Switched to 5W-30 from 0W-20

[cz5gt]

IMO… in the end regular scheduled oil/filter changes are going to play a greater role in longevity rather than losing sleep over 0W-20 or 5W-30 or using the latest spec.

Yes. I have looked at carfax records of many CX5s over 120k some up to 200k (both turbo and non turbo) and almost all had regular 5-7000 miles oil changes. Some changes at independent shops some at dealer. Which means they used whatever oil.
Skyactiv G is very good engine and doesnt mind the oil brand or type as much as other car brands.

 

[bojo]

Yes. I have looked at carfax records of many CX5s over 120k some up to 200k (both turbo and non turbo) and almost all had regular 5-7000 miles oil changes. Some changes at independent shops some at dealer. Which means they used whatever oil.
Skyactiv G is very good engine and doesnt mind the oil brand or type as much as other car brands.

Thats great! Thats real world results right there and tells me with proper maintenance, the Skyactiv G is a great engine..

 

[cz5gt]

Yes it is. If one doesnt hit the cyl head issues (random hit or miss in the 2018-20 years) or leaks, the engine itself would last 200k easily

 

[bojo]

Yes it is. If one doesnt hit the cyl head issues (random hit or miss in the 2018-20 years) or leaks, the engine itself would last 200k easily

Wow.. your comment prompted me to do a search and i found a forum discussing that issue . due to cylinder deactivation? LOTS of people had problems.. i had NO idea this even happy it’s disappointing the hear the way Mazda was dealing with folks according to their testimony. Thats disappointing. Wow

 

[Lazy2.5]

Wow.. your comment prompted me to do a search and i found a forum discussing that issue . due to cylinder deactivation? LOTS of people had problems.. i had NO idea this even happy it’s disappointing the hear the way Mazda was dealing with folks according to their testimony. Thats disappointing. Wow

Unfortunately a small batch of them had this issue. I will say though, the Skyactiv 2.5 is otherwise one of the best engines ever made. Not just from a reliability perspective, but the overall design and tuning. I have seen this engine hold nearly 50 degrees of ignition timing at 14.5:1 AFR during low rpm cruising (According to Mazda edit) While tuning on Ethanol-free 91 Octane fuel. Aside from standard wear and tear (If you want to also throw the valve cover gasket job into that category) I've literally never had an issue with this engine, ever. Only now am I dealing with a tiny air pocket in the top of my radiator which I suspect it due to a small leak in the radiator caps return valve. The best tank I have ever managed with this vehicle, tuned, while employing my usual driving habits, mostly on one lane roads with little traffic is 5L/100KM. That's exactly 47 US MPG.

I am proud of this vehicle's reliability at 346,xxxKM, but look around on google/youtube and you will find skyactiv owners with 700k km. One user with the same car as mine (Mazda 6) Claims 800k. They are legendary, not to mention a blast to drive.

 

[bojo]

Awesome post…I do love this car, and spent a ton of time researching which is why im surprised i missed the specific problems people were having. Glad i did because i probably wouldnt have bought the car had I stumbled upon that. I DID know cylinder deactivation was something I didnt want. And the two things that made me buy this is no cylinder deactivation and especially no CVT..other than the car Im grateful for this forum and people like you that own this vehicle/engine and seem to have an edge, a passion and wealth of knowledge .. For people like me still learning, its fantastic.

 

[diywannabe]

Thanks for your observation of switching to 5W-30 oil which is also the recommended viscosity for 2.5L NA by Mazda worldwide. I assume your 2019 CX-5 AWD has a 2.5L NA, but can you give us the current mileage info as your CX-5 may be still under powertrain warranty.

In addition to US owner’s manual, here are Mazda official engine oil viscosity charts for SkyActiv-G 2.0L / 2.5L and SkyActiv-D 2.2L used worldwide, and 5W-30 oil is listed as recommended oil by Mazda for 2.5L NA:

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I really think the only reason for the lower weight oil is to qualify the car for gas mileage and emissions rules. If your only keeping the vehicle while it's under warranty it doesn't matter too much. If your keeping it past warranty 5w-30 is a smart choice imo.

 

[RattleCanAR]

I put 5/30 in my 19 SA2.5 today. It has 85k miles on the odometer. I will report back. Temps in my area rarely get below 25F and in the summer can hit 105F. My daily drive to work is less than 8 miles and I let the car warm before leaving in the AM.

 

[Lazy2.5]

I let the car warm before leaving in the AM.

You should not do this. On a cold start, you are putting a significant amount of wear on the drivetrain, especially if you are just idling. The engine will never get up to proper operating temp (The oil or the coolant) from idling. Since you aren't in gear (No load on the drivetrain) The transmission will never get up to temp. You're basically just wearing down your engine, wasting gas, producing significantly more emissions and causing your drivetrain to warm up slowly, and partially.

Idling when cold is good to do for maybe up to 30 seconds to make sure the oil has circulated. After that, you're best off driving gently. You're placing far less wear on the drivetrain and will warm it up much faster while producing less emissions.

