I have a Mazda 6 Two litre Diesel Sport. This was the last of the range before the 07/08 change of model. It has the DPF. It now has 96K miles up and it has reached an age when I believe I can do my own maintenance.
I would like to change the engine oil and filter but a few things puzzle me.
Firstly, what oil should I use? (I live in Scotland)
The handbook advises that the engine control is reset when the oil is changed to avoid problems with the DPF.
Is this something I can do in a home workshop or does it need access to an engine computer?
Can anyone explain the X on the dipstick?
I have the usual high and low marks but the handbook refers to the X mark above the high mark and advises to change the oil if the level goes UP!
In my experience oil levels go down between changes unless there is something far wrong like a leaking head gasket. Can anyone explain why the level should rise?
Does unburnt fuel condense in the sump?
I am reasonably competent mechanically (I run and maintain two vintage cars) but modern cars with all the electronic engine management gizmos are a bit of a mystery to me.
I would appreciate any advice.

Ronnie J. Glasgow, Scotland.

 

Check with your local Mazda service department. It should take Genuine Mazda DL1 Diesel engine oil.

So the chassis is GG or GY? And not GH?

I think there is a way to reset the oil data. I will look thru my papers at work.

The "X" on the dipstick is to do with the DPF regeneration procedure. As the DPF regenerates it dumps a sh*t load of diesel thru the engine to burn off the diesel particles in the filter. A by-product of this is raw diesel getting into the engine oil via blow- by etc. The diesel fuel dilutes the oil & therefore increases the oil level. When the oil level reaches the "X" then you must do a oil & filter change ASAP.

Fuel filter should be changed every 20,000kms / 12,000 miles.

 

Thanks for the prompt response.
I have had a look at the registration document and the VIN starts JMZGG.
The engine number is RF285378.
I am grateful for the advice on the "X" mark on the dipstick.
I must say I am not wholly comfortable with the thought of fuel dilution in the engine oil but the engine is still fine after almost 100K miles.
Thanks again, I will not do the oil change until I get the info on resetting the PDF unit.

Ronnie Johnston,
Glasgow

 

PM sent.

 

As someone used to running older cars and maintaining them myself (or more often, by visiting my dad with a bottle of whisky!) I did a lot of reading, on here and other forums, about the DPF reset, required oil, etc.

Oil. It needs something of ACEA C1 standard (or JASO DL-1), which is a low-ash oil for DPF diesels. Unfortunately, this is not easy to track down -- a lot more cars use the C3 spec, which is everywhere (and what a non-specialist garage will generally stick in there). C1 and C3 are not different versions of the same standard -- they're actually quite different specifications, and therefore incompatible.

This is a list I found on a forum:

Mazda dexelia DPF
Motul 8100 eco clean
Fuchs xf longlife C1
Miller xf longlife C1
Shell helix diesel ultra af-l
Comma ecolife
Morris multilife c-one
Carlube triple R longlife Fully synth c1
Valvoline synpower env c1
Total quartz INEO
Gulf formula efe
Havoline energy ef
Mobil super 3000 formula c1
Motorex edition x-c1

It's an old list, so I'm sure there are more these days. Just look very closely at the manufacturer's website. I use Shell Helix, which I pick up whenever Euro Car Parts have an offer on it. I have heard that Mazda Dexelia DPF is rebadged Helix. When it's not on special, the Helix costs about £50 for 5l. My local Mazda garages are happy to sell me 5l of Dexelia DPF for £45, which is pretty reasonable I guess.

I'm sure there are plenty of people running C3 oil quite happily, but I'm not going to risk it.

DPF reset. Non-Mazda specialists definitely don't have the diagnostics tools to do it. That includes Halfords and the others that claim to do "manufacturer services". Sure, they say that they can "reset the service light", but that ain't the DPF. I got stung once, and am not doing it again.

Back in 2012, the Mazda garages near me wanted between £46 and £93 to reset the damn light -- something about them having to do some tests, hence it taking half an hour's labour. Yeah, right. I had read about them charging £30 if the light wasn't actually on (i.e. after you'd changed the oil yourself, and were within the grace period before the ECU got in a huff), but that doesn't seem to be the case round here (in the Manchester area).

There is a DIY method for resetting the DPF system after an oil change, as detailed on this thread:

https://www.mazdaforum.com/forum/gen...setting-27440/

Have a good read through, look at the pretty pictures, and just do it! I've got a post (on about page 4 or 5) detailing exactly how I did it for my 2007 old shape 6. Worked first time.

Good luck!