Dealer won't use synthetic oil - 2022 CX-5 Turbo

[jadmt]

Not sure what’s more impressive: the synthetic engine looking that much cleaner than the conventional, or that two Ford engines ran 500k miles with only a couple failures

I’d buy cheap synthetic 5w-30 and ask the service department of your choice to use that. Castrol Edge was like $25 at Walmart today for 5 quarts. Pick up that plus a 1 quart bottle to satisfy the turbos slightly higher capacity and you’re golden (I use that one quart bottle across two oil changes). The latest synthetic certification had turbos in mind due to their increasing popularity for fuel efficiency gains when coupled with smaller displacement engines.

I do my own oil changes and I only use Pennzoil ultra platnium...1 extra qt actually does 3 oil changes. Also if you use Pennzoil they will warranty your engine for 750,000 or 20 years..

15 Years or 500,000 Mile Protection Guaranteed*

Check out the Pennzoil up to 15-Year/500,000-Mile Lubrication Limited Warranty that is FREE with the purchase of any Pennzoil motor oil.

www.pennzoil.com

 

[N7turbo]

Not sure what’s more impressive: the synthetic engine looking that much cleaner than the conventional, or that two Ford engines ran 500k miles with only a couple failures

I’d buy cheap synthetic 5w-30 and ask the service department of your choice to use that. Castrol Edge was like $25 at Walmart today for 5 quarts. Pick up that plus a 1 quart bottle to satisfy the turbos slightly higher capacity and you’re golden (I use that one quart bottle across two oil changes). The latest synthetic certification had turbos in mind due to their increasing popularity for fuel efficiency gains when coupled with smaller displacement engines.

This is a good deal too: Pennzoil Platinum at $24 and Ultra Platinum at $29.

 

[ruthrj]

I do my own oil changes and I only use Pennzoil ultra platnium...1 extra qt actually does 3 oil changes. Also if you use Pennzoil they will warranty your engine for 750,000 or 20 years..

15 Years or 500,000 Mile Protection Guaranteed*

Check out the Pennzoil up to 15-Year/500,000-Mile Lubrication Limited Warranty that is FREE with the purchase of any Pennzoil motor oil.

www.pennzoil.com

This is a good deal too: Pennzoil Platinum at $24 and Ultra Platinum at $29.

And don’t forget to try and stack with rebates! I stocked up with Pennzoil 0w-16 for the RAV4 with their latest promo a couple of months ago. I don’t see any offers right now but I always keep an eye out for them.

 

[madar]

There have been many threads on this across the Mazda forums. Mazda does not, in fact, recommend synthetic in the turbo engines, only for the NA's. Does not make sense and no-one knows why, or can get any explanation from Mazda as to why. And most of the first level customer service reps don't even know this (witness the OP's post).

Most likely because 5w-30 is a better grade (thicker) than 0w-20 and because the recommended drain intervals are 5k miles or less. A good grade 5w-30 should be ok, but, yeah, I'd go with the synth.

 

[sm1ke]

Going back to @CrookedNail's original post. Mazda does not specify conventional or synthetic oil as one of their requirements, only that the oil meet specific certifications and is 5W-30 in order to achieve the expected fuel economy. The factory fill is likely a conventional blend. According to Mazda, conventional oil is safe to use provided the oil and filter are changed according to their maintenance schedule, otherwise they would have amended it sometime between 2017 and now. Because conventional is cheaper for the dealer to use, and because it qualifies as an acceptable oil to use for an oil change, that's why the dealer insists on using it for the duration of your service contract. It's widely known that in general, synthetic oil is better for a turbocharged engine, and that's what I've always used.

Personally, the "service contract" is a rip off anyway, especially if you have the space and the tools to do it yourself. Even if you don't, getting your oil changed at an independent mechanic is usually a bit cheaper, and most shops let you bring your own oil. Just try to avoid those quick lube places.

 

[jadmt]

Most likely because 5w-30 is a better grade (thicker) than 0w-20 and because the recommended drain intervals are 5k miles or less. A good grade 5w-30 should be ok, but, yeah, I'd go with the synth.

my 2023 owners manual says interval is the same for both turbo and na..7500 miles under normal conditions..

 

[madar]

my 2023 owners manual says interval is the same for both turbo and na..7500 miles under normal conditions..

Seriously? 7500 miles OCI for a turbo?? And they say conventional oil is ok for this?

 

[N7turbo]

Seriously? 7500 miles OCI for a turbo?? And they say conventional oil is ok for this?

Indeed...

https://www.mazdausa.com/static/manuals/2023/cx-5/contents/07020200.html

 

[dunhillmc]

There are very few true conventional oils used today. Most are at least synthetic-blend. Ask the dealer what their bulk 5w-30 is

 

[dunhillmc]

Seriously? 7500 miles OCI for a turbo?? And they say conventional oil is ok for this?

and on the Mazda 3, CX50, CX30, turbo and non-turbos the OCI is 10k miles

 

[N7turbo]

and on the Mazda 3, CX50, CX30, turbo and non-turbos the OCI is 10k miles

I believe that is 10,000 km?

