2008 Mazda 3 Manual Transmission Fluid
Yanira Conlon
Thank you!!
I did this today, recently passed 220k on a car I bought used at 185k. Put in 3 qts fresh 75w90. What did I drain? About 3/4 cup of ugly ugly oil! Why is this not manufacturer recommended maintenance?
You run the risk of draining all the fluid out of the transmission and then NOT being able to remove the fill plug (because it is seized, the head strips, etc.). Then you are left with a empty transmission and no way to get any fluid in.
My 2006 Mazda 3 with manual transmission does not have a transmission dipstick. How can i check the fluid level? and thus how can I refill it? I have checked the manual and there is no mention of where to check for it nor how to refill it. It only mentions the kind of fluid to replace it with. I also searched online for information but I can't seem to find anything that has a straight forward or clear answer.
Virtually no cars with manual transmissions have transmission dipsticks, because the only practical option is to drain and replace the fluid, not to top it up, and you wouldn't normally even think about changing the fluid until 100,000 or 150,000 miles.
Transmission oil is usually much thicker than engine oil - for example 75W85 or 80W90 grade, not 0W20 or 5W30. Unlike engine oil it doesn't get burnt when the engine is running, so unless there is a visible leak the level will never change. Unlike auto transmission fluid, it doesn't get hot either - in a manual transmission the heat when the transmission is "slipping" is generated in the clutch, not in the gearbox.
To change the fluid, there will be a drain plug and a filler plug on the gearbox somewhere. Often, the best (or only) way to refill with fluid is to use some sort of pump device attached to the fluid bottle - there is no way to just pour it in, as you do with engine oil.
As the title asks, what's your preferred magical oil for a 5-speed Miata NB transmission? I'm going to drain and refill one of these days . Car has 120K miles on it and I'm assuming it's the original oil in it now.
I've used Redline MT90 and Ford/Motorcraft XT-M5-QS in my RX7, which has essentially the same transmission. Other than the higher price point of the Ford/Motorcraft oil I didn't really notice any difference between the two. The 6 speed Miata guys rave about it though. For Redline I always thought MTL was too thin (75W80) and that MT90 (75W90) was the correct weight. I wouldn't expect miracles. Nothing is going to fix worn synchros or bad bearings but going with any high quality, synthetic GL-4 oil is going to be better than what's in there now.
I will say that I was not impressed by Mobil1 75W90. I had a rear transmission seal fail and dump a lot of fluid once and I needed something in a hurry so I grabbed the M1 off the shelf. It was significantly more notchy than the RedLine, and switch back a short time later made it smooth again.
I've also been less than impressed with Royal Purple. I had a car I temporarily owned that the syncros were going out on like thereildeal (drivable but notchy), and I figured I'd spend the big bucks on RP. It was about as bad as the Mobil 1, so I switched it out to RedLine before selling it.
I've run Redline MT90 and Motorcraft XT-M5-QS in my '91 Miata. Either one is way better than the original fluid. On a cold morning (< 40F), the first few shifts with Redline are a little notchy/stiff until the trans warms up. First few shifts with the Motorcraft are always smooth no matter the temperature. Other than that I haven't noticed a difference between the two.
A friend recently bought an NB ( 5speed) that had just had the transmission changed with some flavor of Redline. He complained about it being very "crunchy". I suggested a change to the Ford fluid and he was pleased with the change. His issues went away.
Ford/Motorcraft XT-M5-QS feels better than Redline in a Miata transmission, having experience with both. Worth my money and Rockauto sells it for much cheaper than dealer. There is always a 5% off promo floating around the forum as well.
Anyone tried the Honda MTF in a Miata transmission? It was recommended for and worked wonders on my Saab C900. As a new ND owner who just turned the first 1k miles, I nonetheless feel the need to plan ahead.
My trans was crunchy and hard to get in to second gear so I put the Redline fluid in, with no change. So I decided to try the Ford unicom blood and it feels like a new transmission no more grinding and second gear shifts like a charm.
I've tried everything except Royal Purple in the RX-7 version of this transmission (I haaaaate that stuff) and I came to the conclusion that any benefits of MTL, MT-90, GL5, OMG etc. were placebo effect. So I just get whatever gallon jug o'gear oil is cheapest at the parts store, maybe cut it a little with some leftover ATF.
My FD arrived with a transmission that was really balky and hard to shift, I had read that their synchros were somewhat fragile, so I started looking for a replacement. Before I got around to doing anything about that though, I needed to replace the clutch, which meant changing the fluid. Drained out some fresh-looking fluid that the previous owner had put in, replaced it with Redline and it was night and day, all of a sudden everything worked properly.
Another vote for the Ford MT fluid. My MSM had a balky second gear synchro, so I tried Redline MTL. It was better, but the old Mazdaspeed forum recommended the Ford stuff. While it doesn't shift like a 5-speed, it's definitely better with that oil.
The FD had an updated version of the RX-3/4/5 transmission, which had a reputation for finicky synchros. Those were REALLY fragile, they had built in stress risers and could bend with one poorly-executed shift!
In its front-wheel drive version, the Mazda 3 uses 8.5 litres of gas per 100 km on average in the city, 6.5 on the highway, and 7.6 combined, running on 87 octane fuel, according to Natural Resources Canada. (The vehicle has a 50-litre fuel tank.)
What does this mean for you? More than 600 km of driving between refills. If you opt for the manual transmission, the combined figure rises to 7.8 litres/100 km. Upgrading to the all-wheel drive and or turbo further raises fuel use and your fuel tank takes 48 litres. (Note that the Corolla and Civic have lower fuel-consumption rates.)
All Mazda 3s use a 2.5-litre, four-cylinder engine, which produces 191 horsepower and 186 pounds-feet of torque (motive force) through a six-speed automatic. On the GT trim, you can choose a six-speed manual transmission. It is silky smooth.
The sprint to reach highway speeds with the non-turbo engine is an exercise in simplicity and effectiveness. And the turbocharged engine gallops with up to 250 horsepower and 320 lbs.-ft. of torque at your disposal.
Standard features include heated front seats, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. You have to climb to higher trims to get goodies such as a sunroof, wireless charging and a heated leather steering wheel.
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