Has anyone done a DIY oil change on a 2.5T (turbo)?

Status
Not open for further replies.
:
2020 CX-5 GTR
Wondering if anyone has performed their own oil change on the Turbo 2.5? I'm looking for a DIY guide on this. Compared to the non-turbo model, are there any additional obstacles such as difficulty accessing the filter or drain plug due to position of turbo chargers or other configuration differences?

I've been changing the oil on my 2 prius's for years and have always used Mobil 1 Synth 5w-30 so I have a bunch of that oil that I've stocked up on from costco over the last few years when it goes on sale.

Since I now have a GTX-R that has turbo, I'd like to continue to do my own changes on it for many reasons- I'll be changing it out more frequently since it makes sense to do so with a turbo engine. I believe that the dealership might over or under fill, use non-synth - even if I bring in my own oil. I also imagine that the majority of CX5 serviced are not Turbo so it would be an easy but careless mistake if the car was filled with a lighter oil weight used for non-turbo CX5's.

I am becoming a bit more OCD as I get older. Things that get me going are situations where I must blindly trust without any means to test for confirmation and then there's the angst of trying to be OK with the' not knowing'. Then there are the situations where you can verify - finding the oil was overfilled or underfilled - also aggravating. If i can remove these issue and know for sure the oil is filled correctly and with the product of my choice, it is worth it to me to get a little dirty. It should end up costing less but that is just an added perk and not my primary reason for doing it myself. I'm thinking that some of you can relate.
 
It is a little trouble to change your own oil but worth the trouble.
I don't have the turbo but I just drained the oil last week.

Removing the oil filter is never much fun but the Mazda setup makes it easier than most.
I used a plastic bag to grab the filter and as I unscrewed it I let the excess oil and old filter drop into the bag. Slightly tricky maneuver but worth the effort. I also like to pour a little fresh oil into the new filter before I screw it on. Impossible on some cars but easy on the cx5.

Mobil1 should be an excellent oil for the turbo. I've used it on this Mazda as well as other vehicles.
 
I'm 65 and still change my own oil. Of course I'm sore for a day afterwards from crawling around under the car but I know the job was done right.
I have a 2019 with turbo.Nothing unusual about the procedure and the plug and filter are easily accessible after removing the underbody shroud.
Use only the Mazda factory filter.They usually come with a new drain plug washer which should be changed each time. I have done a bit of research and concluded that the Mobil 1 5W-30 EP formula should be an excellent oil for the 2.5L turbo Skyactiv engine. While it is tempting to push the oil change intervals out, I think 5000 mile OCI's are prudent.
One thing to watch for: when you remove the drain plug, the oil does not squirt straight down but rather at an angle to the side at first. I found that out when I did my first oil change and didn't have my drain container positioned quite right and missed the opening for a few seconds until I could slide the container over to catch the stream. I use an aluminum pan under the container so at least I didn't get any oil on the garage floor.

And there has been a lot of discussion about the true oil capacity that the turbo engines take. On the two changes that I have made, the engine needed a 5 qt. jug plus another half quart to hit the top mark on the dipstick. That was with a filter change where I pre-filled the filter.

I would add a 5 qt. jug, run the engine for a few minutes and then let it sit for several hours. Then check the level and add a few ounces at a time until you get to the top indicator mark.
 
Changing the oil on the 2.5T is easy, as DwightFrye and Mazdiod2 mentioned. You just remove the underbody shroud and unscrew the drain plug. The oil filter is right next to it. I wish I had known a DIY was in demand - I just changed the oil on my CX-9 and I imagine the process is likely the same.

Btw Mazdiod2 that's an excellent tip, using a plastic bag when unscrewing the oil filter. I'm going to be doing that in the future (y) .


Some helpful info to know:
  • The drain plug requires either an 8mm hex bit or a 17mm socket/wrench. I think it might depend on the year, but maybe others can confirm for the 2020 CX-5 2.5T.
  • Jack points on the AWD CX-5 are on the front crossmember and the rear differential. The front jackpoint area is dimpled, like in the picture, and should be fairly easy to differentiate from surrounding areas. Of course, ramps would be easier to use if you have them.
jackpoints.JPG
 
Wondering if anyone has performed their own oil change on the Turbo 2.5? I'm looking for a DYI guide on this. Compared to the non-turbo model, are there any additional obstacles such as difficulty accessing the filter or drain plug due to position of turbo chargers or other configuration differences?

