Oil Change

[ryguy]

So the manual says every 7500 miles. Seems a bit long. Are there reasons to do that earlier?

[GoProtege]

I'd never wait more than 4500 miles. Usually closer to 3000

[ryguy]

I'd never wait more than 4500 miles. Usually closer to 3000

Then why the 7500 mile recommendation???

[GrayZoom]

They usually recommend 7500 miles if you are driving mostly highway miles. Every 5000 miles if you do city/highway mixture. 3000 if only city.

When I had my Mazda3, I would change it every 5000. The dealership would always put on the windshield sticker to change it again in 5000 miles.

Highway - 7500
City/Hwy - 5000
City - 3000

[musicola]

I usually go for 5000 in my wife's cars (mostly driven around town, including the CX-9). When I do mostly highway miles in my car (not the CX-9), the car computer calculates about 7500-8000 per oil change. 3000 is excessive these days, in my opinion. Waste of money and oil to dispose of.

[GrayZoom]

3000 is excessive these days, in my opinion. Waste of money and oil to dispose of.

I agree completely!

[WaxiP5]

I just got our CX9 2 days ago. I plan to do an oil change by 1K, then at 3K and every 3K thereafter. It would not hurt to do it and only costs $30 every 3 months. I will be using Castrol Syntec.

[KRT-1]

Today's engines are built with very fine tolerances, and are not the engines of yesteryear that required a serious break in period and the discovery of fine metal shavings on the first oil change. That, combined with the advancement in oils and oil filters over the last 30 years, makes the 3K oil changes obsolete. You can easily go 5K between changes without any problems.

[CX9 SportOwner]

V6 Ill do every 5000. 4 Cylinder Id recommend 3000

[GrayZoom]

Why the difference between cylinders and when you will change the oil? I've never heard someone say that.

[sbtrinker]

When should I do my first Oil change?

[CX9 SportOwner]

4's work harder and rev faster. More strokes per mile than 6 and more wear.

[tool0830]

do what the manual says...

[PsyDoc]

Follow the manual and Mazda will have a more difficult time denying warranty related engine issues. I follow the manufacturer's service intervals until the vehicle is out of warranty, then I do my own thing.

[DashingMax]

According to owners manual, the severe maintanance schedule states every 4 months or 5,000 miles, except Puerto Rico which is 3 months/3k miles.

I did not see 3mths/3k miles anywhere for US and Canada.

Screenshot attached...

[PsyDoc]

The 5k interval makes sense as the new Ford vehicles (e.g., Edge, Taurus, MKZ, etc.) use the new 3.5 engine and that's the recommended interval for those vehicles as well.

[100$ GUY]

I have the same doubt, so when to change the oil?

Some guy said if mainly city driven, then at 3000miles
The manual says 4 months (5000miles)

so whats the answer???

Or maybe change at 4 months no matter how many miles????? ( I mean even if there are less than 5000) ????

[njerald]

Unbelievable..........

[100$ GUY]

Well , finally saw the manual, and it says to change it every 6250miles or 6 months, so I'll do that. Thanks manual! hahaha

[kosh2258]

I did my first oil change this last weekend. I don't know if the filters are all this way but, apparently, the filter gorillia was working the day my engine was built. The filter was on so tight I had to go to NAPA to get a special 3 jaw filter removal tool to get it off. A slick little device that grabs the filter tighter the harder you pull on the wratchet handle. It worked. But I had to crank on the filter so hard the clamping jaws deformed the filter's case.

The filter is only supposed to be tightened 3/4 of a turn after the gasket makes contact with the base and mine was easily 1 and 1/2 turns - WAY to tight.

Other than that the oil change was easy to do with the vehicle on the ground - no ramps needed.

Ted

[Lindyrect]

So I changed my oil a few days ago and I put in Mobile 1 full synthetic 5W-20. Not sure if it is me but the engine sounds smoother and seems to have a bit more umph. I would not think oil would do this, but call me crazy.

[Scott P]

I send my opil off for analysis to see what interval works best for me. I'd rather rely on science than some made up oil standard that has been around for decades. If the manual calls for 7,500 miles, tehn why doubt it? Hell, I run 12,000 miles in our Envoy and still get a great analysis report.

I run a full synthetic oil like Mobil 1 and use Lube Control, so that gives me a cushion and measure of comfort.

[Lindyrect]

BTW, when cleaning my oil plug I noticed some small metal pieces. Very small, and this is the first oil change, so I think that they are just residual pieces from assembly.

[23jam]

They is alot of factors that go into oil changes. How is it driven, temperature, and what type of oil. To me if your using a synthetic you can go longer between oil changes, compared to conventional oil. To me these all factor in to get the oil change at the right time.

[Force-1]

Manual says to change oil every 4 months/5000 miles if one of the following conditions exists:

- Repeated short-distance driving
- Driving in dusty conditions
- Driving with extended use of brakes
- Driving in areas where salt or other corrosive materials are being used
- Driving on rough or muddy roads
- Extended periods of idling or low-speed operation
- Driving for long periods in cold temperatures or extremely humid climates
- Driving in extremely hot conditions
- Driving in mountainous conditions continually

Since none of these really apply to me I will stick to the 6 month rule.

[CX9 SportOwner]

Change the oil according to mileage, not time. And use the weight specified in the manual. If you use the wrong oil and have a problem, goodbye warranty service. Also, the oil a manufacturer recommends a certain weight based on the engineering of the engine, particularly things like hydralic lifters, etc.

I took a previous vehicle to an oil change place ONE TIME, and after they put the wrong weight in the lifters ticked. worse, after changing out the wrong oil, the problem never went away.

[Force-1]

Change the oil according to mileage, not time. .

This doesn't work for everyone if you stick to the owner's manual. There's no way I will see 7500 miles in 6 months (maybe 5000), so I'll stick with 6 months per manual.

[100$ GUY]

This doesn't work for everyone if you stick to the owner's manual. There's no way I will see 7500 miles in 6 months (maybe 5000), so I'll stick with 6 months per manual.

Exactly.

[Force-1]

Had the dealer change the oil in my CX-9 last week. Today I checked the tire pressure in all 4 of my vehicles, and the CX-9 had anywhere from 41-44 pounds in each tire! The service department must have done this when they did the LOF, as I check all of my vehicles at least once a month. WTF?!

[CX9 SportOwner]

Except, TIME doesnt wear out and contaminate the oil. Miles do.

[l-miwa]

If you drive only short distances, the initial startup and the heating / cooling cycles put a lot of crud into the oil. And if you drive such short distances that the engine never gets up to operating temperature, it's even worse.