2007 Mazdaspeed3 Oil Change Interval

[Forster Bittner]

I'm considering a Mazdaspeed 3, and I'm curious as to what the Owner's Manual recommends for the oil change intervals.

Thanks.

 

[justa4banger]

WHY? Is that the whole reason for buying the car?Is it a deciding factor?
If you ask me i'll say Normal oil no synthetic and at 2500-3k intervals......... buts thats me

other will say synthetic and 3k intervals other will say...............

the manual??? who the hell uses the manual to warrants oil changes. If you drive the car harder you'll have to change the oil sooner.........

 

[Foolish]

I think you just change it whenever the motor falls out.

 

[justa4banger]

+1..........i agree, makes for easier access.

 

[speed3shon]

seriously, the guy asked a question, answer his question or dont reply...

i checked briefly in the manual but didnt have time to sift through all the service schedules, so i dont have an answer for you.

 

[Rainman]

Every 3000 miles or 3 months as directed in the owners manual (Schedule 2, pg 8-6).

R

 

[MX6toMS3]

I think you just change it whenever the motor falls out.

Haha.

I was told to go by the standard 3k rule or sooner. But definitely no later. And no synthetic at least until after the first few oil changes.

 

[pmeilakjr]

What the manual says:

For schedule 1, the manual says 6 months or 7,500 miles, 4 months or 5,000 miles for schedule 2. If you live in Puerto Rico it is 3,000 miles. Attached are a few sections of the online 2007 owners manual, the only diference is that the newer printed manual states 5w-30 weight oil for the turbo car.

No different than most new cars.

Cheers!

Peter

Scheduled Maintenance (USA, Canada, and Puerto Rico)
Follow Schedule 1 if the vehicle is operated mainly where none of the following conditions
apply.
If any do apply, follow Schedule 2 (Canada and Puerto Rico residents follow Schedule 2).
l Repeated short-distance driving
l Driving in dusty conditions
l Driving with extended use of brakes
l Driving in areas where salt or other corrosive materials are being used
l Driving on rough or muddy roads
l Extended periods of idling or low-speed operation
l Driving for long periods in cold temperatures or extremely humid climates

 

[gr?]

One thing I do is send out my oil for analysis, which gives a good snapshot of the condition of the engine (wear & tear, leaks, over-used oil, under-used oil). I started out with Mobil 1 synthetic and was able to get about 5000 miles before it started showing excessive signs of thermal viscosity break down. I switched to Amsoil my tests were showing the oil was fine at 7500 miles, but I was at the one year interval so I always changed out the OEM filter and oil even though the oil was ok for more miles. One note - the mileage includes fairly harsh conditions from drag racing and autocrossing. For street use only, I probably could've gotten another 10-15% out of the oil.

Any way, the old rule of 3 months/3000 miles is dated years ago when oil technology was fairly basic. Engines are built to much tighter tolerances and oil technology is more advanced, so oil intervals can go much longer. How much? It really depends on the driving conditions of the vehicle.

The independent oil tests are worth the $20 to give you a rough idea what condition your oil is in. With all the tests I've done over the last 7 years, I know I can go 1 year / 7500 miles with my Amsoil 10w-30.

 

[MX6toMS3]

One thing I do is send out my oil for analysis, which gives a good snapshot of the condition of the engine (wear & tear, leaks, over-used oil, under-used oil). I started out with Mobil 1 synthetic and was able to get about 5000 miles before it started showing excessive signs of thermal viscosity break down. I switched to Amsoil my tests were showing the oil was fine at 7500 miles, but I was at the one year interval so I always changed out the OEM filter and oil even though the oil was ok for more miles. One note - the mileage includes fairly harsh conditions from drag racing and autocrossing. For street use only, I probably could've gotten another 10-15% out of the oil.

Any way, the old rule of 3 months/3000 miles is dated years ago when oil technology was fairly basic. Engines are built to much tighter tolerances and oil technology is more advanced, so oil intervals can go much longer. How much? It really depends on the driving conditions of the vehicle.

The independent oil tests are worth the $20 to give you a rough idea what condition your oil is in. With all the tests I've done over the last 7 years, I know I can go 1 year / 7500 miles with my Amsoil 10w-30.

How often do you send the oil out? Each time you change it?

