Propflux01
$100 Site Donor 2025
Then change it after one year, regardless of mileage. I'm not sure on your idle rise, as mine only take about 15 -30 seconds max to come down. I then drive off.
OCI recommendation for TGDI?
- Thread starter majestic_lurker
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Yeah probably don't need to wait as long as I do. Good 15-30 seconds like you said and just go slowly until warmed.
Also, surprised you used OE version of Amsoil and not SS on your 2.5T. Not that it's bad but I guess I'm just a person that likes to use the best version of things even when unnecessary. Granted, you're not doing extended drains (and rightfully so) based on your roughly 5k OCI.
Triple_Se7en
$50 Site Donor 2024
Majestic Lurker
Why keep your year, make, model and engine numbers a big secret here?
When including location for purposes of engine care, what's the big deal about not revealing where exactly you live.... (example: Minnesota)
Stay on-top of what your vehicle manufacturer requires for viscosity / oil grade purposes. You can move outside of that box - to an upwards number, should your Owners Manual say "Recommends" instead of Requires.
Pay attention to the specs that your vehicle recommends / requires. Those are listed on the back of almost every somewhat recent SL / SN / SN Plus / SP motor oil jug on this earth. Your booklet may even make reference to some-sort of Dexos verbage. Research yours here at BITOG, or on Google Search.
Why keep your year, make, model and engine numbers a big secret here?
When including location for purposes of engine care, what's the big deal about not revealing where exactly you live.... (example: Minnesota)
Stay on-top of what your vehicle manufacturer requires for viscosity / oil grade purposes. You can move outside of that box - to an upwards number, should your Owners Manual say "Recommends" instead of Requires.
Pay attention to the specs that your vehicle recommends / requires. Those are listed on the back of almost every somewhat recent SL / SN / SN Plus / SP motor oil jug on this earth. Your booklet may even make reference to some-sort of Dexos verbage. Research yours here at BITOG, or on Google Search.
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Propflux01
$100 Site Donor 2025
Only reason I did was the general consensus that 5K OCI was "too early" on most any engine it seems. Right now, it has HPL 'premium passenger car" 5w-30 in it, (which HPL said themselves that 5K was more than adequate).
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I wrote 2024 Mazda 3 2.5T AWD in my writeup so a little confused about what you're saying. Also I mentioned upper midwest and that generally means Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan. Generally the same weather from my observations from being around all 3.
I also said I used 5w-30 because that's what Mazda calls for on this car. Also the two oils I mentioned way surpasses what is recommended in the owner's manual (only API SM, SN, or SP). It's not even close.
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I really want to try HPL but I think it's overkill for the amount that I drive, which is not much at all. Very costly too but maybe I'll try it some day.
AZjeff
$50 Site Donor 2023
It sounds like you bought a TGDI hot hatch for mainly short trip around town use. Keep it simple and do the annual 3K OCI with your best oil choice and forget about saving $5 on rebate or whatever. Besides warm-up there can be another debate on doing the OC in fall or spring. Get that car out 2x a month every month and do a drive that will get it up to operating temp to burn off the fuel and condensation in the oil. Give it some hard pulls. At 3k/year it's going to take years to build trends with UOAs. Is this use case reason to go right to Valvoline R&P to keep things cleaner?
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The Mazda 3 community would certainly not consider this a hot hatch. I don't either due to its heavy lean towards luxury and rear torsion beam. I do occasional heavy-footed driving when going up highway ramps and it's cool for that!
Huh... never considered putting in Valvoline Restore and Protect... It has an HTHS of 3.2 versus 3.5 of the two oils I mentioned. That would be my hesitancy and I know this forum is full of opinions when it comes to HTHS. I guess the truth is that we don't know the real-world differences between the HTHS ratings and that's what makes me afraid of going lower than 3.5 for my TGDI. However, it's impressive what Restore and Protect has supposedly shown to do for the engine. I may consider it.
AZjeff
$50 Site Donor 2023
We obsess about HTHS. Your use is considered severe but would you consider it extreme conditions? Is HTHS critically important for an engine that barely/rarely gets to full temp and doesn't get run hard frequently?
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Heh you've got a good point. It doesn't get tracked and oftentimes doesn't get up to full temperature on those short trips. Guess it's just me trying to eek out the most protection (whether that even translates to real-world differences) from good valued oils.
Making me second guess myself.
Propflux01
$100 Site Donor 2025
I'm a bit OCD on oil, even if it is "good enough for 5K" Ill go a bit above and beyond. It's oil, it won't break me. I am also one of those that believe Bore wear is greatest on a cold engine, (think two-stroke seizure), hence my 15-30 seconds until it idles down, and then easy driving till it's up to temp, then 'game on'.
edyvw
$50 site donor 2025
Keep it simple.
Is there a bit longer route to your work? Take it. Or a route that allows some HWY driving?
I take my wife's Tiguan sometimes just to give "some exercise." 5-6,500rpms once it is up at operating temperature.
Keep MB229.51 and 5k and that is it. The only thing I would not do is idle, as I mentioned, keep the HVAC cold! Keeping HVAC at the cold position for 2-3 miles will speed up warming up, and you might hit the operating temperature while commuting.
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I work from home so that's why it's such low expected annual mileage. I'm likely switching over to Valvoline XL-III so I should be good there. I don't see myself hitting that 5k annually and oil is cheap enough that I'm okay switching it out in that interval. Just wanted the opinions of people here who are oil enthusiasts/experts.
Patman
Staff member
It’s too bad that Mazda got rid of the Mazdaspeed division because they could have done something really cool with the new Mazda 3 Turbos! I think it’s a real sleeper car with its 325 ft lbs of torque! That’s the kind of numbers that are usually seen on much larger engines (heck that’s more torque than the Fox Body 5.0 made!)
I think if there was a new version of the Mazdaspeed3 with this engine, plus a beefed up suspension and brakes, a manual transmission, and a little bit more boost giving it 300hp/350 tq would be a lot of fun!! And having all wheel drive would make it way easier to launch off the line compared to the old front drive Mazdaspeed3s
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Dude I hear ya. Once I get this thing tuned (still waiting on tuner) with a cat back exhaust, it'll be producing roughly 330-350 HP and nearly 400 ft/lb torque. That's the most Mazdaspeed it's gonna get lol.
Patman
Staff member
That should be a lot of fun and hopefully it’s more durable than the old Mazdaspeed3 engines! I am in a Mazdaspeed Facebook group and a lot of guys there have blown up their engines with more boost. They refer to it as Zoom Zoom Boom when that happens
JTK
$100 Site Donor 2025
With the little LYX 1.5T in my 2021 Chevy Equinox AWD, I'm sticking with a ~4500mi OCI. I don't trust the internal passages on the PCV system on these engines. The only way to get at them is pull the fuel rail and injectors so you can remove the cam cover to inspect and/or replace the cam cover. I have been running Valvoline R&P on it, but of course it's not Dexos1 rated.
Hot hatches with torsion beam rear suspension (just off the top of my head, I’m sure there’s more):
- Fiesta ST
- Clio RS
- Megane RS
- 205 GTi
- 208 GTi
- 308 GTi
- up! GTI
- Polo GTI
- Swift Sport
- i20 N
I really dislike the way people think torsion beam equals bad. It’s simply not true.
It’s the execution, not the ingredients, that matters.
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It's not so much the rear torsion beam itself that's bad. It's just not the same handling as it was for the Mazdaspeed is all. I personally like the rear torsion beam on this car but to each their own.
I totally understand your POV. I guess Mazda just never set out to make the Mazda3 Turbo a hot hatch, unlike the MPS which was designed to be a hot hatch from the outset.