Just wanted to toss some info out there for the higher mileage Skyactiv owners out there on the fence for Valvoline Restore and Protect oil.
These engines run cooler than most, and as a result rarely burn oil or SEEM to generate much sludge. When I removed the valve cover at 160k the engine was spotless. I never thought they would benefit from an oil to remove deposits like this. I’ve run STRICTLY Castrol EDGE High Mileage 0w20 in the last 80k hard commuting miles. 5-7k OCI/OEM filters. Car gets run up to higher RPM and spirited driving frequently.
Currently at just over 240k, zero oil consumption. Best car/engine I’ve ever had. Recently when attempting to merge on the freeway, car lost 90% of power and CEL came on. First time in 240k it’s ever come on.
Code for intake VVT stuck retarded. Drain/filled with Valvoline Restore and Protect 0w20. Let it idle like an hour, cleaned the code. Drove around. Problem gone. Over the next several days of driving, car ran smoother and smoother. Noticeably easier/more willing to rev (manual), and you can notice a smoother transition as the VVT actuates through the RPM range. No sign whatsoever of that issue coming back.
My takeaways- strict 5k OCIs are probably important for this engine, on this site people like to run these ridiculously long OCIs, wouldn’t recommend for this car. The last 2 times I pushed 4-months/7k due to extended freeway percentage. Never again.
VVT in these Skyactivs is definitely the one place sludge hides. There are some Mazda TSBs with this issue across all models, and they all call for replacement of VVT components. Given tariff situation, a SINGLE VVT gear is $700 MSRP at the dealer right now. Any solution that doesn’t involve that is probably a good one.
Long term I will probably go back to Edge, and just run 4-5k OCIs for awhile. But the Valvoline Restore and Protect is a great solution for solving this potentially expensive and wide spread issue with Mazda VVT issues.
These engines run cooler than most, and as a result rarely burn oil or SEEM to generate much sludge. When I removed the valve cover at 160k the engine was spotless. I never thought they would benefit from an oil to remove deposits like this. I’ve run STRICTLY Castrol EDGE High Mileage 0w20 in the last 80k hard commuting miles. 5-7k OCI/OEM filters. Car gets run up to higher RPM and spirited driving frequently.
Currently at just over 240k, zero oil consumption. Best car/engine I’ve ever had. Recently when attempting to merge on the freeway, car lost 90% of power and CEL came on. First time in 240k it’s ever come on.
Code for intake VVT stuck retarded. Drain/filled with Valvoline Restore and Protect 0w20. Let it idle like an hour, cleaned the code. Drove around. Problem gone. Over the next several days of driving, car ran smoother and smoother. Noticeably easier/more willing to rev (manual), and you can notice a smoother transition as the VVT actuates through the RPM range. No sign whatsoever of that issue coming back.
My takeaways- strict 5k OCIs are probably important for this engine, on this site people like to run these ridiculously long OCIs, wouldn’t recommend for this car. The last 2 times I pushed 4-months/7k due to extended freeway percentage. Never again.
VVT in these Skyactivs is definitely the one place sludge hides. There are some Mazda TSBs with this issue across all models, and they all call for replacement of VVT components. Given tariff situation, a SINGLE VVT gear is $700 MSRP at the dealer right now. Any solution that doesn’t involve that is probably a good one.
Long term I will probably go back to Edge, and just run 4-5k OCIs for awhile. But the Valvoline Restore and Protect is a great solution for solving this potentially expensive and wide spread issue with Mazda VVT issues.
Last edited by a moderator:
