Regular Maintenance Preferences

[LambOfSilence]

I have just spend $81.50 CAD ($52.40 US@4pm, August 26) on my first check-up, they replaced the oil/filter, ($26 CAD = $16.72 US), and all other inspections mentioned in the user's manual. Just found out I can do most of those myself.

So, how do you guys do your regulars?

 

[Sir Nuke]

I have just spend $81.50 CAD ($52.40 US@4pm, August 26) on my first check-up, they replaced the oil/filter, ($26 CAD = $16.72 US), and all other inspections mentioned in the user's manual. Just found out I can do most of those myself.

So, how do you guys do your regulars?

I look at what needs to be done....and I do them myself.

 

[derrick1623]

i would rather not go to the dealer, unless i need a part. i'd much rather do things myself, so i know i'm careful, and it gets done right.

 

[Yello_Pro5]

First of all, this is my first post so:

Hi to everyone!

I've been browsing the forum for a couple of days and you guy seems to be very nice people. Ok, enough s*cking up

I used to work for a dealer (Honda) and let me tell you one thing:

Most mechanic don't give a *$%^&*@ about your precious piece of sheetmetal. They just do their thing without taking any special care you would if you did the job yourself. Heck, I've seen a guy putting back sparkplugs with an impact gun! (well, he got fired short after but anyways... you get the picture).

So I say do everything you can yourself. The only down side is for things like getting rid of old oil which can be a bit of a problem but it is worth it, trust me.

 

[derrick1623]

the only time i was at my dealer, was to replace a bolt from my caliper, they took forever, and i ended up using some odd bolt a friend found at his shop.


i choose to do ALL my own maintenance from there on out...including MOST mods, and other peoples mods too.

 

[Don]

I just have a BIG problem paying $60 per hour for the services of a mechanic who is actually earning $12 per hour.

I've not had anything done at a dealership in more than half a million miles - I do it all myself. Routine maintenance, brakes, clutches etc. I DO pay for alignments, but again, not from the dealership.

Don

 

[Sir Nuke]

First of all, this is my first post so:

Hi to everyone!

I've been browsing the forum for a couple of days and you guy seems to be very nice people. Ok, enough s*cking up

So I say do everything you can yourself. The only down side is for things like getting rid of old oil which can be a bit of a problem but it is worth it, trust me.

Yello, Welcome to our happy home.....kick back and make yourself at home..

as far as getting rid of the waste oil....I don't know what its like in Canada...but here in the US....if a place does oil changes .... they are REQUIRED to accept used oil from you....I just have one of those catch basins that has the plug in the top.....when it gets near full I put it in the back of the truck and off I go to Wal-Mart and pour it in their recepticle....they take the filters too.

 

[LambOfSilence]

Yello_Pro5

Zoom zoom to you too, Yello_pro5.

 

[eeveyl]

Hmmm.... I was told by a few people that not taking the car to the dealer for routine maintenance may void your warranty should you ever have a major problem with the engine... It made sense to me, because then they would have a record of what has been done to the car, whereas if you do it yourself... well, it's basically your word.

Has anyone heard the same, or is was this simply smoke up my a$$? Any thoughts?

 

[Don]

. . . . a record of what has been done to the car

This IS the important part.

Everytime I do ANY maintenance to the car, I write it down on one of the blank pages in the back of the owners manual. Date, miles, services performed, products used.

It's there in black and white, and any dealership will take that as proof that the necessary procedures were performed.

Nothing in the Mazda warranty requires that any maintenance be preformed by the dealership - They're not allowed to make that mandantory. All that's required is "proof" that the required services were done, and your detailed list will suffice for that, especially (if you're like me) and are doing them about twice as often as the warranty requires.

Don

 

[LambOfSilence]

Good point, Don, I guess keeping record of regular oil changes from other places will do, too?

btw, I think we should always keep the maintenance receipts, 'cause they have most of the important information Don mentioned on them (they are required here in bc anyways).

 

[blynzoo]

Hmmm.... I was told by a few people that not taking the car to the dealer for routine maintenance may void your warranty should you ever have a major problem with the engine... It made sense to me, because then they would have a record of what has been done to the car, whereas if you do it yourself... well, it's basically your word.

