2011 M3 2.5 Now runs on 0-w20 can 2010 Be changed from 5-W20 ??

[GTXT23]

I have a 2010 Mazda 3 GT Hatchback and when they were released in 2010 Mazda was ADIMATE about using ONLY DINO 5-W20 as reccomended and that the warranty would not cover an engine failure if I switch to Syn Oil . Well here comes 2011 ...same EXACT car and guess what it runs on 0-W20 the synthetic thats in the new 2 also . So I call Mazda and they say the same thing about the 2010 ...I press them ..then get a call back 10 minutes later and the rep says " Hey I have a memo about the new 0-W20 for the Mazda3's ...it says it lubricates better , increases startup lubrication time , lasts longer in extreme conditions ..basicially all around better " so I say "does that mean I can switch and not have my warranty voided ?" well NO - he says - but I can tell you it's better oil for you car " what the hey ????? help here anybody -- I have the 7 year 100K Xtended warr also .

 

[puredrive07]

I'm waiting to hear back from my dealer as to which oil they used in my car, because when I dropped it off on Wednesday they had nothing but Mazda Synthetic Oil posters and ads everywhere. Though on the MyMazda website they say you can use Castrol oils from GTX to Syntec https://www.mymazda.com/MusaWeb/pdf/parts_service/castrol_products.pdf

 

[GTXT23]

OK Im with you and have also seen these ad's --however ..read CAREFULLY as the FULL synthetic is only being advertised for Mazdas in the 5W-30 grade and the only other one thats compatiable with the 2010 Mazda3's is the 5W-20 which originally from the factory was a non-blend . Now as confusing as it appears ...Mazda has switched its 3's to 0-W20 for 2011 but the techs in my Mazda dealer are saying that if I bring in the SAME VISCOSITY in a full synthetic or a blend they will only record that the viscosity was CORRECT therefore if an engine failure occurs I'm covered . So the story I think is ending for me until I hit the 100K mark and Im using the 5W-20 Castrol Blend thats advertised as ILSAC GL-3 certified which is what Mazda absolutley requires also and if it does not have this cert. the shop will note that it does not ---these guys must CYA if you get my drift ....no pun ..... So Im sticking with the right Vis. for 2010 Mazda3's in My area which is California 5W-20 either blend or full Syn . - At least if I use the blend its a bit better because Im concerned with one major component of synthetic and that is the protection provided upon start-up which cannot be beat by dino . If you feel Im making a bad move , tell me what other info you get please --I cannot afford to screw up this car particularly when I dropped the dough on a warranty .....READ THIS don't miss the next page at the bottom ..its the bible of oil truths.........http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/cms/

 

[puredrive07]

My dealer gives me free oil changes every 7,500 miles or 6 months, but I drive a lot so I rather not hold out 7,500 miles if they are changing it with regular dino oil. So when I find out more from my dealer I will let you know. I personally would at least like to switch over to 5w20 GTX from Castrol. I use full synthetic in my Volvo S60R since 14,500 miles (factory oil is Castrol Blend) and I have been running with no issues as I stayed with the recommended 5w30.

 

[cclngthr]

The 2010+ MZ/MS3's are very sensitive to oiling issues, as well as the first gen MZ3/MS3 engines. The oil journals are very small and if you don't use the right weight oil, you will spin bearings and the VVT won't work right.

I use a full synthetic oil in my car. Also full synthetic ATF.

