2010 Mazda 3 Engine

[Average Joe]

Are the 2010, Mazda 3 engines still made by Ford, I checked the oil recently, and the dipstick has FoMoCo stamped on the end...Its a 2.0 L engine.

[mazdame3]

I belive Ford owns 33% of Mazda...some parts and components are said to be shared such as horns and dipsticks ect.. The truck line is supposed to be very closely related, but as far as the 3 is concerned...powertrain and all assembly is straight from japan......I've also heard that Volvo d.n.a has been extracted in the mazda ford friendship.........or so I'm told

[Cannondale]

I belive Ford owns 33% of Mazda

That was true a year ago, but FoMoCo subsequently sold off most of its stake in Mazda to raise cash. Last I saw, they were down to about 13% ownership.

As for the OP, I dunno.

[krimsonviper]

The 2.0L engine and transmission is still the same as the 1st generation 2.0L engine.

[Captain KRM P5]

ownership means squat right now. the tooling for the 2.3 and 2.5 and 3.0 and 3.5 and 3.7 are done and being used. the engines will share some componentry for the foreseeable future.

[krimsonviper]

KEN! Since you're here, can you tell me: does the brake pads on the previous Mazda3 and the new Mazda3 the same? I have a pair for my old car and wanna use them if I can on my new 2010 model.

[Captain KRM P5]

KEN! Since you're here, can you tell me: does the brake pads on the previous Mazda3 and the new Mazda3 the same? I have a pair for my old car and wanna use them if I can on my new 2010 model.

good question, i do not know. i would say "yes" with much trepidation.

[krimsonviper]

Looks like I'm going to have to take the wheels off and compare pads... Thank you! Do you take checks BTW? I'm thinking about buying a TRZ dog bone from your site, and don't wanna deal with my identity getting stolen again.

PS - I don't think it was stolen from your site because I switched CCs between buying stuff from you and the time it got stolen. It's just ever since, I don't wanna deal with purchases via CC as much as possible.

[Captain KRM P5]

Looks like I'm going to have to take the wheels off and compare pads... Thank you! Do you take checks BTW? I'm thinking about buying a TRZ dog bone from your site, and don't wanna deal with my identity getting stolen again.

PS - I don't think it was stolen from your site because I switched CCs between buying stuff from you and the time it got stolen. It's just ever since, I don't wanna deal with purchases via CC as much as possible.

i take checks and paypal too. heck some guy mailed me a wad of cash one time.

[krimsonviper]

Sweet! You'll be receiving an order from me around the 23rd this month for a TRZ "dog bone."

[Captain KRM P5]

woof woof, thanks man!

[krimsonviper]

(lol2) You're welcome man. I had a few more questions as well. The Exedy stage 1 clutch and lightweight flywheel, are they for 2.0 applications as well? Can't afford them anytime soon, but just something to chew on for myself.

[Captain KRM P5]

they should work, i can ask around

[krimsonviper]

If it wouldn't be too much trouble for you. Just toss me a PM if you ever find out. Thank you!

[AZNPete]

Are the 2010, Mazda 3 engines still made by Ford, I checked the oil recently, and the dipstick has FoMoCo stamped on the end...Its a 2.0 L engine.

That's what I thought too, but I recently took apart a 4-cylinder 2.3 L Ford Fusion engine and it looked exactly the same as the 2008 2.0L Mazda 3 engine. I have some pictures of the Ford engine. Maybe you might see a difference.

I also have pictures of the piston taken out for those wondering what there pistons looks like. hahah

[Diehard]

Who can give me a straight answer regarding the 2010 2.5 M3 engine and it conpatability with the non-reccomended Synthetic oil ? In fact NOWHERE in the OWNERS MANUAL does it say NOT to use synthetic or even use only dino oil it just says use 5w-20 and thats it ---You can see my confusion is that I work at a Mazda dealer and thats what has my head twisted , corporate says one thing, people say another , techs...well its a mixed bag .....and the only thing that scares me is the voidability of the warranty if internal engine failure occurs and they find syn , theres the scapegoat ...of course ...so whos willing to go out on a limb and say "YES USE SYN its better and wont hurt that 2.5 and it will stlll run like its not even fired up ..smooth as silk" --anybody ???

