New CX-5 - When Should I really get my first oil change?

5k miles. From there follow whichever maintenance schedule you want, and as others have said, always specify what services you want. Dealers add a bunch of expensive BS you don't need to their "#k mileage" services.

You have a manual with a schedule for a reason ;) .
 
I am sooo not surprised to hear about this. I firmly believe this type of little con job is more common than we think.
I used to mark my oil filters, and on a few cars over the years I caught a dealer and an independent shop not changing it and charging me for it.
Unfortunately, the result is that I don't trust anybody anymore.
I always insist on being in the shop and being able to watch what's going on, even from a distance if they get antsy about it.

This is why I just do my own maintenance as much as I can now.

Sadly don't have anywhere to really do brakes and tires, but that chalk story gives me the idea to do the same to verify.

I actually need to get my snow tires taken off and my Altimax RT-43's put back on.
 
Be careful on early first oil change to a new vehicle. For example, the “Break-in Period” section in Honda’s owner’s manual specifically states:

“Do not change the oil until the recommended time or mileage interval shown in the maintenance schedule.”

Apparently Honda uses special molybdenum-rich break-in oil from factory. And Honda wants the factory break-in oil staying in the new engine for at least one normal OCI. Mazda’s factory oil has plenty of molybdenum too based on UOA. I’d keep the factory oil a bit shorter than my normal OCI, and replace the factory oil with Mazda moly oil which is also moly-rich.

As a Honda aficionado who has owned 19 of their automobiles and motorcycles over the decades, a part-time auto writer, and administrator, moderator, and member of multiple Honda forums for over a decade, I can contribute a bit to this topic. :)

Honda hasn't included that statement in their owner's manuals since they started using an oil life monitoring system and stopped publishing a distance-based maintenance schedule in the mid-2000s. They do tell their dealers not to change the oil before prompted by the oil life monitoring system, but most dealers ignore this instruction and recommend premature oil changes in the interest of income.

Honda doesn't use a special "break-in" oil. The factories fill the crankcases with the same Honda-branded oil made by Phillips 66 that is sold in quarts over the counter at Honda dealers. The moly comes from the lubricant that is used to protect the internal moving parts of the engine during assembly and the initial start. After the oil begins circulating for the first time, the moly has no further function - it's just along for the ride until the first scheduled oil change. Honda recommends Honda-branded oil or an equivalent viscosity that meets or exceeds the standards in effect as the time - there's no mention of moly.

Honda no longer has a preset schedule for maintenance. They use a Maintenance Minder that calculates the remaining life of the engine oil and transmission fluid based on actual driving conditions. Other maintenance items such as tire rotations, spark plugs, timing belt, coolant, cabin and engine air filters, and differential/transfer fluid (AWD models) are prompted with the nearest oil change for convenience. It's really a great system that saves time, money, and resources. UOAs and examples of vehicles with over 300,000 miles have proven Honda's Maintenance Minder to be effective when followed.
 
As a Honda aficionado who has owned 19 of their automobiles and motorcycles over the decades, a part-time auto writer, and administrator, moderator, and member of multiple Honda forums for over a decade, I can contribute a bit to this topic. :)

Honda hasn't included that statement in their owner's manuals since they started using an oil life monitoring system and stopped publishing a distance-based maintenance schedule in the mid-2000s. They do tell their dealers not to change the oil before prompted by the oil life monitoring system, but most dealers ignore this instruction and recommend premature oil changes in the interest of income.

Honda doesn't use a special "break-in" oil. The factories fill the crankcases with the same Honda-branded oil made by Phillips 66 that is sold in quarts over the counter at Honda dealers. The moly comes from the lubricant that is used to protect the internal moving parts of the engine during assembly and the initial start. After the oil begins circulating for the first time, the moly has no further function - it's just along for the ride until the first scheduled oil change. Honda recommends Honda-branded oil or an equivalent viscosity that meets or exceeds the standards in effect as the time - there's no mention of moly.

Honda no longer has a preset schedule for maintenance. They use a Maintenance Minder that calculates the remaining life of the engine oil and transmission fluid based on actual driving conditions. Other maintenance items such as tire rotations, spark plugs, timing belt, coolant, cabin and engine air filters, and differential/transfer fluid (AWD models) are prompted with the nearest oil change for convenience. It's really a great system that saves time, money, and resources. UOAs and examples of vehicles with over 300,000 miles have proven Honda's Maintenance Minder to be effective when followed.
I never understood the “Do not change the oil until the recommended time or mileage interval shown in the maintenance schedule.” New oil is just as viscus and exceeds manufacturer specs, so how can changing the oil prematurely ruin an engine?
 
