HOW TO: Change your own oil

Yup! Welcome to the fun. I highly recommend the kwik valve if you're going to be changing your own. What juice did you use? Penn Plat?

Also, check underneath the next morning to look for drips, and check the level before starting to confirm after it drips into the pan overnight. You should be good though.
 
Abilor said:
Yup! Welcome to the fun. I highly recommend the kwik valve if you're going to be changing your own. What juice did you use? Penn Plat?

Also, check underneath the next morning to look for drips, and check the level before starting to confirm after it drips into the pan overnight. You should be good though.
Click to expand...

Whats this Quik valve u talk of? I didn't read the whole thread... but is it one of those valves where u screw a base on, then have a drain top and a plug top to it? Where do they sell those now?

And Penz. Plat is soooooooo cheap @ walmart right now. I got a 5 quart and a 1 quart for >$30. good oil too.
 
I love my kwik valve, but it drips a tiny bit, mostly at the seal. Is it just a question of tightening it like he-man?
 
Hmm.. It's the valve and adapter you recommended Kain, I made sure of it. It seems okay. After three weeks, it was only a little bit of oil, and I tightened it up (it needed it) with a spanner. Now it's just a little moist around the seal. My point is it's not an epic drip; maybe the seals just need to break in and be tightened a bit more next time? Should I maybe use loctite?
 
Don't use loctite. The last thing you want to have happen is not be able to get the valve out and cross-thread your oil pan in the process. PITA. I would write the company and let them know, they may send a replacement.
 
Thank you! This saved me 100 bucks! Well this and the fact my neighbor has all the right tools and likes working on cars - we had to fight for who was going to do the dirty work!! Nice to have an online reference and neighbor with every tool in the book..... brake pads are next!
 
got under mine for the first look and see...

the only time i had an oil change not done by me was in homestead, fla. circa 2001... not by choice, but i was on 'super extended holiday' ....

going with valvoline full synth 5W30 at 3400 miles (all highway) as soon as i can get the right socket for the plastic filter housing. no big deal, thanks to all the input on this thread.

why do these cars demand such loose oil? i haven't run anything less than 30W in anything in se texas for years! my chevs always got 40 or 50W...

gotta have something to do with mr. turbo.

do you guys ever get concerned over bootleg filters? like other things, folks over seas making super cheap worthless copies of things and selling them in the same boxes that the real thing comes in?

i like that deal of 5 filters and a wrench for 24 bucks, but seems almost too sweet to be true???

so. the guy who designed the plastic splash guard... i'm pretty sure he has been de-moted to 'tire installer' or 'floor sweeper specialist'... or maybe bat boy for the mazda company baseball team.

so close yet so far away... swing and a MISS. i bet they even have a nickname for the screw up... of course it would be in japanese, but the translation might be something like, 'hector's hole' or 'willie's wrist wracker'

car doesn't have 5000 miles on it yet, and i'm already taking the sawsall to it?!?!? hehehhe sure hope the wife doesn't walk out and see this :)
 
Last edited:
squidmotion said:
got under mine for the first look and see...

.....
so. the guy who designed the plastic splash guard... i'm pretty sure he has been de-moted to 'tire installer' or 'floor sweeper specialist'... or maybe bat boy for the mazda company baseball team.

so close yet so far away... swing and a MISS. i bet they even have a nickname for the screw up... of course it would be in japanese, but the translation might be something like, 'hector's hole' or 'willie's wrist wracker'

car doesn't have 5000 miles on it yet, and i'm already taking the sawsall to it?!?!? hehehhe sure hope the wife doesn't walk out and see this :)
Click to expand...

My guess is that the pastic splash guard is the same one used in the regular 3 and the hole is for that engine and they just decided it wasnt worth it to create a new part and forms for the MZ3 engine and figured MZ3 can just remove the splash guard... at least that makes me feel much better than the "close but no cigar" theory
 
If you're handy with tools, you can create a cutout right underneath the filter housing and adding a hinge.
 
So what is the correct replacement size of the washer for the drain plug? I didn't replace it this last time (will keep an eye on it) but will definitely replace it the time time.
 
M3_Zoom said:
They may charge you, but most auto-parts stores will dispose of it for free as long as it's in the proper type of container. I just take my oil pan to my local parts store and dump it. Also you cant take a funnel and poor it back into the new bottles of oil you just used, then drop it off at the parts store.
Click to expand...

If you have indoor cats, a 40lb cat litter container makes an excellent oil storage container - I've managed to fill up a few of them before heading to AutoZone to dump them all :)
 
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