Mazda CX-7 Maintenance
carlitos92
Member Posts: 458
in Mazda
General topic for prospective or current owners performing maintenance on their CX-7s...
There is a discussion in the October 2006 "Road & Track" magazine regarding exchanging the CX-7's cartridge-type oil filter for a standard spin-on filter with Mazda3 parts:
Mazda parts needed:
Filter Mount L301-14-311
Filter Mount Gasket LF01-14-342
Oil Filter LF10-14-302
Haven't tried it myself, but it sounds cool!
-c92
There is a discussion in the October 2006 "Road & Track" magazine regarding exchanging the CX-7's cartridge-type oil filter for a standard spin-on filter with Mazda3 parts:
Mazda parts needed:
Filter Mount L301-14-311
Filter Mount Gasket LF01-14-342
Oil Filter LF10-14-302
Haven't tried it myself, but it sounds cool!
-c92
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Now we need a report from someone on how easy it is to change in the CX-7. Thanks Zoom!
1. You don't have to remove the mega-splash-shield completely to drain the oil, but you have to do it to get at the oil filter, so removing the whole shield ends up being step #1.
2. The cartridge oil filter wasn't a big hassle, but it ends up being messier than a can-type filter would be, I think.
3. The Mazda oil filter comes with the required o-rings, but my dealer didn't give me a new aluminum washer for the drain plug. I've always been told that the aluminum washers need to be replaced every time, so remember to ask for it specifically.
4. The owner's manual says the oil capacity is 6.0 US quarts of oil with a filter change, but I didn't find that to be the case. The dummy that I am, I trusted the manual and refilled the car with 6 quarts. That put the oil level uncomfortably above "max" on the dipstick, so I had to drain some back out. Overfilling isn't good for the engine or catalytic converter - and draining it back out is un-fun, and was an expensive lesson for me, considering I've moved to Mobil 1. My M.O. from now on will be to start with 5 quarts and work my way up.
All told, changing oil on the CX-7 is not too bad. I'll continue to do it myself rather than take it somewhere.
-c92
I hope you enjoy those oil changes!
Vince.
This query concerns vacuum cleaning.
I live in a condo complex that has no exterior 120 volt outlets, so using any vacuum cleaner using a/c power is out of the question. That leaves me trying to find those coin-operated vacuum cleaners, that require lots of quarters for minimal usage time. To top it off, they frequently either have inadequate nozzels or insufficient suction power.
My question: are there any really good vacuum cleaners, preferably with a power brush, that can plug into the CX7s 12v power points? I'm not interested in those cheapo units found in Walmart or Costco.
Ideas? :confuse:
Thanks, Vince.
Most of them are decent, but obviously won't have the power of one of those that 'suck up' all of your quarters.
The next is from Alibaba.com.
Finally, this last one is a sampling from Nextag.
I hope this help you in the right direction.
When I picked the car up, the sales rep mentioned a specific type of oil to use, but of course I can't remember. I could call him, but what are you folks out there using?
Finally, how often should the oil be changed, assuming the car is running fine and there are no performance issues (knock wood).
Thanks for the input.
for what Mazda recommends, but whether you consider your driving "severe" and thus should change the oil more frequently or whether it's worth it to use synthetic oil drives entire discussions around here.
Vince.
You can tell the technician NOT to replace the filter, but that wouldn't be wise.
Vince.
Personally I changed my oil at 1500 miles for this reason and went to Mobil 1 because it is better at resisting coking under high-heat situations (turbo bearings, etc.). I ran Mobil 1 through my Honda from about the same milestone, and after 106,000 miles that engine was clean enough to eat out of. Spent a lot of money of the gourmet oil, but it convinced me.
I seem to have two situations:
1- My tootsies keep getting toasted from the firewall. Does anyone else have this problem, and if so, is it a fault and how is it rectified?
2- When at idle, the engine sounds like it is a diesel. A low key rat-ta-tata-tat. Is this too a problem or is it normal?