 

[Lazy2.5]

Awesome post…I do love this car, and spent a ton of time researching which is why im surprised i missed the specific problems people were having. Glad i did because i probably wouldnt have bought the car had I stumbled upon that. I DID know cylinder deactivation was something I didnt want. And the two things that made me buy this is no cylinder deactivation and especially no CVT..other than the car Im grateful for this forum and people like you that own this vehicle/engine and seem to have an edge, a passion and wealth of knowledge .. For people like me still learning, its fantastic.

I hear you! I actually recommended this car to my father back in 2014. Out of all the midsize sedans in its category, it made more power, got better fuel economy, better drivetrain/suspension technology, more fun to drive, turned out to essentially as reliable as the Toyota Camry from that era while being far more engaging to drive, and certainly more reliable than an Accord or Altima with their CVT transmissions.

I then recommended the latest generation of Camry for his next upgrade because it was the only mid-size sedan with no turbo or CVT.

You made a smart choice.

 

[diywannabe]

The engine is noticeably quieter at idle and during normal driving. I was expecting it to be quieter but am still impressed at the level of difference.

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I really wonder if maybe the only real reason the car makers are switching to lighter oils is to meet stricter emissions rules and gas mileage standards.

 

[Lazy2.5]

I really wonder if maybe the only real reason the car makers are switching to lighter oils is to meet stricter emissions rules and gas mileage standards.

Yes.

 

[bojo]

I really wonder if maybe the only real reason the car makers are switching to lighter oils is to meet stricter emissions rules and gas mileage standards.

It took me a while to come to this conclusion. With my Mazda, the manual say use 5w30 EXCEPT Israel, Canada, and US, use 0w20. After researching, i heard that the cars bound for the US are programmed differently (variable oil pump?) I dont know, Im not a mechanic. BUT.. then i started digging around to DIFFERENT manufacturer Owners Manuals. And the one owners manual that made me draw the conclusion that YES, it is STRICLTY for CAFE is the way Toyota worded theirs.. something like this "if 0w20 is not avalable you may use 5w20 but you MUST use 0w20 on the next oil change".. NEXT OIL CHANGE? It is so PAINFULLY obvious this is arbitrary, because "NExt oil change" could be 2,000 miles or 15,000 miles depending on who you are and how often you change it. If it were REALLY bad to use heavier oils, in my opinion these manuals wouild say DO NOT USE ANYTHING BUT 0w20 YOUR CAR HAS BEEN PROGRAMMED SPECIFICALLY for this oil. Another "clue" is the word "recommended"... In the Mazda manual it says 0w20 RECOMMENDED for "maximum fuel efficiency" something like that. Not MANDATORY, not you MUST.. but recommended. I personally find it beyond annoying that manufacturers cant just level with us.. maybe say "Use Either one its fine' OR... just be strict.. you MUST use THIS OIL ONLY...maybe 0w20 in winter, 5w30 in summer. Instead they are vague, and it causes major debates on forums around the world, and ive just spent another 10 minutes of my life on this typing this! They can make amazing machines that last 200k when taken care of , but they cant figure out what oil we should use? But thats my conclusion, yes it is 100 percent CAFE requirement NONSENSE! Therefore i am going to feel good abiout running 5w30 in my skyactive na engine.I remember when i would buy new cars in the 90's there was NEVER this ambiguity. It was 10w30 in the summer 5w30 in the winter, period. Simple.

 

[Snake]

I put 5/30 in my 19 SA2.5 today. It has 85k miles on the odometer. I will report back. Temps in my area rarely get below 25F and in the summer can hit 105F. My daily drive to work is less than 8 miles and I let the car warm before leaving in the AM.

You should not do this. On a cold start, you are putting a significant amount of wear on the drivetrain, especially if you are just idling. The engine will never get up to proper operating temp (The oil or the coolant) from idling. Since you aren't in gear (No load on the drivetrain) The transmission will never get up to temp. You're basically just wearing down your engine, wasting gas, producing significantly more emissions and causing your drivetrain to warm up slowly, and partially.

Idling when cold is good to do for maybe up to 30 seconds to make sure the oil has circulated. After that, you're best off driving gently. You're placing far less wear on the drivetrain and will warm it up much faster while producing less emissions.

There is a fine line between cold start immediate driving and letting it warm up. I assume that RattleCanAR meant that he allows the engine to idle down before driving off. That would take no more than one minute.

 

[Lazy2.5]

There is a fine line between cold start immediate driving and letting it warm up. I assume that RattleCanAR meant that he allows the engine to idle down before driving off. That would take no more than one minute.

The engine should build sufficient oil pressure within 1-3 seconds, get oil circulating through the cylinder head not much longer than that, and fully circulated through the engine within 30 seconds.

Anything longer than 30sec-1 minute is simply continuing to strip a critical film of oil off your cylinder walls, allowing fuel to enter your oil supply because the engines internals have not yet expanded to the correct size at normal operating temp.