I've been changing the oil on my 2 prius's for years and have always used Mobil 1 Synth 5w-30 so I have a bunch of that oil that I've stocked up on from costco over the last few years when it goes on sale.

Since I now have a GTX-R that has turbo, I'd like to continue to do my own changes on it for many reasons- I'll be changing it out more frequently since it makes sense to do so with a turbo engine. I believe that the dealership might over or under fill, use non-synth - even if I bring in my own oil. I also imagine that the majority of CX5 serviced are not Turbo so it would be an easy but careless mistake if the car was filled with a lighter oil weight used for non-turbo CX5's.

I am becoming a bit more OCD as I get older. Things that get me going are situations where I must blindly trust without any means to test for confirmation and then there's the angst of trying to be OK with the' not knowing'. Then there are the situations where you can verify - finding the oil was overfilled or underfilled - also aggravating. If i can remove these issue and know for sure the oil is filled correctly and with the product of my choice, it is worth it to me to get a little dirty. It should end up costing less but that is just an added perk and not my primary reason for doing it myself. I'm thinking that some of you can relate.
I agree with all the benefits of DIY on oil change. Not like ATF change which is almost impossible to DIY on 2.5T, engine oil change procedure on 2.5T is exactly the same as the one on 2.0L / 2.5L, nothing needs to be changed. Here’s an excellent write-up by tomcat1446:

CX-5 Oil Change with Filter

The oil capacity is different and Mazda says 5.1 quarts with oil filter change. But based on the experience of DIYers like DwightFrye you need 0.3~0.4 quart more if you want the oil level reaching the Max mark of the dipstick.

The recommended oil viscosity is different on 2.5T, which is 5W-30. The oil filter on 2.5T, p/n PY8W-14-302 or 1WPY-14-302, is different from the one used on 2.0L / 2.5L. And the drain plug has changed from unique 8mm hex socket type to traditional 17mm hex head bolt type.

Not like most others like Toyota where the oil filter is located at the front side of the engine for easy access, our oil filter is located at the back side of the engine. We need to go deeper underneath the engine, and ramps usually are needed to have more space for the job. I use a pair of self-made 2-layer 2X10 boards to drive up which would raise the height of CX-5 a bit.
 
2019 cx9 here and I suspect it’s the same. As others have said just a little extra lift via ramps or even a couple of planks you have laying around makes this an extremely easy job. 15 minute process unless you want to let it really drain. On mine the underbody shroud has a panel held in place by 2 clips and 2 screws that is directly under the filter and drain plug. 5 qt jug, fill the filter and it’s good to go. Of all the vehicles if owned it’s by far the easiest.
Dewight, I’m 67. Everything makes me sore!
 
I like the 8mm hex plug because it seems easier to retain the plug so it doesn't drop into the oil pan.
I saw a conventional drain plug at Autozone and bought it. It has a neoprene o-ring which I have adopted for use instead of the aluminum one. It's never leaked and I've used the same o-ring for several oil changes.

The oil filter in a bag thing worked better for me without a zipper close type bag. I used a common plastic grocery bag and whlie I had to fold it in on itself to contain the mess I didn't drip any.
 
You're probably aware that the Mazda oil filter for the turbo is not the same as the one for the non-turbo. Even if you know that, it's still easy to end up with the wrong one. In their infinite wisdom, Mazda made the two filters look exactly the same, have the same dimensions and thread size, and then gave them nearly identical part numbers: 1WPE-14-302 for non-turbo; 1WPY-14-302 for turbo. (There are three Mazda filters for the non-turbo, so there may be more than one for turbo. I haven't checked.)

I have a non-turbo, so I gave the parts guy at the dealership a piece of paper with 1WPE-14-302 written on it, and he handed me a 1WPY-14-302 filter. I didn't notice it was the wrong one until after installing it.

Several of the aftermarket vendors specify the same filter for both engines, so the specs (relief valve, filter media, etc) probably aren't drastically different. On the other hand, there must be enough difference in the oil systems of the two engines that Mazda felt it was important to specify different filters.

So, verify that you're using the right filter.
 

1WPE-14-302 for non-turbo; 1WPY-14-302 for turbo. (There are three Mazda filters for the non-turbo, so there may be more than one for turbo. I haven't checked.)
The factory installed Japanese Tokyo Roki PY8W-14-30 oil filter was available since 2016, then got superseded by Thai Denso 1WPY-14-302 oil filter more than a year ago.

