MAZDA Says NO to Syn Trans Oil

Smoky14 · Apr 6, 2005

Just go an email from Mazda which said " We do not recommend synthetic gear oil for use in Mazda products". Their reason was that they have not tested them for effect thus they say stay with petro.
Has antone here run a test on hypoid gear oil in a Mazda?
Thanks Smoky

Kestas · Apr 6, 2005

They probably object to synthetic simply because they're too cheap to do the testing... though for technical reasons I can't think of why they should object.

JohnBrowning · Apr 6, 2005

If they used some cheap lame arse ploymer for the seals that is reactive to common automotive solvents or ester base stocks you could have some issues! I would stay with a product that is mostly PAO as PAO is about the same as petro/dino base stocks in terms of reactivity.

I would think you would be fine useing any synthetic in this day and age but with a warning like that who knows?

EricZoom · Apr 7, 2005

I don't listen to Mazda and their bullsh**. I've already put Redline D4 in my 6 and have read numerous posts about many other Mazda owners putting synth.in their cars with no problems.

TheFuror · Apr 7, 2005

quote:

Originally posted by MolaKule:
Could it be they want to sell their mineral oil fluids to you at synthetic prices?

How jaded we have all become....

Personaly, I agree with this and I think a major reason the stealerships say use only the brand name fluid is to get you to buy it there and then have their technicians put it in.

I mean, after all, why does GM only allow or recommend the use of their $30 per quart gear oil in the G80 lockers?

Bob W.

Dick in Falls Church · Apr 7, 2005

My neighbor, and now his son, have been using AMSOIL gear lube in the transmission and rear of his 1985 RX-7 since almost new. Not a problem yet.

TomH · Apr 7, 2005

I plan on replacing the tranny fluid in our 05 Mazda3 5 door this weekend with 3 quarts of 75W90 synthetic GM "grape juice". Seeing that the factory fill is a semi-synthetic, I can't believe that Mazda wouldn't recommend a full syn fluid. Doesn't really matter to me though, I'm putting in the full syn regardless of what Mazda says.

MolaKule · Apr 7, 2005

Could it be they want to sell their mineral oil fluids to you at synthetic prices?

crossbow · Apr 7, 2005

Mazda says the same thing about synthetic engine oils. Its best just to ignore that stuff and do whatever you feel is best for your car based on available information.

Heck the latest service intervals for the 2005 Mazda6s has tranny fluid, coolant, powersteering fluid, and brake fluid with a first change at 100,000 miles!

We all know what happens if you follow that advice =/.

Always remember the manufacturers "recommendations" (not requirements) are for the car to survive the warranty period...not to survive as long as you plan on keeping it.

Pablo · Apr 7, 2005

I gotta think there is a motive such as what Mola proposes.

IF syn is a problem (I highly doubt it) then MAZDA needs to say EXACTLY why it won't work.

Bror Jace · Apr 8, 2005

I'm another who thinks:

A) That manufacturers don't want to bother to research this issue ... so they issue dumbed-down policies which sound like utter nonsense.

B) They'd rather charge you $5 - $15+ per quart for an over-priced and under-engineered OEM product than not make a sale at all.

C) When it comes right down to it, they don't want the vehicle or any of its components lasting 200,000 miles or more.

--- Bror Jace

unDummy · Apr 8, 2005

Mazda has been afraid of the word "synthetic" for years. Shhhh, don't tell them that they are already using a blended synth motor oil, ATF, and PS fluids. They'll freak.

They've been pushing the anti-synth movement for years with the rotary crowd.
Rumours about seal issues, carbon buidlup, yada yada yada, are used to spread fear.

The truth is that Mazda lost a sponsor(oil company) a while back for one of the race cars/series. Since then, synthetic was shunned even though Mazda went to Idemitsu for synthetic racing oil. Hypocrites!

TooSlick · Apr 8, 2005

Amsoil used to sponser a twin turbo, 600+ Hp, RX-7 back in the late 1970's. It was driven by Rod Millen for those old enough to remember him. At the time Mazda was warning about the evils of using synthetic lubricants in their rotary engines.

The gear oil for your car has an SAE grade and API specification. Match those are there is no issue here.

Tooslick

Bror Jace · Apr 9, 2005

" ... Mazda was warning about the evils of using synthetic lubricants in their rotary engines."

I wonder if this was an issue with early PAOs and they lack of detergency in the finished formulas?

--- Bror Jace

SteveD2 · Apr 11, 2005

'99 Miata that sees low mileage but high-stress use...Solo2, drivers' schools, and general WOT flogging. 41k currently. Started complete synthetic at ~3k. Just did (premature?) tranny/diff change and the old came out looking just like it did going in (though no UOA was done).

AMSOil S2k 0w-30 in the motor. 8-10k OCI, filter only at halfway point.
AMSOil S2k 75w-90 in tranny and torsen diff.

Couldn't be better...no worries!

$0.02,

dookie

teamDFL · Apr 11, 2005

This is a confusing thing for them to say. Many of the newer Duratec Mazda's come equipped with the MTX-75 ford transaxle and that comes factory filled with synthetic XT-M5-QS when they are in a Ford. Not sure what Mazda puts in them, but I would think that it is the same stuff.

I have recently switched my MTX-75 to MolaKule's MTL-P as reported here.

crossbow · Apr 11, 2005

Hey DFL, I just put MTL-R into the same tranny

.

TomH · Apr 11, 2005

quote:

Originally posted by teamDFL:
Many of the newer Duratec Mazda's come equipped with the MTX-75 ford transaxle

This is incorrect. The 03+ Mazda6 and the 04+ Mazda3 vehicles equipped with the Duratec (MZR in Mazdaspeek) 2.3 come equipped with the Mazda built G35M tranny, the MTX-75 tranny is used in the Focus and I believe the Fusion, but no Mazda vehicles I'm aware of use the MTX-75.

teamDFL · Apr 11, 2005

quote:

Originally posted by TomH:

quote:

Originally posted by teamDFL:
Many of the newer Duratec Mazda's come equipped with the MTX-75 ford transaxle

Click to expand...

This is incorrect. The 03+ Mazda6 and the 04+ Mazda3 vehicles equipped with the Duratec 2.3 come equipped with the Mazda built G35M tranny, the MTX-75 tranny is used in the Focus and I believe the Fusion, but no Mazda vehicles I'm aware of use the MTX-75.

I stand corrected! Thanks. Is this the same transaxle as once found in the Protege?

TomH · Apr 11, 2005

quote:

Originally posted by teamDFL:
Is this the same transaxle as once found in the Protege?

IIRC, it's the same tranny slightly beefed up to handle the 2.3s greater torque.

MAZDA Says NO to Syn Trans Oil

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