Mike's 2018 CX-9 Signature

So, bit of an oopsie. I did an oil change done yesterday because the maintenance monitor said it was due. My Maintenance Monitor is set for 8000 km OCIs, but generally I do my oil changes around the same time I do my tire changeovers, which is every March/April and Sept/Oct. Miles between OCIs varies with driving, usually 6000 to 8000 kms.

My last documented oil change in my log and in this thread (which is meant to be an online version of my log) was done at 43500 kms on Sept 20, 2020. Yesterday (May 4, 2021) the odometer read 53500 km.. meaning I drove about 10000 km during this OCI 🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️. I didn't realize this until I went to update this thread this morning, lol. I did go over seven months for this OCI (typically it is every six months), but that doesn't explain why I never got a warning from the Maintenance Monitor at the 7000 km mark like I usually do. My only guess is that my wife ran the battery down and boosted the car without telling me. Maybe when the battery dies, the mileage countdown for the warning resets? It's the only thing I can think of. Meh, oil change is done, I'll probably do another one at the 57500 km mark just to get back on track.

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Oil level looking good..

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Anyway, I had planned to get another UOA done so I took a sample of the oil to send away for testing. I think I'll be sending the sample to AGAT Labs this time, since they have a local depot that I should be able to use.
 
sm1ke said:
Installed sequential LED turn signals in the side mirrors.

https://www.mazdas247.com/forum/sho...l-LED-turn-signal-installation-(side-mirrors)

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Well that didn't last long. June 2019 - May 2021. A few LEDs on each turn signal housing died. I believe I'm out of warranty on these as well (not that having a warranty means much when dealing with cheap stuff like this imported from overseas). Oh well, they were nice when they worked. Back to stock when I have some time..

Screenshot_20210507-121026_Gallery.jpg

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sm1ke said:
Well that didn't last long. June 2019 - May 2021. A few LEDs on each turn signal housing died. I believe I'm out of warranty on these as well (not that having a warranty means much when dealing with cheap stuff like this imported from overseas). Oh well, they were nice when they worked. Back to stock when I have some time..

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View attachment 298284
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Think this is from water getting in the housing? I had some cheap trailer lights that did this too and it was because the housing was poorly sealed. Ordered a second set and used some epoxy to seal them better. So far they are good. The first set didn’t last a full winter. The new ones did and will go through their second winter this year
 
MGMGT16 said:
Think this is from water getting in the housing? I had some cheap trailer lights that did this too and it was because the housing was poorly sealed. Ordered a second set and used some epoxy to seal them better. So far they are good. The first set didn’t last a full winter. The new ones did and will go through their second winter this year
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When I installed them, I didn't check to make sure they were watertight, so it's certainly a possibility. Warranty on these is only 3 months, but I'm currently working with the seller to get a reduced price on a replacement set. If I end up getting a replacement set, I'll definitely be following in your footsteps and ensuring they are sealed with some epoxy or silicone before installing them (y)
 
Picked up a couple of torque wrenches that will help with future work on this car and any others that I may work on down the line. 20-200 in-lbs and 25-250 ft-lbs.

20210509_131124.jpg

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sm1ke said:
So, bit of an oopsie. I did an oil change done yesterday because the maintenance monitor said it was due. My Maintenance Monitor is set for 8000 km OCIs, but generally I do my oil changes around the same time I do my tire changeovers, which is every March/April and Sept/Oct. Miles between OCIs varies with driving, usually 6000 to 8000 kms.

My last documented oil change in my log and in this thread (which is meant to be an online version of my log) was done at 43500 kms on Sept 20, 2020. Yesterday (May 4, 2021) the odometer read 53500 km.. meaning I drove about 10000 km during this OCI 🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️. I didn't realize this until I went to update this thread this morning, lol. I did go over seven months for this OCI (typically it is every six months), but that doesn't explain why I never got a warning from the Maintenance Monitor at the 7000 km mark like I usually do. My only guess is that my wife ran the battery down and boosted the car without telling me. Maybe when the battery dies, the mileage countdown for the warning resets? It's the only thing I can think of. Meh, oil change is done, I'll probably do another one at the 57500 km mark just to get back on track.

View attachment 298216

Oil level looking good..

View attachment 298218

Anyway, I had planned to get another UOA done so I took a sample of the oil to send away for testing. I think I'll be sending the sample to AGAT Labs this time, since they have a local depot that I should be able to use.
Click to expand...

Following up.. I got the results of the UOA back and they don't look good, lol. Some of the issues can be attributed to the extended OCI, but one that worries me is the high K, which according to them, suggests the presence of a coolant leak 😬

My oil was black when I drained it. No puddles underneath my car. Quick visual inspection shows no signs of coolant leaks on or around the engine (to be fair, I don't really know what to look for - I just looked for wet spots and didn't see any). Coolant level is within the F and L marks, and I have never experienced any overheating issues or seen any warning lights related to low coolant. I will top up the coolant level and keep an eye on it.

I'll send another sample in at 57500 km to see if its still an issue - if it is, I'll be contacting my local Mazda dealer to determine the next course of action. My powertrain warranty doesn't expire until 2023, so I should be fine in any case - but still unnerving to see that on the report.

