Maintenance is getting tiring…
- Thread starter erhayes
- Start date
er: I'm 75 and I still do my own service work. Don't I remember you from another CX-5 forum about 10 years ago? I had a 2013 and I was on that forum for about 6 years until I sold the car to downsize to a Mazda 3 hatch. Now my wife has a 2023 CX-5, so I'm back on this forum. Your name seems very familiar!
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- Plano, Texas, USA
I hope I still can do the oil change at 85 (provided I can live that long) ! By that time most ICEs have already been forced out, and no more oil changes ⋯
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- '23 CX-5 CE
It is a shame Mazda does not put the oil filter so it is accessible from the top so you can use an oil extractor and not have to crawl under the car.
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- 2016.5 CX-5 GT AWD titanium/black 2016 Miata Club ST MT white
My hats off to you for still doing the work! As hard as maintenance is for you now, imagine how hard it will be letting someone else do it for you.
I hope that I can still do the work when I get to be your age. in 20 or so more years.
Getting older, myself. Old injuries preclude any twisting and torquing around underneath a vehicle. Been that way for the past handful of years, other than spark plugs, air filter, and easily-reached stuff in the engine bay. Heck, even polishing and sealing the paint gets painful. Got to love gettin' older. Just a matter of time.
I dunno. I replaced the allen-key drain plug with 17mm, and only difficulty is I have narrow garage bay...two floor jacks, w/pads. I have to admit, I thought I'd never buy HarborFreight tools but their fast floor jacks make simple work. (I did get a 2017 lease back in 2020. I noticed that the screws for the lower panel are different...like they had in for oil change and tech used wrong ones.)
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- 2016.5 CX-5 GT AWD titanium/black 2016 Miata Club ST MT white
That right there is exactly what this is all about. I can certainly afford to pay someone else to do the stuff I DIY and suspect that's also true for the majority of DIYers. It simply comes down to the fact that I WANT to do it and get a lot of satisfaction being able to continue doing things myself. I hope to be able to keep at it right up to the time they drop me in the pine box.
And so, if you feel beat down ER and just can't get it done on a given day, then make a plan to do it the next day.
Hats off to you for still being able to do this. I just don't trust others to do such a simple procedure correctly. Most times, with my experience, the oil level was too much leaving it to my dealer when I had them do it. I guess the dipstick was just an engine ornament. It's kind of like wheel lug nuts, why do they have to be so tight from a garage?
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- Plano, Texas, USA
Even worse from my limited experience is the tech forgot to tighten up the drain plug causing the oil leak in addition to the almost guaranteed overfill.
Eddie, I think you've been doing great being able to do it this long. Many younger people wouldn't be physically able. You'll have to slowly prepare mentally that the reins will be handed over at some point. I know it sounds corny, but maybe next oil change, take some photo's of your tools and oil change stuff laid out. Might bring back some fond memories later on and a reminder of something dear to your heart that you've accomplished through the years. Not to sound too sentimental, but I still have good memories when seeing tools I've had for over 30-40 years and remembering the jobs they did ( then there are other jobs we want to forget LOL).
Or the place that let the tire changer guy do my oil change. I handed the service writer a new (rubber insert type) drain plug washer to give to the oil changer. The oil changer stacked it on top of the existing washer and it leaked. When I complained and wanted it fixed, the service manager balked about wasting new oil when the plug is removed. It got fixed and was the last oil change that place did for me. Reminds me of the term "garage monkey".
That's a great idea. Wouldn't have thought of that.
I'm 74 now, and it's kinda fun reading some of the stories in this thread. I think at some point I've experienced them all.
My first (new to me) car was a '65 Chevy, and a few days after an oil change, the plug fell out. Lost all the oil.
Obviously wasn't tightened properly. I had it towed back to the garage that did the work, and they refilled it and said it was still OK to go. It never ran right after that and used a lot of oil. I was still a kid at the time, and didn't have the balls to push for a new engine. Got rid of the car soon after that.
I've also been ripped off after paying for an oil change that never happened.
My last job on my current Mazda was a four wheel brake job.
I planned to do all four wheels in one day, but couldn't handle it, physically.
I did the rears first, and that was enough for one day.
Did the fronts a few weeks later. I can still do it, but being on my butt in the driveway for an extended period of time is not in the cards anymore.
I commend erhayes for still doing his own maintenance. Keep 'er goin.
My first (new to me) car was a '65 Chevy, and a few days after an oil change, the plug fell out. Lost all the oil.
Obviously wasn't tightened properly. I had it towed back to the garage that did the work, and they refilled it and said it was still OK to go. It never ran right after that and used a lot of oil. I was still a kid at the time, and didn't have the balls to push for a new engine. Got rid of the car soon after that.
I've also been ripped off after paying for an oil change that never happened.
My last job on my current Mazda was a four wheel brake job.
I planned to do all four wheels in one day, but couldn't handle it, physically.
I did the rears first, and that was enough for one day.
Did the fronts a few weeks later. I can still do it, but being on my butt in the driveway for an extended period of time is not in the cards anymore.
I commend erhayes for still doing his own maintenance. Keep 'er goin.
Got an oil change the other day. Bought the OEM filter and washer, along with wiper blades and air filters on eBay from a Mazda Dealer in order to get the free shipping. This is my wife's car and still under warranty but I hate going the dealer any longer, since they basically told me to pound sand after my rear brakes and rotors were shot after around 25,000 miles. I saw a recall advisory matching my vin but they said my symptoms didn't match. Who would have thought that they can't tell by LOOKING at the damn brakes and rotors that corrosion ruined them.
So... went to the local mechanic, gave them the oil and filter and of course when I get home I see they managed to break 1 of the plastic clips holding on the oil shield cover. Its things like this that drive me mad. I with me bringing my supplies to you did you think I would not catch this. IF you were upfront its no worries. I know these things break easily but still be upfront.
I'll gladly pay a mechanic for a brakes and stuff, but tune ups on a 4 cylinder, oil changes and filters- I do myself. For my other 2 cars I just roll up half my car on a tall curb and change the oil, since there is no splash shield in the way like the CX5. Im too scared to get under ramps or jacks anymore.
So... went to the local mechanic, gave them the oil and filter and of course when I get home I see they managed to break 1 of the plastic clips holding on the oil shield cover. Its things like this that drive me mad. I with me bringing my supplies to you did you think I would not catch this. IF you were upfront its no worries. I know these things break easily but still be upfront.
I'll gladly pay a mechanic for a brakes and stuff, but tune ups on a 4 cylinder, oil changes and filters- I do myself. For my other 2 cars I just roll up half my car on a tall curb and change the oil, since there is no splash shield in the way like the CX5. Im too scared to get under ramps or jacks anymore.
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- Upstate NY
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- '23 CX5
I'm 73 and am taking my CX5 in for its first oil change, NYS inspection, and tire rotation tomorrow. Bought the car last Halloween, has about 6,200 miles on it. I hate dealers (especially this Mazda dealer) and never go back for anything except warranty work.
I have a trusted mechanic in the nearby town that I've known for 30-some years who does my oil, brakes, etc. I hate working on cars (or anything else, for that matter) after a lifetime of tinkering on everything under the sun -- plus it's not all that easy getting up off the ground. I have a Corvette that I will change the oil on before wintering it, but that's another story.
I have a trusted mechanic in the nearby town that I've known for 30-some years who does my oil, brakes, etc. I hate working on cars (or anything else, for that matter) after a lifetime of tinkering on everything under the sun -- plus it's not all that easy getting up off the ground. I have a Corvette that I will change the oil on before wintering it, but that's another story.
