Yes a 2023 CX-5 Oil Change Thread

[N7turbo]

"FINE" doesn't give me confidence in a filter that doesn't state how well it filters, microns. Fine sounds like a compromise, at best.

Why not state the % filtration at 2 microns? 2 microms is the hardest partial to filter. If it filters 2 microns well the other size material is captured.

I'll spend the extra $7.00 on a know quality filter and do my own oil changer. Save on labor and buy high quality filters. Keeping the lest trained and lowest paid techs hands away from my car as well.

Have a fine day...

Oil flow matters, too. All high-filtration aftermarket filters reduce flow. And I don't live in a dusty environment. It's not worth it to me.

 

[Jmaz]

Hate to burst your bubble, but it appears the Purolator Boss has the lowest filtration efficiency in their product line below 46 microns:

BITOG discussion: https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/threads/purolator-boss-pbl24651-6-075miles-c-p.378865/page-2

Spec sheet for a Boss filter from that thread (not our model for Mazda tho:

https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/attachments/screenshot_20240207_075700_drive-jpg.202323/

Discussion for the filter you linked: Purolator Efficiency on Upgraded Oil Filters

I’m not too surprised to be honest. 20k mile rating would have to filter less imo. I hate that the advertising on the box and their marketing doesn’t match the test spec sheet. The box says 99% filtration per ISO 4548-12 but conveniently leave off the fact that it’s at 46 microns. The test results you shared show a steep drop off in filtration efficiency below 25-30 microns which jives with the spec sheet screenshot.

In all likelihood these work fine. However, nothing wrong with using the OEM filters too. Denso isn’t a slouch when it comes to quality. I’d prefer shorter intervals that filter more vs longer intervals that filter less.

When it comes to oil change intervals, for those individuals who actually give this subject some thought, I guess it's related to the type of driving and environment you drive in and what you are comfortable with. Others go by the mileage stated in the owners manual or some such. These days it seems like the limits of everything are being stretched and that includes longer life oils and filter life. Makes me wonder in what kind of perfect scenario these mileages would result in no additional wear or engine deposit buildup. Direct injection along with turbos and VVT bring their own set of challenges if longevity is the vehicle owner's concern.
I guess I'm somewhat "old school" in preferring shorter oil change intervals coupled with good filtration for the type of driving my car experiences.
The engines oil is the repository for the "trash" produced by combustion and wear.
So, if microscopic abrasive soot (too small to be filtered out) from DI can accumulate behind piston rings and also cause timing chain wear then I want it out of there. Don't have a turbo but the heat and shearing alone would dictate reasonable oil change intervals. Engine deposits from oil breakdown can interfere with VVT operation.
Here's a pic @ 71,000 miles when replacing valve cover gasket before doing new spark plugs.
Nothing spectacular or uncommon but reassuring that my oil change regimen is working.

 

[madar]

When it comes to oil change intervals, for those individuals who actually give this subject some thought, I guess it's related to the type of driving and environment you drive in and what you are comfortable with. Others go by the mileage stated in the owners manual or some such. These days it seems like the limits of everything are being stretched and that includes longer life oils and filter life. Makes me wonder in what kind of perfect scenario these mileages would result in no additional wear or engine deposit buildup. Direct injection along with turbos and VVT bring their own set of challenges if longevity is the vehicle owner's concern.
I guess I'm somewhat "old school" in preferring shorter oil change intervals coupled with good filtration for the type of driving my car experiences.
The engines oil is the repository for the "trash" produced by combustion and wear.
So, if microscopic abrasive soot (too small to be filtered out) from DI can accumulate behind piston rings and also cause timing chain wear then I want it out of there. Don't have a turbo but the heat and shearing alone would dictate reasonable oil change intervals. Engine deposits from oil breakdown can interfere with VVT operation.
Here's a pic @ 71,000 miles when replacing valve cover gasket before doing new spark plugs.
Nothing spectacular or uncommon but reassuring that my oil change regimen is working.

