Mazda skyactive oil change interval - a bit much

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Maybe Mazda Canada is creating their own 'out' if the Sky Active engine sees too many warranty claims for whatever....not many owners will be able to show full compliance with this oci regimen. Get it through the powertrain warranty, and then do as you like.
 
Originally Posted By: i_hate_autofraud
If it's a warranty requirement, use the cheapest oil allowed, after warranty, stretch it out and use the best oil.

If your engine is truly high compression, then you'd have to use hi octane gas. If reg gas is OK, then it must be something else.

Also possible service interval designed to keep dealers happy and customer pockets empty!!

lol

Mazda's gasoline Skyactive engines use a 13:1 compression ratio in the USA, 14:1 elsewhere. Here they are rated for 87 octane gas, elsewhere they require premium. They use direct injection and other strategies to allow the high CR without pinging. Some have found that MPG is better with premium fuel in the US - I'm doing my own experiment on that now and I'll post about it after it's done.

Wikipedia article
 
I have an 09 Silverado the 5.3 liter and 64k miles and use the oil light monitor and fill with Mobil 1 Extended Milage 5w30 with a Mobil 1 oil filter. For my next oil change could I use five quarts of Mobil One Extended Milage and use a quart of Mobil 1 0w20 left over from my wife's last oil change on her Mazdz 3? My oil changes are six quarts. Thanks
 
Originally Posted By: nurtlh
I have an 09 Silverado the 5.3 liter and 64k miles and use the oil light monitor and fill with Mobil 1 Extended Milage 5w30 with a Mobil 1 oil filter. For my next oil change could I use five quarts of Mobil One Extended Milage and use a quart of Mobil 1 0w20 left over from my wife's last oil change on her Mazdz 3? My oil changes are six quarts. Thanks

I'm confused about your question. Are you putting the 0W20 in your Silverado or the 5W30 in your wife's Mazda3?

Either way I'd do it and not lose any sleep over it.
 
Originally Posted By: UncleDave
I see DB master already chimed in.

UD


Yup!

I'm not selling microGreen. I'm just saying that I think lots of people change their oil too often. My opinion.
 
NateDN10,

Originally Posted By: NateDN10
Mazda has 2 service schedules - normal (which calls for 7500 mi. / 6 mo. oil changes), and severe (which calls for 5000 mi. / 4 mo. oil changes). Canadian residents are automatically placed into the severe schedule (because apparently everyone in Canada lives north of the Arctic circle).


It is amazing how living in different continents changes things. Here they spec 1 year/ 20'000 km (12'400 miles) for skyactiv engines. I was mainly interested in Mazda2 with Skyactiv-G 115 engine (https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mazda2#Motoren_3) so I asked sales rep what are the service intervals, etc.
 
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Originally Posted By: BHopkins
That does sound very conservative, especially when 0W-20 only comes in synthetic.

My Outback uses the same oil and the manual calls out a 7500 mile oci. but Subaru has since changed the interval to 6k. Blackstone keeps recommending that I try 10k, but I haven't done it yet, as it would throw the motor oil off of all the other preventative maintenance.

Perhaps a UOA on the next drain and fill so you can see if there is a reason why Mazda is so conservative on OCI.


I have a CX5 (2.0L) with 30k miles and religious 5k oil changes on Mazda Moly. I just sent a UOA to Blackstone, I'll reply back to the thread with my results.
 
If at only 5,000 miles your report is less than great I would be very concerned. Push it to 10K, or beyond, and then I'll be impressed.
 
Originally Posted By: NateDN10
Originally Posted By: i_hate_autofraud
If it's a warranty requirement, use the cheapest oil allowed, after warranty, stretch it out and use the best oil.

If your engine is truly high compression, then you'd have to use hi octane gas. If reg gas is OK, then it must be something else.

Also possible service interval designed to keep dealers happy and customer pockets empty!!

lol

Mazda's gasoline Skyactive engines use a 13:1 compression ratio in the USA, 14:1 elsewhere. Here they are rated for 87 octane gas, elsewhere they require premium. They use direct injection and other strategies to allow the high CR without pinging. Some have found that MPG is better with premium fuel in the US - I'm doing my own experiment on that now and I'll post about it after it's done.

Wikipedia article


^^^^^^^ Well said....
 
Here is the report on my 2013 CX-5 with 30k miles (5k mile interval). I drive 15 miles to work (30 miles round trip) per day.
 
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This was my UOA after the 30K run with microGreen filters. The oil was M1 0W-20 AFE and the two half-quart make up additions at filter change time was Mazda 0W-20 w/moly. I incorrectly stated that I used 1.5 quarts, but there were only two times I had to add a pint due to changing the filter.
 
Originally Posted By: 2002 Maxima SE

Here is the report on my 2013 CX-5 with 30k miles (5k mile interval). I drive 15 miles to work (30 miles round trip) per day.


This is a very bad report. The 330F flashpoint indicates much higher fuel dilution than 2.8%. Blackstone labs estimates fuel dilution from the flashpoint which is useless. You need to use another lab that offers GC testing for accurate fuel numbers. Typical motor oil flash point ranges from 420 - 485F so 330F probably means over 5% fuel.
 
Originally Posted By: HKPolice
Originally Posted By: 2002 Maxima SE

Here is the report on my 2013 CX-5 with 30k miles (5k mile interval). I drive 15 miles to work (30 miles round trip) per day.