All suggestions and hints are welcome.
NMK
-c92
Whew! Glad to know that.
Now about my par-boiled toes, any suggestions? Please bear in mind that this is a family forum.
NMK
In all seriousness, I think this model has some heat-management issues at the firewall. You can see people complain (me included) about the hot air that blows out of the vents if the A/C is not on. I haven't noticed anything down low at my feet in my car, but I don't doubt you.
NMK
After driving a bit, let the vehicle sit for about 5 minutes. Something in that area is red hot and heats up the hood to extremely high temperatures. With no wind to dissipate the heat the hood area becomes hot, hot, hot....
I'm wondering if this will cause paint failure over time over that part of the sheet metal.
Can anyone confirm that this is happening on their CX-7 ?
Bill
I'm not certain where the source of the heat comes from. You may want to pop the hood and try to deduce the source.
Vince.
That being said, I'm changing the oil every 7500 miles per the Mazda manual, but using synthetic oil because it removes all the fear of turbo problems for me personally. Maybe it's overkill, especially if you are just going to swap your Mazda in 5 years or so.
I also drive like a maniac and treat the throttle basically as an on/off switch, so I figure treating the hard-working engine to some gourmet oil is not a bad idea.
There are plenty of good non-synthetic oils out there that will meet the warranty requirements, so unless you are a nut like me or planning to keep the car forever, I'd just follow the book.
-c92
For oil/filter change use 5 and 1/2 quarts. 6 is too much.
You can adjust it. There's a dial on your dashboard to the left of the steering well for adjusting. Default it 0 (so if yours is already set at 0 that's the highest they'll go). 1-5 incrementally make the lights lower (and this is apparently for when you're carrying more people or a big load of cargo).
No offense intended, just trying to learn why you would change the oil or transmission fluid so often. I've been caring for cars for more than 20 years, and most of them were a lot less reliable than my Mazda - and I've never had any problems related to changing the fluids based on what the manufacturer told me to do.
If you want to be conservative, I'd switch to synthetic oil because this is a turbo and change it out every 7,500 miles per Mazda. As for the transmission, I'd have to go look at the manual, but I'd be surprised if the interval was less than 60,000 miles. Many manufacturers are up to 100,000 miles these days.
The manufacturer (dealer, at least) stands to make more money off service if they give you conservative intervals, so there's no reason to not trust the guys who engineered the vehicle when it comes to changing fluids.
As far as oil, using synthetic is always a good idea, I would agree. Considering the cost ratio, changing the standard oil at a more frequent rate should come out about the same. Any good mechanic will tell you that the oil should be changed BEFORE it gets dirty. Here in Minnesota, with cold and short tripping, changing at about 4,000 miles is just plain good maintenance.Oil changes are the least expensive most effective way to prolong engine life, no matter how frequent.
And sure, in a perfect world, all the fluids in every car would be pristine every time you started it up. But that ain't practical. And just because there is a visible difference between new fluid and old doesn't mean it's destroying engine/tranny components. A lot of times in life, "less than perfect" is good enough for what we need.
If you can afford to stick by the schedules these "good mechanics" are feeding you, more power to you. Good luck.
Of course, it is impossible to keep the fluids perfectly clean at all times, relatively inexpensive regular changes will help prolong the life of the vehicle.
I drove an Audi for 6 years/100,000 miles and it really was a maintenance nightmare. Hoping that my new Cx-7 will need much less the next 6+years. At 2700 miles, no problems to report except the gas cap replacement. Just filled up with fuel yesterday and achieved 18.61 mpg at 100% in town driving.
That's a kind of judgmental generalization, and I disagree. But we're not gonna convince each other. So... I'll volunteer to be your control group. (and I'm sure you can find others as well) I'll follow the manufacturer's recommendations religiously (although I've already admitted that I'm using Mobil 1) and let's compare notes in 5 years, and then again at 10. If my CX-7 transmission goes south or my engine bombs, I'll send you a gift card for a dinner.
