Mazda CX3 AWD - Rear Differential Flush

[@selfpaced]

Thank you so much for the Mazda Cx3 Rear differential flush video this will save me 100 bucks. Our Mazda dealer kept insisting on this service.

[@NexusAuto]

No problem at all. I am glad to hear the video was helpful too.

[@allmedia23]

I know they do because they want those 250 bucks mine asked me in Libertyville Illinois for that much I think the stuff that will affect warranty to not ruin it I will pay it , things like coolant flux and trans fluid, what services should I do at dealers under warranty due to their oem fluids

[@g2restore963]

Thanks!!!!! That’s easier than I thought!!!!! Best video on how to. Appreciate your help 💪🏽

[@NexusAuto]

@g2restore963 no problem at all! Thanks for watching!

[@jojo-ib2us]

Info from the dealership for 2016 cx3 awd: torque for both plugs is 30-39 ft lb. New washers are the same for both. Mazda long life hypoid gear oil SG1 0.37 US qt approx. bit more info: says to add till it comes out the fill hole. Mine took about 1/2 the quart. Harbor freight had an 8$ gear oil pump that worked - sorta fit on the bottle ok and had a barb that held it in place, worked fine for the fill. And you can get to it without jacking it up and entering at the back. Its just past the back bumper.

[@NexusAuto]

Awesome!!! Thank you for the info! That's much appreciated, and will help future viewers!

[@jbrett2998]

Excellent video thanks…I’m looking for a video as I’m getting a grinding noise from the rear..cx3 2016 134k km I thought it was wheel bearings but no play no noise…all the noise is coming from differential…

[@NexusAuto]

No problem at all. Maybe this flush will help out? Depends on how bad that grinding is. good luck

[@TheSchmed]

I was able to get the bottle directly in to fill the front diff no problem, it was definitely low on fluid from the factory. I did first change at 30k miles, doing rear this weekend, did trans drain and fill too.

[@NexusAuto]

Awesome! At that rate, your drivetrain should last a long time! Glad to see you are on top of everything

[@watchwithme4658]

Thank you for vidoe! ... What is the service interval for AWD differential fluid on a CX3? I don't see it indicated on the maintenance sheet i found on Mazda's website I'd really appreciate your input

[@NexusAuto]

No problem at all, thanks for the feedback. As per the Mazda listing, differential fluid is a 'lifetime fluid' that should not be changed. However the local dealership said it should be changed at 100000kms/60000 miles. Additionally, Mazda does say that if you do anything heavy duty (towing, lots of city stop and go driving with many trips being less than 10 miles, etc), then it should be changed at approximately 30000 miles/48000 kms)

[@watchwithme4658]

@@NexusAuto thank you so much! ... looking forward to bugging you again RE: my 2016 Mazda 6 :P

[@NexusAuto]

@@watchwithme4658 LOL sounds good to me. Glad to hear the info helped!

[@TheRaezorRae]

Mazda manual in the car says every 48,000kms so i would follow that for warranty purposes.

[@shabbz611]

Do you have one for changing the oil in a transfer case for the CX 3? Excellent video. Thank you for making and sharing it.

[@NexusAuto]

Thanks! I appreciate the comment. Unfortunately I don't have a video on the transfer case

[@shabbz611]

@@NexusAuto please consider making one if possible 🙏

[@NexusAuto]

@shabbz611 I would, but I don't have access to a CX3. This was a friend's car that I worked on for them and filmed the videos. They no longer have the vehicle, so I don't have it available anymore. Otherwise I would have. Sorry for the bad news. Hopefully someone has a video out there, or will post one soon

[@clarence4344]

Torque is different to engine oil drain plug as that has a crush washer, so it has to be tightened more than the differential drain plug as i dont see a washer on it.

[@NexusAuto]

@clarence4344 @clarence4344 oh no, I wasn't saying to torque it to the spec for the oil drain plug, I was saying to make sure it snug like how many 'DIY-ers' tighten these plugs. Little more than hand tight. When I made this video, the torque specs weren't available at all. So it was the only recommendation I could give at the time. I always prefer to give torque specs when possible

[@clarence4344]

Understood, no disrespect meant. Just wanting to help others like you have with the video.

[@NexusAuto]

@clarence4344 oh for sure! I didn't feel any disrespect and wasn't offended. Just offered my explanation on the situation. I don't mind your comment at all, and hopefully it does indeed help others too! 😁

[@allmedia23]

S time i have it handy but plan to do it this weekend if you think i should i should

[@NexusAuto]

@@allmedia23 did you end up doing it? Did everything go well?

[@allmedia23]

@@NexusAuto not yet but will soon will keep you posted

[@NexusAuto]

@@allmedia23 sounds good!

[@Montana270]

It says in my manual the capacity is only .35 quarts but you used most of the whole quart?