 

[pmeilakjr]

3 months or 3,000

The 3 month or 3,000 mile is also a marketing campain from Jiffy Lube. If you recall from undercover work by some local news stations - they only change the oil in the car about 50% of the time and still charge you for the oil change. So at best you are getting a change every 6,000 miles with Jiffy Lube. If you are using synthetic I think you could go 1 year / 12,000 miles without an issue. BMW and Porsche use Mobil 1 and that is their recomended oil change interval. If you use dino oil - every 5,000 to 7,500 is fine. If you are very hard on your car you might change it more often - cheap insurance.
Just my opinion.

Any way, the old rule of 3 months/3000 miles is dated years ago when oil technology was fairly basic. Engines are built to much tighter tolerances and oil technology is more advanced, so oil intervals can go much longer. How much? It really depends on the driving conditions of the vehicle.

 

[Foolish]

The 3 month or 3,000 mile is also a marketing campain from Jiffy Lube.

...and anyone else who stands to make money off of you by changing your oil more often than necessary! I love how the manufacturer puts it in your manual that you should change it every 7,500 or 5,000 or whatever, and the dealer still tells you to bring it in every 3,000 so they can change it for you! If you point out the manufacturer's schedule, the dealer will just blow it off!

Hey dealer: (monkey)

 

[Forster Bittner]

For schedule 1, the manual says 6 months or 7,500 miles, 4 months or 5,000 miles for schedule 2. If you live in Puerto Rico it is 3,000 miles. Attached are a few sections of the online 2007 owners manual, the only diference is that the newer printed manual states 5w-30 weight oil for the turbo car.

No different than most new cars.

Cheers!

Peter

Scheduled Maintenance (USA, Canada, and Puerto Rico)
Follow Schedule 1 if the vehicle is operated mainly where none of the following conditions
apply.
If any do apply, follow Schedule 2 (Canada and Puerto Rico residents follow Schedule 2).
l Repeated short-distance driving
l Driving in dusty conditions
l Driving with extended use of brakes
l Driving in areas where salt or other corrosive materials are being used
l Driving on rough or muddy roads
l Extended periods of idling or low-speed operation
l Driving for long periods in cold temperatures or extremely humid climates

Thank you for your detailed answer.

 

[guy_incognito]

A quick reference guide came with my car. It only listed a scheduled maintenance plan for every 3750 miles - so that would seem to infer that they expect oil changes to be done at that frequency.

 

[pmeilakjr]

Oil Change - Quick Guide

A quick reference guide came with my car. It only listed a scheduled maintenance plan for every 3750 miles - so that would seem to infer that they expect oil changes to be done at that frequency.

Attached is an image of the quick guide - 7,500 for an oil change - I guess Mazda wants you to visit the dealer more often so they get to know you better (or maybe your wallet). However 3,750 x 2 = 7,500
Cheers

 

[guy_incognito]

Thanks for the heads-up pmeilakjr; looks like my memory isn't so good. Seems pretty long before changing the oil... Is that what they really expect? A lot of people would have no idea when it should be changed, other than when the guide tells them to come in.

 

[gr?]

How often do you send the oil out? Each time you change it?

Yeah, which is once a year for me. I've stopped analyzing the oil on my 97 Miata since I barely drive it more than 1500 miles/year.

 

[SwampAss]

A good rule of thumb I have always gone by is.... Synth, every 5k. I have some friends with silly mileage on their turbo cars and this was what they did. If I have a lot of highway mileage I might stretch it a little.

 

[iwannagofast]

pardon me if i sound ignorant...

but i thought that for a brand new car you should do your first oil change after like 500-1000 miles because of the engine parts settling in.. tiny metal shavings can be seen on one of those magnetic drainplugs on an casual oil change.....

hmm now that i think about it.. i'm sure mazda and other car makers did their homework too, telling us to change the oil in the first 5000-7500 miles

on another note, has anyone used a magnetic ring around their oil filter? i swear i've seen one somewhere.. found it.. http://www.filtermag.com/proof.php
or something like that....

 

[uncletime]

One thing I do is send out my oil for analysis, which gives a good snapshot of the condition of the engine (wear & tear, leaks, over-used oil, under-used oil).

Is there a specific company you send the oil to? or is there a place in your town?