Has anyone heard the same, or is was this simply smoke up my a$$? Any thoughts?

just (moon) plus (smoke) equals :bs: . Look at the above posts. I do all of my maintenance, and Like Nukey-Nuke, do it twice as often as necessary and list products used. Use the spaces provided in your warranty booklet, write in what you do, and date it. Then keep a detailed list (I use a notepad) with the actual products used on each service. Although it sounds like a lot, it's really nothing, takes 30 seconds, and is a much more detailed record than any dealer will keep. And doing your own maintenance will not void your warranty. Hell, you could replace your own transmission, and if they cant prove your work caused the problem, it wont void the warranty.

 

[YellowMP5]

i only let them do my oil and stuff like tire rotation/balancing.
everything else is BS and can easily be checked yourself. i mean how hard is it to check tire pressure, treadwear or air filter

 

[uclap5]

just wondering, how do you change the oil filter? i havent gotten around to getting a shop manual and the owners manual is no help saying i need to go to a dealer.

This is my first car, and i plan on doing everything myself as much as possible, so im just trying to learn.

 

[herarety]

just wondering, how do you change the oil filter? i havent gotten around to getting a shop manual and the owners manual is no help saying i need to go to a dealer.

This is my first car, and i plan on doing everything myself as much as possible, so im just trying to learn.

you use an oil-filter remover thing (technical term right there). it's like pliers with a circle on the end. you adjust it to the right size (the smallest one for our cars) and turn it in the direction it takes to loosen the filter and tighten the tool's grip. put one back on the same way. ask your dad/friend/autozone/someone who has done it before. it's quite simple.

and then there's those new fram ones where you suposedly can tighten them enough with your hand, but i don't know how much i trust that.

 

[Don]

i only let them do my oil and stuff like tire rotation/balancing.

2 of those 3 things I never let anyone do - Especially a dealership, or ANY "speedy oil change" place. I've heard way too many oil change "horror stories" (drain plug left loose, filler cap left off, oil level no where near correct, etc) and it's simple to do, and if you really want it done right, do it yourself. I've read more than once about someone made a mark on an oil filter before he installed it, only to still have the same filter on the car after he paid someone good money for an oil and filter change - When you pay someone, you really never know if you got what you paid for.

I never use an oil filter wrench - Install the filter per it's instructions and you'll always be able to remove it with one hand - A pair of rubber gloves may help with the grip.

I rotate my own tires (every oil change) so that no gorilla with his air gun ever gets a chance to screw things up. Another good reason for doing this yourself, is that eventually you'll be beside the road, in a driving rainstrorm around midnight trying to change a flat with the OEM wrench, cussing the gorilla with the airgun, as the water runs off your head into your eyes. "Why does this have to happen to me" you'll cry - Because you let someone else rotate your tires.

Don

 

[uclap5]

I'll take a looksie once i get the chance, i beleieve we do have some of those circle thingies. =P



thanks for the info.


Oh yeah, for oil changes do you guys jack up the car/ ramps or anything or do you just sqeeze in the space below?

 

[Guvyp5]

uclap5 changing your oil is really easy. you can either drive on ramps or put the car on stands. remove your oil filler cap from the top of your engine then remove the drain plug from underneath the engine, let it drain into a suitable container you can get one of those for a few bucks. while it's draining change your filter. put the new one in, remember to rub some oil on the seal before you put the new one on. once the oil is all drained put the plug back in, tighten it. lower the car. add 4 qts of your choice of oil from the top. put the filler cap back on. check your dipstick and you're all done.
personally I live on a military base where they have a "do it yourself" garage. they provide all the necessary tools and lifts and everything, but you do the work yourself. it's $3 an hour. beats having to crawl under a car. works great for me.

 

[pingdum]

just wondering, how do you change the oil filter? i havent gotten around to getting a shop manual and the owners manual is no help saying i need to go to a dealer.

This is my first car, and i plan on doing everything myself as much as possible, so im just trying to learn.

It took me about 15 mins to locate my oil filter the first time. It's way up there to the right of the drain plug. I got one of those cup type oil filter wrenches that attach to a 3/8 rachet.( I can't recall the size right now, but you can just try them out in the store like I did). I think they're the best for our car since there is so little roon to work with in there.
I know a lot of you guys do a lot of the work yourselves, but people should remember that you can do a ton of damage if you don't know what you're doing or don't have the proper manual and tools. A small job can turn into a big expense if you have to fix the three things you broke while fixing something else.

 

[pingdum]

add 4 qts of your choice of oil from the top. put the filler cap back on. check your dipstick and you're all done.

The manual says the P5 only holds 3.7 quarts. Isn't it bad to put too much in?