I never understood the “Do not change the oil until the recommended time or mileage interval shown in the maintenance schedule.” New oil is just as viscus and exceeds manufacturer specs, so how can changing the oil prematurely ruin an engine?
This’s more on environmental concern than engine protection issue. In Europe the widely used flexible OCI or something like Honda’s Maintenance Minder, the 12,000-mile+ OCI is a norm. My 2000 BMW 528i has oil life monitor and reminder which could make OCI up to 17,000 miles!
 
I never understood the “Do not change the oil until the recommended time or mileage interval shown in the maintenance schedule.” New oil is just as viscus and exceeds manufacturer specs, so how can changing the oil prematurely ruin an engine?

Regarding the first oil change, this appears in an issue of Honda ServiceNews regarding the color of the factory engine oil fill:

"What’s really important to remember here is this: Don’t change the factory-fill engine oil because it looks dark; just make sure it’s at the right fluid level. To ensure proper engine break-in, the factory-fill engine oil needs to remain in the engine until the first scheduled maintenance interval."

In Honda's case, avoiding a premature first oil change allows the piston rings to seal properly. According to Honda engineer Gary Flint, their engines aren't fully broken in until 10,000 miles. Performing a premature first oil change will extend the time it takes for the rings to seal which can result in increased oil consumption for a longer period of time and delay the point at which the engine reaches peak efficiency. Based on my experience and the reports of others, it's not unusual for a new Honda to consume a quart of oil during the first oil change interval after which the consumption decreases.

Another reason to avoid premature oil changes on a Honda is because the calculated remaining oil life must be allowed to reach 15% or less before the Maintenance Minder will prompt for maintenance needs. Since there's no printed or publishes maintenance schedule, the Maintenance Minder is the only source of maintenance requirements. If the engine oil is changed before prompted by the Maintenance Minder and the oil life is reset, the owner won't know when and what maintenance needs to be performed.

Mazda simply recommends that "dealers follow the scheduled maintenance tables as cited in the vehicle-specific workshop manual or owner's manual. Services performed outside of Mazda's factory scheduled maintenance are not recommended. These services are unnecessary and create unneeded expenses for your customers."

In general, they say:

1. Don't flush the engine oil, transmission fluid, or engine coolant.
2. Don't use engine oil or transmission fluid additives.
3. Don't clean the injectors.
4. Don't use nitrogen in the tires (Honda says this, too, but almost every dealer does it).

Keep in mind that service is one of the primary sources of profit for dealerships, so it's in their best financial interest to push and recommend unnecessary and premature maintenance and repairs. There is no direct financial gain for Mazda in premature oil changes because most dealers don't buy their oil from Mazda - they buy bulk oil from local suppliers. On the other hand, Mazda has a reputation for reliability to uphold, so they're not going to publish a maintenance schedule that would result in a history of early engine failure.
 

Attachments

  • Mazda TSB 00-001-20.pdf
    341.9 KB · Views: 253
Last edited:
I had my first oil change at 2000 miles because the original oil was watery thin and reeked of gasoline smell.I had a years worth of free oil changes and the dealer had no qualms about changing it.It's my first GDI engine and 0w-20 oil but it sure needed it.I figured the rings weren't seated yet and gasoline was getting in the oil.The Mazda moly oil they put in was definitely thicker.To hell with the recommended mileage,go by the condition of the oil.That's my crotchety old opinion.
 
In Honda's case, avoiding a premature first oil change allows the piston rings to seal properly.
So Honda uses the metal break in wear bits as grinding compound to aid in the break in? Should I put some fine pumice in with the oil? I could have the engine fully broken in with a trip around the neighborhood, right? (I’m being sarcastic here.)
 
I have to believe that it is more of an environmental concern too, not for an accelerated break in, especially in this day and age of the green push.
 
I purchased an oil change package when I leased the car which includes changes every 5k miles. The minder says 5k or 7500 depending on the service use of the car (I would fall into the 7500 category). Since my plan includes changes every 5k, I am going to get my monies worth rather than wait to 7500.
 
Change the filter early, like at around 1,000 miles (or even less)....but only the filter.
Leave the oil in there.

How does someone do this? Is this something possible on the Mazda? If you remove the filter does the oil not come out?
 
I did it once (I don't remember exactly why) and I used a plastic bag to help contain the drool. You might lose a few ounces but if you fill the new filter with oil before you install it that should suffice.
 
