Oil Recommendations for two vehicles / 0w20/5w30

[Gene K]

0W20 is their way of making sure you use an oil capable of the 10,000 mile drain. 5W30 Conventional and an OLM programmed for a Synthetic is a recipe for disaster.

 

[CT8]

0w30 or 5w-30 in both vehicles. Syn oils for the cold and extended oil change intervals.

 

[MisterBen]

I picked up some M1 5w30 EP at WalMart, the rebate sealed the deal. Still expensive when you have to buy two single quarts (almost as much as the 5 qt jug!). I almost went with Castrol, as it was a little cheaper for the Edge gold bottle, but the rebate makes a big difference. With the EP, I'm thinking of just sticking with the 12mo/10k interval the manual specifies. I should probably do a UOA at some point. It's not necessarily a great frame of reference, but the engine through the filler neck looks sparkling and it's lived mostly on Toyota 0w20. The new job I'm taking won't leave me as much free time for wrenching, and I have an old pickup that will probably take most of that.

Originally Posted By: Gene K
0W20 is their way of making sure you use an oil capable of the 10,000 mile drain. 5W30 Conventional and an OLM programmed for a Synthetic is a recipe for disaster.


This is a good point. The owner's manual is very clear that the OLM in the Mazda is calibrated for 0w20 and should only be used with such.

We have one free oil change from the dealer, so I will probably use that for an early change, then maybe do one more short one, then just switch to the OLM and a good synthetic. Maybe try the Castrol. It's what Mazda recommends, so I'm sure it's been scrutinized and certified specifically for use in this motor

.