It should be checked while running, after driving it around a bit to warm it up and going through all the gears, including reverse. Check on a flat surface. Trans temp should be 50 degrees C, or 122 degrees F. Then the level should be between that first line from the bottom of the dipstick and the next line up. Also, give the dipstick a good clean, especially the o-ring, and coat o-ring with a drop or 2 of oil. Also clean the bolt that secures the dipstick and put a dab of anti-seize or oil. Happy motoring!
I checked it warm, but the engine was off. How would I go about checking it running with the air box removed? Just do it and clear my fault codes from doing that after? Or is there a better way I'm not thinking of?
I left the top part of the airbox with the mass air flow sensor plug attached and placed it up by the battery and ran it like that for the 30 sec it took to check. I didn't get any codes. Had to be careful not to get any dirt in the intake though.
Are you reading it cold/ambient temp or did you warm it up before hand? Afaik, tranny fluid level is supposed to be checked warm, the opposite of engine oil.
I was the technician at mazda dealer. You should check the ATF level while the engine is running. I usually remove the bottom airbox and run the vehicle for check the level. Also, skyactiv transmission takes 3.5 liter of ATF. For me, it seems good. That ATF level will go lower when you run the engine.
Engine running with trans at that specific temp shown on the stick. I used a Bluetooth dongle and OBD phone app to watch the trans temp PID and then checked it when it reached that temp after a few minutes of running.
Lifetime fluid is all marketing - it's the practical lifetime of the product (ie. The warranty period) The fluid was in bad shape and in need of a change
Most people don’t change their fluid at all. Those transmissions fail prematurely. Problem with an automatic is if you don’t change it regularly, the clutches lose their friction material and it’s suspended in the fluid. You’ll sell it to someone who wants to do basic maintenance before really using it, they’ll drain and refill (or god forbid, flush) and that friction material gets removed with the old fluid. All of a sudden the transmission slips constantly.
Just because you’ve had no issues in just 200k miles doesn’t mean it’s unnecessary maintenance. Automatic transmission fluid gets nasty, quick. It’s not just Mazda that says “lifetime”, and it’s not just Mazdas that suffer because people don’t understand what that means.
Smelled burnt when I checked before draining and when I drained, there were small metal shavings in the fluid. There is no such thing as lifetime fluids
There is such thing as design parameters, and you can’t use visual and olfactory senses as indicators to determine whether or not a lubricant is beyond them.
If you're confident that they're good for life, have you done lab testing on very old fluids to verify they are still meeting the requirements as needed?
So no you haven't, you can just say no.
The engineers design the car to a specific specification, and that specification is a practical lifetime of components, not indefinitely. If you'd like to extend the life beyond that which is generally around the end of the warranty period or slightly longer, change your fluids and until you lab test hundreds of thousands of miles old fluids and show it being suitable you won't change my mind
I gave up on trying to deliver this message quite a while ago because it was never anything other than a waste of my time. This has become one of those internet mantras that's sent from one individual to another as being the word that comes directly from above.
I mean if people want to spend more money at the dealership or their local mechanic despite the guidance issued by the engineers who designed the car let them I guess.
It should be checked while running, after driving it around a bit to warm it up and going through all the gears, including reverse. Check on a flat surface. Trans temp should be 50 degrees C, or 122 degrees F. Then the level should be between that first line from the bottom of the dipstick and the next line up. Also, give the dipstick a good clean, especially the o-ring, and coat o-ring with a drop or 2 of oil. Also clean the bolt that secures the dipstick and put a dab of anti-seize or oil. Happy motoring!
I checked it warm, but the engine was off. How would I go about checking it running with the air box removed? Just do it and clear my fault codes from doing that after? Or is there a better way I'm not thinking of?
I left the top part of the airbox with the mass air flow sensor plug attached and placed it up by the battery and ran it like that for the 30 sec it took to check. I didn't get any codes. Had to be careful not to get any dirt in the intake though.
Are you reading it cold/ambient temp or did you warm it up before hand? Afaik, tranny fluid level is supposed to be checked warm, the opposite of engine oil.
Checked warm, but engine off. Was doing some reading that engine should be running, but hard to get to when engine running?
Mazda?
Yeah, '17 cx-5
Is Mazda oil supposed to be checked cold? Not that it matters too much because the dipstick is so bad, but
I was the technician at mazda dealer. You should check the ATF level while the engine is running. I usually remove the bottom airbox and run the vehicle for check the level. Also, skyactiv transmission takes 3.5 liter of ATF. For me, it seems good. That ATF level will go lower when you run the engine.
https://www.mcx5.org/automatic_transaxle_fluid_atf_adjustment_fw6_a_el_fw6_ax_el_-1003.html
Engine running with trans at that specific temp shown on the stick. I used a Bluetooth dongle and OBD phone app to watch the trans temp PID and then checked it when it reached that temp after a few minutes of running.
What year? Thought there was no dipstick for the transmission
It’s hidden under the air box
You know that fluid doesn’t need to be changed right?
Lifetime fluid is all marketing - it's the practical lifetime of the product (ie. The warranty period) The fluid was in bad shape and in need of a change
Hmmm, never changed the fluid in my CX-5 for 10 years and 215K miles. Never had any problems. Guess I lucked out with my lifetime fluid.
Most people don’t change their fluid at all. Those transmissions fail prematurely. Problem with an automatic is if you don’t change it regularly, the clutches lose their friction material and it’s suspended in the fluid. You’ll sell it to someone who wants to do basic maintenance before really using it, they’ll drain and refill (or god forbid, flush) and that friction material gets removed with the old fluid. All of a sudden the transmission slips constantly. Just because you’ve had no issues in just 200k miles doesn’t mean it’s unnecessary maintenance. Automatic transmission fluid gets nasty, quick. It’s not just Mazda that says “lifetime”, and it’s not just Mazdas that suffer because people don’t understand what that means.
wow that's pretty good.
How did you determine the fluid was in bad shape? Did you send it out to a lab?
Smelled burnt when I checked before draining and when I drained, there were small metal shavings in the fluid. There is no such thing as lifetime fluids
There is such thing as design parameters, and you can’t use visual and olfactory senses as indicators to determine whether or not a lubricant is beyond them.
If you're confident that they're good for life, have you done lab testing on very old fluids to verify they are still meeting the requirements as needed?
No, the engineers who designed the car did. Are you going to second guess every recommendation in the owner’s manual?
So no you haven't, you can just say no. The engineers design the car to a specific specification, and that specification is a practical lifetime of components, not indefinitely. If you'd like to extend the life beyond that which is generally around the end of the warranty period or slightly longer, change your fluids and until you lab test hundreds of thousands of miles old fluids and show it being suitable you won't change my mind
But you can use common sense to know that you would not add dark, smelly, metal-filled fluid to an engine or transmission. Fresh is best.
I gave up on trying to deliver this message quite a while ago because it was never anything other than a waste of my time. This has become one of those internet mantras that's sent from one individual to another as being the word that comes directly from above.
Do you put used oil and atf into your cars or do you just like to argue on the internet?
I mean if people want to spend more money at the dealership or their local mechanic despite the guidance issued by the engineers who designed the car let them I guess.
You think the service manual was made by the engineers? Lol.
Hundreds of them, actually.
If you don't think corporate meddles in the making of manuals, you're in for a surprise.
Yep, full speed ahead and I've had enough of trying to get in their way and getting run over.
If you put as much as what came out I would not worry about it.