[@NexusAuto]

Not a whole quart. It was just about half a quart used. Some of it may have been overflow when it started to drip out of the diff. But .35 is the correct spec

[@Montana270]

@@NexusAuto Thanks! :)

[@allmedia23]

Would the 22 cx5 have the same process or is it different procedure to follow mune has 50000 miles and has not been done i believe at 36000 or newer so I am sure it has factory gear oil since made but i put already like 16-18000 miles because i do alot of stop and go

[@NexusAuto]

@allmedia23 the general principles are the same, but there would be some potential differences too. For example, there may be different torque specs or the location of the drain and fill plugs may be slightly different. I haven't worked on the 22 CX5, so I'm not sure, personally

[@hendywijaya650]

Hi bro. How many fluid does mazda awd have? Automatic transmssion fluid,rear differential. Do they have front differential for mazda awd? Mine is cx5 awd 2023..TIA

[@NexusAuto]

For the drivetrain, it looks like it has 3 Fluids. One for the automatic transmission, for the rear differential and for the front transfer case. There is no front diff, the transmission handles the front wheels and transfer case transfers the power to the rear diff.

[@hendywijaya650]

@@NexusAuto noted. Is the fluid same for the front transfer case and rear diff?

[@NexusAuto]

@@hendywijaya650 as per Mazda, looks like it is. Mazda Long Life Hypoid Gear Oil SG1

[@hendywijaya650]

@@NexusAuto funny thing is ..my dealership doesnt have sg1 fluid .. do you have any subsitution for it?

[@NexusAuto]

@hendywijaya650 whoa! That's crazy! I purchased the gear oil from my local Mazda. Crazy that yours doesn't have it. At the time I made this video, there was no alternative on the market. I did some research this time to see if anything changed, and honestly, not really. There is some people who saw 75w90 is very similar to SG1, but no one has officially made an SG1 compliant gear oil that I could see. Or if they did, it wasn't easy to find on Google. And my local parts store still doesn't have SG1 fluid. You may have to try a different Mazda or maybe find some way to have it delivered from out of town

[@derekfleming3095]

Informative and easy to follow. Great video - and I don’t even have a Mazda 😀

[@moileung]

Watching this vid for additional knowlegde on my next diy but mine is not cx3, for mine is cx5 but as they looks much pretty same even the sockets sizes. All is good. Great presentation.

[@NexusAuto]

Thanks, much appreciated. The only tip I would say is to make sure to verify the torque numbers. Otherwise, glad to hear the video was helpful.

[@moileung]

Had a bummer on this one. I went to buy a 23mm socket as i already have a 24mm wrench but no 23, i have 22 but thats too small. Anyway lifted the car on 4 wheels and then realized u cant use sockets here. Maybe in the front (they call it transfer case) when i checked it, there is a space for socket and wrench. But the rear diff, you have to use 23mm wrench. 23mm socket and then the wrench, no space. As i no space. Even if the 23mm socket is direct connect, no adapters like the .5" or the 3/8" which will make even no room. Anyway thats it. Gotta buy 23mm wrench. I didn't listen carefully to the op. Its real. You cant use socket. Sigh. Now returning darn socket. Maybe do it next week.

[@NexusAuto]

@@moileung damn that sucks. But you are now one step closer to getting it done. Hopefully next week for sure!

[@hansvonschlader8227]

Hey, thanks very much for the Mazda CX3 AWL videos. I think I can do it myself now. What about resetting the dash afterwards? Thanks again

[@NexusAuto]

Awesome news to hear the video was helpful. Unfortunately, I don't think there is a reset for AWD fluid. Did you get an AWD or diff warnings?

[@hansvonschlader8227]

No because I haven't changed the oil yet, but I was told when you drain the oil out, and refill it a light comed on that needs resetting?

[@NexusAuto]

@Hans Von Schlader hmmm. Unless that was something introduced on a later model, never heard of that. I didn't have any lights come on for this client, and never saw anything about that in the service manual. Sorry I couldn't give more info on that light

[@hcarducci]

If you don’t have the pump, it looks like the differential fluid has a nozzle. Would you be able to just squeeze it in that way?

[@NexusAuto]

Yep, you can. It will be awkward to do, but you can use the nozzle to get the fluid in.

