this guy told me my car doesnt take synthetic engine oil.
this is who they hire to be service writers at carmax nowadays.
he literally told me my 2010 mazda3 i touring does not take synthetic engine oil
if you look at reviews for every single oil change place in my city there is atleast one review of someones oil leaking and someones parts being damaged by technicians
they also pay these oil change technicians $12.50 an hour to start
where do i go to safely get an oil change out here???
this is why i cant have a car anymore someone will mess it up and it will cost me more
until i moved here about two years ago i never doubted an oil technician i figured they knew way more than me about cars
you come here and they are all guys you wouldnt even trust to do anything properly!!
As you can see from the pages from the factory service manual for a 2010 Mazda 3, your car requires API SM 5W30 if it’s turbocharged or API SM 5W20 for naturally aspirated engines.
Now if you want to upgrade to a synthetic oil that meets the SM spec, that’s fine, but stop trying to throw someone under the bus when they actually know what they are talking about.
explain why he said my 2.0 liter i touring takes 5 quarts of engine oil when even i know its supposed to be 4.5 quarts? and yes my car takes synthetic all cars do. it currently has synthetic oil in it and if anything works perfectly in this car its the engine.
Can you go to the store and buy half a quart of oil? Maybe it’s 4.5, maybe it’s 5.3. Either way, I’m going to charge you for 5qts. Again, here’s the factory service manual:
In case you didn’t read the screenshot from above, there is no mention of synthetic oil. That’s because no 2010 Mazda requires synthetic.
I seem to have some free time to do this research. See, my job as a Technical Instructor for Mazda (where I train and certify dealership mechanics) has taken me out of town this week. I’m just sitting at the airport waiting for my flight. So what else can we discuss?
was synthetic even available in 2010? maybe its something new? why get regular oil that requires changing every 3,000 miles when you get synthetic and it still looks fairly new after 7,500 miles?
i surpassed 7,500 miles on my engine oil and checked it barely over a week ago. it still has the color of an almost new engine oil.
You came here absolutely convinced that the mechanics who were going to work on your car were wrong . . . and you learned that was, in fact, NOT the case
Then you questioned the explanation you were given
You seem like a good candidate to start learning to do your own maintenance, starting with engine oil and filter services
You’ll gain experience and feel you’ve accomplished something
And you’ll also be in full control of the situation
Back in 2010 you’d see synthetic blends or conventional oil being offered for certain makes, we switched from a 90 Mazda that did go 10K between oil changes once but our mechanic had some words to say about it at the time. Most oil changes were between 5,000-6,000mi as the spirit moved us. The 2010 Prius that replaced it takes Synthetic oil but our mechanics feel changing it more like every 6,000mi would be best.
We’ve been following these guys lead since 1993 and a combined 264,000mi without major problems. They change the oil and do a full inspection but most of the time just update the watch list and send us on our way without trying to sell anything else.
There’s a company called Blackstone Labs that would be able to tell you if you need synthetic or are changing your oil to early/late but the fee depends on how detailed a test you want them to run.
I also took exception to your apparent “Know it All” attitude concerning the CarMax Service Writer… When you told the Service Writer that you wanted Synthetic Oil, did you specify the weight of the Synthetic Oil?
You do know it comes in just about as many weights as standard motor oil? So, what weight did you want installed at exactly 4.5 quarts (Imperial, Metric or US Customary), your Mazda 3 is Japanese Metric you know… (Is that a trick question???)
Synthetic Oil comes in 0W20, 5W20, 5W30, 5W40, 10W20, 10W30, 10W40, and more, but they are for exotics… So, what be your choice?
In your case, is this a service contract purchased through Carmax? If so, then they will go by what the service contract specifies. I chose a service contract when I purchased a new car with a turbocharged 4, it specifies synthetic blend which is fine with me.
BTW, I checked for Carmax Services Centers, only listed were shops that partnered with Carmax, not operated by Carmax.
Did you purchase an extended warranty through Carmax? If so, follow the requirements of the contract. If not, take the car anywhere you want, put anything you want in the engine.
Buy some ramps and/or jack stands, do your own oil changes.
Amsoil began to be commercially available in 1972, after receiving API approval.
The color of the oil is not an accurate indicator of whether it needs to be changed. That is why it is advisable to follow the vehicle mfr’s specs regarding oil change intervals.
If a know-it-all person tells everyone the pros are doing it wrong, then they should get the heck out of the shop and do the job themselves
They’ll be doing everybody a favor
And if they do it wrong themselves, they’ll gain some experience and most importantly . . . they’ll gain some humility, which will serve them well in other aspects of daily life