I did it once (I don't remember exactly why) and I used a plastic bag to help contain the drool. You might lose a few ounces but if you fill the new filter with oil before you install it that should suffice.
Exactly.
Pulling the filter will not drain the oil pan.
It's a little messy like you said, but if you prefill the new one, you should be good to go.
 
On vehicles with special instructions, I follow them. This includes many Hondas. They actually do have a special factory fill.

On vehicles without specific instructions, where it is confirmed they use normal oil from the factory, 1-1500 miles is when I change all service advised fluids. This includes transmission, diffs, all of it. If it is in the manual as a fluid to change...I change it.

On vehicles with normal fluids, and a break in, in the manual, i change fluids after break in interval, whether its 800, or 1200, or whatever, once it's up, i schedule a change the next week or two.

My cx5 is a 2019 GTR. This means that oil was all I changed, as the diffs and transmission are either "fill for life", or "verify only".

Once I select a fluid, I use it for life. This means I select common things that I can buy anywhere CONUS. For this application, Mobil 1 Extended Performance due to low NOAK, Ca, and Dexos G2 and Hot Tube specs as well as very solid anecdotal reports from UOAs, is what I went with in 5-30 oem weight.

I now have 41,594 trouble free miles and am enjoying it just fine.
Here is lifetime mpg. My vehicle uses no oil that is measurable. I change it every 5k miles.

15928950703663064791355942227333.jpg
 
I don'thave a CX-5 but a CX-3 and I just follow the instructions from Mazda, changing oil every 20,000 km when it goes in for service and the first oil change was after 20,000 km (at the first service)
So far I've done just over 159,000 km and it's still running smooth using very little oil (going down to the halfway point after 20,000 km).
 
This includes many Hondas. They actually do have a special factory fill.

I see this mentioned often, but it's not true. The oil that Honda factories dispense into the crankcases of new engines is the same Honda-branded oil (currently made by Phillips 66 to Honda's specifications) that is sold in quarts over the counter at Honda dealerships. The only difference is that it's delivered by tanker trucks several times each week. You'll find molybdenum in the oil of a new Honda, but it doesn't come from the oil. Instead, it comes from the assembly lube that was applied to certain parts while the engine was being built to protect it during assembly and until the first time it is started after which the molybdenum has no further function. It's just there for a ride until the first scheduled oil change. :)
 
I see this mentioned often, but it's not true. The oil that Honda factories dispense into the crankcases of new engines is the same Honda-branded oil (currently made by Phillips 66 to Honda's specifications) that is sold in quarts over the counter at Honda dealerships. The only difference is that it's delivered by tanker trucks several times each week. You'll find molybdenum in the oil of a new Honda, but it doesn't come from the oil. Instead, it comes from the assembly lube that was applied to certain parts while the engine was being built to protect it during assembly and until the first time it is started after which the molybdenum has no further function. It's just there for a ride until the first scheduled oil change. :)
I have read different, but I also won't die on that hill, as I bet we can both agree that it will do zero harm to follow Honda's recommendation, whether the oil is special or not.
 
On vehicles with special instructions, I follow them. This includes many Hondas. They actually do have a special factory fill.

On vehicles without specific instructions, where it is confirmed they use normal oil from the factory, 1-1500 miles is when I change all service advised fluids. This includes transmission, diffs, all of it. If it is in the manual as a fluid to change...I change it.

On vehicles with normal fluids, and a break in, in the manual, i change fluids after break in interval, whether its 800, or 1200, or whatever, once it's up, i schedule a change the next week or two.

My cx5 is a 2019 GTR. This means that oil was all I changed, as the diffs and transmission are either "fill for life", or "verify only".

Once I select a fluid, I use it for life. This means I select common things that I can buy anywhere CONUS. For this application, Mobil 1 Extended Performance due to low NOAK, Ca, and Dexos G2 and Hot Tube specs as well as very solid anecdotal reports from UOAs, is what I went with in 5-30 oem weight.

I now have 41,594 trouble free miles and am enjoying it just fine.
Here is lifetime mpg. My vehicle uses no oil that is measurable. I change it every 5k miles.

View attachment 225382

I have fewer miles but 26.7 is the exact same lifetime MPG that I have. I expect it to go higher over time. I did the same thing, did my first oil change at 1000 miles or so. I buy the exact same oil each time too, but it's really not necessary to do that. I get Castrol edge extended performance.
 
Forgot to add, Service says "Max interval:12 months", so 7500 miles or 12 months, which ever comes first.

*1 The engine oil and filter must be changed at least once a year or within 12,000 km (7,500 miles) since last engine oil and filter change. Reset the engine oil data whenever replacing the engine oil regardless of the
message/wrench indicator light display.
 
Back