Noob oil filter question...

[Abilor]

I'm pinching pennies at the moment, and I would like to change my oil soon. It will be the first oil change for the car, and for me doing it. I am doing it at 1000 miles.

Questions:

Is Penzoil Platinum 5w30 appropriate for this?

and

Can I get the oil filter at an autozone or advance auto parts? What do I ask for?

down the road, where can I get the spin-on oil filter conversion, and why is it good?

 

[///M Compact]

I'm pinching pennies at the moment, and I would like to change my oil soon. It will be the first oil change for the car, and for me doing it. I am doing it at 1000 miles.

Questions:

Is Penzoil Platinum 5w30 appropriate for this?

and

Can I get the oil filter at an autozone or advance auto parts? What do I ask for?

down the road, where can I get the spin-on oil filter conversion, and why is it good?

Many MS3 owners run either Pennzoil Platinum or Mobil 1 5W-30. Use whichever one you prefer. I'd buy the filter from one of the online dealers such as OnlineMazdaParts.com. I'm sticking with the stock filter configuration, so someone else will have to give you the lowdown on the spin-on conversion- although it seems that most people switch over for convenience. Either configuration works fine from a filtration standpoint...

 

[mazdaspeedster3]

PP is actually exactly what you want, you can use Mobil1 if you choose with zero issue. WIX has a nice filter at walmart for $3.5. Filters have however gone up in price for some reason over the last month (fuel surcharge I am sure).

 

[Abilor]

I will order online in bulk eventually, but there's no way to get an oil filter locally as a one shot deal?

 

[Abilor]

Okay, SUPER NOOB: How do I tell which wix filter will work? Do other stores carry them?

 

[oldnotdead]

The Mazda filter is not expensive and using it you know there will be no problems. If you decide to use a filter from Walmart or a parts store they will have a book showing the part numbers for the various brands that are supposed to be interchangeable with the Mazda filter. Ask for help if you don't see it. Just changed my oil and found it to be a piece of cake using the write up by dommo g in the how to section of this forum. You will also need a tool to loosen the cartridge housing and I would get the Mazda one from your dealer.

 

[Abilor]

OK, I got 6 quarts of Penzoil Plat (1 5 qt was only $19 at Mall*Wart), my rhino ramps and chocks, a 10 qt pan with a great open drain, so it will store neatly, and a wicked blue funnel. For the filter, I got a Fram ch9641 (I think). It was listed in the book ol' book of oil filters as what I needed, and was only 2.50 at Mall*Wart. The same part at AUtoZone was $10.50; I let the guy know, and he said he would price match, but that he and his friends were going over to Mall*Wart later to get the rest. Great.

I also got an oil filter wrench, the round strap thing. Will that do to loosen the cartridge? I will go review the how-to now.

Ironic that I can overclock processors 50%, but I can only barely change my url...

 

[Kain]

OK, I got 6 quarts of Penzoil Plat (1 5 qt was only $19 at Mall*Wart), my rhino ramps and chocks, a 10 qt pan with a great open drain, so it will store neatly, and a wicked blue funnel. For the filter, I got a Fram ch9641 (I think). It was listed in the book ol' book of oil filters as what I needed, and was only 2.50 at Mall*Wart. The same part at AUtoZone was $10.50; I let the guy know, and he said he would price match, but that he and his friends were going over to Mall*Wart later to get the rest. Great.

I also got an oil filter wrench, the round strap thing. Will that do to loosen the cartridge? I will go review the how-to now.

Ironic that I can overclock processors 50%, but I can only barely change my url...

First, test the height of the Rhino Ramps against the front wheels. For some reason, a few people can clear them, but the rest of us need to roll up on boards (I use a pair of 2"x8"s) first, otherwise we scrape underneath. Strange because Rhino Ramps are the same heights/angles, regardless of weight.

Also, don't use a strap wrench. Your dealership parts department will sell the filter housing wrench for $5. It fits perfectly and does it's job. Also, make sure your Fram came with two rubber O-rings (one small, one large). Might as well get a crush washer for the drain plug, good practice to change that at every change but it's not necessary.

 

[Abilor]

I checked the o-rings, yeah, it's got 'em. I will dry run my ramps and chocks tomorrow in the driveway, as it's not perfectly flat. The surface is flat, just at a very minor angle, and I of course want to make sure I don't die horribly while the wife looks on.

My other problem, and I was just reading about the strap wrench in the how to, is that my stealership is 70 miles away. The local dealers in town are close, but sell only mazda 3's. Would they still have the oem filter wrench and crush washers? What exactly do I ask for?

 

[Abilor]

******* ramps. The front bumper scrapes against the ramps going up them. How exactly do you use the boards to load? A pic is worth a 1000 words, but anything will help. Do you put the end of the board right next to the wheel well on top, or what?

 

[MikeHTally]

Just set the 2x8 across the lower edge of the ramps to lift the tires that extra little bit. You can probably rest the 2x8 on the front edge of the ramps to ease the transition.