 

[GTXT23]

cclngthr - I read that the diffrences between the synthetic and the Dino oil are the following .. lets use 5W-20 as the example since its what 09+10 use in the Mazda 3 's - The dino has a viscosity at 75degrees ( start -up ) of 100 and the full syn has a viscosity of 50 at 75degress (start-up ) ....however when these oils reach the standard operating temp of ALL liquid-cooled passenger cars/trucks they BOTH run at the same viscosity ...10 . Now if you use the full syn it reduces wear at start-up because its closer to the operating viscosty of 10 which is a thinner viscosity or thickness . THEY BOTH run at the same viscosity ( thickness ) once they reach 212degrees F -normal operating temp -again 10. Full synthetics if matched correctly will preform within the same guidlines as the DINO at operating temp because they both run at the same VIS-10 , advantage SYN because .....startup causes 90% of engine wear and the closer you are to operating vis at start-up the better for your engine #1 ---#2 Syn oil does not have V1 and V11 additives like Dino oil does to stabilize viscosity and these additives eventually wear away and then the oil is not keeping its prescribed viscosity any longer, its no good , so correct intervals are IMPARITIVE with Dino oils . #3 Dino oils will increase in viscosity after running at opertaing temp 212D. F. when shut down, and this increased thickness causes more wear if you start-up repeatedly while at operating temp...say like a delivery person , stop , start , stop, start . Lastly the Dino Oil molecules NEVER break down and in theory if you could keep them clean you would never need to change that oil - they have NO V1 or V11 additive whatsoever . Not reccomended - so this is what I learned about the two oils and the amount of "myths" about synthetic oil out there are staggering ....and if you switch to say a racing oil or something like that which dosent reach the viscosity of 10 until 305degress F. because racing engines run there ...you will do damage or harm to an engine based on what I read . So dont get fancy thinking racing oil is "better" its NOT its different . So you run Full synthetic Oil in your 2009 Mazda-3 ? Is it the same viscosity as reccomended in the owners manual ??? What mileage did you put it in ???? Thanks

 

[cclngthr]

cclngthr - I read that the diffrences between the synthetic and the Dino oil are the following .. lets use 5W-20 as the example since its what 09+10 use in the Mazda 3 's - The dino has a viscosity at 75degrees ( start -up ) of 100 and the full syn has a viscosity of 50 at 75degress (start-up ) ....however when these oils reach the standard operating temp of ALL liquid-cooled passenger cars/trucks they BOTH run at the same viscosity ...10 . Now if you use the full syn it reduces wear at start-up because its closer to the operating viscosty of 10 which is a thinner viscosity or thickness . THEY BOTH run at the same viscosity ( thickness ) once they reach 212degrees F -normal operating temp -again 10. Full synthetics if matched correctly will preform within the same guidlines as the DINO at operating temp because they both run at the same VIS-10 , advantage SYN because .....startup causes 90% of engine wear and the closer you are to operating vis at start-up the better for your engine #1 ---#2 Syn oil does not have V1 and V11 additives like Dino oil does to stabilize viscosity and these additives eventually wear away and then the oil is not keeping its prescribed viscosity any longer, its no good , so correct intervals are IMPARITIVE with Dino oils . #3 Dino oils will increase in viscosity after running at opertaing temp 212D. F. when shut down, and this increased thickness causes more wear if you start-up repeatedly while at operating temp...say like a delivery person , stop , start , stop, start . Lastly the Dino Oil molecules NEVER break down and in theory if you could keep them clean you would never need to change that oil - they have NO V1 or V11 additive whatsoever . Not reccomended - so this is what I learned about the two oils and the amount of "myths" about synthetic oil out there are staggering ....and if you switch to say a racing oil or something like that which dosent reach the viscosity of 10 until 305degress F. because racing engines run there ...you will do damage or harm to an engine based on what I read . So dont get fancy thinking racing oil is "better" its NOT its different . So you run Full synthetic Oil in your 2009 Mazda-3 ? Is it the same viscosity as reccomended in the owners manual ??? What mileage did you put it in ???? Thanks

I started using full synthetic at 3,000 miles. My dealer uses a full synthetic Kendall oil or a semi synthetic Kendall oil. I use the 5w20 synthetic oil, nothing different. If I lived in a extreme cold climate, I would use a 0w20 oil in the winter.

