[bye-bye-VW]

I started to add this post to an older thread on a similar topic, but then I decided it would be better to start a new thread. Here's my problem....

I have a 2016 Mazda3 with the 2.0 engine and manual tranny. After four months of ownership, I only have 2,100 miles on it, most of it suburban and freeway driving. I checked the oil level soon after I bought the car and the dipstick indicated full. At 1,000 miles, I was down 1/4 quart. Now, at 2,100 miles, I'm down 1/2 quart.

I stopped by the dealership today and spoke with the senior service advisor. I was expecting him to tell me that losing 1/2 quart in 2,100 miles was considered normal -- or at least within specs. But after checking my car's oil level himself to confirm that I was indeed down 1/2 quart, he told me that this amount of oil consumption on these engines was NOT normal, and that most of his customers lose virtually no oil between changes.

I asked him what he thought the problem was, and he told me that he had no idea, because of all the many hundreds of third-gen SkyActiv 2.0 engines he's serviced, I'm the FIRST AND ONLY customer who has reported this amount of oil consumption. (!!!) I was totally blown away by his comment, and not very happy that I'm the "one in hundreds" who has this problem.

The service advisor had me schedule an appointment, at which time they'll check the engine for fault codes, leaks, compression, etc. and then start me on an oil-consumption monitoring test. I told him that we already knew what the oil consumption rate was, but he said that if we want Mazda to do anything about the problem, the oil-consumption monitoring test has to be initiated by the dealer. I guess that makes sense.

As you might imagine, I am really bummed out about this situation. I'm afraid that I'm one of the very small percentage of Mazda owners who's been stuck with an engine that consumes way more oil than it's supposed to. If the service advisor had wanted to get rid of me, he could have simply told me that my engine's oil consumption rate was normal, and I would have gone away happy. But he didn't do that. Which makes me worried.

Do any of you smart Mazdaphiles have any thoughts on this matter?

 

[ElNino77]

My thought is it's good of Mazda or just that dealer to right away acknowledge that amount of loss is NOT normal and get moving right away to help you rectify the situation.

Coming from Subaru, they would tell you it's normal and check your oil more often, because their engines do often burn oil (check any forum, not all cars but many). So for me, i was surprised and actually kind of relieved to see you got the response you did - that's half the battle having the dealer say "Yes, we need to fix this"

 

[gregersonke]

Yea, oil consumption on the skyactiv isn't normal. You might get some early on as the piston rings settle. But so long as you've been nice to it for the first 1k and changed the oil around then it shouldn't burn much if any oil between changes. It sounds like you are due for a new motor soon. Nothing bad, it just happens. They should give you the first oil change after the motor replacement for free though.

 

[bye-bye-VW]

@ElNino77 and @gregersonke, thanks for your replies. Yes, it's great that the service guy acknowledges that there is a problem, but if it turns out that the engine's defective, I don't think it's going to be easy to get Mazda to replace the engine. From everything I've heard, the company isn't very good about stuff like that. Also, if I have a brand-new car with a defective engine, I really don't want a new engine... I want a new car!

 

[bye-bye-VW]

@ElNino77 and @gregersonke, thanks for your replies. Yes, it's great that the service guy acknowledges that there is a problem, but if it turns out that the engine's defective, I don't think it's going to be easy to get Mazda to replace the engine. From everything I've heard, the company isn't very good about stuff like that.

Also, if I have a brand-new car with a defective engine, I really don't want a new engine... I want a new car!

 

[AxelaBm]

@ElNino77 and @gregersonke, thanks for your replies. Yes, it's great that the service guy acknowledges that there is a problem, but if it turns out that the engine's defective, I don't think it's going to be easy to get Mazda to replace the engine. From everything I've heard, the company isn't very good about stuff like that.

Also, if I have a brand-new car with a defective engine, I really don't want a new engine... I want a new car!

Go return the car. I believe you have a couple of months to return a car for a replacement. They cant be selling you a lemon or a product that is defective.

 

[bye-bye-VW]

Go return the car. I believe you have a couple of months to return a car for a replacement. They cant be selling you a lemon or a product that is defective.

I don't think that they'll replace the car until I prove that it's a lemon.

First, I've got to do the oil consumption monitoring thing through the service department. The service guy said that Mazda wouldn't even talk to us until that happens, so that the oil loss is officially documented. I've got an appointment a week from this Tues to get the monitoring started. Then I'll have to drive the car for, I think, about 1,000 miles before I bring it back to the dealer.

As you can see, this whole process is going to take a while. <INSERT SEVERAL CURSE WORDS HERE>

 

[AxelaBm]

I don't think that they'll replace the car until I prove that it's a lemon.