[@hcarducci]

@@NexusAuto thank you

[@selfpaced]

One last question would a single jack be enough to jack up the car for this service

[@NexusAuto]

Yeah, a jack and a jack stand is all that is needed. If you have 2 jack stands, even better. But one properly rated jack is more than enough to do this job

[@JohnDoe-md2sb]

Nice vid, very well made. 😁👍Just curious...as a mecanic do you recommend the Cx3's? I've been told the Skyactive engine has had issues and Mazda's are know for electrical issues as well as expensive sensor issues, especially the anti-pollution system. 🤔

[@NexusAuto]

@JohnDoe-md2sb thanks! So, I would recommend the CX3, as long as it fits your needs and lifestyle. They do have their issues, and all of the above are accurate. But nothing was significantly higher than failure rates with other manufacturers. With skyactiv, you have to be on top of maintenance and if not, these issues increase dramatically. Even the 'big reliable' companies like Toyota and Honda have their own share of issues. My biggest issues, personally, with Mazda isn't their cars, but their customer service at dealerships and working within their warranty. I've never owned a mazda personally (but worked on quite a few), but everyone I know who owned a mazda seems to have significant issues with their respective dealership, more than others, it seems. But otherwise, the skyactiv engines are fine as long as they're regularly maintained

[@thejammer3359]

What is the service interval on changing this fluid for the rear axle

[@NexusAuto]

This one is annoying. Mazda doesn't directly provide an interval. Mazda Canada doesn't provide an interval at all. Mazda USA says to change it at 30000 miles/48000 kms, but only under severe duty use (like towing). But they also don't provide a direct interval. I would say to change it at the above interval to be safe, but I couldn't give you an official number

[@thejammer3359]

Thank you Nexus auto I do appreciate your quick response and I'll definitely be changing mine after this long trip I took across the country.

[@NexusAuto]

@@thejammer3359 no problem at all! Hope you have a great trip!

[@ho2hoe331]

what about transfer case? how much qt you need?

[@NexusAuto]

What year is your CX3? Want to make sure I get you the right info

[@B.D.TRX4]

i was curious how many miles were on the rear differential fluid ?

[@NexusAuto]

Hmmm...I dont remember exactly. I do know it was over 60000 miles, but I don't remember the exact amount at this point. Something tells me it was around 75000 miles.

[@hendywijaya650]

Can amsoil 75w90 severe gear oil replace the original SG1 ? TIA

[@NexusAuto]

It *may* work, but I don't recommend it. There is slight differences between the 2 fluids, and I'm not sure how sensitive the rear diff will be to the slightly thicker 75w90. Officially, I would say to stick to the SG1

[@hendywijaya650]

@@NexusAuto sadly sg1 is not available in my country

[@NexusAuto]

@@hendywijaya650 oh no! That sucks to hear. Does Mazda have any alternatives?

[@hendywijaya650]

@@NexusAuto the dealership using castrol 80w90 gl4. It is insane.. LOL..ive already email amsoil to confirm sg1 replacement..they are recomending ams 75w90 severe gear oil..they said it is capable and can use to replace sg1

[@NexusAuto]

@hendywijaya650 nice! You're on top of that...good idea contacting Amsoil direct! That's crazy though. Well, if Mazda is using 80w90 gl4 in your country, then like Amsoil said direct, no problem there. That's the unfortunate part when manufacturers use different grade oils in different countries. 😕. Sounds like you're on your way to getting this fixed up

[@wistferal]

Stupid question but, is there a front differential oil to change?

[@NexusAuto]

That is not a stupid question at all. There is no front differential, but there is a transfer case. That fluid does need to be changed periodically.

[@wistferal]

Okay thank you! Is the front differential gearbox located inside the transmission gearbox or separate from the transmission box? I have found conflicting info on the internet

[@NexusAuto]

@@wistferal No problem at all. There is no front differential per se, instead, it is pretty much the first option, the transmission is actually a transaxle and functions as a transmission and front differential...they are one unit. The transfer case is a separate unit (and people often confuse the transfer case with the differential, which is where I think the mix up may be coming from)

[@cone6052]

You missing to replace drain plug washer(gasket). It may leak later.

[@NexusAuto]

For sure. I didn't forget as the gasket was in excellent condition, but it is a best practice and I should have mentioned it in the video

[@s_a_alghamdi8639]

Hi I have Mazda cx9 2019 Must I change transmission ? Now my car is 125000k

[@NexusAuto]

Do you mean your transmission fluid? I don't know the exact spec for transmission fluid changes for a 2019 cx9, but most vehicles seem to be around 100km-150kms (60k- 90k miles) these days. Double check with the dealer to be sure

[@B.D.TRX4]

what fluid does a mazda transfer case use?

[@NexusAuto]

Depends on the year, make, and model of Mazda. It can vary

[@lisaburks2]

Hello. I wrote you a while back about my 06 Grand Prix. The shaking when accelerating problem turned out to be the passenger side axel. Had everything fixed on it and lastly had the exhaust fixed and an hour after that I got hit by a semi and it totaled my car. This happened June 3rd. Still have sore ribs but nothing broke. Anyway, I bought an 06 chysler Pacifica and the passenger side floorboard gets sosked and I can't find out why. Any clue?

