Mazda 6 oil change, 5w-20 or 5w-30

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Originally Posted By: 06VtecV6

I've been using 5w-20 on my 2006 V6 Honda that calls for 5w-20 but in 2005 asked for 5w-30 and my car is running stronger then when brand new...ofcourse that is due largely to break-in but I have full confidence that the design of the engine is good enough to offset in extra wear and get me to the 250-300 thousand mile pinnacle we Japanese car wanters seek in earnest..


Too bad the POS Honda transmissions don't have the same longevity. Put down the Kool-Aid, and back away from the bowl.

Drew
 
Originally Posted By: FiremarshalRob
Good day. I will be changing the oil in my mom's 2007 Mazda 6 tomorrow. I have bought the oil and Motorcraft filter for it aleady.
A few questions.
The 2.3L calls for 5w-20. I bought some dino Valvoline 5w-30 for it. I have researched online and I have read that 5w-20 gives 1% better gas mileage, but yields 30% more engine wear than 5w-30. If this is simply false, I may go with Mobil Clean 5000 5w-20 since that is what's recommended. On the other hand, my F150 calls for 5w-20, and I have always put 5w-30 in it.

Any truths to this or simply a myth?

There is also a conversion kit through Mazda that will allow screw on filters to be used instead of the cartridge. An arguement that you can only get the cartridge from Mazda and it is very expensive seems to be the driving force for people getting the conversion kit. However, I found the motorcraft filter at Wal-Mart for less than 4 dollars.

Has anyone made the conversion to screw on filters for the Mazda 6??


5w-20 for FE, 5w-30 for wear paranoia.
 
The Mazda dealer has been changing the oil in my wifes '03 MPV (same engine as Mazda6 V6) every 5-6K miles for the past 98K miles. The dealer uses Motorcraft 5w-20 and MC filter. Her van is the total soccermom van; started 10 times a day and never drives more than 10 mile each time. Looking into the oilcap, the chain and sprokets are shiney as new without even a speck of sluge buildup, even when I feel under the valve cover. Nice and clean. Those number you have listed, as others have already said, are bunk. Not everyone belongs on the internet.
 
We purchsed my daughter a 2003 Mazda 6 for her college graduation. I have changed the oil on it more than a few times.

Use 5w-20, Motorcraft, Castrol, Mobil, Havoline, Pennsoil, synthetic or conventional. I have yet to find an oil that will give me any sort of indication of a problem. No noise, no drips, no slips, no bings, bangs or tapping of any kind.

Yes! You can use the Mazda 3 spin on filter. In order to do this you will have to go to Mazda and get a friendly parts guy to look up the part numbers. Or go to the Mazda 6 forum and get the part numbers from there. However, changing the filter setup will indeed void your engine warranty, without a doubt. I do not have ready access to the leterature but it has been discussed on the Mazda 6 forum.

The cartridge filter for the Mazda 6 is available from Purolator at an approximate cost of $4. Readily available at Advanced Auto. I have purchased them there many times. I remove the filter with one of them strap wrench thingeys. No damage no problems.

The wear numbers for the 5w-20 I think is a buch of hooey! You can use the 5w-30 without any worry of engine damage and frankly in everyday driving I doubt you will see any difference in fuel mileage. But I like the 5w-20 and I have a boucoup of it on hand bought at $1 a quart on close out.
 
I've done UOAs on our Honda with both 5W-30 and the factory recommended 5W-20. Wear metals were slightly lower on the 5W-20 run. I'm convinced that for engines 5W-20 is specified for there is no "additional wear" under normal use circumstances. Now if I were going to pull a trailer across mountain ranges in the summer I would probably put a good 5W-30 synthetic in for a touch of extra high temperature operating margin, but even that would probably not be needed.
 
Originally Posted By: wgtoys
I've done UOAs on our Honda with both 5W-30 and the factory recommended 5W-20. Wear metals were slightly lower on the 5W-20 run. I'm convinced that for engines 5W-20 is specified for there is no "additional wear" under normal use circumstances. Now if I were going to pull a trailer across mountain ranges in the summer I would probably put a good 5W-30 synthetic in for a touch of extra high temperature operating margin, but even that would probably not be needed.


+1
 
Been using 5w-20 Eneos synthetic for about a year and the 2007 Mazda 6 2.3 is running beautifully.

No issues to speak of due to the oil, I have the dealer do the change caus he charges only 19.00 for it and includes the filter, fluids and inspection...

My time is worth more than that, plus if they screw it up, they are liable :)
 
Originally Posted By: dmac43
Been using 5w-20 Eneos synthetic for about a year and the 2007 Mazda 6 2.3 is running beautifully.

No issues to speak of due to the oil, I have the dealer do the change caus he charges only 19.00 for it and includes the filter, fluids and inspection...

My time is worth more than that, plus if they screw it up, they are liable :)
That is a great deal.
 
Using Motorcraft 5-20 blend with Fram cartridge. Look at the Fram filter and compare with any other. Sleeper filter outsourced and it looks really good even for a Fram. This is on the 2.3 2003 year Mazda with 80,000 miles.
 
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