2009 Mazda6

chikoo

>I thought I was told by the dealer that oil changes were every 7,500? I guess I'll have to get the book out.

That sound about right.

My first oil change was at 3K.

After that, I am doing one every 10K since the oils nowadays are such great. I use Motorcraft 5W-20 synthetic blend or Mobil1 0W-20.

Incidentally, that makes roughly 8 oil changes in 5 years now :shades:

venture

I checked mine after I first got it and it was around 24 on a trip of about 300 miles (if I remember correctly).

I just checked it today after a tank of almost all city/surburban/short trips with one tiny trip of about 65 miles. It was 17.74 MPG.

I just turned 1,000 miles. My experience with new vehicles is it will get slightly better, but nothing to "write home about".

I don't have a lot of concern about mileage in town. My concern is highway mileage simply because of how often you will have to stop for gas. When I'm rolling, I like to keep rolling.

For a car as big and heavy as the 6 is, 24 MPG is acceptable. Of course everyone would like to get 50 MPG.

venture

Does anyone know the best way to break the engine in?

It's in your owners manual on page 4-6.

I have always driven a new car like I stole it. No harmful effects yet.

"If you treat them like a baby, they will act like a baby" - but that's just me. :shades:

aviboy97

I thought I was told by the dealer that oil changes were every 7,500? I guess I'll have to get the book out.


Unless you drive 80% highway with out traffic, then 7,500 would be what you do as per maintenance schedule 1 on your owners manual. If you do mixed driving, then every 5,000 miles as per maintenance schedule 2 in your owners manual.

I do every 3,000 with mainly city driving.

chriso7

I just received the cargo net my dealer ordered.

It is P/N 0000-8K-H02 NOT 0000-8K-H02A that the website calls out. It appears this net had a mfg date of 2006 and was previously shipped to someone else. There are no instructions as someone else had said should come with it.

Does anyone know the difference between and "...HO2" and "...HO2A"?

sedmund

Under mixed driving - my daily commute is 70% hw and 30% city - I got a mileage of 20.9 mpg. This is when I calculated it myself and the car's trip computer for the exact same period showed 19.9 mpg. I have 2K miles on my 2009 Mazda6 V6.

ivan_99

After that, I am doing one every 10K since the oils nowadays are such great. I use Motorcraft 5W-20 synthetic blend or Mobil1 0W-20.

I agree with the benefits of synthetic, but I wouldn't go past the manufacturers interval. If you do experience any problems and they require evidence of maintenance they won't give you "credit" for using synthetic disregarding their interval policies...you'll be SOL for the repairs.

chikoo

>If you do experience any problems and they require evidence of maintenance they won't give you "credit" for using synthetic disregarding their interval policies...you'll be SOL for the repairs.

Point taken.

But at nearly 90K miles, I am SOL anyways :sick:

The point is, new oils and premium filters are wonderful, and they retain excellent properties at least upto 10K, if not more. My engine is as clean as it was in the first year as a result of using synthetics.

I am an engineer and trust my engineering guts more than anything else.
I went with a Mazda (twice) when nobody in the right mind (in my social circle) would think about doing it. That was solely based upon what I felt,as an engineer, in the vehicle I test drove the first in 1999. Mazda builds solid cars. No doubt about that. The Protege, the 6 and the 3. All testament to that.

Getting back to oil change intervals, the rest of the world has a longer OCI than the usual 3K propoganda in the US, more like 15K.

ivan_99

Agreed;

I do the 3k change interval (105k mi) but only put the 'regular'; I only do about 7-8k mi per year so I don't want to go through multiple seasons (and over a year) on one oil change...plus I worry about the oil filter going that long too. Probably wouldn't matter anyway since I live in a temperate climate (86F now).

I think the oil change debate has been going around for a long time...usually ending where it starts

chriso7

Hi Venture,

I ordered the cargo net from the dealer and received it in a mazda bag that was pre-opened and had evidence it was shipped out in 2007 by the pull ticket and had two mazda labels on it, one that was so old they did not use bar codes and the part number was 0000-"89"-H02, the other newer label had a date of 2006 and was 0000-8K-H02.

Both of those numbers are not what the website calls out for 0000-8K-H02A.

If I sent you an email, could you do me a favor and email back a scan of the instructions you got with yours? Mine did not come with any.

venture

Does anyone know the difference between and "...HO2" and "...HO2A"?

I don't know the difference in the part numbers, but with the "A" suffix I assume there was a modification made.

I think mine was made in 2006 also, but I threw the instructions and packaging away after installation.

If you got it at Mazdagear, email them and ask them. Otherwise ask who you bought it from.

If you decide to keep it I can explain installation.

chriso7

Thanks Venture...

