2 Things To Do If You Own a Turbocharged Mazda6 Mazda3 CX

On social media and in Mazda’s own internal technical library, trouble reports related to vehicles equipped with the new 2.5-liter four-cylinder turbocharged engines have begun to emerge. The problem is that owners are being alerted to low oil levels by the vehicle’s monitoring system. Upon inspection using the dipstick, the problem is confirmed. This is not a leak. It’s worse.

Related Story: Advice To Mazda CX-5 Owners About To Deal With the Fuel Pump Recall

Like the defective 2.-5-liter Subaru engines from the past decade, Mazdas now seem to be subject to an oil consumption defect. Mazda does not know the exact cause of the problem, only that the oil does indeed seem to be being consumed.

Oil consumption is not a normal event in modern gasoline engines. Yes, it is commonly reported in some models, but certainly not a normal occurrence. Automakers often cover themselves with a guide to oil consumption in a “normal” range in owners manuals. However, requiring oil to be added between oil change intervals in a new car is always a sign that something has gone wrong.

If you own a modern-era Mazda vehicle equipped with the 2.5-liter turbocharged engine, perhaps in a Mazda3, Mazda6, Mazda CX-9, Mazda CX-5, or Mazda CX-30 here are two things you should do right away.

Check Your Oil and Document Your Findings
Begin by getting a logbook, pen, and roll of paper towels. Periodically check your oil level and document the date, mileage, and oil level on the dipstick. Be consistent in how you check. Oil levels vary when cars have just been driven, been driven cold a short distance, or are checked in the morning after having been driven past the warm-up point of the engine the prior day.

Here is the correct way to check your motor oil according to Mazda’s owner’s manual:
-Be sure the vehicle is on a level surface.
-Warm up the engine to normal operating temperature. (If you have already driven the vehicle it will already be warm. You need not start it specifically to do this check)
-Turn it off and wait at least 5 minutes for the oil to return to the oil pan.
-Pull out the dipstick, wipe it clean, and reinsert it fully.
-Pull it out again and examine the level. The level is normal if it is between the MIN and MAX marks.
-If it is near or below MIN, add enough oil to bring the level to MAX.
-Make sure the O-ring on the dipstick is positioned properly before reinserting the dipstick.
-Reinsert the dipstick fully.

Purchase Two Quarts of 5W-30 Oil and Keep Them In Your Vehicle
Your vehicle uses 5W-30 motor oil. You can purchase it from Mazda, from a local retailer, or online. Put the oil containers into a large ziplock bag and place it in the vehicle. If your low oil light comes on you can add it to the vehicle. Start with adding half a quart and then allow time for the oil to be warmed and circulated. Check again after driving. Repeat until the oil level is returned to the “Full” marker.

The information below is taken from Mazda’s Technical Service Bulleting Library. You can check to see if your vehicle has any open recalls by going to the Mazda recall lookup page and inputting your vehicle information.

If you have a turbocharged Mazda, please let us know in the comments if you have found the oil level to be lower than full.

Mazda Oil Consumption TSB Turbo Engines
Components: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING, TIRES, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
NHTSA ID Number: 10202685
Manufacturer Communication Number: 01-012-21-3832

5 Affected Products
Vehicles
MAKE MODEL YEAR
MAZDA CX-30 2021
MAZDA CX-5 2021
MAZDA CX-9 2021
MAZDA MAZDA3 2021
MAZDA MAZDA6 2021

Summary
Some vehicles may have a LOW ENGINE OIL LEVEL warning message and a CHECK ENGINE light illuminated in the instrument cluster, along with DTC P250F:00 stored in memory. DTC P250F:00 - Engine oil level signal: engine oil level low. Upon inspecting the engine oil level, the level is found to be low and there doesn't appear to be any trace of oil leakage in the engine compartment. This concern usually occurs when the mileage reaches approximately 3,100 - 4,700 miles (5,000 - 7,500km) and may also occur again after replacing or topping off the engine oil. The root cause of this concern has not been identified yet, therefore a repair procedure will be announced at a later date. Since this issue has been reported after a valve stem seal modification, it is very likely that valve stem seal damage is causing oil to leak into the combustion chamber.

Mazda Owners Manual Link

John Gorehamis a long-time New England Motor Press Association member and recovering engineer. John's interest in EVs goes back to 1990 when he designed the thermal control system for an EV battery as part of an academic team. After earning his mechanical engineering degree, John completed a marketing program at Northeastern University and worked with automotive component manufacturers, in the semiconductor industry, and in biotech. In addition to Torque News, John's work has appeared in print in dozens of American news outlets and he provides reviews to many vehicle shopping sites. You can follow John on TikTok @ToknCars, on Twitter, and view his credentials at Linkedin

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Image Notes:
Mazda service area image courtesy of Mazda.
Mazda oil image courtesy of Amazon.
Mazda oil level image courtesy of Mazda