Oil Change Mechanic Questions 0W-20 (2014 CX-5)

[Joe Las Vegas]

In North America different compression ratio(North America-13:1, all other 14:1) and horsepower.

What's the deal with that? does lower compression ratio mean less HP for us?
How come a lower compression requires lower viscosity oil?

 

[BigPainRing]

Idemitsu 0W20 available here for $22 US a gallon http://www.autohausaz.com/search/product.aspx?partnumber=20102059&utm_source=google&utm_medium=nonpaid&utm_campaign=frooglePN&utm_term=20102059&gclid=CIDvq-Gg1boCFUlp7AodQxAAcw

 

[GAXIBM]

What's the deal with that? does lower compression ratio mean less HP for us?
How come a lower compression requires lower viscosity oil?

So you can use low octane regular gas - a country marketing decision. In other countries that have the 14:1 compression ratio they also require high test gas which produces more HP and mileage and may require higher viscosity. The difference in oil is likely to produce higher mileage and lower pollution and it should not shorten the life of the engine due to the lower compression ratio. The NA engine could also have closer tolerances(?) in the bearings allowing/requiring lower viscosity. The Mazda 0W-20 with Moly gets good reviews from Oil Man.

 

[Joe Las Vegas]

They suck, I'd rather have a more peppy and more powerful engine using 91 than have the compression ratio lowered, does everyone in the world think we are all cheap or what?
What about summers in the southwest when it's between 85 and 113 for 6 months in a row, isn't 0w20 a bit thin? I remember 10 years ago when 0W20 was considered oil for freezing temp regions, now every car calls for 5W20 or 0W20, just so that they can squeeze 1-2 extra mpg during testing to make it more appealing, with complete disregard for engine protection IMO.

I e-mailed CA and USA Mazda HQ about oil being 0W20 in North American and being 5W30 everywhere else and this is what Canada HQ said: "I have discussed your comments and questions, regarding the oil recommendation, with our technicians. They have explained that the climate is different here, than that of Mexico."
Not really a real good explanation, it's like saying Canada in the only cold country in the world and they have no summers, what about northern Europe in winter..., isn't it cold there too?
Can't wait to see what USA HQ has to say about it.

 

[erhayes]

I suspect that 0W20/5W20 is all about meeting the US/CAN fuel consumption requirements and a tenth or two, when you look at millions ov vehicles is huge. 0W20 has shown to be an acceptable viscosity but, I suspect that the safety margin is lower and may rear its head as engines grow old. I will probably switch over to a 0W30 or 5W30 when out of warranty since 0W20 is recomended and not required. Ed

 

[Gareth45]

I telephoned mazda uk all they want to recommend is there own oil at crazy high prices the mobil 1 5w 30 ESP for diesels and petrol engines meets there oil requirements in the owners manual. My local dealer has cleared this for use I have used this oil before and can highly recomend as it is formulated for DPF filters.My son also uses it in his Honda petrol civic EP2 with no problems.

 

[Bladecutter]

Mazda requires 0W-20 engine oil because they are the ones warrantying the engine in case of failure in the first 60k miles of it's usage.

I called BS on that, so what if you're in Europe and you don't use 5W30, then what? warranty won't apply if something breaks?, Like I said in my previously ignored posts, it's only in North America that 0W20 is recommended, why? who knows, all that says is that if 5W30 is ok everywhere else, then I don't see why it would be an issue, it's not like 5W30 is going to kill your engine.

Call BS all you want, but it doesn't change the fact of the matter any that YOU live in the US, I live in the US, and the OP lives in the US.
None of us are going to suddenly have our cars covered by Mazda UK, our cars are covered by Mazda USA.

If you want Mazda USA to cover repairs on the engine internals during the warranty period, at every dealer in the USA, you are HIGHLY advised to only put 0W-20 into it, no matter what you think you know about how things "should" be in your opinion. Oh, and keep your oil change receipts. Some dealers may not ask for proof of oil changes, but you might run into one that does.

If you want to risk paying for an engine replacement out of your own pocket, feel free to dump in whatever weight oil you want.
And again, if you want Mazda USA to pay for it, just put in the 0W-20 that the owners manual says, until your warranty expires, and change it somewhere between 1 mile and 7500 miles, before that 6 month mark hits.

BC.

 

[Bladecutter]

They suck, I'd rather have a more peppy and more powerful engine using 91 than have the compression ratio lowered, does everyone in the world think we are all cheap or what?

Unfortunately, the answer to your question is YES, the fast majority of car owners in the US are cheap bastards, who don't change the oil on time, don't use the correct weight of oil, don't use synthetic oil in cars that require it, don't use oils that meet the correct specs for car companies that have specific oil specs that are required (MB225.9, VW507, etc), don't use the correct speed rating for replacement tires (S rated tires on a Corvette, for instance), run worn tires down until the belts are exposed, and they will also put low octane gas in cars that require premium fuel.

Quite a lot of US customers will scratch off cars that require premium fuel from their shopping lists, no matter how great the car is.

What about summers in the southwest when it's between 85 and 113 for 6 months in a row, isn't 0w20 a bit thin?

How exactly does the outside air getting up to 113 degrees where you live make any difference on engine oil that is capable of staying in it's weight range and provide protection all the way up to 400 degrees inside the engine? Your car doesn't run any hotter in Las Vegas than my car does here in Denver, in the middle of summer. Your cooling system, as long as it is still working properly, keeps the coolant and oil temps well below the 250 degree mark, even under severe stress. The cooling system does everything it can to keep the engine between 180 and and 220 degrees.

So, your concerns about your air temps getting up to 113 degrees are unfounded.

BC.

 

[Joe Las Vegas]

I'm done, talking for nothing here.

 

[Chris_Top_Her]

I'm done, talking for nothing here.

Can I call you Joe Blow?

 

[Rich 65]

I bet the old guy recommends 3k oil changes too!

 

[Rich 65]

Check this out for great explanations about oil. You too Joe Las Vegas.
http://www.mazdas247.com/forum/showthread.php?123814722-CX-5-Oil-Change-with-Filter

 

[Rich 65]

They suck, I'd rather have a more peppy and more powerful engine using 91 than have the compression ratio lowered, does everyone in the world think we are all cheap or what?

Answered very eloquently by Bladecutter. Perhaps you should look at $50k German crossovers.

 

[Joe Las Vegas]

Check this out for great explanations about oil. You too Joe Las Vegas.
http://www.mazdas247.com/forum/showthread.php?123814722-CX-5-Oil-Change-with-Filter

Cool thanks!
So it's about thickness and flow, not protection at different temps, my bad, I always thought it was the other way around.

 

[brandini]

It's all of that in one, and they're all linked.

 

[Rob Ciniello]

Look. In canada it's change oil every 8 thousand km or every 4-6 months. What ever come first. 0w20 synthetic is what is recommended. If you want to use other grades that's your problem. For warranty reasons I use what I'm suppost to use. If something bad happens you have your ass covered. I don't understand why it's so hard for you guys to understand. Just freaken follow the manual specs

 

[Rob Ciniello]

There is a reason for why we have specs.in uk or the rest of Europe use whatever it calls for. If it's 5w30 then so be it. There is a reason for it.