I will inquire about receiving the instructions. I am still waiting on Mazda to answer my question regarding the difference between the two nets.

chriso7

Hi Weathergirl,

My dealer gave me a price of $180 + ~ $45 to program it for grand total of $225.

BTW I just found out that under the black cap on the steering column is an ignition lock and the key if the remote battery dies can start the car.

venture

I say go for it. I asked about the net I received too. They haven't changed for 1,000 years. They designed the car to use the same net, but didn't consider just using the "T" hooks in all the cars. I guess they saved about 10 cents a car that way.

Here's instructions as I remember them:

Find the four plugs that hold the rear panel. Use a small screwdriver to remove those plugs. They are a center plug with a small washer – pry on the center plug. They should pop right out. Remove the little washers too. I used a medium jewelers screwdriver - pretty small.

Remove the panel and lay it aside.

Get a 5/16” drill and drill out the holes the plugs came from. Easy pressure – it doesn’t take much to enlarge the holes.

Find the 4 “T” shaped hooks and the 4 rubber plugs. Push the hooks through the rear panel you removed and screw the hooks into the rubber plugs. The hooks will face the front of the car and the rubber plugs will face the rear of the car. Do NOT tighten – just almost snug. If you do tighten them the rubber plugs will expand and you won’t be able to get the rubber plugs into the holes you just enlarged.

Put the panel back into the trunk and line up the new rubber plugs with the holes you just enlarged. This will take some fiddling and probably a flashlight. Push the panel in tight. Then, holding the panel tight where you are working, screw in the hooks thereby bulging the rubber plugs to secure the panel.

It’s not as hard as the instructions sound.

venture

BTW I just found out that under the black cap on the steering column is an ignition lock and the key if the remote battery dies can start the car.

Do not turn that key to start the car though. Just insert the key and use the push button.

weathergirl

Hi Chriso7,

Thanks so much for the info on the keys! I opted not to go with the "replacement plan" since it looked shady. Especially since Mazda said they didn't know about it and wouldn't back it. It was a deal between the dealership and a 3rd party. As for the ignition on the steering column, none of the salesmen I ever talked to in person knew about it. But, one of the guys on here did and also filled me in. I swear, I have learned more valuable info from everyone on here than I did in any dealership.

Happy driving!

xyz123

Hi, thank you to everyone who has responded. 20.9 is very good for a relatively new car. My first partial tank yielded low 19's. The second one is bound to be better with more consistent driving, since I tried to vary speed and revs more in the beginning. Anything over 20 for mixed driving would probably be good. And coming from 15-16 mpg, almost anything is an improvement!

4rman

It is pretty amusing sometimes when you have to hold back your laughter infront of the salesman at some of the stories they make up to sell you stuff. My last four purchases were new cars and have yet to find one dealer that will be 100% honest with you.

If they could they would sell you the warranty for air in your tires .

carphan

I also noticed the bulging/moving of the drivers door panel when the window was going down and up, anyone else have this issue? my purchase might get nixed with this issue, my 2007 mazda speed3 has zero issues.

aviboy97

I think that is just how the windows work. My 2005 does it a little bit too.

microrepair

I can't believe that someone out there hasn't found the "key" to making the changes to the Preference Settings without having to have the dealer do it.. I'm going to ask the dealer to make a couple of changes but I'm not sure I will want to keep the changes after I've tried them and I don't want to pay to re-set them... Any solution yet?

aviboy97

You need Mazda's computer application to read the PCM on the Mazda6. If you have an extra $2,000 in your pocket, and can convince a Mazda Service Manager to order one for you, you will have a shot! Good luck!

dman24

I just saw the commercial for the 09 Mazda 6. 0.0% financing!!!

drosa

2 weeks 400 miles with my Silver Touring w\ Conv pack & Bose/Moon. Can't wait to get over 500 break in

I just got my first statement from Chase today for 3.9 for 60 months. I am going to call them tomorrow and ask about the 0.0. If I bring it down to 36 months it will raise my monthly significantly but I will save over 2 grand in interest.

jkobty2

Have you read the mazda6 engine problems topic? It seems the 2.3 I4 has a problem of losing its oil and self destructing. Mazda does not seem to be acknowledging or honoring the warranties. Should we be worried since the 2.5 I4 is based on the 2.3 I4?

aviboy97

I am going to call them tomorrow and ask about the 0.0. If I bring it down to 36 months

Don't waste your time.

heybroder

If what you said is true, yes we should be very worried! On this forum, I have heard nothing but good things being said concerning the 2.3. Perhaps, I need to look again at Honda and Toyota If Mazda is not honoring their warranties....wow

aviboy97

It seems the 2.3 I4 has a problem of losing its oil and self destructing

A couple isolated occurrences. Not the norm. Every manufacturer has parts go. Ask my father who replaced his tranny in his 04 Accord.