Several of the aftermarket vendors specify the same filter for both engines, so the specs (relief valve, filter media, etc) probably aren't drastically different. On the other hand, there must be enough difference in the oil systems of the two engines that Mazda felt it was important to specify different filters.
Exactly!
 
Not like most others like Toyota where the oil filter is located at the front side of the engine for easy access, our oil filter is located at the back side of the engine. We need to go deeper underneath the engine, and ramps usually are needed to have more space for the job. I use a pair of self-made 2-layer 2X10 boards to drive up which would raise the height of CX-5 a bit.
DSC04941.JPG
 
When I did the first oil change on my 2019 GTR I was glad to see you only had to remove a small access panel and not the complete under shroud as I had to on my past Mazda. I torqued the oil drain plug to 27 ft lbs.
 
Other tips that I do, for a funnel to drain the oil from the catch bucket back into your oil container, cut the top of a 1 gallon water bottle. Then just throw it away instead of dealing with an oily funnel. The water bottle funnel won't fit some quart containers though. I use an old spackle bucket to catch the oil, and keep a lid on it when not in use to keep leaves and bugs out. Save a pizza box when it is closer to oil changing time to use under the catch bucket and just throw it away after. You most likely will drip some oil that misses the bucket. Get a cheap mat like this if you don't want to get a creeper, to stay off the dirty floor. Can hose it off later. And take the used oil right to the auto store. I used to procrastinate and build up a bunch of used oil. Also I think a ramp is a must.
 
I have some of those Rhino plastic ramps. I've used them a few times but usually find the experience kind of scary. Usually one wheel pushes that ramp forward and the car is suspended on one wheel. So I just scoot under to the change the oil. I keep an old foam camping pad to lay on.

I drain the oil into a 2.5 gal water jug with a large hole cut into one side. Then I use the water spigot to pour the used oil into an empty oil jug.
 
I use plastic ramps for my 2018 CX-9 GT AWD, but removed the rubber pads from the bottom that are supposed to prevent them from sliding, so now the sit flush against the ground. Then I just tap them a bit under the front tires to kind of wedge them in and it goes up just fine.

Since the CX-9 sits a bit lower that most SUV's and it's chassis is more like a wagon or cross over with a long hoodline and has a quasi front chin spoiler (not really intended for downforce, but probably more asthetics and to funnel air into the inter cooler bay), I found that longer ramps work better than shorter ones to reduce the climb angle.

You can find them for performance cars with long chassis and low ride height, making it impossible to use normal ramps. My 2016 Mustang GT was so low I couldn't even get a low profile jack under it, had to drive it up on 3in high storage ramps (the ones that have rounded center to prevent flat spotting of tires) then jack it up from there, so the CX-9 is a dream comparatively!
 
I've now done 2 oil changes on our 2019. I have not needed to lift it at all and can access everything at ground level. It makes the job much easier.
 
BTW based on my UOA results, even though they were really good, I'd argue against Blackstone's recommendation of pushing out to 7k due to oil viscosity shearing. 9.1cSt is just below grade minimum for a 5W-30 (9.3 I think is the range limit).

Now 0.2cSt isn't going to make a difference, but technically it has sheared out of grade and it's now a 5W-20. I'm sure another 2k miles would push that lower which I'd rather not even if the TBN is very strong still (just means the oil over a 5k interval will keep acidity extremely low so that's good for long term wear anyways).

Given the low cost of a DYI oil change with PUP 5W-30 and a OE filter, how easy it is I'll stick with 5k intervals and just know if I get in a bind where I don't have time I can go over 1k or 2k and still be ok on occasion.
 
And if we really want to get technical, oil viscosity has everything to do with film thickness AND film strength which has a direction correlation to load support capabilities and wear / bearing life.

HOWEVER, higher viscosity also creates more pumping losses for the positive displacement gerotor oil pumps AND greater rotational resistance in the rod bearings AND increased heating of the fluid. So there's a range of viscosity that are optimal for a given bearing clearance, diameter and width.

