Greetings. First post here from Alabama. I bought my daughter a 2016 CX-5 Sport 2.5NA with 90K miles on it and my wife bought a 2019 Touring 2.5 NA with 100K miles on it.
Question #1. How long TYPICALLY do the struts and shocks last? Are Bilsteins the prefered replacement or KYB?
Question #2. Does the PCV valve need replacing and at what prefered mileage?
Question #3. Any reports of the intake valves carboning up on the gas engines due to not having port fuel injectors or did Mazda figure something out no others did to keep the intakes from gumming up?
Thanks for any responses. Just figured I'd ask the folks you already know.

 

My response is as a Service manager a very busy shop as well several decades of service and part sale experience.
#1) This varies with too many situations that there is no set rule to go by for when they should be replaced vs needing to be replaced.
#2) This varies with too many situations that there is no set rule to go by for when they should be replaced vs needing to be replaced.
#3) Its called DI (direct injection) and This varies with too many situations that there is no set rule to go by for when they should be serviced and to what degree.

There is no "preferred" make if replacement dampeners and while your 2 mentioned KYB, Bilstein's are what I would at lease suggest to customers you should also mention Monroe and Gabriel and in some cases even Rancho. Dont rule out factory MAZDA either. This all depends on several factors based on miles service history with the chassis and suspension, and what the owner ultimately uses their vehicle for and current state of wear with all effected parts in the chassis and suspension. There is no good, better best regarding all the dampener manufactures that I mentioned for any MAZDA and any year production.

The basic answers you are going to read on any forum including this one will be what an owner chooses which is based more on what they think is the better choice and not really what actually may be the better choice for their platform and use.

 

Welcome to the forum

 

Thanks Callisto, but you didn't really address my third inquiry. Are there any trends or reports that have developed since the release of the Skyactive engines in regards to intake valve carbon build up? So most Skyactive owners NEVER have issues and very little need for walnut abrasive blasting? Have you seen any in your shop that needed it or is it basically a non-issue? I know the Germans's were having severe issues with GDI as well as Kia/Hyundai and that issue is why Toyota and Ford and Kia/Hyundai quickly added port injection to their GDI's. Kinda curious what technical "voo-doo" Mazda did to avoid an issue many other car makers encountered with not-port injected GDI. I love the idea that the did figure something out.

 

The Mazda Skyactiv engine is a different engineering design then other platforms

The hype is to install catch cans . I installed 3 , one on breather side and 2 on PCV side. This was several years ago ago and as of the last oil change 2 months ago Bone dry as well as my intake runners .

I do see some issues with other platforms and most all are over 150k miles and having poor service records.

You can believe everything about some problems on the internet. The total production numbers vs actual issues are always low.


I did not say that there are not problems but not as high as posted and not as many with Mazda Skyactiv engines. For one the ECU would have generated the check engine light had the air volume reduced due to carbon build up.


If you are worried it’s easy enough to remove the Throtle body and scope the intake to the head intake valve at about 60-80 k miles or less .
Also be more diligent to check you oil level early in the morning more often to see small changes. The there is also the tail pipe for excessive blackness .
And let’s not forget looking at the spark plugs.
Then there will be a noticeable decrease in MPG and power level .

So if you are not having any of these then don’t let auto hypochondria effect you .. but if it has don’t worry many get it it lol


It was not technically a Voodoo but how Mazda set up the PCV system and the quality of the Skyactiv engines.

 

Thanks for your insight. I switched to Restore and Protect after doing lots of research about their "engineered" base oil detergency and figure that using it might help in the intake carbon area and the also help keep the rings free of carbon and goop on the deactivated cylinders .Amazing at the Skyactives that go 200K miles and more without major carbon issue yet other car makers are having a gosh awful time.

 

Thank you, I didn't know about it before.