takahashi

Well - the correct oil has been the BIGGEST mystery of the 8 in this forum. No one know the answer. I think this should be resolve in Mazda Japan. The Japanese RX-8 oil is not made by Mazda but RE Amemiya???

Anyway, they use mineral oil, but no one said synthetic oil is a sin. and No ONE said it is any adv or disadv.

Castro R is a good oil Ageo. I am using it now but i am changing to Mazda RX-8 oil from dealer on Sat to see how it is. I am sure i can't tell the difference.

Maestro

What do you want to know about the rotary oil ???

I will answer what I can and what I can't I wil get the word from E & T Mazda Japan

takahashi

Maestro san...

I just wonder if all the Mazda oil are mineral base and 5w-30??
I have a glance in a Jap Mag that the oil rated different for different purposes (so bloody typical for a Japanese). 5w-30 for road use that lower rating for racing ????

If you can get some top gun Mazda rotary authories comment on synthetic oil in Renesis engine will be good

Maestro

I know the Mazda 5W-30 is mineral based as is also the same 5w-30 they use on older cars.

The MazdaSpeed is 0W-30 but is really for racing use and would burn quickly on a road car.

The Mazda techos are hard to get a answer from as my mans answer is very short due to language barrier etc I guess.

Semi's aren't bad they just aren't prefered is what Mazda's word is on them.

I ran semi until last year when I switched to the 5W-30 but you do get better oil compsumtion and its less smokey than the semi on my car that is for sure.

Ageo

The only 5W-30 oil in mineral base you can get is the mazda oil. But you cant buy it from shops down the road.

The Castrol R 5W-30 your using Takahashi is fully synthetic oil. Which is a high perfomance engine oil thow.

How has your oil consumption & performance been with the Castrol R Takahashi?

And if your dealers has been using it then im going to switch to that.

Wildcard

I've been using Castrol R for the last 14,000 km. I burn about 250ml per 1000km and I drive the car pretty hard. I have not noticed any appreciable change in performance either way with the Castrol oil. Nor would I expect to really.

takahashi

Well I think about 500ml/1000km. Topped up at 4800km now 6200km and needing top up again.

I will go to change to Mazda oil all together. I will buy a bottle of 1L for spare. I am doing City Mazda and hope they don't give me a special surprise that they are still using the Castro R

Damn if they do

Gomez 2

The Original Gomez here....Had to use a nom-de-plume due to a change of ISP. Gomez will return shortly.....

Finally got an answer to this age old question, and an official answer at that.
I have a copy of a parts bulletin, distributed to all dealers, for circulation to Dealer Principal, Parts Manager, and Service Manager which reads as follows: (Sorry, can't copy it onto the forum yet...technical issues!!!)

Date 17-9-03!!!!!!
Quote:
Due to some misunderstandings in the field in relation to the use of Synthetic and Mineral oils in rotary engines, National Technical Dept have created this Tech Tip in order to assist your staff with enquiries.

Pre- Renesis:
All Pre-Renesis engines have a set of oil control seals in the sides of the rotors, which are designed to keep oil from the lubrication system out of the combustion chambers. Each seal consists of a metal scraper with a rubber o-ring within.

MC advise this o-ring is not compatable with synthetic oils (or synthetic/mineral blends) and that such oils can attack the material in o-rings, causing them to break down and deteriorate. Should this occur, excessive amounts of oil would be drawn into the combustion chambers causing high oil consumtion, smoke from the exhaust, fouled spark plugs and reduced engine life.Therefore, synthetic oils or blends are prohibited and only mineral oils must be used in early rotary engines.

Renesis engine:
This engine has similar seals, which perform the same function as with the Pre-Renesis engines, however, the o-rings are constructed with a completely new type of material that has improved longevity and compatibility with synthetic oils.

While such oils are not prohibited from being used in this engine, MC still advises that mineral oils are more suitable with these engines. This is why MA will be importing mineral based 5W30 engine oil.

Genuine MC Engine oil for Rotary Engines:
We are currently in the process of sourcing genuine MC oil from Japan. This is a straight mineral oil with a viscosity of 5W30. There is quite an involved process to import this oil and then decanter it, which is the reason for the delay in supply to dealers. When available, this oil will be dedicated for rotary use, whether Renesis or early models and only available to the parts departments of our dealer network in 5 litre and 1 litre packs.

We will advise part numbers as soon as stock is available for sales.