I'm not saying you should put your car into gear and take off as soon as you start, but, you're likely putting less wear on your engine in the long-term by doing so (provided you take off slowly) than to idle for longer than 1 minute.

There are real, unavoidable reasons for needing to idle your engine cold, like, having no choice but to wait for your windshield defroster. But, to just idle your car for prolonged periods (Even when it is warm... especially when cold!) Is awful for pretty much everything. Wanting your car to be warm before you hop in is frankly an irresponsible reason that demonstrates a lack of awareness or consideration both for the environment and your vehicle's drivetrain health.

 

[Lazy2.5]

It took me a while to come to this conclusion. With my Mazda, the manual say use 5w30 EXCEPT Israel, Canada, and US, use 0w20. After researching, i heard that the cars bound for the US are programmed differently (variable oil pump?) I dont know, Im not a mechanic. BUT.. then i started digging around to DIFFERENT manufacturer Owners Manuals. And the one owners manual that made me draw the conclusion that YES, it is STRICLTY for CAFE is the way Toyota worded theirs.. something like this "if 0w20 is not avalable you may use 5w20 but you MUST use 0w20 on the next oil change".. NEXT OIL CHANGE? It is so PAINFULLY obvious this is arbitrary, because "NExt oil change" could be 2,000 miles or 15,000 miles depending on who you are and how often you change it. If it were REALLY bad to use heavier oils, in my opinion these manuals wouild say DO NOT USE ANYTHING BUT 0w20 YOUR CAR HAS BEEN PROGRAMMED SPECIFICALLY for this oil. Another "clue" is the word "recommended"... In the Mazda manual it says 0w20 RECOMMENDED for "maximum fuel efficiency" something like that. Not MANDATORY, not you MUST.. but recommended. I personally find it beyond annoying that manufacturers cant just level with us.. maybe say "Use Either one its fine' OR... just be strict.. you MUST use THIS OIL ONLY...maybe 0w20 in winter, 5w30 in summer. Instead they are vague, and it causes major debates on forums around the world, and ive just spent another 10 minutes of my life on this typing this! They can make amazing machines that last 200k when taken care of , but they cant figure out what oil we should use? But thats my conclusion, yes it is 100 percent CAFE requirement NONSENSE! Therefore i am going to feel good abiout running 5w30 in my skyactive na engine.I remember when i would buy new cars in the 90's there was NEVER this ambiguity. It was 10w30 in the summer 5w30 in the winter, period. Simple.

Let's not over think this. Even if you did run 0W20 for an interval, no big deal, unless you are driving in scorching hot weather and at high rpm.

You are totally free to use 5w30; just don't think twice about it. I have been doing so in my car for years and years.

 

[bojo]

Let's not over think this. Even if you did run 0W20 for an interval, no big deal, unless you are driving in scorching hot weather and at high rpm.

You are totally free to use 5w30; just don't think twice about it. I have been doing so in my car for years and years.

I agree.. but i HAD to overthink to come to this conclusion- ..She's currently on a diet on 5w30... BUT....I MAY use the Mazda 0w20 oil on ocassion during the colder months , but thats really the only 0w20 im interested in based on the oil analysis' that consistently come back stellar with that high moly oil. But like the Original Poster, Im not hesitant to use 5w30 anymore thats for sure.

 

[Lazy2.5]

I agree.. but i HAD to overthink to come to this conclusion- ..She's currently on a diet on 5w30... BUT....I MAY use the Mazda 0w20 oil on ocassion during the colder months , but thats really the only 0w20 im interested in based on the oil analysis' that consistently come back stellar with that high moly oil. But like the Original Poster, Im not hesitant to use 5w30 anymore thats for sure.

If winter temps consistently stay below like -20c is when I believe you may actually see some benefit to using a 0w.

 

[Snake]

The engine should build sufficient oil pressure within 1-3 seconds, get oil circulating through the cylinder head not much longer than that, and fully circulated through the engine within 30 seconds.

Anything longer than 30sec-1 minute is simply continuing to strip a critical film of oil off your cylinder walls, allowing fuel to enter your oil supply because the engines internals have not yet expanded to the correct size at normal operating temp.

I'm not saying you should put your car into gear and take off as soon as you start, but, you're likely putting less wear on your engine in the long-term by doing so (provided you take off slowly) than to idle for longer than 1 minute.

There are real, unavoidable reasons for needing to idle your engine cold, like, having no choice but to wait for your windshield defroster. But, to just idle your car for prolonged periods (Even when it is warm... especially when cold!) Is awful for pretty much everything. Wanting your car to be warm before you hop in is frankly an irresponsible reason that demonstrates a lack of awareness or consideration both for the environment and your vehicle's drivetrain health.

I partially agree with you. An engine needs to have a moment to idle down before being pushed, especially alloy engine/heads. That's it's way of saying, "I'm not quite ready to go yet".

 

[Lazy2.5]

Scroll down in the file attached in this post and you will find:

This is for a 2.0 CX-30. I don't care enough to find the specs for the 2.5L, but I'm sure it's the same.

Can we stop worrying about using 5W30 now?