2021 CX-9 Burning oil

[dougal]

There could be several explanations. What if you had been consuming oil but it was replaced with gas? Then a long drive could heat up the oil and boil off the gas.

But I think it's just as likely that the long drive just aspirated the oil. I think there is a tendency for that to happen and the reason you check your oil more frequently when traveling.

You could just add a pint now and it could last to 7500. Or just change it. I would wait until it's warmer as it's almost March now.

On the 17th I drove up north and the oil level stayed pretty consistent. Coming back down a few days later, the oil dropped.

I am now at close to 28K miles and I have had the low oil warning three times and each other time, I felt that everything was good at 3-4,000 miles but went low when I got close to 5-6,000 miles. This time, I tried to keep a better eye on it and record it. And my suspension indeed looks to be the case.

 

[jean-luc]

There could be several explanations. What if you had been consuming oil but it was replaced with gas? Then a long drive could heat up the oil and boil off the gas.

But I think it's just as likely that the long drive just aspirated the oil. I think there is a tendency for that to happen and the reason you check your oil more frequently when traveling.

You could just add a pint now and it could last to 7500. Or just change it. I would wait until it's warmer as it's almost March now.

This is actually my current theory, that the oil consumption increases on long drives.

 

[MGMGT16]

I know that the newer engines have the oil burning TSB (or something like that), but I am now adding mine to the list of potential oil burning engines. Last oil change, I pulled out a little over 5 quarts and put in 5.1-5.2 quarts. This time, I pulled out 4.8 quarts and put in 5.1. Gonna keep an eye on it between oil changes now but I assume it should be a completely different issue than what the newer engines are experiencing?

 

[ctbale]

I am surprised no one has pointed this out but doesn't it look like the stick is wrong and also the oil level that trips the light is way way too high? If the correct amount is added (5.1 qt) and it gets you mid point between the holes, and we get a warning when it hits the bottom hole? So it trips a warning at 4.6 qts? This engine could run on 2 quarts. Maybe less. But not long term. So you just need enuf oil so the oil pump pickup won't suck air. Old school mechanic would add 5.1 qts w/filter, then run it till you see oil pressure (I did say old school), let it sit while checking for leaks. Then scratch a new FULL LINE on the stick where the 5.1 gets it to, and make a ADD line also. Same distance as the holes. I wouldn't add more then 5.1 qts. Your just running the risk of the crank journals splashing in the oil which will put air in the oil which is almost as bad as coolant in the oil. That alarm is poorly designed if it trips any higher then 3.5ish. 4.1qt to 5.1qt is an enormous amount of oil for a 4 cylinder even with a turbo. Some engines will actually find their 'happy spot" for oil quantity. In the airplane world there is a famous Pratt&Whitney engine you never service any higher then 2 qts low or it will cover the side of the airplane with the oil it doesn't want. I think the stick is wrong and the alarm trips too high if it trips at the lower hole. I think if a qt is going out the exhaust every 1000 miles the catalytic converter wouldn't make it 15,000 miles. On my first oil change, it's 5.1 qts syn, Mazda filter and I only check it in the morning on dead level ground. FWIW

 

[dougal]

I am surprised no one has pointed this out but doesn't it look like the stick is wrong and also the oil level that trips the light is way way too high? If the correct amount is added (5.1 qt) and it gets you mid point between the hole, and we get a warning when it hits the bottom hole? So it trips a warning at 4.6 qts? This engine could run on 2 quarts. Maybe less. But not long term. So you just need enuf oil so the oil pump pickup won't suck air. Old school mechanic would add 5.1 qts w/filter, then run it till you see oil pressure (I did say old school), let it sit while checking for leaks. Then scratch a new FULL LINE on the stick where the 5.1 gets it to, and make a ADD line also. Same distance as the holes. I wouldn't add more then 5.1 qts. Your just running the risk of the crank journals splashing in the oil which will put air in the oil which is almost as bad as coolant in the oil. That alarm is poorly designed if it trips any higher then 3.5ish. 4.1qt to 5.1qt is an enormous amount of oil for a 4 cylinder even with a turbo. Some engines will actually find their 'happy spot" for oil quantity. In the airplane world there is a famous Pratt&Whitney engine you never service any higher then 2 qts low or it will cover the side of the airplane with the oil it doesn't want. I think the stick is wrong and the alarm trips too high if it trips at the lower hole. I think if a qt is going out the exhaust every 1000 miles the catalytic converter wouldn't make it 15,000 miles. On my first oil change, it's 5.1 qts syn, Mazda filter and I only check it in the morning on dead level ground. FWIW