Edit: it's miles...

https://www.mazdausa.com/static/manuals/2022/mazda3/contents/07020600.html

There's nothing different about these engines. To keep things simple for all 2.5T cars: 5,000 miles or 12 months, use synthetic 5W-30 meeting API SP specs. Up to you if you want to use a super duper filter and change it every other time. But I'm not sure how that works with the warranty given that the manual states "change engine oil and filter". I think I'll stick with Mazda 1WPY filters and change them yearly until I'm outside of 3 years before considering that.

 

[cz5gt]

syn-type oil is so cheap in US ( hint walmart or costco) and it always amazes me we get to the same oil conversations over and over.

 

[dunhillmc]

I believe that is 10,000 km?

Edit: it's miles...

https://www.mazdausa.com/static/manuals/2022/mazda3/contents/07020600.html

There's nothing different about these engines. To keep things simple for all 2.5T cars: 5,000 miles or 12 months, use synthetic 5W-30 meeting API SP specs. Up to you if you want to use a super duper filter and change it every other time. But I'm not sure how that works with the warranty given that the manual states "change engine oil and filter". I think I'll stick with Mazda 1WPY filters and change them yearly until I'm outside of 3 years before considering that.

"The display/wrench indication will come on before reaching the maximum interval of 16,000 km (10,000 miles), or 12 months (after the previous maintenance)"

 

[madar]

Going back to this master tech on Reddit...point number 5:

Reddit - Dive into anything

"How to maintain my CX-5 so it'll last?" Transmission+differential+transfer case fluid every 50K miles (remember, there is no such thing as "lifetime fluid", manufacturer says there is just because of EPA and CAFE standards, so they could show that maintaining the vehicle requires less crude oil products... For them, "lifetime" means the lifetime of the warranty period), coolant flush every 5 years, brake fluid every 5-10 years, oil change every 5K miles at most (with none-turbo) and 3K with turbos (unless you want your engine to start burning oil early), spark plugs every 60K miles (none-turbo) and 35K turbo at most, to keep your coils healthy. Replace your engine air filter and cabin filter every year, regardless... Your MAF sensor and blower fan will thank you for it, and the better mileage you'll get from a new engine filter will pay for itself (if you'll do it by yourself, which is a 3 minute job)... Do the cabin filter yourselves too. Both air and cabin filters you can go aftermarket, because you replace them frequently. Don't get high flow filters, or filters that are too restrictive.

 

[dunhillmc]

Going back to this master tech on Reddit...point number 5:

Reddit - Dive into anything

"How to maintain my CX-5 so it'll last?" Transmission+differential+transfer case fluid every 50K miles (remember, there is no such thing as "lifetime fluid", manufacturer says there is just because of EPA and CAFE standards, so they could show that maintaining the vehicle requires less crude oil products... For them, "lifetime" means the lifetime of the warranty period), coolant flush every 5 years, brake fluid every 5-10 years, oil change every 5K miles at most (with none-turbo) and 3K with turbos (unless you want your engine to start burning oil early), spark plugs every 60K miles (none-turbo) and 35K turbo at most, to keep your coils healthy. Replace your engine air filter and cabin filter every year, regardless... Your MAF sensor and blower fan will thank you for it, and the better mileage you'll get from a new engine filter will pay for itself (if you'll do it by yourself, which is a 3 minute job)... Do the cabin filter yourselves too. Both air and cabin filters you can go aftermarket, because you replace them frequently. Don't get high flow filters, or filters that are too restrictive.

i stopped taking his turbo advise too seriously when he posted that he left Mazda in 2019. That means that he had very little experience with current gen skyactive turbos, which I think came out in 2017 with the CX9. he's just regurgitating old things said about turbos over the years

 

[madar]

i stopped taking his turbo advise too seriously when he posted that he left Mazda in 2019. That means that he had very little experience with current gen skyactive turbos, which I think came out in 2017 with the CX9. he's just regurgitating old things said about turbos over the years

If he is master tech status, you can't discount him that easily.

 

[sm1ke]

If he is master tech status, you can't discount him that easily.

No, but you need to take into account that tech can change quickly, and if he isn't present to learn about it and apply it to the advice he's giving, it could be a little outdated. He provides a lot of great info, but there's nothing wrong with challenging an opinion if you don't agree with it.

Consider the source too - a guy on Reddit claiming to be a master tech says change your oil every 3k. Meanwhile we have used oil analyses from certified labs occasionally recommending longer (8k - 10k mi) OCIs.

 

[jadmt]

If he is master tech status, you can't discount him that easily.

probably the same master tech as the guy who over filled mine by a quart each time I took it in for the free 3 oil changes....I don't believe a title of master tech necessarily means squat. maybe took some online mazda course that someone helped him with.

 

[dunhillmc]

If he is master tech status, you can't discount him that easily.

If he left Mazda in 2019 he doesn't know about the cylinder head cracks or burning oil issues in the 2.5T or the fixes. None of those would have been prevented with 3000 mile oil changes. Those are the only real issues modern Mazda turbos have had.

 

[Odrapnew]

I'll discount that 'master tech' because he says to change the engine air filter every year to protect the MAF.

Changing the filter too often will actually contaminate the MAF sooner since a new/clean filter lets ore dust through than a dirty one, at least for OE style replacements.

A new filter does not have much of an impact on fuel efficiency unless the old filter is beyond extremely plugged.

Every 30k-40k miles is fine for 90% of the people driving these vehicles.