View attachment 331327

Agreed. The longer oil change intervals are related to CAFE standards and the appearance of a car being more maintenance free, nothing more. The government wants less waste oil floating around. The shorter the OCI, the less problems you'll have when you hit that 200k mile mark. It's important to have a good oil filter, but shorter OCI are really more beneficial, and in the end how expensive are shorter oil change intervals compared to having expensive engine repairs later on?

 

[Jmaz]

Agreed. The longer oil change intervals are related to CAFE standards and the appearance of a car being more maintenance free, nothing more. The government wants less waste oil floating around. The shorter the OCI, the less problems you'll have when you hit that 200k mile mark. It's important to have a good oil filter, but shorter OCI are really more beneficial, and in the end how expensive are shorter oil change intervals compared to having expensive engine repairs later on?

Exactly. The additional cost is small compared to the benefits if keeping the vehicle long term.

 

[madar]

Exactly. The additional cost is small compared to the benefits if keeping the vehicle long term.

That engine looks new! What kind of oil are you using?

 

[Yo'sDad]

Agreed. The longer oil change intervals are related to CAFE standards and the appearance of a car being more maintenance free, nothing more. The government wants less waste oil floating around. The shorter the OCI, the less problems you'll have when you hit that 200k mile mark. It's important to have a good oil filter, but shorter OCI are really more beneficial, and in the end how expensive are shorter oil change intervals compared to having expensive engine repairs later on?

Madar, I totally agree. I used to be in the environmental regulation business. I have been researching for a long time about the ISO 14000 standards particularly LCA (life cycle analysis). I have had little success in finding what I am looking for, maybe someone here can help. It is my position that all manufacturers, from automobiles to toasters, gain environmental points for producing their products if the life cycle of that product puts less waste into the environment. For autos, this means, oil, filters, coolant, tires, wiper blades, etc. The longer the change interval, the less that goes into the environment, the better the ISO rating a company gets. I may be all wet here but this is my thinking. I welcome any feedback on this subject. I also believe that the marketing and advertising department has a huge input into maintenance requirements such as oil and transmission lubricant changes. I have personally heard friends brag about buying a new car and that they don't have to do oil changes for some huge number of miles. Most any new care will get through the warranty period with pretty much no maintenance. Which for me makes buying a used car very scary. We need to realize that by being on this forum we are all most likely in the minority of auto enthusiasts who even think about or care about their car's maintenance or longevity. I am 76, an old school auto enthusiast, mechanic, etc. and it probably shows, haha. Personally, I would rather put my $30 toward 5 qts of oil and a filter than do an oil analysis, just to prove that I could drive a few thousands of miles further. OK, I'll sit back and put on my flak jacket.

 

[AL Cx5]

Madar, I totally agree. I used to be in the environmental regulation business. I have been researching for a long time about the ISO 14000 standards particularly LCA (life cycle analysis). I have had little success in finding what I am looking for, maybe someone here can help. It is my position that all manufacturers, from automobiles to toasters, gain environmental points for producing their products if the life cycle of that product puts less waste into the environment. For autos, this means, oil, filters, coolant, tires, wiper blades, etc. The longer the change interval, the less that goes into the environment, the better the ISO rating a company gets. I may be all wet here but this is my thinking. I welcome any feedback on this subject. I also believe that the marketing and advertising department has a huge input into maintenance requirements such as oil and transmission lubricant changes. I have personally heard friends brag about buying a new car and that they don't have to do oil changes for some huge number of miles. Most any new care will get through the warranty period with pretty much no maintenance. Which for me makes buying a used car very scary. We need to realize that by being on this forum we are all most likely in the minority of auto enthusiasts who even think about or care about their car's maintenance or longevity. I am 76, an old school auto enthusiast, mechanic, etc. and it probably shows, haha. Personally, I would rather put my $30 toward 5 qts of oil and a filter than do an oil analysis, just to prove that I could drive a few thousands of miles further. OK, I'll sit back and put on my flak jacket.

