Oil changes

synthetic is required. I recommend 5w30 oil and 5000 mile changes unless you drive mostly highway.

Using the wrong weight oil and changing it 50% more often than what's needed is dumb. Mazda's not in the business of giving out maintenance guidelines that lead to premature engine wear - that's a bad thing for them.

I can't agree strongly enough about that first oil change.
No way in hell should you run up to 7,500 miles on the factory new build oil.
I don't even wait 2,000 miles before changing it out.
The original factory oil will contain all of the crap from the engine break-in period, and needs to be dumped early.
I have always done this with all of my new cars, and I have never had a vehicle that burned oil later in life.
I would say do your first oil change after the break-in period, say at between 1,000 and 1,500 miles.

I sent ours in to Blackstone at 4,800 miles to get an actual, scientific analysis of it because I've always heard things like what you said. They said:

"The far right column shows average results from all of the healthy 2.5L SKYACTIV engines we've tested. In comparison, there was some extra iron, copper and silicon in this oil but it's actually less than we expected. In the first several oil changes, there's metal from the break-in process and silicon from sealants and lubes used in initial assembly, but it looks like this engine had excellent internal fit and finish right from the start. In other words, this CX-5 is off to a good start. Go ahead and bump the internal to 7,000 miles then check back."

So, I don't think 2,000 miles is really critical though it won't hurt either. I'm sticking with 7,500 mile max intervals too.
 
Using the wrong weight oil and changing it 50% more often than what's needed is dumb. Mazda's not in the business of giving out maintenance guidelines that lead to premature engine wear - that's a bad thing for them.



I sent ours in to Blackstone at 4,800 miles to get an actual, scientific analysis of it because I've always heard things like what you said. They said:

"The far right column shows average results from all of the healthy 2.5L SKYACTIV engines we've tested. In comparison, there was some extra iron, copper and silicon in this oil but it's actually less than we expected. In the first several oil changes, there's metal from the break-in process and silicon from sealants and lubes used in initial assembly, but it looks like this engine had excellent internal fit and finish right from the start. In other words, this CX-5 is off to a good start. Go ahead and bump the internal to 7,000 miles then check back."

So, I don't think 2,000 miles is really critical though it won't hurt either. I'm sticking with 7,500 mile max intervals too.

I hope you are aware that Mazda specifies up to 10w50 is okay for this engine in warmer climates like Australia, right?

5w30, 5w40 isnt going to hurt anything even in the middle of the winter. It will just fill the very loose and tolerant bearing clearances better (10w50!!!!) resulting in smoother/quieter operation and better protection for your engine.

Like I said, you should change your oil every 5000 Miles if you do lots of city driving. This causes your oil to break down quicker
 
I hope you are aware that Mazda specifies up to 10w50 is okay for this engine in warmer climates like Australia, right?

5w30, 5w40 isn’t going to hurt anything even in the middle of the winter. It will just fill the very loose and tolerant bearing clearances better (10w50!!!!) resulting in smoother/quieter operation and better protection for your engine.

Like I said, you should change your oil every 5000 Miles if you do lots of city driving. This causes your oil to break down quicker

Source? Data?

You sure like to claim this a lot. Still yet to see any data from you. Burden of proof is on you.

I'll concede that 5w30 is a valid oil to use depending on where you are. But you like to throw these other ones out too. (scratch)
 
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Using the wrong weight oil and changing it 50% more often than what's needed is dumb. Mazda's not in the business of giving out maintenance guidelines that lead to premature engine wear - that's a bad thing for them.

Does anyone here ever bother to read the owners' manual maintenance recommendations? It hasn't changed since 2012 when I got my 2013 CX-5. Schedule 2 (for anyone doing anything other that straight highway driving under ideal weather and road conditions!) recommends oil/filter change at 5k miles or every six months. Since I only put 8-9k miles on my car each year, I have always adhered to that schedule. I do my own service and it's damned cheap insurance. And I'm using Mazda moly oil.
 
Within warranty period, it is better to do whatever the manual says.
You don't want to be denied warranty coverage.
Mazda recommends 0w20 for USA. That is it. For other countries, the recommended oil weight might be different.

Once it is out of warranty, you can do whatever you want.
Your car.
 
Source? Data?

You sure like to claim this a lot. Still yet to see any data from you. Burden of proof is on you.

I'll concede that 5w30 is a valid oil to use depending on where you are. But you like to throw these other ones out too. (scratch)

quoted from a mazda forum. we have Australian users on here that can back this information. I have been using 5w30 oil for the last several oil changes.


"According to the user manual and depending on temperature they indicate the following oils SAE viscosity ratings. 20w-20, 10w-40, 10w-50, 20w-40, 15w-40, 20w-50, 15w-50, 5w-20, 5w-30. Seems that 5w-20 and 5w-30 will cover from -20F to +100F (-30C to +40C).

It states in the manual Engine oil viscosity, or thickness, has an effect on fuel economy and cold weather operation (starting and oil flow). Low viscosity engine oils can provide improved fuel economy and cold weather performance. But high temperature weather conditions require a higher viscosity engine oils for satisfactory lubrication."