[Maz94Protege]

My window sticker said 95% Parts from Japan. Hmm, dont know if its the exact engine thats in the ford's or if its the same design/platform copy.



The 2.0L engine and transmission is still the same as the 1st generation 2.0L engine.


Engines are the same, The transmissions are different in the differnt generations. The 04-09 (1gen) 2.0L having a 4speed auto and in 2010 the 2nd Gen Mazda3 was introduced the 5speed auto and a change in the valve timing to give it increased fuel efficiency. (source: wikipedia)

I enjoy the 5spd AT for it being my daily/commuter car.


Who can give me a straight answer regarding the 2010 2.5 M3 engine and it conpatability with the non-reccomended Synthetic oil ?

I have never seen anywhere where you "Cannot" use Synthetic. I have heard (from friends that are techs) its reccommended you wait until atleast 7500-10k until the engines internals and gaskets have sealed and seeded correctly. This is because of the lighter/smoother oil that can penetrate seals, if not seeded correctly and switching between oils.

And there are various sites out there saying you CAN switch between conventional and synthetic with no issues back and forth, or even do a mixture if you like.

[Diehard]

......OK , I agree it does not state that the use of synthetic is "prohibited" and it would appear that if it was a big deal they would state it like for the rotary engines ?
I may be making more out of this than there is but when I hit 10K it going syn all the way and Im just going to use Mobil1 - end of head spininng - Thanks

[huppmanm]

My dealer was glad to switch me to synthetic oil at my first checkup. They display brochures in their waiting room touting the benefits and offering drive train warranty extension programs.

[Diehard]

Well I heard from a Mazda rep that the ownership of Ford wa sin the 7% area and they are trying to sever complete ties - But the 2.0 and ALL MAZDA3's are made in Japan 100% made in Japan and the only discrepancy could be that it says 95% of parts content is Japan ..so ... it could be that from some ford plant somewhere either in or near Japan they distribute those gratuitous parts that don't effect performance or longevity ...but it seems ridiculous that they would import dipsticks into Japan OR install them at the port ...just dosent make any sense ..at all . I say the 2.0 is Japan all the way . worry not

[Diehard]

Well huppman --as some time has expired and the new 2011's are out and sales are brisk .....guess what MAZDA does ......they put 0-W20 in ALL the new Mazda3 engines !!! SO I call Mazda AGAIN as a rep of of the company I want ANSWERS . CLEAR ANSWERS - So I get on the horn with "Carlos" and he says the same pablom we cannot guarantee that if you use an oil NOT reccomended in the 2010 owners manual that the engine warranty will be intact . I then explain that the 2011 is the IDENTICAL car and now uses 0-W20 synthetic ??? and agreed to check into it and said he would call back in 3 days ???? 10 minutes later he calls ...Hey guess what / I have MAZDA OFFICIAL MEMO on 0- W20 oil amd MAZDA3's it says " ALL MAZDA 3's now use 0-W20 customers can be told the reason is " IT Lubricates better , lasts longer under extreme conditions , lubricates faster upon start-up and is generall higher quality " - I said great !!! so I can use it ? --He says " No I cannot reccomend you use different oil that the owners manual reccomends , but it is better oil and would be better for your car " ???? What the F???

[ToNeZ90]

Well huppman --as some time has expired and the new 2011's are out and sales are brisk .....guess what MAZDA does ......they put 0-W20 in ALL the new Mazda3 engines !!! SO I call Mazda AGAIN as a rep of of the company I want ANSWERS . CLEAR ANSWERS - So I get on the horn with "Carlos" and he says the same pablom we cannot guarantee that if you use an oil NOT reccomended in the 2010 owners manual that the engine warranty will be intact . I then explain that the 2011 is the IDENTICAL car and now uses 0-W20 synthetic ??? and agreed to check into it and said he would call back in 3 days ???? 10 minutes later he calls ...Hey guess what / I have MAZDA OFFICIAL MEMO on 0- W20 oil amd MAZDA3's it says " ALL MAZDA 3's now use 0-W20 customers can be told the reason is " IT Lubricates better , lasts longer under extreme conditions , lubricates faster upon start-up and is generall higher quality " - I said great !!! so I can use it ? --He says " No I cannot reccomend you use different oil that the owners manual reccomends , but it is better oil and would be better for your car " ???? What the F???