For reference, my last UOA at about 29k kms showed K at 2. This one shows K at 122.
 

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sm1ke said:
Following up.. I got the results of the UOA back and they don't look good, lol. Some of the issues can be attributed to the extended OCI, but one that worries me is the high K, which according to them, suggests the presence of a coolant leak 😬

My oil was black when I drained it. No puddles underneath my car. Quick visual inspection shows no signs of coolant leaks on or around the engine (to be fair, I don't really know what to look for - I just looked for wet spots and didn't see any). Coolant level is within the F and L marks, and I have never experienced any overheating issues or seen any warning lights related to low coolant. I will top up the coolant level and keep an eye on it.

I'll send another sample in at 57500 km to see if its still an issue - if it is, I'll be contacting my local Mazda dealer to determine the next course of action. My powertrain warranty doesn't expire until 2023, so I should be fine in any case - but still unnerving to see that on the report.

For reference, my last UOA at about 29k kms showed K at 2. This one shows K at 122.
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Well that’s not confidence inspiring for this drivetrain. More and more coolant issues. Guess I’ll be purchasing the MEC and doing an oil analysis in 1500 miles
 
MGMGT16 said:
Well that’s not confidence inspiring for this drivetrain. More and more coolant issues. Guess I’ll be purchasing the MEC and doing an oil analysis in 1500 miles
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What's MEC?

The coolant issue is certainly worth noting, and something that should be monitored. Without the UOA I wouldn't have even known to keep an eye on it aside from checking the level every once in a while. There is a possibility of a small leak, but nothing as catastrophic as the potential problem the 1st gen CX-9s had - at least so far.
 
sm1ke said:
What's MEC?

The coolant issue is certainly worth noting, and something that should be monitored. Without the UOA I wouldn't have even known to keep an eye on it aside from checking the level every once in a while. If I get another high reading of K in my next UOA, I'll be contacting the dealer and Mazda Canada.
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Mazda Extended Confidence. Manufacturer extended warranty. I’ll probably just do the drivetrain one.
 
Man, 10K km OCI's should be no problem at all. I do 8K mile OCI's (almost 13K km) on our CX5 using OE Mazda Moly oil, with no issues at 115,000 miles.

Please don't change the oil after only 4K km, that's just a waste of time and money.
 
PatrickGSR94 said:
Man, 10K km OCI's should be no problem at all. I do 8K mile OCI's (almost 13K km) on our CX5 using OE Mazda Moly oil, with no issues at 115,000 miles.

Please don't change the oil after only 4K km, that's just a waste of time and money.
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Yeah I don't know why 10k km OCIs aren't doable with my car, but all engines/drivers are not quite the same.

With respect, I'm trying to identify a potential issue that could cause me a lot more time and money if not caught and taken care of while still under warranty.
 
Update: The dealer put the car on a lift and their tech couldn't find a leak. I asked them to please take another look, still no signs of a leak. The invoice states that they checked the entire coolant system and found no evidence of a coolant leak, and chalked up the low coolant level to normal operation and suggested that maybe I had checked the coolant level at the wrong time and that was why it seemed "low".

I didn't mention the UOA - I figured that even if I provided it, without visual evidence of a leak, they would simply ask me to watch the coolant level and perform another UOA anyway. I'm very doubtful that they would authorize further work based solely on one UOA and nothing else.

I plan to send another sample in for a UOA when I do my next oil change (about 4-5k kms) to see if K levels are still elevated. In the meantime, I'll continue watching my coolant levels, checking while the car is cold, right before starting it up to go to work in the mornings.

If K levels are still high in the second UOA, or if the coolant level appears to continue to drop, I'll contact the dealership again and go from there.
 
Coolant in the oil doesn't necessarily mean coolant leaking outside the system where it would be visible. There are 3 places where you don't want coolant: leaking out to open air, leaking into the oiling system, and leaking into the combustion chambers. Any of those can happen independently of the other two.

Have you considered getting a different lab to test a sample?

Also you might try pressure testing the coolant system, by pressurizing the system and seeing if it holds the pressure or if the pressure drops.
 
PatrickGSR94 said:
Coolant in the oil doesn't necessarily mean coolant leaking outside the system where it would be visible. There are 3 places where you don't want coolant: leaking out to open air, leaking into the oiling system, and leaking into the combustion chambers. Any of those can happen independently of the other two.

Have you considered getting a different lab to test a sample?

Also you might try pressure testing the coolant system, by pressurizing the system and seeing if it holds the pressure or if the pressure drops.
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Do you mean sending out samples from the same used oil to different labs at the same time? I suppose I could try that.

Anyone have a link to a good pressure tester kit I could buy? And are these good instructions to follow to perform a pressure test?
 
MGMGT16 said:
I wish I had the patience for this. Looks really good!
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Honestly, it wasn't as hard or as labour-intensive as I was expecting it to be. It helps to have a wheel brush like this one (or a baby bottle brush like this one) to get in the hard-to-reach areas. I spent 5-10 mins prepping, 10 mins on the hood, maybe 20 on the engine bay, 5-10 mins rinsing and drying, then 5 mins to dress. Let it sit for a couple of hours and done.
 
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