btwn the stubs and the F mark and i topped up i would say using 1/3 of the bottle or 1/2 thereabout i dont recall and it was right where it needed to be. I did this @ night as well so it really isnt that bad once u get hte hang of it.

It's not just you. Dipstick is usually hard to read on a new car with clean oil. I find that I have to hold it in the light and look for shiny reflections from the oily part.

Ken

Yep, this dipstick is hard to read.

Always pull the 'stick, clean it off, fully insert it.

Then, pull it out, quickly turn it parallel to the ground, angle it slightly in the sunlight and look where the shiniest part ends. Then as cited, add a little and repeat the process. You can always add more, but it's hard to take some out (as in oil pan drain plug).

I also change mine at 3k mile intervals and use 5w-20 here in the cooler northeast. I would use 5w-30 if I was in the hotter south-southwest.

Alright, thought it was just me =P

Thanks everyone for their helpful responses!

Chris

Not sure if I have the factory Mazda dipstick.
If I don't, then that explains the unintuitive marks. If I do, then someone at Mazda needs to be fired. The manual references an "F" and an "L".
But there are no such indicators on mine. It would have taken NO more effort to just make the dipstick clear and simple.

However, since it isn't, perhaps the experts here can help.
I have added a 1 to 5 scale to my picture (quite obviously 1 being closest to full and 5 being closest to empty).
What's approximately the best level to intentionally maintain and what would be considered a danger zone?

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/n...h_Dipstick.jpg

Thanks!:)

Maybe you have the revised dip stick and the old owners manual... Mine does not have the dots though.

Either way, you want, if that is the right stick, to be closest to "1" If you are at "5" that does not mean that the oil pan is empty, it is just about a quart low or so, different for every car it seems.

The big thing to remember is to clean the stick, reinsert it fully, then pull it back out and read it.
The distance between the L and F (or 1 and 5) is about 1.5qts.
Also, the owner's manual shows you how to inspect the oil level (page 8-10)

Amen! I, too, read about "F" and "L" in the manual, then checked my oil for the first time only to find a bunch of dots on the dipstick. W. T. F.! Like the oil wasn't already hard enough to check because the car was less than a month old. Figured it out, though (obviously), and noticed the difference when I added a quart.