LMAO! somehow that doesnt surprise me. how are they gonna prove that you use it anyways.

[Diehard]

Well if the techs in the shop do my oil changes , which they do since I am an employee , they would be commiting a fraud if they were to not mention that I A. customer provided own oil 0-W20 or B. if they provided the oil they would be required to do the same . I may just bring my own and somehow have that omission made ..it's ridiculous . In fact if you check with MOST Mazda dealers they havent even been provided with the 0-W20 oil for the 2's and the 3's and suspect also the new 5's due soon --opps forgot also the MX-5 now get it too.

[cclngthr]

That's what I thought too, but I recently took apart a 4-cylinder 2.3 L Ford Fusion engine and it looked exactly the same as the 2008 2.0L Mazda 3 engine. I have some pictures of the Ford engine. Maybe you might see a difference.

I also have pictures of the piston taken out for those wondering what there pistons looks like. hahah

The exterior of the engines are the same, but the oil journals are in a different location. I am working on a 04 MZ3 and have the engine out and had the 2.3 liter engine side by side with the 2.0 liter.

[Diehard]

I found this to be the MOST accurate and informative info I could glean , in fact even the techs were dead WRONG about synthetics and what they do - One guy said oh its just "thinner" when runnning which is the most common misconception, - the main difference is that at 75degrees F. an non synthetic 5W-20 has a viscosity of approx. 100 and a synthetic 5W-20 has a viscosity at 75 F. of 40-50 , translated the non-syn is thicker upon start-up but when they reach the operating temp of 212-Degrees F. they both run at a viscosity of 10- , now the big difference dino oils have V1 and V11 additives to keep this correct vis. and they eventually wear away causing thicher oil at op temp and start-up , also dino oils tend to thicken upon shutdown after running at temp and upon restart at temp they cause more wear just like at cold start up which is 90% of engine wear .....cold start-up. Therfore having the oil that is closest to a 10 Vis at start-up gives you the lowest wear as oposed to an oil with a higer Vis as start-up . Once running its a even game - I found this interesting since I just switched My Dino 5W-20 to a full SYN 5W-20 for my 2010 Mazda3 2.5 and the Dino is 100 at start and the Syn is 40 ( mobil ) and they both run at approx 10 when at 212F. Also the Syn will last longer as the molecules NEVER break down and they have NO V1 or V11 additives to stabilize the viscosity ...so now its clear why Mazda is going with a 0W-20 Full Syn because of everything stated above the 0W's are pretty close to the 5W's and have a cold start vis at 75degrees F of about 40-50 also .= If anybody wants the source for this info let me know I will link you up .

[cclngthr]

I found this to be the MOST accurate and informative info I could glean , in fact even the techs were dead WRONG about synthetics and what they do - One guy said oh its just "thinner" when runnning which is the most common misconception, - the main difference is that at 75degrees F. an non synthetic 5W-20 has a viscosity of approx. 100 and a synthetic 5W-20 has a viscosity at 75 F. of 40-50 , translated the non-syn is thicker upon start-up but when they reach the operating temp of 212-Degrees F. they both run at a viscosity of 10- , now the big difference dino oils have V1 and V11 additives to keep this correct vis. and they eventually wear away causing thicher oil at op temp and start-up , also dino oils tend to thicken upon shutdown after running at temp and upon restart at temp they cause more wear just like at cold start up which is 90% of engine wear .....cold start-up. Therfore having the oil that is closest to a 10 Vis at start-up gives you the lowest wear as oposed to an oil with a higer Vis as start-up . Once running its a even game - I found this interesting since I just switched My Dino 5W-20 to a full SYN 5W-20 for my 2010 Mazda3 2.5 and the Dino is 100 at start and the Syn is 40 ( mobil ) and they both run at approx 10 when at 212F. Also the Syn will last longer as the molecules NEVER break down and they have NO V1 or V11 additives to stabilize the viscosity ...so now its clear why Mazda is going with a 0W-20 Full Syn because of everything stated above the 0W's are pretty close to the 5W's and have a cold start vis at 75degrees F of about 40-50 also .= If anybody wants the source for this info let me know I will link you up .