I am rebuilding a 2004 MZ3 2.3 engine that several bearings spun and what I found was the small oil journals makes oiling very critical on these engines. The reason why they spun was a lack of oiling and the previous owner used 5w30 dino oil in it. These engines take synthetic blend or synthetic oil only.

You have to be very prompt about your oil changes. I don't go over 4,000 miles on an oil change. I generally change it every 3,000 miles.

 

[GTXT23]

Thats good info--I was just talking with or master tech and I inquired as to what the #1 reason he would se internal engine problems with any of the Mazdas -(excluding rotary of course ) he said pretty much the same which was that neglect of proper oil change intervals was it . People literally just forgetting to change the oil or running the dang thing hard and compromising seals , getting minor blow by that in time causes oil loss and then ...well you know the rest . Im going on 5W-20 mobil full syn and Im at 9800 miles on my 2010 M3 Gt Hb - , But I tell you now that Im in my 40's I don't make these decisions quite as loose and free as I once did. They just state that "customer provded own oil" and thats it , heck Mazda should kick me back for taking such good care of the thing and being concerned about wear and tear with this 7/100 warranty . anyhow --thanks for the confidience inspiring info -

 

[cclngthr]

Thats good info--I was just talking with or master tech and I inquired as to what the #1 reason he would se internal engine problems with any of the Mazdas -(excluding rotary of course ) he said pretty much the same which was that neglect of proper oil change intervals was it . People literally just forgetting to change the oil or running the dang thing hard and compromising seals , getting minor blow by that in time causes oil loss and then ...well you know the rest . Im going on 5W-20 mobil full syn and Im at 9800 miles on my 2010 M3 Gt Hb - , But I tell you now that Im in my 40's I don't make these decisions quite as loose and free as I once did. They just state that "customer provded own oil" and thats it , heck Mazda should kick me back for taking such good care of the thing and being concerned about wear and tear with this 7/100 warranty . anyhow --thanks for the confidience inspiring info -

Ford (and Mazda) engines are FUSSY about oiling. It needs to be clean and at the recommended weight. My 09 takes 5w20 oil, and that is what I use, nothing else. Hyundai also has fussy engines. If you put an aftermarket oil filter on those engines, you are likely to get top end valve chatter due to a lack of oil. My 07 Elantra mentioned 5w20 on the oil cap, but 10w30 in the manual. An engineer for Hyundai told a member of a forum to use 5w20 in his Elantra because he was getting noise in the top end at startup. When I had the Elantra, I used 5w20 synthetic oil.

I also recommend using the OEM filter on the Mazda as well.

 

[GTXT23]

Theres absolutley no way on this earth Im going to go outside the OEM recomendations for tune up parts etc. , heck look at the anguish I went thru just over the oil type change . I hear some good things about the most recent 2010 and 2011 Hyundai's , I can't say I have experience with any older models , BUT I had some old Subaru's a 77' 1.6 wagon that ran for 249K and feed me a good 50K of prestone anti-freeze thru the floorboard in the end , yeah that nearly killed me , but I can say that I could NOT blow that sucker up even at the end I redlined it until the water pump finally blew like old faitful , but it still ran when I dropped it at the junkyard .

 

[GTXT23]

Hey go to this site and on the left choose the "bearing wear indicator " check out the photos there
http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/cms/index.php?option=com_content&view=frontpage&Itemid=1

 

[cclngthr]

Theres absolutley no way on this earth Im going to go outside the OEM recomendations for tune up parts etc. , heck look at the anguish I went thru just over the oil type change . I hear some good things about the most recent 2010 and 2011 Hyundai's , I can't say I have experience with any older models , BUT I had some old Subaru's a 77' 1.6 wagon that ran for 249K and feed me a good 50K of prestone anti-freeze thru the floorboard in the end , yeah that nearly killed me , but I can say that I could NOT blow that sucker up even at the end I redlined it until the water pump finally blew like old faitful , but it still ran when I dropped it at the junkyard .

