Need the Community's opinion

[BrianFiebig]

Just like the title says, I need some opinions before I go melt some faces.
I have said in other threads about how I was happy with the shop I had been taking my Speed3 to. Well, I couldn't justify $77 for an oil change right now given that my wife is out of work, current economy, etc. So, I decided to dust off my jack, stands, collector, tools, etc and do it myself.
Then the trouble started.
The 2 compression pins that are supposed to hold the bottom plate were gone. Minor annoyance, now I dont have to try not to destroy them taking them out. Then all of the other screws holding the plate on were in there tighter then a whales blowhole.
The oil drain plug was even tighter. Im 197 pounds (as of my yearly physical on tuesday), and no weakling, but I did a pullup on my ratchet a few times before it came loose. Now Im pissed. Then it got worse.
The little plug on the bottom of the filter canister had its innards scraped out. On top of that, the grease monkey must have put the canister itself on with an impact wrench, what with all the claw marks and scuffs on it. Had to run out to Pep boys TWICE, because I broke my old strap wrench, AND the one I bought on my first trip there. Second trip I got one of the ratchet metal cup thingys AND one of the rubber mouthed adjustable wrenches. And even THEN if fought me the first 2 turns.
Now, lets talk about the oil itself. OK, i went 7500 miles on the change, mostly highway miles but a bit of bumper to bumper and around town too. I know I pushed it a little far, and am gonna do the next change in 3500 miles to get back to a 5K rotation at 15K. The oil, which was SUPPOSED to be Mobil 1, was blacker then a key fob and had the consistancy of gritty water. OK OK, I pushed it, fine.
Heres the kicker. When I was pouring the oil into my now empty containers, I ended up with all of 4 1/8th quarts.
NOW before I call up to the shop and question the legitimacy of the employees parentage, education, intelligence, etc, someone PLEASE tell me that its possible for a not abused, not even driven all that hard BONE STOCK Speed 3 with all of 11500 miles on it to burn up almost 2 quarts of oil in 7500 miles. Especially as on the printout they CHARGED ME for the extra oil over and above what is included in the standard change.
If not, then Im gonna waltz meself into that place tuesday afternoon (working weekend graveyard shift right now), put the receipt on the counter along with my bottles of used oil and make the place implode.
Thanks.

 

[bgibb68]

well....reasons like that is why i don't let people change my oil or simple stuff....they hire anyone and i've had cars that they screwed up worse than that

 

[Circle9]

As long as you never got a low oil light, you're fine. It is possible to burn oil. I had a brand new Si that would use a quart every 3000 - 4000 miles, at which time I would change the oil anyway. Not saying that the Speed3 is the same, but its a possibility. Also this car in particular takes a real long time to drain every bit of oil out, did you give it 15+ minutes with the top oil cap off?

The dealer I bought my Speed from had cranked the oil filter and drain bolt too tight as well. I never take my car in for an oil change, I've always done it myself.

 

[MSMS3]

Uh, don't you check the dip stick from time to time? Not once in the 7500 miles since the last change? I would think that you would have seen that the oil level was down on the stick.

Regardless, it's a good thing to do regularly, at least when you add water to the windshield washer reservoir, if not everytime you fill up with gas. And certainly check it after a shop has done an oil change.

My guess is that they just treated it like a regular Mazda 3, but charged you for the extra quart, thinking you were a sucker that did not know what you were talking about. Those AH's probably don't know what an MS3 is.

There is absolutely no excuse for their sloppy work. Do you intend to bring it up with them, like you are thinking? Melt faces, yeah, make it clear what your expectations are. If they are not receptive, then stop taking it to them.

I've had two bad oil change/lube experiences with other vehicles. In one, the dealer, doing a routine oil change and lube, left the diff drain plug loose on a rwd car. About 150 miles later, the plug fell out when I was going down the highway at 70 mph. The diff locked up, so did the rear tires, like throwing out an anchor. I was stranded overnight and it took several weeks to get the new diff in. At least the dealer paid for it.

More recently, I had a private shop change the oil in a Ford Expedition. They did not screw the oil filter back on enough for the gasket to seal. Later the same day my oil pressure light came on. I pulled over and I noticed a huge puddle of oil developing under the truck and oil all over the front suspension and undercarriage where the oil had leaked. Fortunately, I caught this before any engine damage occurred. I had to call someone to pick me up, go to an auto parts store, buy a new filter and oil. At least that filter was within reach without having to lift the truck, so I could fix it at roadside.

Bastards. Now I change my own oil.

 

[madvillian]

i mean, you waited waaaay too long, but that car is still burning quite a bit of oil if they put the correct amount in there. this is why no one touches my car but myself.

 

[Circle9]

7500 miles is way too long like madvillian said. And like MSMS3 noted, a lot of of car shops and dealers don't know what a Mazdaspeed3 is, let alone that it has a turbo or that it is any different than the regular 3.

But yea, no one touches my car but me as well.

 

[BrianFiebig]

Yeah. Lesson relearned. Christ I know better, but the guy who did the last change has a black 07 Speed 3 and I expected some professional courtesy.
I do check the dip stick once a week, it was always in range, a little low in the range, but in range. And I let it drain for about 3 hours, see my comments about having to make trips to auto parts stores, having to crank the living hell out of the canister, etc.
As for the stealership, I need to take the car in for the windshield creak fix, rear suspension creak fix, a few other rattles and what not in the cockpit, and what I know sure as the sunrise is a trashed front bearing. The question becomes at that point do I have them put in the MSCAI while Im there (quoted $300 installed) or do I save up a while longer and go strait to the Corksport Ram Intake/FMIC combo.