May the best person win...
Would be interesting if Mazda or others would install a sort of "filter gauge" to test how clogged it really is at a specific mileage point.
I agree with your test report idea about 5 and 10 years out. That J.D. Power stuff about the "first 90 days" of ownership is mostly fluff. Let J.D. poll owners who have driven for 3 years, 5 years and 10 years, (does anyone keep a vehicle for 5 years, much less 10 years, anymore?) and see what the driving impressions are at that time.
I'll be keeping my Cx-7 for atleast 6 years, it will take that long to pay for it!
I did more than follow manufacturer guidelines on my Audi A6, and it still fell apart. 2800 trouble-free miles on the Cx-7 so far (purchased 10.24.06), only the gas cap replacement issue, just 97,000 miles to go.
Has anyone done this service? What does it entail? The service department of my dealership isn't open on Saturdays (grr!! :mad:), and they're an hour from my place of work. I want to take the best care I can of the car and will likely "sacrifice" an hour of work to have the car serviced, but I'm just curious if anyone's done this yet. I had the first oil change done back in October at 4200 miles, so should I have them change it again as long as I'm there? Any input, thoughts are appreciated!
On a side note, waiting til 4200 to have the oil changed the first time was risky at best. {lots of metal particles that needed to be flushed out} Mazda and the other builders use your oil change intervals as a way of shooting down warranty claims.
Some dealers like to pad the service with stuff that you may not think is needed right now, especially if the service reminder came from the dealer and not MazdaUSA.
And you should have had your first one at 1000 miles to get rid of the "break-in oil". My dealer scheduled me for my first oil change (at 1000 miles) the day I picked up the car.
Whenever you bring the Cx-7 in to the Mazda dealer, they check:
1. windshield washer fluid
2. auto matic transmission fluid level/condition
3. brake fluid level/condition
4. power steering fluid level/condition
5. coolant level/condition
6. transaxle, transfer case fluid/condition
7. windshield for cracks/pitting
8. operation of horn, interior/exterior lights
9. washer spray/wiper operation
10. cooling system leaks
11. oil leaks
12. cv drive rubber boot condition
13. exhaust system
14. drive belts
15. steering linkage/wheel end play
16. suspension
17. brake lines/hoses
18. battery terminals
19. tire pressures
20. tire tread life
21. brake linings
22. battery performance
.....and charge accordingly!
Edited to add: I just called the dealer to ask exactly what they do for the 7500 mile service - the oil is changed, the tires rotated, and then there's a laundry list of all the other stuff they do. Their charge is $119.95. I guess I'll do it - I do want an oil change, and tire rotation is a good thing.
I'll defer to Mazda service for those important service intervals such as 15K, 30K, 45K, and 60K miles and of course, for those all too frequent CEL occurences.
Vince.
Also, I'm leary about the way you have to take all of the underarmor off just to change the oil and filter, otherwise I'd do it myself.
I'll just throw another 10 bucks at the dealership for that extra piece of mind.
Besides, if you're not careful, they may stick a generic oil filter on it that doesn't do the job as well as a Fram or other top name. {had that experience with my Millenia}
As for tire rotaion and balancing goes, Discount Tire here I come! :P
The Mazda dealer probably has the most up to date information on servicing the Cx-7. $120.00+ tax/shop supplies/environmental fee to change the oil and rotate the tires sounds a little high , but maybe they perform some other services that make it worthwhile.
You don't want an amateur working on your car! If you are comfortable with the Mazda dealer,nothing wrong with that. I use a local independent shop that charges less than the Mazda dealer, but is a real pro and gives the same or maybe better service. For example, I'll be charged about $65.00 for the oil/tire rotation. As far as the rest of the "full circle" stuff,most drivers could check many of the items themselves.
For run of the mill oil changes not tied to a milestone servicing, I would be willing to try a non-dealer. So far I've only had one oil change and it was through the dealer, but I'm game - I think!