14ujok7.jpg


so according to this chart right here, 5w30 oil is only suitable for up to 20C, let alone 0w20.... all these people bleating about how 5w30 is "too thick for the engines very small clearances" are spewing s***. that is nonsense and here is why.

2n01mhw.jpg



Does anyone here ever bother to read the owners' manual maintenance recommendations? It hasn't changed since 2012 when I got my 2013 CX-5. Schedule 2 (for anyone doing anything other that straight highway driving under ideal weather and road conditions!) recommends oil/filter change at 5k miles or every six months. Since I only put 8-9k miles on my car each year, I have always adhered to that schedule. I do my own service and it's damned cheap insurance. And I'm using Mazda moly oil.

many of the people commenting on here are so misinformed and clueless it's ridiculous.
 
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many of the people commenting on here are so misinformed and clueless it's ridiculous.

You are the misinformed one and I'm sure you enjoyed voiding your unlimited millage, 60 month powertrain warranty by using the wrong oil.

Posting some oil charts from a different engine is misleading. (is that chart even for a car??)
 
You are the misinformed one and I'm sure you enjoyed voiding your unlimited millage, 60 month powertrain warranty by using the wrong oil.

Posting some oil charts from a different engine is misleading. (is that chart even for a car??)

you're correct. that chart is not for a car. it is for oil weights and the temperature range for that oil.

what are you even talking about?
 
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for what it's worth, not going to get into a debate.... just posting about my own experience.....

but I did switch to Pennzoil platinum 5W30 just to try and honestly didn't feel any change at all that you mentioned,

same power level, and engine noise actually got louder

and the same stretch that I drive everyday at 5am with no traffic using Mazda moly 0w20 oil I got 34 mpg

after switching to Pennzoil 5w30 Platinum, the same stretch with no traffic , I got 30 mpg, never got over 30 mpg like before

after 3000 miles on the 5w30, I switched back to Mazda moly 0W20 oil, and got back the 34 mpg on the same stretch of empty highway.

I'm going to stick with Mazda moly 0w20, the engine seems to run quieter and smoother.


I know this is all highly unscientific and I have no data to back this up, just my own experience to help others decide.... YMMV

The color of used 5W30 was fine after 3000 miles. not totally black, like a golden brown color (picture below):



I have no agenda to push 5W30 to other owners, I see that 5W30 is allowed in certain areas per CX-5 owner's manual

and just wanted to see if it makes a difference, I didn't hear and feel any difference but did see a hit on MPG.

IMHO, 0W20 Mazda moly is the way to go.
 
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you're correct. that chart is not for a car. it is for oil weights and the temperature range for that oil.

what are you even talking about?

You're using the wrong viscosity oil for your car.
Your 2015 Mazda 6 had an unlimited mileage 60 month power-train warranty, but to get coverage you have to show that maintenance was done on time and with the right fluids.

If your car develops an engine issue and you show them receipts for 5W30 oil Mazda will have the right to deny repair under warranty.

Personally, I don't care about your warranty, but please stop posting wrong information on here.
 
You're using the wrong viscosity oil for your car.
Your 2015 Mazda 6 had an unlimited mileage 60 month power-train warranty, but to get coverage you have to show that maintenance was done on time and with the right fluids.

If your car develops an engine issue and you show them receipts for 5W30 oil Mazda will have the right to deny repair under warranty.

Personally, I don't care about your warranty, but please stop posting wrong information on here.

if the information is incorrect in north america and correct everywhere in the world, does that still make it incorrect information?

I hand out information to you backed up with ideas, proof and theories. it is then up to you to consider/research the information or simply continue living under a rock. you should at least understand why 0w20 is used in north america before putting that s*** into your car but no, you need to continue being naive.

I don't have reciepts for the oil changes, I change the oil myself. does that mean that even if I was using 0w20 this whole time i still wouldnt be covered under warranty? why does it matter what oil I use then?
 
I know this is all highly unscientific and I have no data to back this up, just my own experience to help others decide.... YMMV

If only GJ used the same sort of disclaimer. (uhm)

Still waiting on those oil analysis reports...
 
if the information is incorrect in north america and correct everywhere in the world, does that still make it incorrect information?

I hand out information to you backed up with ideas, proof and theories. it is then up to you to consider/research the information or simply continue living under a rock. you should at least understand why 0w20 is used in north america before putting that s*** into your car but no, you need to continue being naive.

I don't have reciepts for the oil changes, I change the oil myself. does that mean that even if I was using 0w20 this whole time i still wouldnt be covered under warranty? why does it matter what oil I use then?

Yes, if you don't provide proof of maintenance your warranty will likely be denied.

Why don't you take a few minutes, go find the chart I posted a few months ago from the european cx-5 manual and look what the recommended temperature range is for 0W20 oil.
 
Yes, if you don't provide proof of maintenance your warranty will likely be denied.

Why don't you take a few minutes, go find the chart I posted a few months ago from the european cx-5 manual and look what the recommended temperature range is for 0W20 oil.

