Question about oil change

Thank you MikeM for the detailed explanation. Our regular drive home work is roughly 12.5 km. 66% of that portion is with a speed limit of 50km/hour and 33% (a couple of 2km stretches) when the speed is 90km/hour. Would this be labeled as a short trip?

I would say it's borderline during the arctic portion of the winter. In the summer, not at all.

A big factor has to do with how long the engine is warm enough to drive off moisture that can build up in the crankcase. This moisture is the byproduct of combustion and a tiny amount of it makes it's way past the rings into the crankcase. The vast majority of transfer of combustion gases to the crankcase happens with a cold engine because the pistons have not heat expanded to achieve tight sealing of the rings. All else being equal, the larger the cylinder bore, the greater the transfer of moisture laden gases.

A good drive at higher speeds and longer distances once a week can help mitigate this in two ways. The obvious way is that the time and distance allows enough heat to cause the water in the crankcase to turn to vapor and enough time for that vapor to be drawn off by the breather hose. Obviously this will reduce oil/water emulsification (it can actually reverse it).

Less obvious is the fact that engines seal better when they are periodically brought to full temperature and driven hard. Higher internal temperatures (the coolant temp will not rise) and higher rpm's keep piston rings cleaner and sealed tighter. Many cold starts and low power demand operation is not conducive to having clean piston rings (and valves that seal tightly). And this condition cannot be improved by more frequent servicing. So don't be afraid to periodically drive at high speed for a few minutes, accelerate into the upper rpm range and floor the accelerator 0-60 (after the engine is fully warm of course and taking safety into account). This is most beneficial when an engine has had a number of cold starts/short trips recently and could actually reduce your overall consumption of fuel.

While the common wisdom of driving moderately and avoiding jack rabbit starts and high speeds is generally good advice, it can (and often is) taken to an unfavorable extreme (particularly during spells of cold weather). Gentle driving is good, particularly when on longer drives but engines also need to work sometimes.

The best way to warm up a cold engine is to drive it with a gentle load on it. This is better than idling. In true arctic type weather (not simply a few degrees below freezing) it may be beneficial to let it idle for 60 seconds or so before driving off (a little longer if you will immediately need to enter fast traffic or step on the accelerator hard to merge into tight traffic). But under normal cold start conditions, gentle driving with your foot lightly on the accelerator not only warms the engine faster and saves fuel but it also creates a consistent combustion pressure that helps the rings seal more efficiently before the parts are fully heat expanded. This can reduce water in the crankcase but a heavy right foot during the first 1-4 minutes (depending upon how cold it is) can actually drive larger amounts of combustion moisture past the rings due to much higher combustion pressures of high throttle application. The good news is that pistons and rings seal up quite well very quickly (before the rest of the engine is at full operating temperature) due to their lightweight aluminum construction and their proximity to the combustion.

Probably more detail than you need but it's nice to know the reasons why virtually every manufacturer recommends driving off gently when the engine is still cold.
 
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I would say it's borderline during the arctic portion of the winter. In the summer, not at all.

A big factor has to do with how long the engine is warm enough to drive off moisture that can build up in the crankcase. This moisture is the byproduct of combustion and a tiny amount of it makes it's way past the rings into the crankcase.

Wow, I cannot thank enough for all the info here. I do want to learn and it does make sense. I did read it twice and i will read it again tonight. Cannot thank you enough for the time you put in to educate an "un-knowledgeable" like myself.
 
Its actually best to drain the oil and drive it on the hiway for a few hundred miles to clear it all out. Then replace with chocolate pudding pops. Be sure not to over fill though or frothing could occur and damage your engine.

Welcome back, BB33. I usually use Crisco or olive when I change before 5000. The SkyActiv-G is also a biodiesel so it transforms engine oil into fuel. I never fill up the gas tank.

Brad you got it mixed up it's every 5,000 months or 6 miles, whichever comes first. It's right there in the manual.

Yes there is a problem. When you change your oil too early, your warranty gets voided and you will never be able to trade in your car to a dealership of any kind.

Crisco or olive oil? You must not be thinking clearly.

The CX-5 is manufactured in Hiroshima, Japan. I'm sure the engineering is also of Japanese origin (although perhaps not exclusive to Hiroshima). It is important to take regional preferences into account for maximum performance and engine life. While I exclusively use pure virgin olive oil in my Italian motorcycles, I would not even consider olive oil for a CX-5. I suggest sesame oil. My 1969 Nissan Patrol never saw anything other than oil rendered from whale blubber but that has become prohibitively expensive and so sesame oil is a sensible replacement. And my Ford F-150 never sees anything but pure corn oil.

Never had an oil related issue following these sensible regional preferences.

I'm surprised you guys didn't recommend anal lube. I'm sure it's worked for you before.....(kissass)

ROFLMAO
 
Wow these dudes are wild on here. I changed my Mazda5's oil early before realizing it was synthetic. Now I'm going to go every 7500 miles. Good thing I like pudding pops and whale blubber.
 
I just had my first change at 3000 miles. The Mazda oil is not 100% synthetic but a blended product. So if you are thinking you can go longer between changes because its 100% synthetic, don't. For those of us in real Arctic climates, using a 100% synthetic in the winter is not a bad idea for those cold starts.
 

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