Mazda does not seem to be acknowledging or honoring the warranties

That is highly unlawful and untrue. A manufacturer must honor a warranty claim if it cannot be proven that the failed part or parts failed due to abuse or lack of maintenance. If the owner cannot prove they maintained the car in ordinance with manufacturers guidelines, no manufacturer will replace an engine for you.

Should we be worried since the 2.5 I4 is based on the 2.3 I4?


I would not be. Ask basically any Mazda6 owner here that has the 2.3L and they will tell you it's just fine. I have 46,000 trouble free miles on mine.

aviboy97

I need to look again at Honda and Toyota If Mazda is not honoring their warranties

So, you can have Toyota give you flack when your engine develops engine sludge and Honda will give you grief when your tranny goes. My point is every car can have issues from time to time, and as long as you maintain your car, the manufacturer will honor the claim.

jkobty2

I truly hope you are right. The complaints are in the Mazda 6 forum
http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/direct/view/.f1718f9!make=Mazda&model=MAZDA6&ed- _makeindex=.f1718f9
And it seems if you do your oil change by yourself mazda is not honoring it, and asking them to provide receipts where the VIN number and mileage are shown on the receipt where you bought the filter and oil from. Which is ridiculous.
I think in the warranty period the safest is to change the oil at the dealer so as not to give them an excuse. Also make sure you check the engine oil level regularly.
I was particularly worried from the post by a guy in Quebec Canada saying that his filter cracked and let the oil out. Since I live in Canada too, and it gets pretty cold in the winter, could the filter housings be affected by cold temperatures.

aviboy97

and again....

heybroder

Point well taken, my friend. :shades:

jkobty2

Agreed. All issues seem to be related to incorrectly changing the oil. A very delicate procedure if you ask me. Can easily cause damage to the housing. What's wrong with traditional filters? A bad design in my opinion.
Oil change procedure

aviboy97

Manufacturers do this so their dealers get the business. Cars today are engineered so you need to bring them to the dealer for routine maintenance. Cars are lasting much longer now a days, so money earned due to repair is not what it used to be. That's just the way things are done now.

Listen, does it suck that many can no longer change their oil? I would say yes. I'm not one who was into that in the first place, so, it does not bother me. I would much rather have a professional do the work.

About the oil filter design. Yes, it's weird. A lot of cars are now going to the cartridge design. It's less costly I suppose.

Also, about the member with an issue with his 2.3L. We don't know that he did everything correctly, do we? No, we don't.

Do parts fail from time to time? Yes, absolutely! These are machines built by man, things do go wrong. There is no auto manufacturer immune to random parts failing from time to time. When things happen on a small and random scale, such as this oil filter thingy, it's not really something to be concerned with. It's when you see failures on a grand scale that there is a problem. I don't think this case is a problem to be concerned with. I rarely see any Mazda6 come into the shop with issues. I ask my service manager and my customers when I see them, and about 95% are here for routine maintenance.

runningdoc

Aviboy97,

First, thanks for all of your thoughts and suggestions in the forum. You are extremely helpful. My question, and I'm trying to follow your thread from the
original posting is that you feel mazda states that the owner of the mazda 6
cannot change their own oil? Oil changes have traditionally been something
that anyone with a little mechanical aptitude can do... what is the issue in
having someone change their own oil?

With my thanks,
Runningdoc

barry626

Finally someone that makes good sense!

Love way people panic & destroy reputation of a great company like Mazda!

aviboy97

First, thanks for the compliment! It's very appreciated.

I'll try to answer this as best as possible. Mazda is not the only manufacturer to state warnings or recommended guidelines in their owners manual when it comes to maintenance. I think that people with basic mechanical skills can change their own oil. My bet is that there are a lot of people out there that do it successfully with no problems.

I think Mazda is trying to eliminate those who think they have skills, when in fact they don't, from performing routine maintenance, since the consequences can be disastrous. My bet is that it's happened in the past, and this is why manufacturers won't warranty a failed part due to unproper maintenance. My friend in high school decided to change his oil in his 1983 Chevy Caprice Classic wagon and thought you had to fill the oil up to the top of the engine. He put like 10 qt's in, and within a couple miles, the engine started knocking. The motor was destroyed.

Naturally, if you screw something up, you would bring it to the dealer and deny you did anything and just assume the manufacturer would foot the bill. Remember, unless a manufacturer can prove that the failed part or parts failed due to the reasons outlined in their owners manual or warranty guide, they must honor the claim. It is the responsibility of the owner to prove that they maintained the vehicle properly as well. A receipt for a case of oil does not prove that you changed it that day, or that it was even for that car. Any mechanic that does routine maintenance would give you a receipt with your name, VIN, mileage and date on it. There is a reason they do that. For the couple extra dollars you would save, why do it on your own? I see no reason to...