Actually, this argument was made by one of the people at my dealership. That nothing has changed with the oil usage but instead, the system now triggers a warning much earlier.

My argument against that, which I made to him, was that Mazda has stated that these vehicles burn oil and that it is linked to a specific seal. Mazda would only release a TSB if they knew these burned oil.

 

[ctbale]

Yes. The valve stem seal, and the fact they issued a TSB is concerning. I know on many engines you can change valve seals without even pulling the heads or valves. I wonder if this is true on the 2.5. I just think it's a bad idea for the warning to trip when it gets to the bottom hole which isn't even below 4.5qts

 

[edmaz]

Yes. The valve stem seal is concerning. I know on many engines you can change valve seals without even pulling the heads or valves. I wonder if this is true on the 2.5. ....

Definitely not a fast and easy job on these vehicles, and this issue would become very expensive for Mazda, if they're forced to repair/replace a high percentage of them.

With such a long time having passed since the original release of the TSB, I'm beginning to suspect that Mazda's primary strategy might be simply calling this oil usage 'ok'. I'm sure that many here are familiar with the ridiculous 'industry standard' of 1QT/1K mile being acceptable oil usage, which various automakers have already used as a get-out-of-jail-free card for their oil guzzling engines. Hyundai/Kia is the one I'm most familiar with, but there are others as well. Given that the reported usage on most of the 2021 Turbo engines is so far nowhere close to 1QT/1K miles, it wouldn't surprise me if Mazda is getting ready to say no problemo on this one. Bit of course they won't say anything at all, unless they're asked about it.

 

[jean-luc]

Im at the dealership right now for 1armor reapplication. I showed the SA a printout of the 01-012/21 TSB and asked if there are any updates. I even showed her my oil level @ 15k. She looked at my printout but wasn't interested checking for updates. She simply said the oil consumption is normal. I said "but Mazda has acknowledged the issue". She said if there was an update, Mazda would issue a recall and added that she have only had "a couple" of complaints regarding oil consumption.

If I take what she said in face value, at this point it behooves me to believe that Mazda is just shrugging off this problem.

Given the low sales of the CX-9 in general, I don't think there are enough "complaints" my local dealerships receive to cause any escalation. Giving the lame excuse "it's normal" seems to be the NORMAL apparently. Then again, a lot of people don't even really open their hoods during their entire ownership lol

For now i'll enjoy the car and just trade it in eventually.

 

[Tchman2016]

Im at the dealership right now for 1armor reapplication. I showed the SA a printout of the 01-012/21 TSB and asked if there are any updates. I even showed her my oil level @ 15k. She looked at my printout but wasn't interested checking for updates. She simply said the oil consumption is normal. I said "but Mazda has acknowledged the issue". She said if there was an update, Mazda would issue a recall and added that she have only had "a couple" of complaints regarding oil consumption.

If I take what she said in face value, at this point it beehoves me to believe that Mazda is just shrugging off this problem.

Given the low sales of the CX-9 in general, I don't think there are enough "complaints" my local dealerships receive to cause any escalation. Giving the lame excuse "it's normal" seems to be the NORMAL apparently. Then again, a lot of people don't even really open their hoods during their entire ownership lol

For now i'll enjoy the car and just trade it in eventually.

Never ceases to amaze me how dumb service advisors, AKA salespeople are. They are some of the dumbest people I have ever spoken to. They know nothing about cars and always try to brush off any valid complaint a customer has including warranty claims. Blame the people at these car dealerships who either are too dumb, ignorant or both for a bad taste in your mouth of a brand.

