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Mazda Engine Oil

140K views 11 replies 7 participants last post by  Gasper 
#1 ·
Can anyone tell me what is the best engine oil for a new Mazda 3 car, e.g. 10W-30 or 10w-50 ?
Thank you.
 
#2 ·
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5w-20 is recommended, but since I live in a hot climate, I have been using 5w-30 especially in the summer months.
10w's are not recommended and not necessary.

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#4 ·
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5w-20 is recommended, but since I live in a hot climate, I have been using 5w-30 especially in the summer months.
10w's are not recommended and not necessary.

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I believe the manual states that while 5W-20 is "preferred," 5W-30 may be used as well. However, it should be noted that 5W-20 is an excellent oil and many brands of it outperform 5W-30s in used oil analysis comparisons. It's rumored that almost all 5W-20s contain superior base oils so they can rely less on additives, and some regard the Motorcraft synthetic blend 5W-20 to be one of the best oils out there...

For the Speed3, well, they want you to use 5W-30. But I think that engine probably wants a full synthetic...
 
#6 ·
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To me it is. I would recommend putting some miles on the engine first though. Make sure it's well broken in, say 10K (16K kms.) Synths do such a good job of lubricating that the rings may not seat properly if done (converted) too early.
Yes it costs more up front, but you can run it to 10~15k miles (up to 24000 kms) as long as you change the filter after 5k (I'm talking miles here.)
I have been running synths in the engine for a while now, in this and other cars I've owned. I change the filter once in 10k miles and top it off, then change the oil and filter together @10k. If you run it up to 15k, you'd do the filter change twice during that time.


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#7 ·
Mobil1 synthetic in Walmart is $20 here. One of the best synthetic you can find. Since its so cheap it is worth using. Just ask the dealer you wanna bring your oil yourself. Will be much cheaper this way. Otherwise mazda may charge too much for it.

If you are buying a new car, change the oil at 1k kms or so. Oil will be very dirty at first.
 
#8 ·
Thanks guys. I've summarized what I think you're telling me. Please correct where I've misunderstood.

ODO reading: 1,000km: Change Oil and Filter using conventional 5W-20
ODO reading: 8,000km: Normal Oil & Filter change using conventional 5W-20
ODO reading: 16,000km: Scheduled Service, but provide dealer with Mobil 1 Synthetic 5W-20
ODO reading: 24,000km: Change Filter and Top-Off with Mobil 1 Synthetic 5W-20 if needed, provide own oil
ODO reading: 32,000km: Change Oil and Filter continuing with Synthetic, provide own oil
ODO reading: 40,000km: Change Filter and Top-Off with Mobil 1 Synthetic 5W-20 if needed, provide own oil
ODO reading: 48,000km: Change Oil and Filter continuing with Synthetic, provide own oil
...

Mazda recommends 8,000km service intervals for Canada. Will my not changing the oil at those intervals negate my warranty and the extended warranty that I've purchased (comprehensive 7/160,000km)? That would be my principal worry in what you've outlined. :(

Thanks again for your help. I'm really looking forward to getting my new car! :D
 
#9 ·
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Sounds about right to me, Schmoo!

And , NDF, thanks for the input too. That's good information and I will keep it in mind.
I know from the past that more "X" factor additives, as they are called to increase the viscosity range, are not as good for longevity.
I may just stay w/5w-20, even through the hot Texas summer, based on your reminder of those facts.

Saint, I used M1 for many years in my old (1980) Honda Civic, but it has changed for the worse over the last year or so. Rumor and testing state that in order to keep prices lower (and by extension) increase profit, that Mobile is using a much cheaper base than they once were and hoping their previous reputation as the most popular synthetic oil will continue sales.
I myself have switched to Castrol SynTech which is a bit more expensive, and if I were using the car harder would consider using Redline, Amsoil or Royal Purple instead. For my purposes, I find the mainline/more popular lubricants sufficient.

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#10 ·
Thanks Virgin1! Glad to hear my reading comprehension hasn't gone downhill since grade school. However, no one tackled my question about warranty-related implications of doubling Mazda's recommended oil change intervals.

I guess at the end of the day, the incremental cost of the synthetics isn't that much when one considers 3 oil changes per year -- $60 or so extra.

Noted the comments about Castrol Syntec. That stuff is readily available around here as are Redline and Royal Purple.

Also, a few of you have referred to test results so I'm curious who carries out this type of testing and where you find the results.

Thanks again,

N
 
#11 ·
Mobil1 synthetic in Walmart is $20 here. One of the best synthetic you can find. Since its so cheap it is worth using. Just ask the dealer you wanna bring your oil yourself. Will be much cheaper this way. Otherwise mazda may charge too much for it.

If you are buying a new car, change the oil at 1k kms or so. Oil will be very dirty at first.[/b]

WHAT? Mobil1 at my Walmart was $26 dollars! I ended up getting Pennzoil Platinum 5w-20. In the long run, you'll save money by changing your oil yourself and using synthetic IMO

I just made the switch to synthetic yesterday! :)
 
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