quack_p

Ed, sorry, but it is not known what brand goes into the cars. We don’t recommend any particular brand, but we do recommend petroleum based oils and NOT synthetic oils. The oil is injected into the combustion chamber to lubricate the seals and needs to burn. The synthetic oils don’t burn. Use any good quality brand name oil. Follow the owner’s manual with regard to viscosity.



Brian K. Burrow

MAZDASPEED MOTORSPORTS DEVELOPMENT
Mazda North American Operations
949-222-2652
800-435-2508
www.mazdaspeedmotorsports.com
zoom-zoom

Gomez

Yeah Ed, that's wrong. Synthetics do burn, and they burn easily. I use Mazda Rotary oil myself (a mineral oil), but that's me. Many others are happily using synthetics, and have been doing it for hundreds of thousands of miles.

Gomez.

bean438

Unless your warranty book says to use fluids specified at Mazdaspeedmotorsports.com then what they have to say is of little value to me.
My warranty book says to use fluids specified in the owners manual.
It really is that simple.

bureau13

How embarrassing to have someone in an (apparent) position of authority saying things that are just so blatantly wrong. Oops!

jds

Silver04RX8

Agreed, what Ed states would do little to help fix a warranty problem for using the wrong oil. I will stick with what the Owners manual say's. This seems to be an on-going debate, some say synthetic, some say follow the owners manual. Isnt there another thread somewhere dedicated to this whole subject?

nt5k

Who really cares? Oooh. My car will last 255k miles instead of 235k. La dee dah.. Use what you like, it probably won't make a difference. You will probably have gotten bored and gotten something else before it even matters.

s13lover

Ha! Thats funny....or is it sad?

RXE16T

Yet another oil related thread.
Forget what people tell you and use whatever oil you want to as long as its within the limits of the owners manual.

bean438

Its funny that the mazdaspeed guy says to follow your owners manual for viscosity but claims synthetic is not recommended.
The internet is great but sometimes too much information is just that.

quack_p

The problem isn't the Internet. The problem is that the advice from Mazda North American Operations doesn't jive with what's in the manual, and the manual in the U.S. which recommends 5w20 is different apparently from the manual in Australia which recommends 5w30.

My opinion is that the oil Mazda engineers intended to be in the RX-8 for average (non-racing) driving conditions is mineral 5w30, so that's what I'm doing.

bean438

If the engineers intended the oil to be 5w30 it would be the viscosity in the manual. My manual says 5w20. Thats what I use.
Ya Bobtheoildude or whoever says 5w30 is ok. So does Canadiandriver.com.
The API itself say to go with your manual.
When in doubt go with the manual. You really cant go wrong.
And the internetsometimes IS the problem.
It can be like that game we played in kindergarten where you all sit in a circle. The first person whispers something in the person next to them's ear. This goe on around the circle and the last person says out loud what they were told, and it isnt eve close to what the original thing was.

quack_p

I tend to agree with the theory that the viscosity recommendation was changed for the North American market in order to improve fuel economy rating. Outside North America apparently, the recommendation is 5w30. The U.S. manual also recommends shift points of 12, 22, 29, 36, and 46 mph (I don't know if the manual for other countries is any different). Now it seems obvious to me those shift points are intended to improve the car's fuel economy rating and have nothing to do with what's good for the health of the car, which makes it easier for me to believe they would tweak the viscosity recommendation for the same reason.

crossbow

Or it could just be that the specifications of european oils aren't as strict as the current ford/honda 5w-20 specs...and that the european oil supply can't produce thinner oils with the same sheer stability as the heavier weight ones. They also tend to leave out the fact that most 30wt oils sheer to 20 weights after just a few thousand miles...(sometimes just hundred miles)

Of course everyone ignores that, and walks around waying little ignorant flags with statements like "Its thinner so its gotta be worse!!!" "Only thick for me and my wife!!!!".

Read. Sometimes the words bring you knowledge and understanding.
http://theoildrop.server101.com/cgi/ultimatebb.cgi

Some 5w-20's have higher HTHS #'s then 40wt oils....

quack_p

I don't know. Castrol is a British company, and Europe is home to quite a few car companies that produce sports cars. So I don't really buy that.

crossbow

Lack of read = lose.

bean438

I have also heard of the use of 5w20 for fuel economy tests, and that 5w30 would be ok.
Yes 5w20 is used elsewhere, and would probably be good will not change what I use.
When in doubt stick to the manual.
Too much read = bad/incomplete info (sometimes but not always)

Moyenne

Bean438 has every right to want to " trust " his Mazda provided manual. However when I read the part in the manual about the shift points < I realize it stipulated best economy > 46 mph in six gear?. Followed to the note by believers of the " Sacred manufacturers scroll " would be destroying the engine. What makes the oil recommendation any more valid?. Not that using 5w20 is damaging in any way, most likely a good choice in nut freezing Canada - no jibe intended Bean438 I'm in Toronto but Winnipeg is body parts drop off type cold.