X2! Best advice, keep fresh fluids and dont cheap out on parts and fluids. I'm rapping my mind around buying cheap parts for a +- 30 to 40k car...

And I'll have the oil analyised at 2nd oil change at 12k for a base line. Sorta like having a base line EKG. Then are at 20k, 40k and so forth.

I'll cut the oil filter at that time.

Further, around 80k mi I'll add Stiction Eliminator to the oil to clean up deposits in the rings. I've used this product on my turbo diesel at 250k mi and Honda at 100k mi. Both ran quieter and had better FE, quicker starts.

I'll post pics of the oil filter and test results at 12k.

 

[madar]

I have personally heard friends brag about buying a new car and that they don't have to do oil changes for some huge number of miles. Most any new care will get through the warranty period with pretty much no maintenance. Which for me makes buying a used car very scary. We need to realize that by being on this forum we are all most likely in the minority of auto enthusiasts who even think about or care about their car's maintenance or longevity. I am 76, an old school auto enthusiast, mechanic, etc. and it probably shows, haha. Personally, I would rather put my $30 toward 5 qts of oil and a filter than do an oil analysis, just to prove that I could drive a few thousands of miles further. OK, I'll sit back and put on my flak jacket.

I never really gave that much thought but it is warranted in today's market. Totally agree and appreciate your perspective.

 

[RedBaron]

Most any new care will get through the warranty period with pretty much no maintenance. Which for me makes buying a used car very scary.

That's why you need to see maintenance records before purchase!

 

[dunhillmc]

I think most European Mazda owners would have a laugh at doing oil changes at 5k or 7500 mi. Over there the normal driving oil change interval is 20k km (12k miles) with the same engine

 

[Moonlighter]

The Mazda service schedule here in Aus is every 15000kms on the 2024 model G25.

On my 2015/16 CX5 2.2D it was 10000kms. I had it serviced by the dealer but did an interim oil change myself every 5000kms. No problems in 8 years/115,000kms.

I will continue the practice of doing an interim oil change myself halfway ie at 7500kms on our new Akera G25.

I agree that for the price of the oil and a filter, and half an hour of my own time, its just good insurance.

I also supply the same oil to the dealer for them to use as I do think that using the same brand/spec high quality oil is important. And it saves me lots of $ compared to what the dealer charges for their oil.

A lot of people dont realise the stop/start city traffic driving and lots of short trips is regarded as “extreme driving conditions” which the service guide calls for interim oil changes. High speed highway driving is far easier on the car than that.

 

[Jmaz]

The Mazda service schedule here in Aus is every 15000kms on the 2024 model G25.

On my 2015/16 CX5 2.2D it was 10000kms. I had it serviced by the dealer but did an interim oil change myself every 5000kms. No problems in 8 years/115,000kms.

I will continue the practice of doing an interim oil change myself halfway ie at 7500kms on our new Akera G25.

I agree that for the price of the oil and a filter, and half an hour of my own time, its just good insurance.

I also supply the same oil to the dealer for them to use as I do think that using the same brand/spec high quality oil is important. And it saves me lots of $ compared to what the dealer charges for their oil.

A lot of people dont realise the stop/start city traffic driving and lots of short trips is regarded as “extreme driving conditions” which the service guide calls for interim oil changes. High speed highway driving is far easier on the car than that.

So, your "interim oil change at 7500 kms" is about 4700 miles. Not too different an interval from what some members here observe. The Mazda service schedule of 15,000 kms would be excessive for city driving as we both would concur. The majority of my driving is what I "call around town" which can be 10-12 stops in 2-3 miles or a few less stops if some local suburban driving but not stop and go city traffic inching along.
I'm retired and was doing ~ 7000 mi/yr but now am closer to 6,000 mi/yr since most regular trips (grocery, post office, local stores, exercise, coffee and lunch out, etc.) are between 1-1/2 and 4-1/2 miles. Even if not in extreme conditions it's still a lot of short trips so the oil gets changed many times by 3,000 miles and no more than 4,000 generally. Basically spring and fall schedule. Not too expensive on an annual basis to keep the engine humming along.