Also, a vehicle manufacturer will only issue a recall if there is a safety related issue and most of the time when their hand is forced by the NHTSA. Bulletins are issued for vehicle issues that are not usually safety related and give the dealership service department a directed way to fix a problem a customer complains about after many other people have complained about it. That woman is just a dumbass. I hate these people with a passion.

 

[sm1ke]

If at any time you are not satisfied with the dealership, you're free to try a different dealership, or go right over their heads and contact Mazda Corporate directly. If you aren't able to get a resolution at the corporate level, you could then file a complaint with the BBB, and if you believe the issue is safety-related, you can report it to the NHTSA. When the NHTSA gets enough complaints about a safety issue, they can initiate an investigation, which may lead to a recall. The SA you dealt with was being very, very lazy (how hard is it to check for an update on a TSB in their system?).

 

[edmaz]

....
Given the low sales of the CX-9 in general, I don't think there are enough "complaints" my local dealerships receive to cause any escalation. ....

Just an FYI that this specific oil consumption issue is not limited to the CX-9. This one has been documented by Mazda in their TSB as potentially affecting multiple 2021 models equipped with the turbo.

 

[jean-luc]

Just an FYI that this specific oil consumption issue is not limited to the CX-9. This one has been documented by Mazda in their TSB as potentially affecting multiple 2021 models equipped with the turbo.

That is correct.

 

[ctbale]

I wish people would name the dealerships that employ these ingnorant, arrogant and lazy service advisors. I had an issue with Morries Mazda in Minnetonka Minnesota 5 years ago and I named the dealership and the service advisor by name. I hope they lost a lot of business because they were less helpful than this female individual that was mentioned above.

 

[dougal]

Just an FYI that this specific oil consumption issue is not limited to the CX-9. This one has been documented by Mazda in their TSB as potentially affecting multiple 2021 models equipped with the turbo.

100% Correct. I have two vehicles a 2021 CX-9 Signature and a 2021 CX5 GTR with this issue.

 

[Odrapnew]

I wish people would name the dealerships that employ these ingnorant, arrogant and lazy service advisors. I had an issue with Morries Mazda in Minnetonka Minnesota 5 years ago and I named the dealership and the service advisor by name. I hope they lost a lot of business because they were less helpful than this female individual that was mentioned above.

The one time I brought my wife's CX9 to them was also less than stellar.
Had multiple lights on (trac control, abs, stability control) which turned out to be due to low brake fluid.

They stated it was due to master cylinder leaking into the booster and recommended I change the master cylinder to the tune of $1500 (or something like that). I know that was an issue on earlier models, but hers was not included. I did a lot of research before bringing it in.

We drove it for another 7-8 years after that and never had the fluid drop again (well, besides normal from brake wear).

 

[PTguy]

"I wouldn't add more then (sic) 5.1 qts. Your (sic) just running the risk of the crank journals splashing in the oil which will put air in the oil which is almost as bad as coolant in the oil."
I've never put as little as 5.1 quarts into my 2.5T engine in my 2016 CX-9. I add 5.5 quarts, bring it up to the top mark on the dip stick, and drive 7500 miles with no problems. 6 quarts is no problem in these engines. I agree that crank arms splashing in the sump oil can whip the oil into an airy froth which can't be pumped or possibly destroy the crankshaft from hitting the oil. However, it isn't a problem in our engines unless the sump is way overfilled.

So, the 2021 engines need a flashback to old fashioned service stations where you told the attendant to, "Fill the oil and check the gas." I owned a couple of cars like that way, way back in the day.

 

[yrwei52]

I am surprised no one has pointed this out but doesn't it look like the stick is wrong and also the oil level that trips the light is way way too high?

