Automatic transmission maintenance requirement ??
- Thread starter paris1
- Start date
Yes, you will see a couple of separate threads for this subject. You read the manual correctly, nothing missed on this subject.
mazdachris
Member
- :
- Mazda CX5
It can be done. Looks like a drain and fill according to the service manual. However, I bet you can unhook a hose from the transmission cooler and attach a drain hose to the cooler and pump/fill/flush, like I used to do with my Mazda 3. Better then drain and fill. BTW. It is not a sealed unit. It has a dipstick, you have to remove under cover to access it. It is short and secured down by a bolt. It is a short dipstick. Not the usual access from above like oil dipstick.
2013 - CX-5 - Transmission/Transaxle
AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLE FLUID (ATF) REPLACEMENT [FW6A-EL, FW6AX-EL]
WARNING:
Do not perform the servicing while the ATF is hot. Otherwise, it could cause severe burnsor serious injury.
1. Remove the front under cover No.2. (See FRONT UNDER COVER No.2REMOVAL/INSTALLATION.)
2. Remove the dipstick securing bolt.
3. Remove the dipstick.
4. Remove the drain plug and washer, and drain the ATF.
5. Install a new washer and drain plug.
Tightening torque
30—41 Nm {3.1—4.1 kgfm, 23—30 ftlbf}
6. Add ATF from the dipstick installation hole.
NOTE:
The ATF color is blue.
Only use ATF FZ for the FW6A-EL, FW6AX-EL.
AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLE FLUID (ATF) REPLACEMENT [FW6A-EL, FW6AX-EL]
http://am.mazdaserviceinfo.com/emaz...3/CX5/mv/books/mvw05/html/id0517h2118600.html[1/7/13
9:53:37 AM]
ATF type
ATF FZ
Resupply amount (Reference)
ATF is drained from drain plug: 3.5—4.9 L {3.7—5.1 US qt, 3.1—4.3 Imp qt}
7. Adjust the ATF level. (See AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLE FLUID (ATF) ADJUSTMENT [FW6A-EL,FW6AX-EL].)
8. Insert the dipstick and install the securing bolt.
Tightening torque
8—11 Nm {82—112 kgfcm, 71—97 inlbf}
9. Install the front under cover No.2. (See FRONT UNDER COVER No.2 REMOVAL/INSTALLATION.
2013 - CX-5 - Transmission/Transaxle
AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLE FLUID (ATF) REPLACEMENT [FW6A-EL, FW6AX-EL]
WARNING:
Do not perform the servicing while the ATF is hot. Otherwise, it could cause severe burnsor serious injury.
1. Remove the front under cover No.2. (See FRONT UNDER COVER No.2REMOVAL/INSTALLATION.)
2. Remove the dipstick securing bolt.
3. Remove the dipstick.
4. Remove the drain plug and washer, and drain the ATF.
5. Install a new washer and drain plug.
Tightening torque
30—41 Nm {3.1—4.1 kgfm, 23—30 ftlbf}
6. Add ATF from the dipstick installation hole.
NOTE:
The ATF color is blue.
Only use ATF FZ for the FW6A-EL, FW6AX-EL.
AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLE FLUID (ATF) REPLACEMENT [FW6A-EL, FW6AX-EL]
http://am.mazdaserviceinfo.com/emaz...3/CX5/mv/books/mvw05/html/id0517h2118600.html[1/7/13
9:53:37 AM]
ATF type
ATF FZ
Resupply amount (Reference)
ATF is drained from drain plug: 3.5—4.9 L {3.7—5.1 US qt, 3.1—4.3 Imp qt}
7. Adjust the ATF level. (See AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLE FLUID (ATF) ADJUSTMENT [FW6A-EL,FW6AX-EL].)
8. Insert the dipstick and install the securing bolt.
Tightening torque
8—11 Nm {82—112 kgfcm, 71—97 inlbf}
9. Install the front under cover No.2. (See FRONT UNDER COVER No.2 REMOVAL/INSTALLATION.
- :
- Mazdaspeed6
Lifetime fill and non serviceable components is pretty common these days.
I would leave it, unless you are driving your car in certain conditions that may accelerate wear on the ATF.
I would leave it, unless you are driving your car in certain conditions that may accelerate wear on the ATF.
Agreed, in the case of this tranny and typical ownership experience that won't exceed 120K miles.
Note: Other automakers with lifetime fill also have a tranny fluid change procedure in service manuals for situations that require a change.
btw - Thanks mazdachris for posting this info from the service manual.
Note-per Mazda TSB on auto tranny fluid requirement (refer to Bulletin No: 05-003/13):
"filled for life", "no change intervals for ATF required", "flushing is not recommended as part of service maintenance", "If repair or AT replacement is necessary, use only ATF-FZ to fill the AT"
"filled for life", "no change intervals for ATF required", "flushing is not recommended as part of service maintenance", "If repair or AT replacement is necessary, use only ATF-FZ to fill the AT"
pulled the dipstick at 36,000 miles and the fluid on it looked good. But when I pumped out a couple quarts it looked worse:
New blue fluid vs old dark fluid.
It had been shifting down a bit hard when I'd step on the gas so we'll see if fresh fluid helps.
-update: drove about 90 miles today and it is back to where I really don't notice it shifting.
Another 50 miles today and it is still shifting much better than before the drain and fill.
So regardless of the 'lifetime fill' I'm going to be doing a drain and fill every 20,000 miles now as it is just too cheap of insurance against a major transmission problem. In cooler climates the fluid may last longer.
New blue fluid vs old dark fluid.
It had been shifting down a bit hard when I'd step on the gas so we'll see if fresh fluid helps.
-update: drove about 90 miles today and it is back to where I really don't notice it shifting.