I do my own maintenance also and keep all receipts for the oem filters and Mazda moly oil that I buy for such purposes. I can easily create a time/mileage chart showing purchase dates and miles at time of service which will suffice for warranty purposes. Besides, you can eat off the engine in my CX-5 and the body hasn't got a mark on it in 5 years. There's no way they could deny a claim if I ever were to make one.
 
if the information is incorrect in north america and correct everywhere in the world, does that still make it incorrect information?

I hand out information to you backed up with ideas, proof and theories. it is then up to you to consider/research the information or simply continue living under a rock. you should at least understand why 0w20 is used in north america before putting that s*** into your car but no, you need to continue being naive.

I don't have reciepts for the oil changes, I change the oil myself. does that mean that even if I was using 0w20 this whole time i still wouldnt be covered under warranty? why does it matter what oil I use then?

Kid thinks he knows more than the engineers who designed it lol
 
you should at least understand why 0w20 is used in north america before putting that s*** into your car but no, you need to continue being naive.

Can you please explain to us naive humans..

Why would the MAZDA factory use and continue to use & sale the 0-20 Mazda oil with molly if it is so bad and please educate with facts and figures please so we can understand..

MY understanding is that the molly helps fill-in scratches in the metal from manufacturering and helps reducing micro scratches and sealing them providing better friction reduction. The 0W is so the oil (hot or cold) will move quickly to coat and cover the parts at startup along with fill the micro tolerances within the bearing etc. The -20 part of the oil is (obviously) between the 10&30 weigh oils so should protect at running temperatures.
 
if the information is incorrect in north america and correct everywhere in the world, does that still make it incorrect information?

I hand out information to you backed up with ideas, proof and theories. it is then up to you to consider/research the information or simply continue living under a rock. you should at least understand why 0w20 is used in north america before putting that s*** into your car but no, you need to continue being naive.

I don't have reciepts for the oil changes, I change the oil myself. does that mean that even if I was using 0w20 this whole time i still wouldnt be covered under warranty? why does it matter what oil I use then?
Your proof and theories don't mean crap for warranty purposes. Mazda says 0W-20 for North America for warranty, period. They have the final say about what you run during the warranty period. What don't you understand about that? If you have an oil related failure, they're not going to spend thousands of dollars out of their own pocket to fix your problem just because you think you know better than them. I've been running 0W-20 for 4 years now, temperature swings from single digits in winter up to upper 90s in summer 50 miles a day with no problems what so ever.
 
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for what it's worth, not going to get into a debate.... just posting about my own experience.....

but I did switch to Pennzoil platinum 5W30 just to try and honestly didn't feel any change at all that you mentioned,

same power level, and engine noise actually got louder

and the same stretch that I drive everyday at 5am with no traffic using Mazda moly 0w20 oil I got 34 mpg

after switching to Pennzoil 5w30 Platinum, the same stretch with no traffic , I got 30 mpg, never got over 30 mpg like before

after 3000 miles on the 5w30, I switched back to Mazda moly 0W20 oil, and got back the 34 mpg on the same stretch of empty highway.

I'm going to stick with Mazda moly 0w20, the engine seems to run quieter and smoother.


I know this is all highly unscientific and I have no data to back this up, just my own experience to help others decide.... YMMV


I have no agenda to push 5W30 to other owners, I see that 5W30 is allowed in certain areas per CX-5 owner's manual

and just wanted to see if it makes a difference, I didn't hear and feel any difference but did see a hit on MPG.

IMHO, 0W20 Mazda moly is the way to go.

34 mpg in your 2016.5 AWD? Really? How long of a stretch of highway is this and is it level? At what speed? I've never gotten anywhere close to that number in my CX-5.
 
34 mpg in your 2016.5 AWD? Really? How long of a stretch of highway is this and is it level? At what speed? I've never gotten anywhere close to that number in my CX-5.

It's not an unrealistic number. I recently took a trip from Pa down to North Carolina and my highway average was 34 to 35 mpg, average speed in the 60 to 65 mph area...
 
It's not an unrealistic number. I recently took a trip from Pa down to North Carolina and my highway average was 34 to 35 mpg, average speed in the 60 to 65 mph area...

agreed, it is possible, at the beginning of the highway stretch, I make sure I reset the MPG monitor by holding the INFO middle button for 3 or 4 seconds, it will reset to --- , the stretch is like 20 miles long mostly flat, very little traffic around 5am in the morning going 60 mph. I do this everyday so definitely saw a difference with the 5W30 couldn't get it above 30 mpg, whereas the Mazda 0w20 moly always gave me ~34 mpg.

again, this is just what I'm observing, I have no quantitative data to support this.....but I'm going to stick with the Mazda moly oil, a bit more expensive but gives me peace of mind.

Try it, on a long flat stretch with no traffic, reset the mpg monitor and go like 60 mph, if you're not heavy with the gas pedal, just tap gently to maintain speed, it's even possible to get a 48mpg reading, but this is not realistic and eventually drops to around 32 or 34 mpg depending on terrain / hills.
 
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