Synthetic oil

[desimazda]

Hey guys need your esteemed opinion please.............

I own a 2010 CX-9 sport AWD. I recently had the Oil changed at the dealership and requested for synthetic Mobil 1.

Looking at the dealership's reciept i see they have used Mobil 1 5W-30, whereas the factory suggests 5W-20, spoke with the service manager he says its perfectly normal to use 5W-30 synthetic.

The ride is unaffected, but i feel a little heaviness as in accelerating, and little noisier engine on first cold start, once it warms up its smooth as silk....plus the miles per gallon seems to have suffered a bit after the oil change.

Your views on this guys .......

 

[BlackCherry06]

Leave it. Unless you live in northern Canada, 5W-30 synthetic won't be out-pumped by 5W-20 in any noticable amount during cold start. As far as 'heaviness' in accelerating, I'm thinking that's more a mental manifestation than actual side effect of a slightly thicker oil. Mileage should only suffer in a fraction of a MPG, so something else is likely causing your mileage drop. (warm-up habits, driving habits, grade / brand of fuel). 5W-30 is fine, and is likely what that engine was originally spec'd for before the carmakers started trying anything they could to scrape .2 more mpg out of their engines.

 

[manny3]

You should always get what you are comfortable with, if you like to have 5W-20 on it and they tell you other wise you should always get someone who wants to please you as a costumer, 5W-20 oil is a lighter viscosity than a 5W-30 oil and therefore has less internal engine frictional losses, or less drag on the crankshaft, pistons and valvetrain, which in turn promotes increased fuel economy. I own a Mazdaspeed 3 and in our case when our turbo start smoking instead of replacing it they change the oil to 5W-30 with a higher viscosity to avoid leaking into the hotside, anyways I would go back and talk to the manager and tell them that is not what you want it on you vehicle and have them replace the oil, I had the same issue I express my situation and at least at the dealer they change it free of charge, good luck
Forgot to mention that the only time my car started it to use more fuel on mpg was when they overfill my engine and the engine felt heavy, not your mind tricking you if you think something is wrong you better check it, Ill bet you something is wrong,, that is why I do everything myself now, Good luck

 

[fitzz47]

I have the same combo as you and only use 5-30w syn.no real dif. in mileage,use it in my 2010 mazda3 as well.

 

[desimazda]

Thanks for your input.. guys !

 

[SeCX-9]

Consumer Reports just did an article on this exact topic. They addressed ff using a different viscosity than the mfg recommended was ok. They essentially said no. If it was me, I would go back and have follow Mazda's recommendation and use 5W-20. I wasn't 100% sure my local lube place used the correct spec and they dumped out what they just put in and put the correct mix in while I watched (all synthetic too).

They should do this for no charge. Trust me, if YOU did this, they would give you 100 reasons to not warranty your car should a failure occurr.

 

[IslandTractor]

I cannot believe some of the BS guys post here about being able to "feel" differences between slightly different viscosity oils. Mind games guys. Your mind is playing tricks on you. Now you know what psychosomatic illness is all about. No way in hell can you "feel" the difference between 5-20 and 5-30 oils unless you live in Nome Alaska in January.

 

[ceric]

IslandTractor,
I doubt I can feel the difference myself. The difference occurs only in extreme conditions. There is no way people like me who live in California will even "feel" any difference.
However, that said, you don't want to give Mazda ANY excuses to deny warranty coverage. I would follow the oil spec until my OE warranty runs out.

As to Synthetic, it is a waste of money to most people unless you
1) want to prolong oil change interval
2) take your CX9 to race track often (running engines at high-temp for a long period of time)
3) save a couple buck by saving 0.2mpg

If your CX9 is still under warranty, I would advise against (1).
And, I doubt anyone takes the '9 to race track (I might be wrong here).
For (3), the $$$ you saved is likely offset by the extra cost from synthetic oil.

Just my two cents.

