Tell me about it, it’s the up! gti’s turn tomorrow lol
Now that is a sleeper classic, the Up Gti, well worth keeping if you can.
Yes, it’s a tidy car. Feels light as heck, much lighter than the ND (2L), even though it’s apparently pretty similar. Everything on it is easy for a runabout: the turning circle, the steering, the clutch, the gearbox change, the visibility, the ride (on PS5), it’s quick ‘enough’, the engine’s torquey etc. The only annoying thing is reverse sometimes can be a bit fiddly. Gives 50 mpg without trying on RON99. Just an ultimate non-hard work car.
It had its 1st service less than 12 months ago (at 1450 miles). I bought it at that point. 2nd service came in early (less that 12000 miles/12 months later) as the flexible service interval thing said it was needed.
C3 or C4 it shouldn’t matter. C3 is certainly in spec and C4 is similar with a lower SAPS limit.
In theory there could be a lubricity trade off for the lower SAPS but there’s not much difference. Miller’s ‘oil finder’ points you at various C3 options.
I’m not a real oil expert, I just read stuff when buying my oil. I’m using EE Performance C3 5W-30 at the moment. I supply my own oil for services so I know what’s in it.
5w-30 shell helix is what I put in a couple of months ago , cars running sweet as ,
I don’t know your technical abilities but personally I’m no mechanic , but do try and do maintenance myself so I know what’s been used and that it’s done correctly , plus saves paying someone else , money saved on labour is spent on the parts , you get to know your car win win .
Car’s still under warranty so need to go to Mazda for service to make any warranty issues as easy as possible to sort.
I’m obliged by Suzuki to stick to 0-20 for the 7y Warranty, to be done at the dealer. Looked it up on the Suzy OC forum and it seems…some engine failures around turbos on Vitaras and Swifts have happened with anything else.Something to do with the turbo bearings not getting pressured on cold starts. No cars sticking to the 0-20 have to anyone’s knowledge ever failed.
As it is, I nursed (Swift Sport) through 500 miles of gentle warm up, use the revs up and down to 4k max, and then let it poper rip through the glens one day to clean it out. Just as I did with new company cars actually.
A full dealer service history (whatever that actually might be worth) is beneficial for resale value.
Interesting. They use that urine oil in my up! gti, too.
Not that you would try it under warrenty, but I wonder if 0w-30, the ‘elixir oil’ as some call it, is the ultimate grade. In fact, the up! gti used to use that grade until 2020, when they changed to 0w-20. As far as anyone knows no engines changes were made. Hence it’s probably yours, mine and everyone’s good friend, the old emissions sleep fest, rearing it’s woke head again.
I think it’s just historical and popular wisdom that assumes thin oil must somehow be bad. Never mind urine oil, treacle oil also isn’t good if it can’t get places where it needs to fast enough.
And 5w-30, or an 0W-30 would be that bad?
Consider the other end of the spectrum too, under heat, and impact on bearings, wear etc long term . Anecdotal, but the amount of mechanics I’ve mention it too and got negative responses is unreal. Maybe they’re all wrong.
0w-20 etc does the job of an oil (obviously), but coincidentally ‘just happens’ to be the emissions golden child. That’s trumps everything else.
I think it’s just the mindset that viscosity is the only thing that really counts, and high is best. I think there’s a lot more to oil than its viscosity, otherwise we might all be putting in maple syrup 
And modern engines don’t have the same gaps between moving parts to fill/coat with oil.
Mechanics definately have more knowledge than I do, but we’re all subject to bias and what we’ve personally experienced. Not to disrespect mechanics in any way, I would nonetheless defer to the engineers designing and testing the engines as the “horse’s mouth” on what’s best and we can only see that in the published specs, maintenance schedules that the mechanics implement etc. The mechanics provide ‘feedback from the field’ that informs changes the engineers susequently make (as they clearly don’t always get it right!). And of course there are marketing pressures/compromises that get made 
By the way, apparently Formula 1 teams utilize very low viscosity synthetic engine oils, typically in the 0W or 5W range, to minimize friction and maximize engine efficiency. Mind you I want my car engine to last a lot longer than a F1 engine 
True, but when the golden child of oils don’t just happen to be the golden child grade of reducing emissions, personally then I’ll take note.
If you read around it (I’m sure you have of course), there are shed loads of arguments against it (just as there is for). So one could argue it isn’t conclusive. However, as stated, it just happens to be the emissions golden child. What a coincidence. I just don’t read loads about the mass use of 0w-20 due to wanting to protect the long term health of engines, or protecting at high temps. Wouldn’t it be nice to read something like ‘such and such grade of oil is used as, although the emissions are a bit higher, we’ve used it to offer more long term or very high load engine protection’. MIght respect ot more then.
Well the plot (not the oil) thickens. Mazda UK said they’re not sure if RN17 is ok (as they can’t see it meets the required API or ACEA requirements) and will get back to me…
Never trusted dealers for oil changes in 50 years of driving for that very reason Mick…you would assume with so many differing types of oil required these days they would keep at least what they deal with in stock, but that costs money so can you ever be sure ?
Indeed. And ironically I’m only going to the Mazda dealer to make any warranty issues easier. Go figure.
It can also be worth using Mazda dealer for servicing after the warranty has expired.
Mazda will often pay a contribution towards repairs to items that have failed early but outside warranty. I believe this is up to 7 years.
The percentage of contribution is calculated by a complex formula using these factors -
Age
Mileage
Number of owners
Service history
A £1000 repair with a 50% contribution will come it quite a bit less than £500 as the parts and labour that the owner pays for will be at the warranty rate rather than the higher general rate.
So… After Mazda UK’s investigation, I got a call from the dealer that ‘remedial work’ has to be completed (oil and filter change) booked in for next week, and the wrong oil had been put in as a ‘administrative’ error?! Draw your own conclusions.
Shocking really.
No, that must be wrong. You’ve got ‘specially trained’ Mazda technicians, who know the car better than anyone.
Jokes aside, you’re correct though, shocking. You’ve also done a public service, as think of all the other cars which also just get whatever the nearest oil drum happens to have. Hopefully that won’t happen now you’ve raised it 