This is a very bad report. The 330F flashpoint indicates much higher fuel dilution than 2.8%. Blackstone labs estimates fuel dilution from the flashpoint which is useless. You need to use another lab that offers GC testing for accurate fuel numbers. Typical motor oil flash point ranges from 420 - 485F so 330F probably means over 5% fuel.


Even with assumed 5% fuel, the rest of the report is stellar. Could you explain why "this is a very bad report"?
 
Originally Posted By: 2002 Maxima SE
Originally Posted By: HKPolice
Originally Posted By: 2002 Maxima SE

Here is the report on my 2013 CX-5 with 30k miles (5k mile interval). I drive 15 miles to work (30 miles round trip) per day.


This is a very bad report. The 330F flashpoint indicates much higher fuel dilution than 2.8%. Blackstone labs estimates fuel dilution from the flashpoint which is useless. You need to use another lab that offers GC testing for accurate fuel numbers. Typical motor oil flash point ranges from 420 - 485F so 330F probably means over 5% fuel.


Even with assumed 5% fuel, the rest of the report is stellar. Could you explain why "this is a very bad report"?


I think HKPolice is saying that the primary purpose of a UOA is to determine the condition of the oil, not the engine. Metallic particle counts are interesting and maybe meaningful, but with differences in filtration and particle size should be not be considered an absolute statement of health. But UOAs can show, via TBN, flashpoint, viscosity, and fuel % pretty definitively whether or not the oil is still capable of protecting moving parts.

In your case, there is a lot of fuel in the oil and viscosity is on the low side, but probably not at the point where the engine is at risk. Fuel dilution seems to be the culprit and this is not uncommon with DI engines and time will tell if engineers have made the right compromises balancing fuel economy and durability. HKPolice is correct about Blackstone's fuel dilution figures: if this is of concern to you send a sample to a lab that uses gas chromotography (e.g. Polaris). The DI engine in my Honda has produced similar results; I'd be happier if it didn't.
 
Originally Posted By: Danh
Originally Posted By: 2002 Maxima SE
Originally Posted By: HKPolice
Originally Posted By: 2002 Maxima SE

Here is the report on my 2013 CX-5 with 30k miles (5k mile interval). I drive 15 miles to work (30 miles round trip) per day.


This is a very bad report. The 330F flashpoint indicates much higher fuel dilution than 2.8%. Blackstone labs estimates fuel dilution from the flashpoint which is useless. You need to use another lab that offers GC testing for accurate fuel numbers. Typical motor oil flash point ranges from 420 - 485F so 330F probably means over 5% fuel.


Even with assumed 5% fuel, the rest of the report is stellar. Could you explain why "this is a very bad report"?


I think HKPolice is saying that the primary purpose of a UOA is to determine the condition of the oil, not the engine. Metallic particle counts are interesting and maybe meaningful, but with differences in filtration and particle size should be not be considered an absolute statement of health. But UOAs can show, via TBN, flashpoint, viscosity, and fuel % pretty definitively whether or not the oil is still capable of protecting moving parts.

In your case, there is a lot of fuel in the oil and viscosity is on the low side, but probably not at the point where the engine is at risk. Fuel dilution seems to be the culprit and this is not uncommon with DI engines and time will tell if engineers have made the right compromises balancing fuel economy and durability. HKPolice is correct about Blackstone's fuel dilution figures: if this is of concern to you send a sample to a lab that uses gas chromotography (e.g. Polaris). The DI engine in my Honda has produced similar results; I'd be happier if it didn't.


Got it! Thanks for the additional info. I wonder why Blackstone recommended to try a longer interval next time?
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: 2002 Maxima SE
Originally Posted By: Danh
Originally Posted By: 2002 Maxima SE
Originally Posted By: HKPolice

This is a very bad report. The 330F flashpoint indicates much higher fuel dilution than 2.8%. Blackstone labs estimates fuel dilution from the flashpoint which is useless. You need to use another lab that offers GC testing for accurate fuel numbers. Typical motor oil flash point ranges from 420 - 485F so 330F probably means over 5% fuel.


Even with assumed 5% fuel, the rest of the report is stellar. Could you explain why "this is a very bad report"?


I think HKPolice is saying that the primary purpose of a UOA is to determine the condition of the oil, not the engine. Metallic particle counts are interesting and maybe meaningful, but with differences in filtration and particle size should be not be considered an absolute statement of health. But UOAs can show, via TBN, flashpoint, viscosity, and fuel % pretty definitively whether or not the oil is still capable of protecting moving parts.

In your case, there is a lot of fuel in the oil and viscosity is on the low side, but probably not at the point where the engine is at risk. Fuel dilution seems to be the culprit and this is not uncommon with DI engines and time will tell if engineers have made the right compromises balancing fuel economy and durability. HKPolice is correct about Blackstone's fuel dilution figures: if this is of concern to you send a sample to a lab that uses gas chromotography (e.g. Polaris). The DI engine in my Honda has produced similar results; I'd be happier if it didn't.


Got it! Thanks for the additional info. I wonder why Blackstone recommended to try a longer interval next time?


IMO it's part of their marketing strategy. You paid for the UOA and it makes you feel good & safe that you can extend the interval but you still have to submit & pay for another sample to be sure.... This ensures repeat business. Blackstone is the worst lab to use for UOAs because they lack gas chromatography testing for fuel dilution, they also do viscosity testing manually with a stop watch and I've seen retests being done because high margins of error.
 
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