The 2001+ Hyundai's had a problem with valvetrain noises when an aftermarket oil filter was used, and HMA issued a TSB regarding the issue. Dealers were instructed to look at the filter. If the filter was an aftermarket one, they were told to do an oil change and use an OEM filter. Problem solved, with customer paying for it. Timing belts are also fussy on the engines. Aftermarket belts don't fit right because the sprockets on the cam and crank don't allow the belt to seat right.

With engine oil, as long as the weight is what is recommended, you can go with whatever brand and synthetic or dino, but synthetic is always better on high performance engines, particularly boosted engines. A dealer cannot refuse warranty per Magnuson Moss Warranty Act if you use spec parts, including aftermarket parts within OEM spec.

HOWEVER, manufacturers can specify a specialty fluid particularly with ATF. Most transmissions now have manufacturer specific fluids and availability may be dealer only. The Allisson automatic trans I installed in my 68 Chev custom truck (complete custom) has a dealer only fluid, and when I go there they don't understand that the truck has been heavily modified when I ask for 2 cases of the special fluid.

 

[GTXT23]

The 2001+ Hyundai's had a problem with valvetrain noises when an aftermarket oil filter was used, and HMA issued a TSB regarding the issue. Dealers were instructed to look at the filter. If the filter was an aftermarket one, they were told to do an oil change and use an OEM filter. Problem solved, with customer paying for it. Timing belts are also fussy on the engines. Aftermarket belts don't fit right because the sprockets on the cam and crank don't allow the belt to seat right.

With engine oil, as long as the weight is what is recommended, you can go with whatever brand and synthetic or dino, but synthetic is always better on high performance engines, particularly boosted engines. A dealer cannot refuse warranty per Magnuson Moss Warranty Act if you use spec parts, including aftermarket parts within OEM spec.

HOWEVER, manufacturers can specify a specialty fluid particularly with ATF. Most transmissions now have manufacturer specific fluids and availability may be dealer only. The Allisson automatic trans I installed in my 68 Chev custom truck (complete custom) has a dealer only fluid, and when I go there they don't understand that the truck has been heavily modified when I ask for 2 cases of the special fluid.

What would you say is the MAXIMUM overfill allowance Mazda has built into thier engines before you would blow a seal or do engine damage. Not that I have overfilled by any means , But the 2010 Mazda3 2.5 takes 5.25 US quarts with a filter as the owners manual states . Do you think that if you were a 1/4 of a quart over that would pose a problem ? I suspect its built to take a pretty good range of inaccurate fills both on the short and long end . But both are not good once you get to a ceratin point ---My guess is Mazda has a 1 quart overfill MAX allowace --which is NOT reccomemded but would nevertheless not do and seal bursting etc. / what say you ???? This didpstick is impossible to read anyway --hate it , always have , always will

 

[GTXT23]

OOPs I just re-checked the owners Manual for the 2010 Mazda-3 2.5 engine and it states oil change with filter 5.3 U.S. Quarts or 5 Liters .My tech said its 5.5 U.S quarts and thats what he puts in every 2010 2.5 -4 Its about as minorly over as possible which is 1/5th of a quart , that surely is not an unacceptable level.2/10ths of a quart is minimal and if anything would do more good than harm + I think its absolutley impossible to execute an oil change and get it 100% spot on exactly right---it just cant be done ---especially with Mazdas dipsticks ---the name is the only thing about it thats correct .

 

[cclngthr]

What would you say is the MAXIMUM overfill allowance Mazda has built into thier engines before you would blow a seal or do engine damage. Not that I have overfilled by any means , But the 2010 Mazda3 2.5 takes 5.25 US quarts with a filter as the owners manual states . Do you think that if you were a 1/4 of a quart over that would pose a problem ? I suspect its built to take a pretty good range of inaccurate fills both on the short and long end . But both are not good once you get to a ceratin point ---My guess is Mazda has a 1 quart overfill MAX allowace --which is NOT reccomemded but would nevertheless not do and seal bursting etc. / what say you ???? This didpstick is impossible to read anyway --hate it , always have , always will

Neither engine (2.3 OR 2.5) can take overfilling past 3 ounces of full. Oiling issues are fussy anyway and with so many 2.3's being blown (the 2.5 is a stroked version of the 2.3) you don't want to take any chances.