Aldo Schepis
Part Business Manager.
End Quote.

Note the date...
I won't be putting synthetic in my car. If some dealers are still using synthetic, you should ask why IMHO.

Gomez.

PS. Post of the day, Hymee? My fingers deserve it!!
(Digital camera arriving this week!)

Hymee

iTrader: (1)

Post of the Day goze to Gomez.

I put about 1 litre of 5W30 Castrol R in last weekend after the cruise as I got a oil lamp a couple of times during some "higher speed" sections.

It is a synthetic oil that the newer seals have "compatibility" with. But then the next sentence says mineral oil is more suitable. WTF?

Ah well. I still don't get it. Whether the stuff comes from the ground, or made in a factory, the friggin stuff is a long chain hydrocarbon - made up of Carbon and Hydrogen molecules... Ah well.

Cheers,
Hymee.

Gomez 2

"improved compatibility"......"mineral oils are more suitable ",
(MA italics, not mine....)

Gomez.

pricer01

I guess I can expect to wait a LONG LONG time before I'll be buying my RX8 oil at K-Mart ... he he he

My oil consumption seems significantly less than those mentioned here, more like 100ml per 1000km. I hope the oil injector is working properly??

takahashi

Despite what the MA is thinking, most of the Japanese rotary shop, namely MazdaSpeed, RE Amemiya, HKS have oils out.

All are fully synthetics!!!!!!!!!, ranging from 0W30 to 5W40. I am sure they have not lost their mind.

For all of us that might go to a track (maybe) 4 times a year - does it really matter. Engine oil from MA is used presuming that we fang it but not driving the car like a granny.

my $0.02

bottom line: still confusing and I guess not a big deal.

Advice: stick with the Mazda oil, alterative is Castrol R 5W-30.

Gomez 2

Taka, these guys don't build the Renesis and don't have the engineering resources that Mazda have available to them.

You wanted an official line from Mazda, and now you have it.

Don't shoot the messenger 'cos you don't like the message!

Once again, you can use a synthetic, but a mineral oil is more suitable. I read that to mean better o-ring longevity with a mineral oil.

Gomez.

Baller

The quality of life is in the essence of the oil.

Rosso Diablo

I was at Werribee Mazda last week and had a chat to their service manager. He was adamant that 5-30 mineral based was more or less mandatory. Did they have any in stock? - no!!

City Mazda decant their bulk stocks but didn't have any to sell as of 2 weeks ago. Will try Brighton Mazda this week and let you know.

Cheers

takahashi

HEHE coz I used them all up last time I changed oil D

That was the date for the Melbourne meet :D

Gomez.... if MazdaSpeed using synthetic - would you think twice or more than 3 times about using it?

Taka

timbo

Stop it fellas, you'll go blind

The simple answer is, use the mineral oil if you can get it. Synth or semi synth is OK in the Renesis if you can't. End of story.

Maestro

Ummm the MazdaSpeed 0W-30 is Mineral based ???

You can run a Semi but the Mineral is 10 times better.

I've ran Semi for 4 years and Proper Mazda RE Mineral 5W-30 for about a year now.

My 0.02c worth

Oh yeah did you read that sentence above.

I've had Mazda 5W-30 RE stuff for 1 whole year now and I live in NZ.

takahashi

NO it is fully synthetic... I should scan that picture in the magazine tonight when i get home

Maestro

I'm pretty sure it is i'll break out my MazdaSpeed Catalogue and find out for sure.

The other thing is it would be very simple for a magizine to get it wrong.

takahashi

No it is picture proven - it is written in the MazdaSpeed oil bottle as fully synthetic -

I am getting stuff if the back of the bottle said it is not for RX8

Maestro

Oh and its 10W-40 not 0W-30 by the looks of things too.

Maestro

Your Right Takashi I'm wrong.

Quote "A special synthetic oil was developed by Idemitsu Kosan Co. just for the Le Mans race. It has a polyalphaolefin base with a detergent inhibitor package and a molybdenum friction reducer. A street version of this oil called "Rotary 1", meeting API specifications, became available in 1996 in 1-liter and 4-liter tins painted like the Le Mans winner. Be warned that it's incredibly expensive"

takahashi

Expensive... I like it! Coz I don';t have to think about it...

Package look different - as I saw the one in Japanese... but I am sure it is the same oil - expensive ...

Maestro

Ummm thats the Only MazdaSpeed Oil as of my 2003 MS catalogue.

Anything else would be fake.