First, I've got to do the oil consumption monitoring thing through the service department. The service guy said that Mazda wouldn't even talk to us until that happens, so that the oil loss is officially documented. I've got an appointment a week from this Tues to get the monitoring started. Then I'll have to drive the car for, I think, about 1,000 miles before I bring it back to the dealer.

As you can see, this whole process is going to take a while. <INSERT SEVERAL CURSE WORDS HERE>

love your user name. It might change from ByeByeVM to ByeByeMazda.

most likely if they find out the engine is defect, theyll just change it or what is causing it. you still stuck with a car with a starting issue. who knows what else will pop up.....

 

[bye-bye-VW]

love your user name. It might change from ByeByeVM to ByeByeMazda.

most likely if they find out the engine is defect, theyll just change it or what is causing it. you still stuck with a car with a starting issue. who knows what else will pop up.....

Yeah, pretty soon I'll run out of car companies to say "bye bye" to!

I'm not worried that this car is "jinxed" or anything -- if there's a problem, it's just the damn engine. If there's something relatively minor that can be easily fixed, I'm sure they'll fix it. But if it's the engine itself that's defective, I don't think it's going to be easy to get Mazda to agree to replace it. That's a really major "repair" and I don't get the sense that Mazda will do it without putting up a big fight.

So here's a question for someone who knows a lot more about engines than I do:

How likely is it that excessive oil consumption in a brand-new engine is being caused by something that's fairly easy to fix?

 

[rdriggett]

Yeah, pretty soon I'll run out of car companies to say "bye bye" to!

I'm not worried that this car is "jinxed" or anything -- if there's a problem, it's just the damn engine. If there's something relatively minor that can be easily fixed, I'm sure they'll fix it. But if it's the engine itself that's defective, I don't think it's going to be easy to get Mazda to agree to replace it. That's a really major "repair" and I don't get the sense that Mazda will do it without putting up a big fight.

So here's a question for someone who knows a lot more about engines than I do:

How likely is it that excessive oil consumption in a brand-new engine is being caused by something that's fairly easy to fix?

Either something is loose and its an easy fix or you need a new engine.

My friends 3 spun a bearing and he had to fight mazda a moderate amount but they replaced his engine in the end.

 

[bye-bye-VW]

Either something is loose and its an easy fix or you need a new engine.

My friends 3 spun a bearing and he had to fight mazda a moderate amount but they replaced his engine in the end.

That's what I was afraid of! It's either a pimple and they'll pop it, or it's Stage 4 cancer and I'm gonna die. Well, only time will tell. I'm bringing the car to the dealer a week from Tuesday, and if they don't find anything to fix, I'll have to do the oil consumption monitoring thing, which will take at least a few weeks for me to run up the necessary mileage to get a reading. I'm not looking forward to going up against Mazda on this thing, if I have to. Their lawyers are bigger than my lawyers. Oh, wait! I don't even have a lawyer! Oh, well...

 

[AxelaBm]

That's what I was afraid of! It's either a pimple and they'll pop it, or it's Stage 4 cancer and I'm gonna die. Well, only time will tell. I'm bringing the car to the dealer a week from Tuesday, and if they don't find anything to fix, I'll have to do the oil consumption monitoring thing, which will take at least a few weeks for me to run up the necessary mileage to get a reading. I'm not looking forward to going up against Mazda on this thing, if I have to. Their lawyers are bigger than my lawyers. Oh, wait! I don't even have a lawyer! Oh, well...

So stupid forgetting to ask. Are you diesel? From what I understand that the Diesel engine was burning oil. I read it somewhere online.

 

[bye-bye-VW]

So stupid forgetting to ask. Are you diesel? From what I understand that the Diesel engine was burning oil. I read it somewhere online.

Nope. Gasoline aka petrol all the way. I didn't even know that Mazda was making diesels -- at least not for the U.S. market. My "problem car" is a 2016 Mazda3 iTouring hatchback with the SkyActiv 2.0 liter engine and a manny tranny, currently with about 2100 miles on the odometer.

 

[gregersonke]

@ElNino77 and @gregersonke, thanks for your replies. Yes, it's great that the service guy acknowledges that there is a problem, but if it turns out that the engine's defective, I don't think it's going to be easy to get Mazda to replace the engine. From everything I've heard, the company isn't very good about stuff like that.

Also, if I have a brand-new car with a defective engine, I really don't want a new engine... I want a new car!

A new car would be great, but that's not the process and it's kind of unrealistic to expect a new car with over 2000 parts on it to be completely perfect every time. Thus the reason warranties exist. Mazda will and should fight you tooth and nail if you try for a new car at this point. Even if you do get it the sheer amount of time you will spend getting it won't be small.