I say for emphasis, keep with the 0w20 or 5w20 oil. No thicker. These engines are very fussy, and with reports that they blow easy, keep the oil changed religiously.

 

[GTXT23]

Well if it reccomends 5.3 quarts and it took 5.5 w/filter thats 2/10s of a quart so about 3 ounces which is minimal --- I seriously dount its going to damage anything that amount should not even change the level at non-operating status . I think thats pretty conservative 3 ounces , thats like no margin for error whatsoever --I find that to be a bit dangerous for Mazda to not have it at the least at 1/2 qt over being ok . Most vehicles have a range of about a quart give or take a drop or so

 

[cclngthr]

Well if it reccomends 5.3 quarts and it took 5.5 w/filter thats 2/10s of a quart so about 3 ounces which is minimal --- I seriously dount its going to damage anything that amount should not even change the level at non-operating status . I think thats pretty conservative 3 ounces , thats like no margin for error whatsoever --I find that to be a bit dangerous for Mazda to not have it at the least at 1/2 qt over being ok . Most vehicles have a range of about a quart give or take a drop or so

From what I hear, oil issues on the Mazda engine are enough to cause damage. There are several threads about the 2.3 being very fussy about oil level, particularly low oil level. Since the 2.5 is a derivative of the 2.3, I am not going to say that the 2.5 is any better.

Overfilling can cause foaming (similar to transmission fluid level) and if the pump picks up foamy oil, it won't lubricate the engine properly. The result is spun bearings and bad cranks. This is more evident with the thinner oil requirements.

 

[GTXT23]

Well I siphoned off 1.5/10ths of a quart as I saw the amount the tech put in from quart #6 which was 4.5/10ths so that puts me back at 5.3/10ths the reccomended amount . The siphoner was only 15$ and it works well with a thin rubber tube that reaches to the bottom of the dipstick entry hole.
Now taking into consideration that theres no way every quart was emptied fully theres likely another 2/10th in the first 5 bottles and with residual crankcase oil remaining it put the read just at the top notch of the dipstick --I took the most accurate read I could get last night in my garage after about 10 tries I finally was able to gather together the method by which the dipstick is read . It ain't none to easy neither --that southern enough 4 ya? If you have a specific singular light source as I do in my garage immediatly after pulling the stick steady its base with a cloth and angle the flat side with the notches at the light until the oil shines at its peak reflection ---I was blown away that it actually came back readable and consistent . right at the mark top end---done--and from now On Im not letting anybody , I dont care if its the president of Oil Changers USA , change my oil --Its getting 5.2 quarts --or 5.1 NOT the full 5.3 because there no need to push the limit when there will always be residuial in the crank unless I have an hour to let it drain..even then-no trying to be "exact" taint possible .

 

[GTXT23]

So you are saying ..I missed this earlier when you wrote it --That the 2.5 is fundamentally the identical engine as the 2.5 but that the 2.5 being stroked only has a greater displacment because it's piston travel has been increased and that makes it the same tempermental engine ??

 

[cclngthr]

So you are saying ..I missed this earlier when you wrote it --That the 2.5 is fundamentally the identical engine as the 2.5 but that the 2.5 being stroked only has a greater displacment because it's piston travel has been increased and that makes it the same tempermental engine ??

Yes, the 2500 cc engine is identical to the 2300 engine except the bore and stroke are longer. Same tempermental motor.

The 2.0 liter is different altogether although the exterior is the same. In the 2.0 liter, the oil journals are in a different location and the head is different, bolt pattern of the head is also slightly different.