 

[Jmaz]

That engine looks new! What kind of oil are you using?

I had the oil changed at the Mazda dealer for the first 6 years (1 year past drivetrain warranty expiration-- and having had 42 years of oil changes under my belt I didn't feel any loss of manliness by letting them do it for a while ). About every 3500-4000 miles. After the factory fill, they mostly used bulk Valvoline synthetic 0W-20. The oils used in the last 4-1/2 years since resuming have been experimenting with a variety of brands. All synthetic naturally.
>Idemitsu 0W-20 bargain price of $5/ 5 qt jug @ Auto Zone clearance
>Idemitsu 5W-30 " " "
>Castrol Edge 0W-20 (twice, didn't like it. Got dark sooner and thinner than I felt it should)
>Quaker State Ultra FS 5w-30 (twice, it's on the thicker side for a 5W so searched for something a bit thinner)
>Pennzoil 5W-30 FS (2 or 3 times, basic black label, not Platinum, thinner than QS, decent)
> Supertech 5W-30 FS (had to try it and I like it, good reviews on BITOG -- that was the current oil when I did the valve cover gasket ----I may stay with this )
>Supertech Advanced FS 5W-30 (just put in last week. I'll see if it's worth the extra $1 /jug LOL)

Probably more info than you wanted to know but off the top of my head there it is. I guess they all worked. The engine didn't blow up and it's stayed clean from what I can see.

 

[madar]

I had the oil changed at the Mazda dealer for the first 6 years (1 year past drivetrain warranty expiration-- and having had 42 years of oil changes under my belt I didn't feel any loss of manliness by letting them do it for a while ). About every 3500-4000 miles. After the factory fill, they mostly used bulk Valvoline synthetic 0W-20. The oils used in the last 4-1/2 years since resuming have been experimenting with a variety of brands. All synthetic naturally.
>Idemitsu 0W-20 bargain price of $5/ 5 qt jug @ Auto Zone clearance
>Idemitsu 5W-30 " " "
>Castrol Edge 0W-20 (twice, didn't like it. Got dark sooner and thinner than I felt it should)
>Quaker State Ultra FS 5w-30 (twice, it's on the thicker side for a 5W so searched for something a bit thinner)
>Pennzoil 5W-30 FS (2 or 3 times, basic black label, not Platinum, thinner than QS, decent)
> Supertech 5W-30 FS (had to try it and I like it, good reviews on BITOG -- that was the current oil when I did the valve cover gasket ----I may stay with this )
>Supertech Advanced FS 5W-30 (just put in last week. I'll see if it's worth the extra $1 /jug LOL)

Probably more info than you wanted to know but off the top of my head there it is. I guess they all worked. The engine didn't blow up and it's stayed clean from what I can see.

It's probably the short OCI that kept it so clean. Had you gone 7k or 8k miles there'd probably be a little more varnish build up in there. Nice!

 

[AL Cx5]

I had the oil changed at the Mazda dealer for the first 6 years (1 year past drivetrain warranty expiration-- and having had 42 years of oil changes under my belt I didn't feel any loss of manliness by letting them do it for a while ). About every 3500-4000 miles. After the factory fill, they mostly used bulk Valvoline synthetic 0W-20. The oils used in the last 4-1/2 years since resuming have been experimenting with a variety of brands. All synthetic naturally.
>Idemitsu 0W-20 bargain price of $5/ 5 qt jug @ Auto Zone clearance
>Idemitsu 5W-30 " " "
>Castrol Edge 0W-20 (twice, didn't like it. Got dark sooner and thinner than I felt it should)
>Quaker State Ultra FS 5w-30 (twice, it's on the thicker side for a 5W so searched for something a bit thinner)
>Pennzoil 5W-30 FS (2 or 3 times, basic black label, not Platinum, thinner than QS, decent)
> Supertech 5W-30 FS (had to try it and I like it, good reviews on BITOG -- that was the current oil when I did the valve cover gasket ----I may stay with this )
>Supertech Advanced FS 5W-30 (just put in last week. I'll see if it's worth the extra $1 /jug LOL)

Probably more info than you wanted to know but off the top of my head there it is. I guess they all worked. The engine didn't blow up and it's stayed clean from what I can see.