I had problems with mine early on and it didn't require a new engine but I accounted for all my direct costs and wanted a similar value back from Mazda. I stayed true to my requests, I ended up with the cheapest overall to them option I gave them which was an appearance package plus 200 dollar gift card. There is more on this if you search. But all in all, I got a 2000 dollar appearance kit. I love my car.

But either way, the due diligence is to figure out the problem first, it may be that your engine just hasn't broken in yet, a bad PCV valve. or it could be the head and not the block.

Just as a heads up the only way you are getting a new car legally at this point is really if it's a lemon defined by the lemon laws of your state. Which requires going through the warranty diagnosis and due diligence which you've already started the steps for. You now have notes, and next service watch for oil loss. This will likely be followed by a leakdown test to define where the loss is occurring, If it is the engine, then a new one will be ordered direct from factory. Mazda's cost on this engine and install is over 2000 bucks, so bear in mind they have costs incurred in fixing your car too.

Lemon laws vary from state to state, but in general you need to be towed back to dealer. or you need to have the same problem at least 3 times. If you have the same oil loss on the new engine it's likely that the original diagnosis was incorrect, and they will continue to find the problem.

Best advice at this junction is really, open a case with Mazda. Document all your costs, direct monetary and losses. Fix the problem first, Mazda customer service agent cannot justify compensation to their boss until they know everything you went through to get your car fixed. Be nice, be firm in that you want a reliable car.

When the car is verified as being fixed. When you ask for compensation, be realistic. Extending your warranty would be something of a very reasonable request at this point and I could see you walking away with a 100k factory warranty out of this as long as that's what you stick to because you want to make sure the car as reliable as what the factory and all other Mazda customers maintain it should be.

 

[MeteorGray]

Please keep us informed about what you find. A car which uses oil at the rate of a quart per 4200 miles is not normally considered defective, at least in my experience. Maybe Mazda is different.

 

[bye-bye-VW]

A new car would be great, but that's not the process and it's kind of unrealistic to expect a new car with over 2000 parts on it to be completely perfect every time. Thus the reason warranties exist. Mazda will and should fight you tooth and nail if you try for a new car at this point. Even if you do get it the sheer amount of time you will spend getting it won't be small.

[CONTINUES...]

Thanks very much, gregersonke, for your lengthy post and your excellent advice. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I have no expectation whatsoever that Mazda will provide me with a new car, although I certainly wouldn't turn them down if they offered me one.

I also think I mentioned that when I told the service advisor about the oil consumption, I was expecting him to tell me that me that losing oil at the rate of a quart every 4,000 miles or so was considered "normal" by Mazda, and it surprised me when he told me that it wasn't. It will be interesting to find out what the next steps will be if they're unable to find anything wrong with the engine that's easily fixable, and the oil consumption test shows that, yes, I am losing oil. I'd never heard of a leakdown test, but it's something I'll be sure to ask the service advisor about.

In any case, I will be sure to take your advice and document all my expenses, although at this point my only expense will probably be the cost of a quart of oil every 4,000 miles.

To put things in perspective, it's really not the worst thing in the world to have a car that runs fine in every way, except for the fact that it consumes more oil than is typical. But what's so frustrating for me is that one of the reasons I dumped my old VW is that I was really tired of checking my oil at every gas tank fill-up, plus worrying about a whole bunch of other little stuff, and I was l really looking forward to driving a shiny new car that I didn't have to worry about all this time.

Oh, well...

 

[bye-bye-VW]

Please keep us informed about what you find. A car which uses oil at the rate of a quart per 4200 miles is not normally considered defective, at least in my experience. Maybe Mazda is different.

It is my understanding that most manufacturers regard anything less than a quart every 1500 miles as "normal" -- which is why I was so surprised when the service advisor told me that my oil loss wasn't normal for a Mazda3, and told me to set up an appointment to have the car looked at, and to start an oil consumption monitoring test.

My appointment isn't until a week from this Tuesday. I will be sure to post what happens on that day.

 

[gregersonke]

Thanks very much, gregersonke, for your lengthy post and your excellent advice. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I have no expectation whatsoever that Mazda will provide me with a new car, although I certainly wouldn't turn them down if they offered me one.

I also think I mentioned that when I told the service advisor about the oil consumption, I was expecting him to tell me that me that losing oil at the rate of a quart every 4,000 miles or so was considered "normal" by Mazda, and it surprised me when he told me that it wasn't. It will be interesting to find out what the next steps will be if they're unable to find anything wrong with the engine that's easily fixable, and the oil consumption test shows that, yes, I am losing oil. I'd never heard of a leakdown test, but it's something I'll be sure to ask the service advisor about.

In any case, I will be sure to take your advice and document all my expenses, although at this point my only expense will probably be the cost of a quart of oil every 4,000 miles.

