DIY Oil Change (Tips? Recommendations?)

anyone know where to find amsoil or that german castrol that they were talkin bout in the link on the first page? autozone and advance auto parts around my house dont have either (not that i know of, they might have the german castrol but how do i know?!)
 
elieleb1303 said:
anyone know where to find amsoil or that german castrol that they were talkin bout in the link on the first page? autozone and advance auto parts around my house dont have either (not that i know of, they might have the german castrol but how do i know?!)
Click to expand...

Did you search for it. There are plenty of places that sell oil online. I order mine through a guy and I get it shipped to my house when I need it.
 
well, did my first oil change today..
went to mazda to get the filter and wrench, said they dont sell the wrench, so i just used the one i got from autozone a lil bit ago..
everything went pretty well, other than the fact i spilled about 2-3 quarts of oil on my driveway lol

but yea, not too bad..i wasnt used to the cartridge type of filter, but its not too bad to do, just becareful cause when u get that drain plug off, that oil shoots outta there pretty far
 
elieleb1303 said:
well either its only select dealerships that will sell it, or this service guy is a complete douche.
in any event, the one i got from autozone fits perfectly and worked well, so im not worried bout it much
Click to expand...

i vote for complete douche.
 
Igve2shtz said:
Mzumel,

I just did my oil on Sunday .... Here is my suggestions:

I bought a Mazda oil filter .. 7 bucks at the dealer.
I used Castrol Syntec (not a full synthetic - AND I dont care what anybody thinks of Castrol, or not using full synthetic .. I change the oil every 5000, and have never had any problems) You can use whatever oil you want. The dealer just recommends 5W-30, at least a synthetic blend.

Get the Mazda Oil Filter Wrench!!!!!!!! I can NOT stress this enough. I think its a 74-76mm 14 flute wrench. The 15 flute does not fit. I think someone said its a TYPE B wrench if you buy one at Pep Boys. Here is a link to buy a factory one: http://www.finishlineperformance.com/store/product.php?productid=16839&cat=329&page=1

I was an idiot and thought I would take the filter cover off by hand. It is never going to happen, so I had to rush out and buy a typical band-type oil filter wrench and it sucked. Get the cup-style oil filter wrench.

Procedure: Warm engine for 10 or so minutes to get the oil warm
Jack up the car, put it on jack stands.
Remove under cover (10mm bolts, 1 philips screw)
Place container under drain plug (17mm) - Allow to drain - replace plug
Place container under filter housing - Use oil filter wrench and just loosen the Filter Housing Cover a bit - Like 1/8 of a turn - Use 6mm hex key to drain oil from filter. The reason to open the housing cover a bit is cause it allows the oil to drain out of the drain plug easier.
Remove filter housing cover
Replace O-rings (one on filter drain screw, one on black filter cover)
Insert new filter, reinstall filter cover to engine, re-install filter drain plug - If you like to torque things, torque values are on the plastic cover.
Pour in 5 qts of oil ... run engine for about a minute, check for leaks. turn off car.
Check dipstick level, and pour in oil accordingly. (Manual says with a new filter, car will take 6.0 US quarts) but, you must only add enough oil to get to the MAX mark.

Replace undercar cover, remove jackstands, and your done.
Click to expand...

I have Mazda6/2.3L/2006.
Can I use generic oil filter meant for Mazda6 from auto parts stores like auto-zone/pep boys or do I need to buy oil filter from mazda stealership only...
Also, if I use generic oil filter then do I need filter wrench type B?

Thanks
DD
 
dd123 said:
I have Mazda6/2.3L/2006.
Can I use generic oil filter meant for Mazda6 from auto parts stores like auto-zone/pep boys or do I need to buy oil filter from mazda stealership only...
Also, if I use generic oil filter then do I need filter wrench type B?

Thanks
DD
Click to expand...

the ones from the dealership for my speed6 are only like 7 bucks..so i just get them from there..but u can get them from autozone if u really want theyll be able to tell u which one fits..and i dunno if the mazda6 has a cartridge style filter like the spped6, but if so then yea i believe it was a type b wrench
 
dealer told me to stay away from synthetic, , it can harm our engines. just need to change its every 3000 ... what do you guys think about this>??
 
huh?

ukrms6 said:
dealer told me to stay away from synthetic, , it can harm our engines. just need to change its every 3000 ... what do you guys think about this>??
Click to expand...
i think it's the containers that's the problem. you will have fewest problems with oil from a can.
 
Your dealer is wrong. Mazda even recommends a synthetic blend. The owners manual recommends changes every 7500 miles under schedule 1. For schedule 2 (extreme use of car), they recommend every 5000 miles. Your dealer is just trying to get you in more often and help you empty your wallet.
 
Last edited:
There are still people who insist that synthetic oil damages engines?? Even the knowledge granted in a high school chemistry class will give you enough information to discern that a synthetic oil's properties are going to be more favorable to an engine than a conventional oil. The dealer telling you that synthetic oil is the bad way to go is like a math professor telling you that parentheses come last in the order of operations.
 
Read your owners manual and realize your dealer is full of it. Best suggestion is to find a new one.
 
This car requires too much room for me to do on my own....

I have had hondas in the past and could change their oil no problem because it was so open. If I had a lift I would do this car too but it is too much work....The DIY for this is just a little much. Best to spend the $30 and have the dealer do it.
 
gooniac33 said:
This car requires too much room for me to do on my own....

I have had hondas in the past and could change their oil no problem because it was so open. If I had a lift I would do this car too but it is too much work....The DIY for this is just a little much. Best to spend the $30 and have the dealer do it.
Click to expand...

---- I call the Speed6 "The Diva" every thing on it is expensive to fix / maintain and a pain in the butt to do... even a simple oil change.

HOWEVER, I love to do things myself to know they are done correctly. Any paperwork I get from the dealer that has my "recommended" service indicates that the proper oil is 5W20. WRONG!

Even when they replaced my front headlight (leveling motor broken), they forgot to hook up my side markers and fog light. I was 2 seconds away from changing the bulb when I saw 3 wiring harnesses just hanging there.

If you have the time and the tools, do it yourself.

---P.S. I skip the hex key draining of the filter area. That little thing stips so easily :(. On the bright side the replacement plastic oil catridge is like 15 bucks....
 
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