[@NexusAuto]

Hi Lisa. I do remember your comment. While I am happy you did eventually find the issue and get it fixed, I'm sorry to hear about what happened. That is a extreme hit...glad to see you made it, ribs aside. I did look up the issue with the Pacifica and it seems to be a very common issue with these cars, and there isn't any one fix. I'll list out the things I found as potential causes. 1. Clogged A/C line causing leaks into the car 2. If you have a sunroof, it can leak from there, but instead of dripping down it runs along the roof line, down the side, into the passenger side. If no sunroof, skip this one 3. A clogged cabin filter can cause some build up 4. Under the windshield cowl, there is apparently rubber hose lines to drain water out. If they get clogged, the water can run over into the cabin filter area, into the car. 5. Leak from around the windshield area. A good (and also sucky) test is to wait until the car is dry inside and run some water and see if it gets wet anywhere. Start with running the A/C for a while and see if it gets wet, then start with a garden hose and spray from the bottom up of the car (near wipers, lower windshield, upper windshield, sunroof, etc). Spray in one spot for a long period of time, stop, and check. If wet, you found your issue. If dry, move to another area. Best advice I can give

[@lisaburks2]

@@NexusAuto wow. That's alot of info. Thank you so much. If I find the problem I'll let you know

[@NexusAuto]

@@lisaburks2 no problem at all! Hope you find the issue. Definitely let me know!

[@lisaburks2]

@@NexusAuto I sure will

[@ricardoimpagliozza4056]

Is this the same for a 2014 awd grand touring

[@NexusAuto]

It should be. It covers all 1st generation CX3 models, so your model should be covered. There may be small changes here or there, but overall, should be the same process.

[@ricardoimpagliozza4056]

@@NexusAuto thank you What weight and brand oil or do you need to use Mazda Lube oil

[@NexusAuto]

@@ricardoimpagliozza4056 The oil used is mentioned at 0:14, the Mazda Hypoid oil, as you noted. At the time, I could not find what was the exact weight of that oil, and was not able to cross-reference a suitable aftermarket oil. I tried to do some cross referencing now, and it seems to be the same thing. Mazda deliberately makes the info vague, and I can't find reliable cross reference info. So at this point, I can only recommend the Mazda oil 😞

[@ricardoimpagliozza4056]

@@NexusAuto Ok thanks And so the front transfer case uses the same lube as the rear. Correct

[@NexusAuto]

@@ricardoimpagliozza4056 That's right. Both the front transfer case and Rear diff use the same Mazda Hypoid Gear Oil

[@selfpaced]

Can I use this oil instead of what you mentioned in the video (Genuine Mazda Fluid (0000-77-80W9-QT) SAE 80W-90 Rear Differential Oil - 1 Quart)

[@NexusAuto]

Unfotunately, to my knowledge, you cannot. The 80W90 gear oil was used prior to 2016 Mazdas (across their model range). In 2016 (and some 2015 models), they moved to the Hypoid oil, which is supposed to handle higher pressures and heat. It may work unofficially, but I dare not try it. I would stick to the factory fluid, even though it is a bit more expensive.

[@selfpaced]

@@NexusAuto Got it

[@michellediaz1131]

Great video, thank you!!

[@NexusAuto]

No problem at all.

[@NexusAuto]

@Truth 7 No bother at all. If I recall, there is no front differential, but you do have the transfer case, (and the transmission, of course). Those fluids needs to be changed at some point as well. Unfortunately, I did not make a video on those fluid changes.

[@meladams5099]

Thank you for making it very smooth.

[@NexusAuto]

No problem at all.

[@morneheemro8775]

Awesome video bro. Thanks so much

[@NexusAuto]

No problem at all!

[@TJ-cm1eg]

Great vid sir. But I have a question on your Grand Prix if you don’t mind. What is that red bar that’s connected on your strut housing and what’s is it for? Seems very useful!!! Anyways love your vids they have helped me plenty👍🏽

[@NexusAuto]

Thanks, appreciate the feedback and happy to hear that the vids have helped! I can definitely answer that question for you. It is a strut tower bar. It is used to tighten up the suspension during cornering...reduces cornering flex in the strut towers and helps keep the car level when cornering.

[@TJ-cm1eg]

Nexus Auto all man that’s a problem I’ve been having and you have help yet once again!!! Mannnn that you!!!

[@NexusAuto]

@@TJ-cm1eg no problem at all! Glad to help!

[@kdogg2077]

Super helpful!

[@NexusAuto]

Great news, thanks for the feedback

[@powar7746]

Would not throw thread locker on the plugs 😭

[@NexusAuto]

I didn't think so either. When I spoke to a Mazda tech about this before filming, he recommended it. But didn't think that seemed right to me. So I mentioned it, but that's why I didn't put any myself nor included it in the needed materials