Generally, with widely used clearances in the industry for rod bearings in most passenger cars and pickup trucks, 30 weight is right about the sweet spot at balancing protection vs. drag losses / heating which typically produces about 10cSt viscosity @ 100C. Then of course we don't want the oil to be too thick when cold due to pump pressure limits (which affects wear, fuel economy, power etc.), so we have more temp stable oils called multi-viscosity oils. 5W-30 means that the oil is a 30 weight at 100C (212F or boiling point of water), but has the equivalent viscosity of a straight 5 weight when at 0C (32F or freezing point of water). Even then, a 5 weight oil despite being 6x thinner than a 30 weight at the same temp is nearly 5x-6x thicker at 0C then the 30 weight is at 100C, aka, despite it being more temperature stable, it still gets very thick when it's really cold!

For reference most passenger car and truck rod bearings use about a 0.002" to 0.0015" clearance even for vehicles running 5W-20 or 0W-20. They generally use the same clearances as motors built for 5W-30 or 0W-30 motor oils. The entire reason for running a low viscosity oil is to reduce pumping losses (hence better fuel economy) and improved cold weather emissions, but at the expense of heat tolerance and wear during heavier loading conditions. Generally it nets about 0.5 mpg difference on average, which sounds meaningless, but when you make millions of vehicles it adds up.

And you can run a different viscosity than the manufacturer's OE recommendation, but I would not recommend doing so for non-performance cars unless you have a very specific reason and unsterstand how viscosity impacts other critical systems such as cam phasors, hydraulic lash adjusters, hydraulic timing chain tensioners etc. For example, too thick or too thin of an oil can negatively affect how fast cam phasors can change their phase angle which directly affects valve timing and consequently power, emissions and even reliability. Some systems are more sensitive to this and others. Just understand it before you do it, but for most of us and our typical applications, stick with a good quality and reputable motor oil in the recommended viscosity.

Further more, viscosity and consequently film strength and thickness is also highly dependent on the temperature the oil is operating at. If you run your 5W-30 at 240F instead (think Mustang V8, Corvette or other performance car running at sustained high rpm on the track or even hooning around on a hot day) of the common 212F, your 5W-30 produces the same film thickness as a 5W-20 operating 30F cooler. So not only does the oil's properties play a critical role, but so do driving dynamics, engine design and oil cooling capabilities (no oil cooler, water to oil cooler or air to oil cooler etc.). You wouldn't want to track a stock Mazda6 2.5T for example and sustain high RPM because you would over heat the oil rapidly and possibly cause catastrophic damage (ECU's have thermal protections built in, but they are not always 100% able to prevent severe damage caused by misuse).

Generally you can take off the equivalent of one hot grade for ever 20F to 25F higher temp. So increase oil temps by 20F and your 30 weight drops to 20 weight. Then we can throw in other dynamics that increase the thermal load of the motor oil like a water jacket cooled turbo charger and much higher average and peak loads in the rod bearings that TDI engines see relative to NA (naturally aspirated) counter parts and you can see how the oil thins more and is trying to simultaneously support greater loads, one my question pushing long OCI's on TDI engines, especially in SUV's, towing or frequent cargo hauling applications.

They simply generate more torque per a stroke and at a given RPM than non-turbo engines and have additional heat loads both in the bearings (due to high loading) and via the turbo bearings which are oil lubricated and oil cooled even though a significant portion of the turbo's waste heat is removed via the coolant (all modern factory turbo engines are both water and oil cooled, the housing has a water jacket and uses the engine coolant, the shaft bearings are cooled and lubricated by your motor oil).

Adding even more to it is that angular velocity also plays a role in film thickness and heating. Higher RPM supports a greater film thickness but also more heating of the fluid. BTW that's why you shouldn't floor it on a cold engine, because the oil is 5x or 6x thicker than when its hot, your oil pump has a bypass value to alleviate pressure if it gets too high. So your positive displacement pump is NO LONGER POSITIVE DISPLACEMENT due to the bleeder valve. When the oil is up to temp, the PDP never sees pressures high enough to bleed off oil flow, so the flow rate remains constant relative to a given RPM and pressure is what varies with RPM.

But when the oil is cold, the pump pressures get insanely high, so to prevent mechanical damage, a pressure relief valve prevents over pressure. However the flow rate is then less due to the bleeder valve, which can cause localized over heating of the oil in the bearings. That's one way to throw a rod bearing or cause scuffing on a cold engine. It's possible that many modern engines have some ECU protections build in, since the ECU (PCM or what ever other term the micro-controller system goes by) now controls air, fuel and timing, automotive designs can limit how much air it will actually allow through the throttle body, so you can't force a lean condition like in the days of drive by cable. It will simply ignore driver demand and say "this is all I can give you right now". But, do you really want to chance it when all you have to do is just drive normally instead of hot-roding around on a cold engine? But I digress....