 

[IslandTractor]

As to Synthetic, it is a waste of money to most people unless you
1) want to prolong oil change interval
2) take your CX9 to race track often (running engines at high-temp for a long period of time)
3) save a couple buck by saving 0.2mpg

If your CX9 is still under warranty, I would advise against (1).
And, I doubt anyone takes the '9 to race track (I might be wrong here).
For (3), the $$$ you saved is likely offset by the extra cost from synthetic oil.

Just my two cents.

I am a bit surprised that Mazda doesn't seem to have any specific recommendations on synthetics. My 12 year old MB ML320 specified synthetic from the start and recommended 10,000 mile oil changes. That is the way synthetic pays off especially when having service done at the dealer.

 

[ceric]

Non-luxury vehicles do not require use of synthetic oil.
The only exception I know is new (2010+) Prius.

 

[BlackCherry06]

If you check your owner's manual, you'll probably find that there is a range of oil viscosities that are acceptable to use in your engine. There aren't many automakers that specify ONE weight of oil, although I'm sure there are some exceptions in the supercar / luxury world. My engine can use anything from 10W-40 to 5W-20. I opt for Mobil 1 5W-30 and my engine hasn't sent a rod through the block yet. Your dealership isn't going to put an oil in your engine that will later void your warranty. If anything were to happen, they would be liable. Leave it in there. Dumping a pan of brand new synthetic 5W-30 is a terrible waste for no good reason.

 

[BlackCherry06]

And for those of you who are conviced that your engines will explode or sieze by putting a +1 viscosity of oil in them, especially synthetic, please see your local head DOCTOR (sorry, Chuck) to seek treatment for OCD. You might also seek assitance from your local Dyno shop so you can document the overwhelming difference in horsepower you're seeing when you use lower viscosity oils. When it's so noticable that you're inclined to contact your automaker AND the oil company to validate the claims that your butt dyno is making (also home to the aforementioned 'dark place'), it may be material for the record books. Butts sensitive enough to detect an additional 3.2 hp in decade-old Expedition are also worthy of worldwide acclaim, over and above the PhD diplomas proudly displayed on your walls AND on car forums.

 

[BlackCherry06]

I only attack in response to an attack...perhaps you should re-read your original post and consider inserting a filter between your brain and your fingers. And by the way...I have a BA in business, but you won't find it in my profile because I make no assumptions that anyone gives a damn how long I spent in school. Give that some thought as well.

 

[supradupe]

Absolutely agree, the reason car manufacturers started using lighter weight oil is to squeeze more fuel economy, what's with those 5W20 or 0W20 oil, they are so thin you can almost put it on your skin as lotion. Synthetic is good, prolonged oil change means less organic waste. Mobil 1 0W40 and German Castrol 0W30 are the oils of my choice. Once the CX-9 warranty expires, I will switch to those oils. I have been doing oil change every 12 months/8000 miles using these oils in my E39 and W163, both of them run like a champ.

 

[Wisconsin Proud]

My dad said his car seemed to ride smoother when after it was washed.......LOL!

 

[supradupe]

Don't laugh too loud, there's some truth to it.

 

[jal142]

Mobil 1 5W30 is actually very thin for a 5W30, it is almost a 5W20 oil, so I doubt using it will cause any problems.

 

[peavey]

My dad said his car seemed to ride smoother when after it was washed.......LOL!

i was reading some dodgy site, saying that your car runnings smoother cos it cuts thru the air cleaner cos of less friction...



i think its jedi mind tricks

 

[Al's Chop Shop]

more damage is done to your engine by not changing the oil on time than putting a slightly different weight in it. that said, i'd make the dealer do what it recommends because of the possibility of warranty issues down the road.

i also vote for full synthetic for longer oil life. i have been running only full synthetic in my 91 chevy pickup, and she's at 310,000 miles on the original motor.

Al

 

[XOver9]

Synthetics can reduce and avoid sludge build-up in the smaller passageways in the engine and in PCV systems. I have seen TSBs recommend synthetic to avoid these very problems on some cars after they find them to be occurring. If you study oil analysis after 3k, it becomes obvious that some oils are superior to others for a given application. I will going with Penzoil Platinum or Shell Rotella just like I used in my ms3 when I do my first oil change.