All good info right there.

What oil filters have you used?

Have you had an oil sample tested? They run the oil viscosity and many other important tests.

 

[Jmaz]

All good info right there.

What oil filters have you used?

Have you had an oil sample tested? They run the oil viscosity and many other important tests.

Have not had any oil samples taken to be tested. As for filters used:
>First 6 years, Mazda filter because dealer serviced.
When I resumed oil changes:
Ist year --- Mobil 1 filter
next 2 years ---- Fram Ultra synthetic
Last 1-1/2 years --- Purolator "ONE" synthetic blend. Seems like a good filter. See no reason to go back to the Fram Ultra. In fact I have read that Fram has made changes to it that are not for the better. I try to use filters that have a high 90's % efficiency at 25 (ideally 20) microns. On previous vehicles I 've used filters that were efficient at 30 microns with no problems. An individual probably can run a clean engine without a filter for a short time without damage. Can't say that any oil filters I used have shortened engine life or caused problems.

 

[a69mach1377]

Hi there,
Read page 1 and 5 of this so maybe I missed it...
OEM filters; dealer only or other sources
Oil; can the first change, probably before 1k miles, be synthetic or what does Mazda recommend?
I tend not to wait that long for the first change, just to get any break in junk out sooner than later....
2025 turbo

 

[ruthrj]

Hi there,
Read page 1 and 5 of this so maybe I missed it...
OEM filters; dealer only or other sources
Oil; can the first change, probably before 1k miles, be synthetic or what does Mazda recommend?
I tend not to wait that long for the first change, just to get any break in junk out sooner than later....
2025 turbo

From the 2025 owners manual:

SKYACTIV-G 2.5T

Use SAE 5W-30 engine oil.

Mazda Genuine Oil is used in your Mazda vehicle. Mazda Genuine 5W-30 Oil is required to achieve optimum fuel economy.

For maintenance service, Mazda recommends Genuine Mazda Parts and Genuine Mazda Premium Oil.

Only use SAE 5W-30 oil “Certified For Gasoline Engines” by the American Petroleum Institute (API).

Oil with this trademark symbol conforms to the current engine and emission system protection standards and fuel economy requirements of the International Lubricant Standardization and Approval Committee (ILSAC), comprised of U.S. and Japanese automobile manufacturers.

Long story short: plenty of auto 5w-30 oil choices available at Walmart that are at least API Service SM Resource Conserving II (unless Mazda OEM oil for “optimum fuel economy”, which I’m sure other oils will do just fine). No stipulation for synthetic or conventional from Mazda. Others have contacted them and they don’t deviate from this guidance in the manual.

 

[N7turbo]

Oil; can the first change, probably before 1k miles, be synthetic or what does Mazda recommend?

Full Synthetic 5W-30 meeting the latest spec: currently API SP and ILSAC GF-6.

Oil Categories

The American Petroleum Institute (API) is the only national trade association that represents all aspects of America’s oil and natural gas industry. Our more than 600 corporate members, from the largest major oil company to the smallest of independents, come from all segments of the industry.

www.api.org

 

[ruthrj]

Full Synthetic 5W-30 meeting the latest spec: currently API SP and ILSAC GF-6.

Oil Categories

The American Petroleum Institute (API) is the only national trade association that represents all aspects of America’s oil and natural gas industry. Our more than 600 corporate members, from the largest major oil company to the smallest of independents, come from all segments of the industry.

www.api.org

This is what I do, I don’t know why the owners manual isn’t up to API SP or recommend GF-6.