Coolant questions for 2014 CX-5

That’s what I’d do, except I’d use distilled water a couple of times first, then fill “pre-mixed” OEM FL-22 coolant for final run of “flush” and drain (so that the left-over liquid in the system you can’t drain out has plenty of fresh “pre-mixed” FL-22 coolant, not distilled water. see Jmaz’s post above), unless I can get “concentrated” FL-22 coolant that would be easier to do as stated in the FSM.

And if you’ve decided to DIY, do get that Lisle 24680 funnel kit (or something similar) mentioned by Kedis82ZE8 with the link in post #2 which is very helpful to eliminate trapped air pockets in the Collins system for the FINAL coolant fill.

Yes.

Depending on how many times you flush, 2 to 4 gallons of distilled water, followed by 1 gallon premix mazda fl22 as flush, followed by approx. 2 gallons premix fl22 as final fill. Even though you live in California, if it ever goes below freezing, or if you ever travel to the mountains or northern states, you should check your're freezing protection. After youve run car down the street a few times, let it sit and cool down, then check with coolant tester. I still like the old ball testers as you can actually see it work. Whether it's a 5 ball or 6 ball tester, you want at least 4 or more balls floating. Last thing you want is a cracked frozen block.
 
For some reason those pure FL-22 coolants used to be the only thing now are no longer available. The pre-mixed coolant isn’t easy to use to get proper 50/50 ratio during the coolant replacement due to plenty of coolant won’t be able to drained. Even with commercial flush machine, we still have the same problem with large amount of water staying in the system. In addition, the price on FL-22 coolant has been skyrocketed since the pandemic started. I still remember the price for the Mazda OEM concentrate / pure FL-22 coolant was only $21 per gallon at my Mazda dealer a couple of years ago. Now even the premixed FL-22 which contains a half of water would cost 2X more!

I dont think its the popular opinion here, but I ordered the premixed Ravenol FL22 on Amazon. I just needed to top off the reservoir like you. I think it was 12.99 when I bought it, price went up to 14 something now. Too bad Im in Florida, Id just give you the rest of what I didnt use from this bottle lol.

Wanting to do a coolant change.
Location of Block Drain plug and can I reach it?
Other plan-
Remove thermostat and leave radiator drain open while idleing the vehicle with garden hose in. Let it drain and fill with distilled water and drain 4 or 5 times. this will leave it with mostly nothing but distilled water in the block then fill up with concentrate.
So the question becomes if you simply drain the system at the radiator what percentage of the entire system is drained? If I were to have the block fill of disitlled water then topped off with straight AF what would my ratio end up being?

Considering this fluid in full strength
RAVENOL J4D2092 Coolant Antifreeze - HJC Hybrid Japanese Coolant Protect FL22 Concentrate (5 Liter)
https://www.amazon.com/dp/ (commissions earned)

Any other fully compatable FL-22 coolant that can be recommended?
Is there a previpous thread on full coolant flush change on the 2.5L? I find the search function to be smarter than me. Can't seem to narrow down the results.

15 liters! That's a lot of coolant!!! I bought the same stuff from Amazon but it was a 5 liter jug for $35. It seems that this jug is no longer available from Amazon.

RAVENOL J4D2092 Coolant Antifreeze - HJC Hybrid Japanese Coolant Protect FL22 Concentrate (5 Liter) $35.47
 
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Not sure if the price is legit and how much for the shipping? But this Mazda dealer in Canada is a legit online Mazda OEM parts seller and has been used by many members here quite often especially for the Mazda Canada-only Premium floor liners. And they do ship to the US address.

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FL22 is a longlife HOAT coolant. You can mix a std. HOAT Coolant. Zerex sell HOAT coolant for Asian cars. Comes in three different colors Green, blue and yellow. The only thing that happens if you use Zerex is that you shorten the service life of the coolant.

Why would using Zerex Asian shorten the coolant life? It's stated to be good for 5 years / 150,000 miles.

Incidentally, Valvoline has told me that all three Zerex Asian products (red, green, and blue) are identical except for the color. Meaning, the color used is functionally irrelevant.
 
Why would using Zerex Asian shorten the coolant life? It's stated to be good for 5 years / 150,000 miles.

Incidentally, Valvoline has told me that all three Zerex Asian products (red, green, and blue) are identical except for the color. Meaning, the color used is functionally irrelevant.
I read that FL-22 is a 10 year.
 
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Not sure about other model years, but my 2017 CX-5 has an initial 10-year coolant replacement interval, but it's 5 years thereafter. So by the time I start using Zerex Asian, I have to change it every 5 years anyway.
 