To put things in perspective, it's really not the worst thing in the world to have a car that runs fine in every way, except for the fact that it consumes more oil than is typical. But what's so frustrating for me is that one of the reasons I dumped my old VW is that I was really tired of checking my oil at every gas tank fill-up, plus worrying about a whole bunch of other little stuff, and I was l really looking forward to driving a shiny new car that I didn't have to worry about all this time.

Oh, well...

I documented the miles missed on my car, the extra cost of gas on the rentals I required in place of the car. Also, if the dealer is changing your oil make them fill it up between changes as part of your oil changes.

 

[southern_3]

Hi and sorry you're having this issue with your Mazda. Personally I believe there is oil making its way into the combustion chamber. If you see any black or blue smoke coming out of your exhaust or if your exhaust smells like burnt oil, then you're burning oil for sure. I have a few questions if you could take the time to answer them and maybe we can narrow down as to why the engine is consuming so much oil. It's probably just an out of spec piston ring(s), but maybe we can narrow it down.

1. Can you explain how you drove the vehicle since you got it, specifically for the first 1,000 miles or so?

2. When you first start your the engine, did you let it idle for prolonged periods?

3. If so, how long on average did you let it idle?

4. Or did you start it up and immediately begin driving?

5. Did you allow the engine to reach higher RPMs early on? Above 3,000 RPMs? Above 5,000 RPMs?

6. What kind of gasoline are you using? Octane, brand, any additives?

7. Did you use cruise control yet? If so, how many miles and what speed do you typically use cruise control for?

8. Do you see or smell oil in engine bay? Take a flashlight and look at all locations where something is bolted onto the crankcase. Specifically, if you remove the service door underneath the engine, do you see any oil around the oil pan gasket or timing cover?

Thank you and best of luck!

 

[bye-bye-VW]

Hi and sorry you're having this issue with your Mazda. Personally I believe there is oil making its way into the combustion chamber. If you see any black or blue smoke coming out of your exhaust or if your exhaust smells like burnt oil, then you're burning oil for sure. I have a few questions if you could take the time to answer them and maybe we can narrow down as to why the engine is consuming so much oil. It's probably just an out of spec piston ring(s), but maybe we can narrow it down.

Thanks for taking an interest in my problem, southern_3. I do appreciate it. Here are my answers...

1. Can you explain how you drove the vehicle since you got it, specifically for the first 1,000 miles or so?

This is what the manual says about the break-in period:

No special break-in is necessary, but a few precautions in the first 1,000 km (600 miles) may add to the performance, economy, and life of the vehicle.
* Do not race the engine.
* Do not maintain one constant speed, either slow or fast, for a long period of time.
* Do not drive constantly at full-throttle or high engine rpm for extended periods of time.
* Avoid unnecessary hard stops.
* Avoid full-throttle starts.

I followed those instructions for the first 1,000 miles, which is 400 miles more than they recommend.

2. When you first start your the engine, did you let it idle for prolonged periods?

No I don't. I drive it right away, but pretty gently until the blue "engine coolant temperature is low" light goes off -- which, here in never-too-cold Northern California, doesn't take more than a mile or so.

3. If so, how long on average did you let it idle?
4. Or did you start it up and immediately begin driving?

See my answer to previous question.

5. Did you allow the engine to reach higher RPMs early on? Above 3,000 RPMs? Above 5,000 RPMs?

During the first 1,000 miles, I probably did run the engine at 3,000 RPMs every now and again, while accelerating or driving up a hill, but never above 5,000.

6. What kind of gasoline are you using? Octane, brand, any additives?

Except for the first tank, which was filled by the dealer, I've been using ARCO regular (87 octane). No additives of my own.

7. Did you use cruise control yet? If so, how many miles and what speed do you typically use cruise control for?

During the first 1,000 miles, I didn't use cruise control at all. Since then, I've only used it a couple of times for brief periods -- at speeds of 55 to 70 mph.

8. Do you see or smell oil in engine bay? Take a flashlight and look at all locations where something is bolted onto the crankcase. Specifically, if you remove the service door underneath the engine, do you see any oil around the oil pan gasket or timing cover?

When you look under the hood, the engine looks as clean as the day I bought it. I looked under the car and it looks clean there, too. Also, no oil stains on the driveway where I park. Since the dealer will be examining the car next week, I haven't bothered to remove the service door. I did notice a small amount of black soot on the inside rims of the tailpipes, but I understand that this is normal with our engines. No black or blue smoke coming out of the tailpipe.

One last thing. When I spoke to the service advisor, he asked me if I downshift through the gears when coming up to a stop. Although I will downshift when going into a turn, or when I need some more torque while driving up a hill, I never downshift simply to help stop the car. I do it the old-fashioned way -- with the brakes.

That's about it. If you have any insights, I'd love to hear them!