Trusted certified tech at your local RX8 hatchery ( dealer ) would be best consuted about the recommended oil and need for seasonal adjustment / Synthetic and so on, as long as it won't fubar your warranty it's a choice based on your best research.

Great forum!

Speaking of Winter here in Toronto, the Mazda dealer I use here has put together Toyo winters on 17" Black Steel wheels. Mounted, balanced and installed. Added service delivering the OEM set to my residence for $1300.00 CDN.

Don't gasp American Cousins remember the exchange rate.

crossbow

5w-30 = 20wt oil After 1000 miles.

I wish you guys would just read . The difference in viscosity between 5w-30 mobil1 and 0w-20 mobil1 is almost nothing...after 1000 miles the mobil1 5w-30 can actually be THINNER then the 0w-20...

Its all about technology. The 5w-20's are newer, more sheer stable, flow faster, and depending on the engine (like a ford modular v10) protect better then heavier weight oils in all conditions.

Redline's 5w-20 actually has an HTHS (High Temp High Sheer) # which exceeds most 30 wt's, and even some 40wt's!!! All with the flow characteristics of a 20 wt oil.

HTHS Numbers (High Temp High Sheer...Look at Viscosity Under Extreme Temps)
Redline 5w-20: 3.3
Mobil1 0w-30: 2.99
Mobil1 5w-30: 3.08
Mobil1 10w-30: 3.17
Mobil1 0w-40: 3.6

Feel free to pull up other manufacturers oils and check the HTHS #'s. Whats HTHS?
http://theoildrop.server101.com/ubb/...;f=21;t=000045

I'd figure the guys with 1.3 liter engines with barely any moving parts would be the ones to embrace new technology...not sit on the shelves with the old fart's and their pushrod v8's and straight 40wts.

bean438

I have read: the viscosity will shear down/do a UOA/dont use synyh/use synth/5w20 is synth/sheer stable/heavier weight/fa;lgjha;sudhg;af;jfh/adfs;kghdfog/adfgafgfgdf/.............................................
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!

No more read for me!
I know more about oil than I want to.
Enough. Follow the manual and enjoy the drive.

RXE16T

I know what you mean, the bloody topic has been discussed ad nauseum.
Put baby oil or extra virgin olive oil in it for all I care.

bean438

As much as I love the internet, and the convenience , and information it gives us, I think you have to know when to draw the line. Information from a credible source or web site is fine. You can get product info from a company, shop and compare prices/features, weather info, info from government agencies etc.
Forums on the other hand have a lot of people who want to help but sometimes give incomplete info or the wrong info.
Anyone can become an expert on anything.
There are a few individuals in any forum who do infact know their stuff. They are usually quite easy to pick out. All the rest is just heresay and garbage.
The internet can be a gosip ring gone real bad.
When I bought my Fender guitar I did the usual web research. After I bought it I continued on the web to learn more and more. It got to the point that I was spending hours on the internet learning more than I needed to about Fender and their guitars.
I realized that it would be more fun and usefull to just play the damn guitar.
I am at the same point with the RX8. Sure it is nice to be able to ask someone if their car "does this" or "makes that noise", and get an answer on how to fix it, or what to tell your dealer.
But man, all this crap about tires/wheels/offsets/synthetic oil/dont use it/ this oil sheers down too much/etc, I dont really care any more.
If an oil meets the service requirements then it is fine. Is Redline "better" than amsoil, or castrol? Who knows, and who really cares? UOA? Sure, or I can put the money towards a more frequent oil change.
Tires. I ended up going to a wheel shop and tire shop. That is their life. They know their stuff. No need to spend hours on the web, although I did, and still do sometimes.
I am sure there alot of smart guys at bobtheoilguy or whatever, but seriously stick to the manual. If you like to spend alot of time on the web fine, but I would rather drive my car.

crossbow

Fear is the mindkiller.

quack_p

If you don't like discussing the minutiae of the car, you're in the wrong place, dude. Yeah, people discuss every little detail to death. As far as I know, nobody here was part of the RX-8 design team, so I never thought I was getting expert advice. It's a bunch of guys bullshitting about their cars. Some of the bullshit is useful. Otherwise, it's just fun! Go with it, dude!

MELRX8

I love synthetic oil, been using it with great success in cars for 30+ years. Mazda has me scared so I'm using dino in my 8. Both Redline and Royal Purple say their oils burn 100%. If they would go a step further and agree to pick up the tab if an engine fails as a direct cause of using their products I'd switch today.

On the issue of shift points listed in the manual, I guess we're all guilty of "abusing" our transmissions. I drive/shift by "feel" of the motor and mine likes higher shift points than those.

bean438

I am defineately not in the wrong place. This site is a wealth of knowledge.
The point I am saying is that you can fall into the "paralysys from analysys syndrome and get too caught up in it.
There is also alot of bad info here too.
You just have to sift for the gold.