I checked my oil level last night on my 10AE and after 4,000 miles see that the level is about a quarter up from the minimum.

Questions:
1. when is the best time to check the level - i did it 2 hours after the car had been driven
2. how much oil do you need to put in to raise the level from one quarter on the dipstick to full ( i don't want to overfill)
3. should i be seeking an oil and filter change at this stage at a Mazda garage. (11/99)
Your car shouldn't be losing any oil at all, not at only 4000 miles old. I've done 13,000 miles and check my oil once a month. Its had a 700-mile oil change and the 9,000 mile service, but the level has always been bang-on the Full mark. This is on a 10AE also. I'm using Fully-synthetic Mobil1 though. The oil that Mazda supply is a mineral, non-synthetic oil AFAIK. Maybe worth changing? (11/99)
Some cars do drink a bit of oil when they are new, especially when running-in, some drink a lot. This is not a problem and it should settle down after the first few thousand miles. I know mine lost some oil over the first 500 miles or so. It had an oil change at 700 miles and the level has never dropped since. (11/99)
My MKII is in today for a service and what I considered excessive oil consumption (1 litre every 3-4000 miles). The problem has been reported to Mazda UK and their report to the dealer was that 800miles/litre is their benchmark for oil consumption problems. Therefore if you car does not smoke the equivalent of a Mississippi paddle steamer then there is no problem ! (11/99)
How many miles has your car done? I had problems with oil consumption on both a Mk1 and Mk2 until they reached about 10,000 miles. Virtually nil oil consumption after that. (11/99)
18,500miles todate. Nearly all motorway miles, 120 miles per day... (11/99)

The problem has been reported to Mazda UK and their report to the dealer was that 800miles/litre is their benchmark for oil consumption problems.

Our 92 with 50k on the clock has never drunk a drop between services!
When is the best time to check if the car needs more oil? I have been told different things from different people, do it cold, do it warm, do it after half and hours after a drive etc. Can anyone give me the definitive rule on oil checking? (5/00)
Cold and on level ground. (5/00)
Your oil should be checked once a week on any car (but do we really), I check mine once in a while :o\. The engine needs to be cold as the oil then sinks in to the sump therefore you can read the depth of it off the dip stick - talking of which mine snapped last week when I was cleaning under the hood :o( so I need to look out for a replacement. (5/00)

Cold and on level ground.

Personally, I agree, and that's how I tend to do it.

However, the official Mazda Workshop Manual says:
1)Be sure the vehicle is on level ground
2)Warm up the engine to normal operating temperature and stop it.
3)Wait for five minutes.
4)Remove the oil level gauge and check the oil level and condition.
5)Add or replace oil as necessary.

The distance between the L and F marks on the level gauge represents 0.8 liter (sic)

So there you have official chapter and verse! (5/00)

Interestingly most people replied that oil should be checked cold but this doesn't seem to be confirmed by vehicle handbooks and workshop manuals. Personally I've usually checked the oil when the engine's warm - i.e after running and after a few minutes parked. The MX-5 manual virtually paraphrases the Workshop Manual referred to by John. The Impreza manual suggests park the car and check the dipstick i.e. the engine is hot. The Bandit manual says check a few minutes after stopping i.e. warm. Various other workshop manuals also suggested a few minutes or five minutes. The only reference to checking when cold was in a Honda CB125T manual which said check first thing before riding implying a cold engine.

In theory, after five minutes the difference in oil level between a warm engine and a cold engine would, I think, be minimal. (5/00)