15,000 mile service

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2016 CX-5 GT | FWD | Soul Red | Tech Package
I called the dealer to schedule an appointment for oil change and he said I have to come in for a 15,000 mile service. He said it includes oil change, tire rotation, inspection of fluids, brakes, rotors etc. and some sort of a fuel system cleanup to remove carbon buildup. The quote is $250. He said the weather here in Houston is very hot and humid and hence not good for engines. Apparently, the service will make sure engine is cleaned and running smoothly. Sounded like BS to me, but wasn't sure. What do you all think?

I can't find any such service in the user manual. Should I just do the oil change and tire rotation, or go ahead and pay for the full service?

If I do just the oil change and tire rotation at the dealership, and then use a bottle of Techron myself, will that accomplish the fuel system cleanup he mentioned? Is Techron any good in our Skyactive engines?
 
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just do what the owner's manual says. no need for anything extra....dealership is just trying to make money.
 
The owners manual has a 5,000 mile service interval for severe service which it appears the dealer is pushing you to. Usually it is oil & oil filter, rotate tires, check coolant, brake fluid and washer levels and check for any leaks. reset tire pressures. That is all I can remember. Injector cleaning and anything else is not required. I also use TECHRON system cleaner about once a year but, that is not needed if you use a top tier gas like Shell, Mobil etc. Ed
 
I always use Top Tier gas only (from Costco/Shell). I am also planning to use Techron after the oil change. Considering those, is there really any point in doing the fuel system cleanup offered by the dealer? Also, is the claim about heat and humidity damaging the engine all hubris?
 
Actually glad you posted this. In about 3k miles I'll be do for my 15000 service and expecting my dealer to pull some kind of crap like this. But good to know. Quite frankly, I was thinking about going somewhere else anyway. How often are you doing your oil changes? I did my first 2 at 5k only because I had free changes and thats what the dealer was telling me. But I know the car can do 7500, especially when you set the maintenance to flexible. So in that case, my next oil change should be 17500, which is past the 15000 service. Wonder if the dealer will contact me or should I go in? Sorry, not trying to hijack your thread OP.
 
The engine is liquid-cooled. At operating temperature it doesn't care about ambient one bit. Cooling system keeps it at its happiest temp no matter how hot or cold outside.
Fuel system cleaners, even professional, do squat at this mileage, your system is still clean as a whistle. And this service does nothing for the valve cleaning either. So no point.

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How often are you doing your oil changes? I did my first 2 at 5k only because I had free changes and thats what the dealer was telling me. But I know the car can do 7500, especially when you set the maintenance to flexible. So in that case, my next oil change should be 17500, which is past the 15000 service. Wonder if the dealer will contact me or should I go in? Sorry, not trying to hijack your thread OP.

I did the first and second oil changes at 5k and 11k. Third one now planned at 18k.

I'm planning to do it every 5k from now on as I'll be doing more of stop and go driving.
 
just do what the owner's manual says. no need for anything extra....dealership is just trying to make money.

I agree with this. I'd also suggest finding an independent shop to handle your non-warranty work. There's no reason to go to a dealership as they tend to cost more and try harder to separate you from your money than a trusted independent.
 
I agree with this. I'd also suggest finding an independent shop to handle your non-warranty work. There's no reason to go to a dealership as they tend to cost more and try harder to separate you from your money than a trusted independent.

I intend to go there only till the warranty expires. That way they can't say the maintenance wasn't done properly. Moreover I've heard all sorts of horror stories about the independent mechanics in the area. Might as well go the known devil.
 
I did the first and second oil changes at 5k and 11k. Third one now planned at 18k.
I'm planning to do it every 5k from now on as I'll be doing more of stop and go driving.
Turn on your oil life monitor even if you plan to use fixed OCI at 5,000 miles. Thus you can feel how early you're changing your oil. I'd say you may still have 40~50% oil life left if you change your oil at 5,000-mile interval.

We've heard it many times before that Mazda dealers are doing "fuel system cleanup" for routine maintenance. Of course that's useless if you keep using Top-Tier gas such as Shell and Costco. You should only follow the book for maintenance items and schedules. Insisting your dealer using Mazda moly oil is money better spent than "fuel system cleanup"! I don't even think adding a bottle of Techron is necessary if you use Shell Nitrogen-Enriched gas all the time which may be more effective than Techron.
 
I rotate tires and have the oil changed every 5K, and that's it. New spark plugs going in at 75K, I think it is. Air filter every time I forget when it was last done/once a year/every 25k or so, it's all about the same, lol
 
The engine is liquid-cooled. At operating temperature it doesn't care about ambient one bit. Cooling system keeps it at its happiest temp no matter how hot or cold outside.
Fuel system cleaners, even professional, do squat at this mileage, your system is still clean as a whistle. And this service does nothing for the valve cleaning either. So no point.

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Still waiting for someone to seafoam their high mileage CX-5 :)
 
I always use Top Tier gas only (from Costco/Shell). I am also planning to use Techron after the oil change.

If you choose to you Techron, you might consider treating the last tank or next to last tank before the oil change. Some of the Blackstone reports have noted fuel in the oil. You probably wouldn't want Techron-laced fuel in the oil long-term, rather let it do it's thing and flush it out.
 
I thought Mazda's complimentary Full Circle Service was supposed to cover inspection of all that other stuff. Always skip the fuel cleaning service for cleaning carbon off of intake valves, doesn't do anything in a DI engine. Techron is good stuff but you shouldn’t be needing that for a long time. Stick to top tier fuel and you’ll be OK. You might want to consider another dealer.
 
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If you choose to you Techron, you might consider treating the last tank or next to last tank before the oil change. Some of the Blackstone reports have noted fuel in the oil. You probably wouldn't want Techron-laced fuel in the oil long-term, rather let it do it's thing and flush it out.

That's true. Thanks.
 
Same dealer will want to charge you $90 to replace the cabin air filter... something that requires no tools, takes 10 seconds and involves a $10 part.
 
Never pay anyone to do a spark plug change. It literally takes 5 minutes. Easiest car I've ever changed spark plugs on. Did it on my 14 Mazda 6 at 75k.
 
I thought Mazda's complimentary Full Circle Service was supposed to cover inspection of all that other stuff. Always skip the fuel cleaning service for cleaning carbon off of intake valves, doesn't do anything in a DI engine. Techron is good stuff but you shouldnt be needing that for a long time. Stick to top tier fuel and youll be OK. You might want to consider another dealer.

Counterpoint: While there won't likely be much in the way of carbon deposits, it's much easier to keep an engine clean than it is to get it clean. I'd go with the Techron treatment a couple of tanks prior to the oil change.
 
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