2013 CX-5 Manual Transmission (Transaxle) Oil Change Interval?

[BGChicago]

Hey Folks,

I can't find the recommended interval for the MT oil. It is not in the owner's manual, nor in the service manual.

At 90k miles dealer told my wife "it is really thick and needs to be replaced" during oil change. Looking at the service manual, there is no dip stick and the check plug is in awkward spot...I kind of doubt they even checked it.

Thoughts?

 

[yrwei52]

Hey Folks,

I can't find the recommended interval for the MT oil. It is not in the owner's manual, nor in the service manual.

At 90k miles dealer told my wife "it is really thick and needs to be replaced" during oil change. Looking at the service manual, there is no dip stick and the check plug is in awkward spot...I kind of doubt they even checked it.

Thoughts?

I agree that your dealer never actually checked your manual transmission gear oil but just tried to generate some more revenue. Mazda doesn’t recommend any oil changes on automatic transaxle, not to mention manual transaxle. In theory the gear oil in manual transmission should last for very long time and most people don’t bother to change it unless they’re experiencing some shift difficulties. I’d wait after 100K miles and consider to change it with a name brand GL-4 75W-80 synthetic gear oil. If you plan not to keep the CX-5 too long, don’t even bother to change it.

Like rear differential, I have never seen a manual transmission has a dipstick. The spec says you need 1.74 quarts. But be warned based on actual experience on other fluids, that is approximate amount and you may need more to reach the fill-hole. And always lose the fill-hole plug first before you start to drain the gear oil.

 

[Mazdiod2]

If you drive really hard, tow a trailer, maybe someday. If it's contaminated, like from driving through water, definitely.

 

[BGChicago]

I actually found the European user manual and it suggest 112,500miles (or twice lower for some countries).

https://owners-manual.mazda.com/gen/en/cx-5/cx-5_8ft1ee17b/contents/07020101.html?kw=TRANSAXLE%20oil&hw=TRANSAXLE%20oil

 

[BGChicago]

For the record, the transmission oil as specified in the manual was not easy to find:
GL4 75W80. Apparently GL-5 is the new standard but even that was not available in any common auto parts store in 75W80. Found some reports of GL-5 being deadly for certain transmissions (wearing out brass synchros or something like that) so I didn't want to risk it.
Purchased Red Line 50204 of Amazon. Replaced over a month ago and it did make shifting in cold weather slightly smoother. The old oil was did not look bad to the naked eye, and yeah, there is no way the dealer was in there at all.

Both filler and drain plugs are 23mm.

 

[Mazdiod2]

For the record, the transmission oil as specified in the manual was not easy to find:
GL4 75W80. Apparently GL-5 is the new standard but even that was not available in any common auto parts store in 75W80. Found some reports of GL-5 being deadly for certain transmissions (wearing out brass synchros or something like that) so I didn't want to risk it.
Purchased Red Line 50204 of Amazon. Replaced over a month ago and it did make shifting in cold weather slightly smoother. The old oil was did not look bad to the naked eye, and yeah, there is no way the dealer was in there at all.

Both filler and drain plugs are 23mm.

Does Mazda stock the right kind or equivalent?
I think it only takes a quart or two.

 

[BGChicago]

Does Mazda stock the right kind or equivalent?
I think it only takes a quart or two.

$30+ per quart at dealer and they said there is no GL marking on the label but they believed it was GL5.
Trans needs ~ 1.75qt. The RedLine was under $40 delivered for 2 qt.