Another 50 miles today and it is still shifting much better than before the drain and fill.
So regardless of the 'lifetime fill' I'm going to be doing a drain and fill every 20,000 miles now as it is just too cheap of insurance against a major transmission problem. In cooler climates the fluid may last longer.
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pulled the dipstick at 36,000 miles and the fluid on it looked good. But when I pumped out a couple quarts it looked worse:
View attachment 204140
New blue fluid vs old dark fluid.
It had been shifting down a bit hard when I'd step on the gas so we'll see if fresh fluid helps.
-update: drove about 90 miles today and it is back to where I really don't notice it shifting.
Another 50 miles today and it is still shifting much better than before the drain and fill.
So regardless of the 'lifetime fill' I'm going to be doing a drain and fill every 20,000 miles now as it is just too cheap of insurance against a major transmission problem. In cooler climates the fluid may last longer.
ATF color hardly means anything. If we had to change fluids based on their color that would be a real mess.
Agreed, not touching it. Changing fluids based on color, sniffing, tasting is very outdated.
pulled the dipstick at 36,000 miles and the fluid on it looked good. But when I pumped out a couple quarts it looked worse:
View attachment 204140
New blue fluid vs old dark fluid.
It had been shifting down a bit hard when I'd step on the gas so we'll see if fresh fluid helps.
-update: drove about 90 miles today and it is back to where I really don't notice it shifting.
Another 50 miles today and it is still shifting much better than before the drain and fill.
So regardless of the 'lifetime fill' I'm going to be doing a drain and fill every 20,000 miles now as it is just too cheap of insurance against a major transmission problem. In cooler climates the fluid may last longer.
The dark color reflects that the oil has reached temperature not that it is dirty. I bet if you pulled some more out now, you would see it is dark again.
I didn't mean to imply that it was dirty. ATF doesn't really get dirty like engine oil since it doesn't encounter blow-by or clean the sides of the cylinders. It gets wear metal in it but not contaminated like engine oil.
It more than reached operating temperature it was a bit cooked, which was obvious because the car shifted completely differently before and after the change. I didn't change the fluid for the fun of it I changed it due to problems with the shifting.
One of the things I really like about this car is the shifts are mostly unnoticed. It is just so smooth with them, the only reason I notice it shifting any time I do is because the RPMs change. However it was steadily getting worse over the last few months. Downshifts were much more noticeable and as I mentioned some of them were downright loud and could be felt throughout the car. After a partial fluid change it is back to shifting as new. And in over 500 miles it hasn't done a single slamming downshift. I could make it do those on demand just by giving it a lot of gas on the Freeway.
Everybody is free to do what they want with their cars for maintenance and in some areas where it doesn't get up above 100 the fluid may last longer. I just figured I'd throw it out there that the 'lifetime' of the fluid won't always be the 'lifetime' of the car or at least what I want for the lifetime of the car. And that just pulling the dipstick to look at the fluid won't actually give you a look at the condition of the fluid.
Sure, Mazda is a great company with great engineers but even Honda waited for a class action law suit before they reacted to what were very week, trouble prone automatic transmissions that were used for years in their cars. And as with the Hondas if one waits for the problems to really show then it is too late to just change the fluid to fix them.
come on people, read a little bit
"It had been shifting down a bit hard when I'd step on the gas so we'll see if fresh fluid helps.
-update: drove about 90 miles today and it is back to where I really don't notice it shifting."
I didn't just randomly decide to change the fluid for the fun of it. When you are driving and the car downshifts and your wife looks at you and goes "what was that?" I'd say that is a sign that there is a problem.
Sorry if I confused people by including a picture, that was just for fun. As I mentioned when I pulled the dipstick the fluid looked great. I went ahead and pumped it out, even though it looked fine, hoping new fluid would help with the shifts since they had degraded so much.
The changing of the fluid was in response to downshifts that would rattle the car, not in response to the color. Prior to the fluid change all of the shifts were more noticeable and when I'd go to pass someone on the freeway it would slam into the lower gear. Over 500 miles of freeway driving and plenty of full throttle passes and not a single slam since.
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Was the cure for Honda trouble-prone/failing transmissions more frequent fluid change intervals? I'm asking because I don't know the recent history of Honda's transmissions. Or was it a poor and weak design?
(Not that it has anything to do with Mazda's Skyactiv auto tranny)
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- Mazdaspeed6
Color can be some-what of an indicator.
Transmission fluid/hydraulic fluid and gear oils tend to denigrate after becoming very heated, and after many thermal cycles.
Like already stated, the darker hue indicates it has been heated.
However, the fluid in the photo doesn't look terrible...
I'd still wager the factory fill would be sufficient until at least the century mark.
Transmission fluid/hydraulic fluid and gear oils tend to denigrate after becoming very heated, and after many thermal cycles.
Like already stated, the darker hue indicates it has been heated.
However, the fluid in the photo doesn't look terrible...
I'd still wager the factory fill would be sufficient until at least the century mark.
I agree that changing the fluid in the transmission can improve shifts. Every time I did a complete transmission flush and refill on previous vehicles that I had the transmission would have noticeably improved shift quality. I think Mazda may get away with no schedule maintenance because the torque converter isn't used long enough to generate enough heat to degrade the fluid. Also the fluids they use today may be better too. Still changing the fluid can't hurt anything and may in fact extend the transmissions life.
How did you determine fluid level? Service manual specifies level check at 113 - 131 degrees. Did you use OBD temp check? The old "check it when its hot" doesn't apply here. Not being critical, just trying to get an opinion. Probably will be doing it myself @ 25k miles. Been doing it to all my auto trans vehicles, never believed in "lifetime" fluids.
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