Not sure about other model years, but my 2017 CX-5 has an initial 10-year coolant replacement interval, but it's 5 years thereafter. So by the time I start using Zerex Asian, I have to change it every 5 years anyway.
Bingo! That's how I looked at it when changing out my coolant with the ZEREX ASIAN.
 
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I bought 2 gallons of the original Mazda FL-22 coolant and then watched a YouTube video but still deciding if I should just top off the low coolant or actually drain and fill.

1. Do I need to measure how much I drained to be able to put the same amount + some more? Can I not tell how much I need by just looking at the reservoir level?

2. Do I need to burb the system for removing air bubbles?

3. Do I need to run distilled water through the radiator and drive the car etc. at least once? How bad is it if I just drain all existing coolant and then just add new coolant?

Thanks.
 
Default


I bought 2 gallons of the original Mazda FL-22 coolant and then watched a YouTube video but still deciding if I should just top off the low coolant or actually drain and fill.

1. Do I need to measure how much I drained to be able to put the same amount + some more? Can I not tell how much I need by just looking at the reservoir level?

2. Do I need to burb the system for removing air bubbles?

3. Do I need to run distilled water through the radiator and drive the car etc. at least once? How bad is it if I just drain all existing coolant and then just add new coolant?

Thanks.
If the goal is to make sure you dont overheat then can just top off, youll barely use a few cups of fluid if that.

If goal is to perform maintenance and change the fluid, then you need to drain and refill.

1.) Drain and refill is better than not changing it at all.
2.) A distlilled water flush or two before refill is the best option to get any nasty stuff, and debris out.
3. Yes, purge any air pockets.
See if you can find any videos , especially for mazda...
In general, park with front end on slight incline. Make sure overflow ressy is filled to max line. Use a nospill coolant funnel. While lines are cold and if your hoses are not in bad shape, squeeze to release any air. Turn on heater. Start car and run for 20 to 30 minutes. Keep checking and filling fluid if needed. Make sure not overheating. Do a couple revs. Should be purged after 20-30 minutes. Check you manual or find mazda video to make sure no extra steps to purge air from system. Again, above is general purge i've done before. There maybe a specific procedure for a Mazda so make sure to check
 
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Default


I bought 2 gallons of the original Mazda FL-22 coolant and then watched a YouTube video but still deciding if I should just top off the low coolant or actually drain and fill.

1. Do I need to measure how much I drained to be able to put the same amount + some more? Can I not tell how much I need by just looking at the reservoir level?

2. Do I need to burb the system for removing air bubbles?

3. Do I need to run distilled water through the radiator and drive the car etc. at least once? How bad is it if I just drain all existing coolant and then just add new coolant?

Thanks.
See my post #2、#13、and #22.

1. You don’t have to measure how much coolant you drained. The only thing from it is you can have the idea how much approximately the fresh FL-22 coolant you’ll need to do the refill. Just drain and fill up the fresh coolant to the neck of the radiator. Fill the overflow reservoir to the “F” mark at the final fill. The manual says the coolant total capacity is 7.8 / 8.0 qts manual / auto for the 2.0L、8.2 qts for the 2.5L on US model. Without the engine block drain, you aren’t going to get that much out of the system by draining from the radiator bottom. 5 quarts tops, May be even less. Jmaz (see post #11) used 2 gals premix to flush once, then refilled the radiator and the overflow tank.

2. You do. The easiest way is to use the tool mentioned in the link in post #2.

3. I’d do the flush at least once. But without pure FL-22 coolant, I’d hesitate to use distilled water to flush the system as you’re going to dilute the 55/45 FL-22 OEM coolant greatly for the final fill as mostly it’s the distilled water left in the system. Use the fresh 55/45 OEM FL-22 coolant to flush.

BTW, where did you get the OEM FL-22 coolant? And how much?
 
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I bought it at Mazda service center for $31 a gallon. Thanks for your replies.
 
Hello, found this product.
Thanks for the tip. I don't know anything about that manufacturer but a good price on hard to find concentrate.

I'll have to see how it compares to zerex asian green concentrate (I know it's different than FL22) available locally .
 
Hello, found this product. View attachment 319618
The label claims the coolant is compatible with many brands of vehicles including Mazda. But Mazda has been using a couple of different types of coolant. I wouldn’t use this coolant to top off and mix with existing factory FL-22 coolant in the system. You can certainly try this hard-to-find concentrate on your Mazda CX-5 if you plan to flush the coolant system thoroughly. I personally will stick with FL-22 coolant specified by Mazda for the CX-5.
 
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