That’s because most people believe the marks on the dipstick are correct, but the specs listed by Mazda are wrong. Firstly, Mazda put in about 5.6 quarts of oil from factory for the 2.5T, evidenced by many 2.5T owners who checked the oil level when their car is brand new, and found the oil level is a tad above the Max hole. Secondly, the “approximate” fluid quantities listed in the manual are inconsistent and inaccurate at best. Oil change amount for diffrtent engines all are about 0.4 ~ 0.5 quart less from the Max hole, but the gear oil amount (0.45 quart) for front transfer case is correct. Then the gear oil for rear differential is way off, 0.37 quart specified, but you really need about 0.75 quart.

If the correct amount is added (5.1 qt) and it gets you mid point between the holes, and we get a warning when it hits the bottom hole? So it trips a warning at 4.6 qts?

As explained about, Mazda specified 5.1 quarts for oil change can only make your oil level to a tad above the mid point. It’s only an “approximate” amount, not the “correct” amount if you consider the oil change amount should be enough to reach the Max mark.

This engine could run on 2 quarts. Maybe less. But not long term. So you just need enuf oil so the oil pump pickup won't suck air.

I can attest this as I had a bad experience with leaky drain plug after a free oil change by a Toyota dealer, and I only found the oil about 2.5 quarts low out of 4.5 quarts total capacity after the 400-mile road trip on my 2018 Toyota Yaris iA which is a Mazda2 in disguise. The engine seems to be fine afterwards without oil consumptions. And the low oil pressure light had never lit either under such low oil level with about 2 quarts of oil in the crankcase.

Old school mechanic would add 5.1 qts w/filter, then run it till you see oil pressure (I did say old school), let it sit while checking for leaks. Then scratch a new FULL LINE on the stick where the 5.1 gets it to, and make a ADD line also. Same distance as the holes. I wouldn't add more then 5.1 qts. Your just running the risk of the crank journals splashing in the oil which will put air in the oil which is almost as bad as coolant in the oil.

Oil splashing can only be a problem if the engine is severely overfilled. As I mentioned above, Mazda put in more than specified 5.1 quarts of oil in factory for the 2.5T.

That alarm is poorly designed if it trips any higher then 3.5ish. 4.1qt to 5.1qt is an enormous amount of oil for a 4 cylinder even with a turbo. Some engines will actually find their 'happy spot" for oil quantity. In the airplane world there is a famous Pratt&Whitney engine you never service any higher then 2 qts low or it will cover the side of the airplane with the oil it doesn't want.

Yes, 4.1 to 5.1 quarts is an enormous amount of oil for a 4 cylinder even with a turbo. Others mostly use a quart less.

I think the stick is wrong and the alarm trips too high if it trips at the lower hole. I think if a qt is going out the exhaust every 1000 miles the catalytic converter wouldn't make it 15,000 miles.

No, the dipstick is fine.

On my first oil change, it's 5.1 qts syn, Mazda filter and I only check it in the morning on dead level ground. FWIW

Yes, I also check the oil level the first thing in the morning.

 

[Antoine]

A reminder that this thread is about a 2021 CX-9 burning oil. It is not an opportunity to claim that the Mazda manual is incorrect. Please keep this thread on topic and specific or it will be closed.

Thank you.

 

[PaulR26]

Just found this thread. My 2021 cx-9 sig with 20K miles seems to be burning about 1 qt per 7,000 miles. I do mostly freeway driving at 60-70 mph. The dealer tells me it's wnl of course, but on the last couple of oil changes, my oil pressure indicator will come on about 500-600 miles before my oil change is due. All my service is done at the dealer. I don't know how much oil they actually put in.

Not sure if it's anything to be concerned about or if I should be adding oil in between changes?

 

[jean-luc]

Just found this thread. My 2021 cx-9 sig with 20K miles seems to be burning about 1 qt per 7,000 miles. I do mostly freeway driving at 60-70 mph. The dealer tells me it's wnl of course, but on the last couple of oil changes, my oil pressure indicator will come on about 500-600 miles before my oil change is due. All my service is done at the dealer. I don't know how much oil they actually put in.

Not sure if it's anything to be concerned about or if I should be adding oil in between changes?

Is your VIN among the advertised affected?