louis1128

what kind of oil should i use in CA??

MDRX8

I use Mobile 1 5-30 ,,, Manual calls for 5-20 oil ... Most people are going to say use regular oil. I have a email from Mobile in which it states they have had very good success with Mob 1 . In SC it gets hot in summer so I going w 5-30 summer and 5-20 winter.

jangle

I was told by a Mazda Tech to use non-synthetic oil. The reason for this is that the 8 is designed to burn oil and synthetics are designed to resist burning and breakdown. As far as the weight, that depends on your location and the environment you're in. Hope this helps!

Glyphon

you should post that email.

Nubo

Let me summarize what I've learned from the thousands of oil posts on this board, and from reading elsewhere. Of course this is solely my opinion and doesn't constitute any warranty express or implied. Always follow the manufacturers recommendations in your owners manual. Do not taunt happy fun ball.

1 - the original prohibition against synthetic oil in rotary engines was due to incompatibility with the materials in the seals with some early synthetic oil formulations. That incompatibility was not an inherent property of synthetic oils in general -- it was a specific brand or brands which of course Mazda would be reluctant to specify, thus the blanket prohibition.

2 - The renesis seals are of a new material and should have no problem. This is why the owners manual does not mention synthetic oil at all.

3 - Like all other oils, synthetic formulations have improved since the 1970's. The problem of attacking seals has been addressed.

4 - The whole issue of "designed to burn oil" and "synthetic oil can't be burned" is a red herring. Engine combustion temperatures are several times the burning point of any engine oil, synthetic or non-synthetic. Synthetic oil burns just fine.

5 - Many oils meeting the latest API standards are at least partially synthetic. The concept of "non-synthetic oil" is becoming blurred and on its way to extinction.

6 - The 5w-20 specification has more to do with USA federal fuel-economy sanctions than with mechanical requirements. It's a bit thinner and will increase mileage by a tiny amount. The identical engine is produced for other countries where Mazda specifies 5w-30 oil.

7 - Many rotary owners have run synthetic oil, even in older rotaries, with excellent results.

8 - You can't hurt your warranty by following the service recommendations in the owners' manual. You are not required to follow the advice of Mazda salespeople, service writers, mechanics, little glossy brochures or "this guy who knows rotaries".