 

[MikeHTally]

Spin-on filter conversion makes it easier and less expensive/aggravating than the canister type. I have mine done at a shop inhabited by gear-heads so there is a record of the work. I stand right there at the car and watch every move. I take the belly-pan off before I go to the shop and I leave it off for a day or so to make sure nothing leaks. To top all that off, I have the Quick Oil Change Valve so no plug has to be removed.

The rest of my vehicles have the valve as well. They're all DIY.

NEVER trust the oil light. According to some posters here, it isn't a low-oil light, it's a NO-oil light.

 

[Circle9]

$300.00 charge for a CAI install? Save your money and do it yourself, and if you don't feel like going to all the hassle of installing the CAI, get a SRI and inlet pipe. Gains are identical.

 

[SRTCE142]

a lot of of car shops and dealers don't know what a Mazdaspeed3 is, let alone that it has a turbo or that it is any different than the regular 3.

the intercooler should be a give away

if $300 installed is parts and labor - ya, I'd let the dealer do it. You'd be lucky to buy a new one for under $300 and then you'd still have to install or pay the dealer to install

 

[LBV]

When I was pouring the oil into my now empty containers, I ended up with all of 4 1/8th quarts.

Don't forget that a good amount of the old oil stays in the balance shaft and therefore won't drain out.

 

[jabba]

You should be fine on going with 7500 miles, even though the oil looks like crap. I thought I had seen people in the forums send their oil to Blackstone labs for analysis after a similar interval, and all looked fine. Hell, I know people with twin turbo Audi S4's that sent their Mobil 1 oil to Blackstone for analysis at 9000 miles, and all looked fine--and that's a twin turbo beating up on that oil.

Do the CAI install yourself...hardness part is taking off the bumper! (unless your a sadist and want to go through the wheel well...)

 

[Wurf]

Yeah. Lesson relearned. Christ I know better, but the guy who did the last change has a black 07 Speed 3 and I expected some professional courtesy.
I do check the dip stick once a week, it was always in range, a little low in the range, but in range. And I let it drain for about 3 hours, see my comments about having to make trips to auto parts stores, having to crank the living hell out of the canister, etc.
As for the stealership, I need to take the car in for the windshield creak fix, rear suspension creak fix, a few other rattles and what not in the cockpit, and what I know sure as the sunrise is a trashed front bearing. The question becomes at that point do I have them put in the MSCAI while Im there (quoted $300 installed) or do I save up a while longer and go strait to the Corksport Ram Intake/FMIC combo.

GAWD I hate stealerships. I wouldn't have them install the CAI. Let them do the warranty squeak works and get your car back ASAP.

I guess melting faces might make you feel better but depends on what you're ultimately trying to accomplish. If you want to continue having them work on your car, going ballistic probably isn't the best track.

If they've done great work in the past and this is an unusual circumstance, then I would tell them about it and let them know how unhappy you are. If they don't respond properly, then it might be time to walk. I'd want a new oil canister assembly or whatever parts you think are damaged from their abuse for free along with a free oil change. I wouldn't ask for that unless they offered or asked what I expect. Wait and see how they handle it to decide if you want to continue using them.

I don't give many second chances. I will simply disappear like a ghost. They will never see me or get any business from me ever again.

I've not had to do that in a long time. I'm like a lot of guys here in that I do all my work if possible. Oil changes, brakes, everything possible that doesn't require welding or a lift. 4 jackstands, a couple Snap-on torque wrenches, and a decent set of tools will get you a long way.

 

[Mz3Hatch]

Ive driven alot of miles and 5 different cars and never had any eat oil like that over 7500 miles. Granted, you were over the recommended change but at most, maybe 1/2 a quart especially since its so low in miles. Only my sisters V-dub eats oil, but thats a different story.

If you change your oil again at 3500-4000 and find its going through oil like that again I'd bring it to the dealership, its covered under warranty. Thats the only reason my car gets work done there, warranty covers it. Maybe you should visit your garage and question their integrity, i know i'd be pissed as hell if that was me.

Agree with the rest, DO IT YOURSELF.

 

[08cosmic3]

Be VERY careful if your canister is damaged. Removing it without the proper wrench from Mazda and over tightening it can cause it to crack and when the No oil light comes on, it's already too late. The dealer I bought my car from said he had already replaced two engines due to lube shops cracking the canister. You can buy a new one cheap. I would replace it immediatly.
Get the wrench also. see link below. No one cares more about your car than you, do your own work.

http://www.mazdaparts.org/ma3tuma.html

 

[RocketScientist]

Disappearing oil, it's magic!

(shocked)This is exactly why I do all my own work. The only time I the oil was changed in my mustang, actually my wife cause I was working TDY for months, the bastards stripped both drain plugs. I have exactly the same issue when I change my mustang's oil. I get less oil out than you'd expect, even letting the filter drain for a good time. Generally it looks like I'm a quart low but when I add exactly 5 quarts back it comes to the same spot on the dipstick. Suppose the filter holds a bunch even after draining. Just never makes any sense. Check the dip stick, right at the full mark, drain the oil, get 4 quarts out, add 5 quarts, run and recheck. Same damn spot on the dipstick. Must be some new law of physics with this car. Been doing it for 200,000 miles. Crazy.