So all of these new TDI engines generate MUCH higher torque loads at MUCH lower RPM which is very counter productive for bearing life. Granted modern bearing designs can support loads that older designs could only dream of, but stress is still stress, bearing designs have had to evolve along with other traits of design. Everything is being asked to do more.

This is just one more important reason to do at least one or two UOA's and look at ALL of the factors in your oil's performance, from additives to viscosity to alkalinity etc. If any one factor drops below threshold the oil's performance has been compromised to the point where increased wear, reliability or resistance to corrosion is likely and will more rapidly degrade engine performance. If you want it to last, keep it well oiled and clean.

That's going to be the difference between and engine that lasts 250k to 300k or one that starts to see severe mechanical issues around 100k to 150k. If it's a lease, you probably don't give a crap other than for contract purposes, but if your an owner / operator then it's a different story.

Moral of the story is you probably don't need constant UOA's, but spending a few bucks to figure out what the optimal service interval is for the oil you use, your particular car, environement and driving habbits is certainly beneficial. Then just stick with regular changes and good quality filters (OE is always a safe bet for filters, which is yet another whole ordeal and topic on it's own).
 

Attachments

  • Engine Bearings Under Pressure.pdf
    299.9 KB · Views: 264
  • Effect of low viscosity oils on engine bearings [SubsTech].pdf
    191.5 KB · Views: 247
  • Effect of oil viscosity on hydrodynamic friction of engine bearings [SubsTech].pdf
    1.3 MB · Views: 241
Last edited:
I wanted to add some additional thoughts on motor oil viscosity. I believe this is an idiotic approach to better fuel economy. Thinner oils have a higher tendency to get past the oil control rings (meaning the engine is more likely to burn more oil), have reduced film thickness and film strength (heat tolerance) which makes them more sensitive to heat thinning and wear.

It is my opinion (which aligns with King Bearing's lead engineer's opinion) that oil viscosity supporting reliability and longevity are more ideal. Consider the wear aspect (which NO EPA requirements consider). Is it worth it to get 0.5mpg better for the first 100k but have a potential loss of 1-2 mpg after 100k and significantly increased oil consumption (which increases emissions and slowly clogs the catalytic converter which further increases emissions)?

I believe the better approach is to use a balanced viscosity that has been the mainstay for nearly five decades or more and leverage modern EP additives which reduce friction losses in boundary layer and mixed lubrication regimes as well as enhance film strength via better oil adhesion to the bearing surfaces.

You can get better fuel economy (significantly better) by using hydrogenated DLC films with 5W-30 weight oils than you can running 0W-20 weight oils and conventional EP additives alone all while increase power output of the engine (via reduced friction losses), reduced heat and much better wear characteristics which keep the engine running clean and reliable.

Some OE's like Toyota are now using 0W-16 motor oils and even eying 0W-8 weight oils....idiotic! At some point, pushing the boundary further results in too many trade offs in other areas that are just as critical. Aka diminishing returns. Going thinner than 30 and 20 weights is that point of diminishing returns and alternative methods need to be found to increase fuel economy further other than continually pushing tighter tolerances of rod bearings in an effort to somewhat reliably run thinner and thinner oils which also negatively affecting the long term reliability of other components (pistons, rings, cam lobes etc.).

Ford's now pushing 0W-20 in their 1.6L Ecoboost engines which I couldn't believe especially given how much TDI engines tend to shear down oils as well as thin via fuel dilution (both cause thinning). At least Mazda is sticking with a 5W-30 for their TDI engines. 0W-20's and 5W-20s are still fine for NA 4cyclinder applications as they are close enough in film strength that for non-turbo applications it's sufficient given good filters and regular changes using a reasonable quality oil.
 
I have a set of Rhino Ramps and they work great. The little rubber pads on the bottom were about worthless in keeping them from slipping on a very smooth garage floor.
I went to Walmart and found the largest and cheapest rubber backed bath mat and cut it lengthwise down the middle. I put a section with the rubber side down under each ramp and it prevents the ramp from sliding. I do give the ramps a kick to wedge them under the tires too before starting up them.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back