Synthetic oil will break down, but not as fast. People think they can go longer with synthetic oils between changes, but they can't go much longer than dino oil, especially if the car is hard on oils.

This applies to the transmission as well as engines. I run Mobile 1 synthetic ATF because the car is hard on transmissions, not only because of the power, but also heat buildup.

[Diehard]

Source- bobistheoilguy.com ..............Synthetic oils are a whole different story. There is no VI improver added so there is nothing to wear out. The actual oil molecules never wear out. You could almost use the same oil forever. The problem is that there are other additives and they do get used up. I suppose if there was a good way to keep oil clean you could just add a can of additives every 6 months and just change the filter, never changing the oil.

When the additives wear out in a synthetic oil it still has the same viscosity. It will not thin as a mineral oil. The fear that some say Porsche has that oils thin when the VII runs out is not applicable to these synthetic oils. These oils will always have the correct thickness when hot and will still be too thick at startup as with all oils of all types, regardless of the API / SAE viscosity rating.

[cclngthr]

Source- bobistheoilguy.com ..............Synthetic oils are a whole different story. There is no VI improver added so there is nothing to wear out. The actual oil molecules never wear out. You could almost use the same oil forever. The problem is that there are other additives and they do get used up. I suppose if there was a good way to keep oil clean you could just add a can of additives every 6 months and just change the filter, never changing the oil.

When the additives wear out in a synthetic oil it still has the same viscosity. It will not thin as a mineral oil. The fear that some say Porsche has that oils thin when the VII runs out is not applicable to these synthetic oils. These oils will always have the correct thickness when hot and will still be too thick at startup as with all oils of all types, regardless of the API / SAE viscosity rating.

I don't go by BobTheOilGuy. I go by actual testing of used oil. Oil can become contaminated and the molecules will be altered by the contamination, whether it is debris, fuel or other types of contamination. If you have any fuel or carbon anywhere in the oil, and it will be there from normal use, the oil will be contaminated.

[Diehard]

Yeah , I do find it a difficult statment to digest as a full truth ,, and by no means am I going to test it out on my ride ---read what testing the guy does , it in general seems like a decant source with good blogs to back things up --
heres the correct link .......http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/cms/

[Diehard]

Guy rolled in here yesterday with a base model 1999 Protege' and it had 100,000 miles on it . Ran like brand new . seriously . It was spot on perfect in every way even the paint was good - He wanted to trade it in on a Sube and I couldn't say anything but with a car lke that you could never replace it for what you will get on a trade ..possibly even a private sale --It easily has another 100K left of trouble free driving and what the high book ...guessing 2500$ heck thats a rebuilt transmission , not a FULL ON CAR that is in running order with NU tires . Given we are also in the highest resale market nationwide --the Bay Area California

[cclngthr]

Guy rolled in here yesterday with a base model 1999 Protege' and it had 100,000 miles on it . Ran like brand new . seriously . It was spot on perfect in every way even the paint was good - He wanted to trade it in on a Sube and I couldn't say anything but with a car lke that you could never replace it for what you will get on a trade ..possibly even a private sale --It easily has another 100K left of trouble free driving and what the high book ...guessing 2500$ heck thats a rebuilt transmission , not a FULL ON CAR that is in running order with NU tires . Given we are also in the highest resale market nationwide --the Bay Area California

A 99 with 100K miles? That is VERY LOW miles for the year. Looks like he maintained it well.