Did I answer your question? I think that's the best I can do

pat

Sorry, the first part of this had to be removed because it was so wide it was making the page impossible to read. You can repost a version that does not overlap the sidebar. One way to do that is upload it to your CarSpace page and then use the automatically generated code to display it. That will resize it correctly.

jkobty2

I know what you are saying, but what concerns me is that a lot of so called professional mechanics are also very rough. The delicate plastic oil filter housing that has to be pressed up against a spring tensioner and then turned delicately to make sure the threading on the plastic cap is not damaged, making sure the O rings are free from any dirt, and then making sure not to over torque or under torque the cap or the drain plug on the filter cap. I will need to make sure I watch the mechanic at my Mazda dealership to make sure he is doing the work by the book, and being oh so gentle. I have seen many mechanics work, and they are not gentle at all. All it takes is one idiot mechanic to destroy your car from a simple oil change. I will have to trust the Mazda mechanics to do it right during the warranty period, but then after that, If I still have the car, I will do my own oil changes. Note that most people who complained about this problem it occured close to the end of the warranty period or a bit after. At least the oil cap is replaceable, just have to keep a close eye for obvious leaks from that area. Still love my 2009 Mazda 6 GT
and I want to keep it for a very long time. This is the only reason for my concern. So far it has been flawless. Nothing has gone wrong and zero problems to report.

runningdoc

I think it explains it well... thank you. As someone who has changed his own oil on numerous cars in 20+ years of driving, I was surprised that there would be an issue. But I suspect if you did it through the Mazda dealer to begin with, and they
showed you how to do it, you would be ok. I guess my only concern is if you happened to move to a place where a mazda dealer didn't happen to be close by, then it might become an issue....

Thanks to all for their help...

jackinok

We are getting ready to buy a 2009 Mazda6. I have been waiting to see if 0% financing would show up. Bought our 2002 protege on 0% for 60 months back in the day. That car has 156,000 miles, and its been and still is a tremendous car.

I'm going to do a little digging, but keep us updated on the zero percent thang!

jackinok

Ok.....its up on the mazdausa website. 0% for 36 months.....3.9% for 60

chriso7

I noticed on my 2009 6i with convenience package that the drivers side fog lamp was firmly mounted (seems to be suspended within the outer frame).

The passenger side fog lamp when gently pushed on seemed to have more play and upon returning to the normal position I hear a knock as if it hits the plastic frame around it upon return. I think this would tend to rattle some during driving subjecting the lamp to additional vibration. Another 6 on the showroom floor with an earlier VIN number also exhibited the same characteristic.

Probably not that important, but I was wondering if anyone else with factory installed fog lamps noticed this?

Thank you.

aviboy97

If you bring your car to a Mazda dealer, there would be no need to keep a watchful eye on the tech.

If the oil filter is an issue for you, there is a conversion to a conventional filter set up. Once I find out where it is, I will post the link.

jkobty2

Yes, I think this is what I have to do for now. I was talking to my wife yesterday and she knows someone who went to those quick lube places to change the oil and filter on his Acura, and they managed to damage the filter housing and then refused later to take responsibility for what happened.
But if there is a conversion to a conventional filter, I would greatly appreciate any information, I would change it right after warranty expires.

weathergirl

Sorry, I'm a little off topic here. FYI - If you are still looking for winter floor mats, I think I found some pretty deep ones. I got a set at Walmart by Michelin. I want to say they're rubber. They are pretty deep and a bit flexible. I think that being more flexible makes them more comfortable. They seem to fit well, no trimming required. And they don't slide on the carpet at all. Not bad for $16/each. They aren't exactly the same shape as the Mazda ones, but they cover the floor enough for me. I don't think Michelin had any small ones for the backseat, or they weren't in stock, so I got the deepest ones they had on the shelf. I don't plan to have passengers everyday, so I'm not that worried about the back.

4rman

Figure this one out... I called my insurance co. to find out if my rates will go up or down if I went with an M6 from my current 05 4Runner 4x4. Even though the 4Runner was more expensive when I bought it new, the M6 will cost me about $25 more a month to insure. Does not make sense. Is it because it has not yet been tested by the Insurance companies for collision ratings? Or do they know something we don't? :confuse:

ohblue

Thanks, WG. I was going to recommend Wal-Mart/Sam's to you, but forgot. Great minds think alike...again.

ohblue

I read that there was a smell due to something being put on the tailpipe that is supposed to burn off after around 200 miles. I seem to still faintly detect that smell at around 1,100 miles. Any cause for concern?

ivan_99

Is it because it has not yet been tested by the Insurance companies for collision ratings?

It has been tested...

The IIHS test looks pretty good to me.