Skyactiv Transmission Fluid Analysis Thread

[ColoradoDriver]

I thought it made sense to put this in a separate thread from the regular oil analysis.

Anyway I did my first transmission fluid change (3 drain/fill sessions a week apart) starting around 71,200 miles. During the first, I captured a sample and sent it away for analysis. And before you ask, yes I wish I had started this closer to 50k miles, but oh well. I have driven over 3,000 miles since these services and no adverse affect.

Here's the report:

 

[yugrus]

Thank you for doing this. Wonder if you could post the results on BITOG, it would be would be quite interesting to receive comments from the community there. I do not remember many results for Mazda ATF posted there. With your permission I can do this for you, if you're not a member.
I also wonder where did the lab get their averages from. Normally the data comes from the fleet management programs, but I highly doubt that's the case for Mazda. How many of the private - sourced analysis on a fluid like this they might have done...

 

[ColoradoDriver]

Thank you for doing this. Wonder if you could post the results on BITOG, it would be would be quite interesting to receive comments from the community there. I do not remember many results for Mazda ATF posted there. With your permission I can do this for you, if you're not a member.
I also wonder where did the lab get their averages from. Normally the data comes from the fleet management programs, but I highly doubt that's the case for Mazda. How many of the private - sourced analysis on a fluid like this they might have done...

I wondered about the averages too.

You have my permission. I am not a member there. Just link me whatever thread you post in.

 

[yrwei52]

I thought it made sense to put this in a separate thread from the regular oil analysis.

Thanks for posting! I hope Chris_Top_Her can make this thread sticky although it may have very few posts to it. Looks like BlackStone Lab is also for ATF changes on SkyActiv-Drive transmission.

yugrus, please provide the link here once you posted ColoradoDrivers ATF analysis on BITOG.

 

[ruthrj]

Reposted mine here in effort to consolidate. Thanks ColoradoDriver. 51k, also did 3x drain/fill after this sample was taken. Anybody feel free to share or repost my analysis as you see fit.

EDIT: changed to Imgur link png file instead of pdf. Hopefully this works better

 

[yugrus]

It could be just me, but the link doesn't work...

 

[ruthrj]

Reposted Mike_R's analysis: 67k https://www.mazdas247.com/forum/sho...ile-Transmission-Fluid-(ATF)-Analysis-Results

EDIT: same deal, edited for Imgur link

 

[yugrus]

Here's the post on BITOG:

https://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/4903020#Post4903020

 

[ColoradoDriver]

Here's the post on BITOG:

https://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/4903020#Post4903020

Thank you! Will be interested to see what they say. (thumb)

 

[ruthrj]

Plotted some of the data in Excel: specifically Aluminum, Iron and Copper vs mileage. Blackstone's 20k average number was used as one vehicle. The other vehicles used were mine, ColoradoDriver's, and Mike_R's. I did a best fit check on the data. Exponential regression was the best fit found (you can see from the limited data we have that the wear level does not appear to be linear).

The R^2 value is basically a measure of how well the trend line accounts for the data observed. For example, if the number of miles driven is considered as one of the variables causing the amount of aluminum present, the data shows that the trend line (aluminum vs mileage, exponential effect) explains ~44% of the effect we are observing (not a very good fit). It doesn't explain ~56% of the effect. The fit was much better for Iron (~81%) and Copper (~73%) vs mileage.

This is very limited data, so I don't think you can take a whole lot from it. Right now it suggests transmission wear might be exponential. BUT, we only have 4 vehicles. You'd want 30 or more before you start hanging your hat on statistical analysis. If you exclude ColoradoDrivers data points, the level of wear actually looks much more linear than exponential (ignore the last set of dots plotted just after 70k).

 

[ColoradoDriver]

Very interesting chart there Ruth!

 

[ruthrj]

Clear as mud, right?

I can revise it when new UOAs are added. If wear metals are the cause of future wear, the data suggests a snowball effect. Changing at approximately 70k or sooner looks like a good idea if youre ever going to do drain and fills.

 

[ColoradoDriver]

Clear as mud, right?

I can revise it when new UOAs are added.

I think most interesting for me was the difference between the 67k report and mine at 71k. I do drive my CX-5 pretty spirited, maybe why it was worn more? Who knows.

 

[ruthrj]

That could most definitely be it. Thanks for starting the thread and sharing your info and driving style!

 

[GAXIBM]

It makes a big difference in stop and go mileage vs highway miles as to how much work the transmission does...

 

[ColoradoDriver]

It makes a big difference in stop and go mileage vs highway miles as to how much work the transmission does...

Yeah that too. I definitely am mostly city driving these days where it used to be mostly highway when I first bought it.

 

[ruthrj]

And Im sure terrain plays a role. Im driving 80/20 highway/city on flat FL roads. Great for lower wear, temps not so great for viscosity lol

 

[yrwei52]

Skyactiv Transmission Fluid Analysis Thread,

It makes a big difference in stop and go mileage vs highway miles as to how much work the transmission does...

Also in trailer towing、driving with a roof top carrier、driving with frequent short trips or in mountain road; all conditions qualified as "Severe Conditions". The maintenance schedule for ATF drain-and-fill on my 1998 Honda CR-V is cut into ⅓, from 90,000 miles / 72 months to 30,000 miles / 24 months in severe conditions!

 

[ColoradoDriver]

Here's the post on BITOG:

https://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/4903020#Post4903020

Guess they are not a real talkative bunch over there.

 

[jthj]

I am curious if this will prove out Mazdas claim you dont need to change the fluid or prove as a lot of us suspect that you should. I agree we need a lot more sample before we can start drawing conclusions.